Is it normal for a .357 to not shoot .38 as accurately?

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Smaug

Smaug

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I have a Ruger SP-101 with the 3" barrel in .357 that I'm fond of.

The other day, I took it to the range and was underwhelmed with its accuracy with Remington .38 Special, 158 gr. LRN loads. I tried it both double and single action; it was about equally inaccurate. Maybe 6" 10-shot groups from 7 yards, standing offhand. Watching the laser sight, I would have expected 2" or less at that range. I tried with both the CTC laser and open sights; same result.

Years ago, I used to reload for it. I liked light-medium bullets in magnum cases with magnum primers and a medium load of HP38 powder. Something substantially less powerful than a factory magnum load, but a smidge more than a .38+P. "Warm" in other words. Those shot great; as well as I could hold.

Do you think it's something to do with the bullet having to jump a bigger gap to the forcing cone & barrel?
 
Interesting. What IS LRN good for then, just making cheap cartridges? It's not good for defense either, as it would tend to over-penetrate...

That's the last of those I'll be buying.
 
Round nose bullets are good for fast reloading. Something most revolver shooters are not concerned with but some of us are.



Try doing a reload like this with SWC, it's sort of a nightmare.
 
Don't be too quick to condemn LRN. They shoot just fine.

Each gun has preferences.

As far as we know, it's not the ammo, but you that's the problem.

Accuracy testing is not done offhand. It's done off a bench or from a Ransom Rest.
 
.45Coltguy said:
I'm just desert plinking; SWC's work fine in my regard. Or, as mentioned ,lrnfp even better.
Click to expand...

I've got a light LRNFP (the Lee 125 gr RNFP to be exact that shoots like a laser with .38spl brass in a .357 chambered Ruger Security Six using Titegroup; the only load I use that powder in.
 
Y-T71, I haven't loaded any 125's, only 158's in .38 spl[5.0gr Unique], or158's and 180gr rnfp coated in my .357[Universal or 2400]. It's all what we like to shoot.
 
In factory ammo my old Ruger Vaqueros were not accurate at all with Remington 158 grn LRN, but Federal 158 grn LRN was very accurate.
Try different ammo makers, weights and configurations.
Crappy accuracy from ammo still gives you the opportunity to shoot, practice trigger pull, practice aiming.
They call it target “practice” for a reason.
 
.45Coltguy said:
Y-T71, I haven't loaded any 125's, only 158's in .38 spl[5.0gr Unique], or158's and 180gr rnfp coated in my .357[Universal or 2400]. It's all what we like to shoot.
Click to expand...

I have a bunch of 158gr RNFP all cast and coated, just haven't loaded any yet.

At the rate I've been going lately, gas will probably be back down to $1.50/gal before I get around to it!
 
.45Coltguy said:
Other than Titegroup, what powders do you have?
Click to expand...

Are you asking me or the OP?

I've got lots of other powder.

I loaded this 125gr with Titegroup (I had this powder gifted to me, I didn't buy it) for a nice plinking/range load in my S&W 642 but found my Security Six liked it by accident.

When I get around to the 158 RNFP I'm likely looking at Unique and maybe 2400.
 
Y-T71 said:
Are you asking me or the OP?

I've got lots of other powder.

I loaded this 125gr with Titegroup (I had this powder gifted to me, I didn't buy it) for a nice plinking/range load in my S&W 642 but found my Security Six liked it by accident.

When I get around to the 158 RNFP I'm likely looking at Unique and maybe 2400.
Click to expand...

Opps. Was asking you. Unique and 2400 would be good.
 
Smaug said:
I have a Ruger SP-101 with the 3" barrel in .357 that I'm fond of.

The other day, I took it to the range and was underwhelmed with its accuracy with Remington .38 Special, 158 gr. LRN loads. I tried it both double and single action; it was about equally inaccurate. Maybe 6" 10-shot groups from 7 yards, standing offhand. Watching the laser sight, I would have expected 2" or less at that range. I tried with both the CTC laser and open sights; same result.

Years ago, I used to reload for it. I liked light-medium bullets in magnum cases with magnum primers and a medium load of HP38 powder. Something substantially less powerful than a factory magnum load, but a smidge more than a .38+P. "Warm" in other words. Those shot great; as well as I could hold.

Do you think it's something to do with the bullet having to jump a bigger gap to the forcing cone & barrel?
Click to expand...
If this is the Remington "Wheel Gun" ammunition, there's your problem. They run undersize and low pressure. "Most" LRN is going to be minute-of-chest-cavity accurate at 7 yards. It's not great but it's good enough.
Back in the days before penicillin the 158gr. .38Spl LRN was a good enough load for stopping bad guys. Now it's just a plinking round for steel plates, plastic water bottles and soda cans.
 
I don’t think it is the bullet design as much as the lack of quality of the ammunition. That ammo is basically just range fodder and is not very consistent. I have seen several videos with it being used to compare ballistics in gel over other bullet designs and the velocity always seemed all over the place, large swings and very low velocity.
I do not know what velocity or weight bullet the SP101 is sighted for but most .38 Special revolvers seem to be regulated for 158 grain 800 fps bullets. A fixed sight .357 will inherently give you a different point of impact using .38 Special ammo.
I would just try another type of ammo. 130 Grain jacketed seems to be very poplar for range ammo lately, the faster the better would be my choice.
 
I should’ve shot a cylinder from a rest, I suppose. At seven yards, it would look ridiculous, though.

I asked folks to take my word that I could easily hold a 2” group at that range; shame so many of you won’t take my word for it.

My only other choices at this outdoor range were 25, 50, 100 and 200 yards, all of which are too far without a Ransom Rest.

The ammo I would actually shoot through it (as my home defense gun) would be different and a lot more expensive.

I’ll try something else; maybe a +P .38 HP or a light defense Magnum load, of there’s such a thing.

i haven’t looked into reloading in a decade, but from the banter here, it seems like I’m in for some trouble finding primers…
 
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Smaug said:
I should’ve shot a cylinder from a rest, I suppose. At seven yards, it would look ridiculous, though.

I asked folks to take my word that I could easily hold a 2” group at that range; shame so many of you won’t take my word for it.

My only other choices at this outdoor range were 25, 50, 100 and 200 yards, all of which are too far without a Ransom Rest.

The ammo I would actually shoot through it (as my home defense gun) would be different and a lot more expensive.

I’ll try something else; maybe a +P .38 HP or a light defense Magnum load, of there’s such a thing.

i haven’t looked into reloading in a decade, but from the banter here, it seems like I’m in for some trouble finding primers…
Click to expand...
No, primers and powders are back in stock at most of the online retailers. The "difficulty" is the price. Primers and powder are both considerably more expensive than they were before the plandemic and political unrest (which won't be discussed further by me) but supplies are coming back online and prices should be dropping annnnnnnnnny day now.

The Remington "Wheel Gun" - if that's what you used - are drek. Try the Winchester white box 130gr. FMJ's as has been suggested or the Fiocchi 142gr. TCM if they come available. The Fiocchi's hit pretty close to POA in most of my .357's.
 
just shoot some other brand LRN. might just be something particular about that factory cartridge in that revolver. won't be the first firearm that just didn't do as well with some particular cheap factory ammo.
 
Lead round nose should be just as accurate as anything else assuming the bullets are sized correctly and a halfway appropriate alloy. LRN fell out of favor due to poor terminal performance, not because a round nose bullet is less accurate than than a SWC.

A 6" group at 7 yards is a sign of something very wrong. Using correctly sized LRN bullets in an accurate gun will get 2" groups at 25 yards just about as easily as any other bullet.
 
'Way back when, my landlord and I would go shooting weekly together. He used a .38 Smith revolver, plus a .22 auto. He exclusively used LRN in the Smith, which he loaded himself. He shot that well enough at 50 feet to enter matches, successfully. I think the OP's problem is the quality of the ammo, not the type.
 
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