LCR .357 Ranch Carry

Try the Buffalo Bore HC 180 gr. gas check. Pricey, but I like it.

P.S. My best wishes and prayers for all farmers and ranchers, this is gonna get tough. They are still the nation's backbone.

I think the LCR will handle the load you mentioned, but I wouldn't feed it a regular diet of that stuff. Also, the short barrel will not come close to maximizing the potential, so really, you'll be wasting a lot of powder and making a really loud bang. A 3" bbl SP101 would be a MUCH better choice, and if it were me...I'd be carrying the GP100, even it it took some effort.

Give the BB 180 a try too.

you made a good choice with the sp101. i like the lcr too but i think the sp will serve you better and be more rugged for years to come.

here's another vote for the BB 180s. they're a hoot!

Now that is a serious pit viper. Who made your IWB? It looks like Elmer at the Leather Arsenal...

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IIRC its a Galco Royle I traded something for years ago, it's for a full size but the short ones fit in it just as well.

I'd recommend the 4" SP101 or the 3" S&W M60, either with the available adjustable sights. Kinda nice to hit where your aiming when the vermin are small and nice to have a prayer with the 'yotes at 50+ yards. After missing and passing up some shots I've mostly switched from my 2" snubbie to a larger adjustable sight gun. Lazers coming soon for those fading daylight shots on the vermin.

Power wise? Last spring I had a 600 lb heifer get out, couldn't catch her. As dark approached I told my neighbor we'd better shoot if we find her. He got her with one shot to the head at 50 yards, .357 mag, 125 gr HP, 2" Taurus M605. Non-ideal combo? Yup. Lucky? Yup, but a good story. First thing I've ever seen him hit with that gun, ha ha.

ETA: And handloading helps too. You can economically maximize your pistols inherent accuracy with the best bullets for it's intended jobs (JHP, JSP, LSWC etc). And you can build accurate, economical plinking loads to build long range skill.

treg said:

I'd recommend the 4" SP101 or the 3" S&W M60, either with the available adjustable sights. Kinda nice to hit where your aiming when the vermin are small and nice to have a prayer with the 'yotes at 50+ yards.

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I like the longer barrels and thus better sight raduis, but if you are going to the 4" bbl, you might as well upgrade the frame and get that 6th or 7th round. There is not a huge difference between a 4" SP101 and GP100 when you actually carry them. It may seem like it on paper, but trust me, having carried both, there isn't much diffence.

Well, I sure wouldn't recommend the LCR for ranch use at all. It recoils way too much for any legitimate use I can think of.

I have a friend who killed a rabid mountain lion while he was out inspecting fence posts. He used a Dan Wesson he kept in a shoulder rig. And when I was out on the same ranch, we used .22s to kill the prairie dogs at the behest of our host.

For ranch use, get a good mint Ruger Speed-Six in stainless steel. It's not the boat anchor that the GP-100 is and it strikes an outstanding balance between power and portability. The .357 is my favorite caliber, but the Security-/Speed-Six was the perfect vehicle for that round. So, too, were the S&W 66 and 65 revolvers. The Ruger LCR has a 1.82-inch barrel length, which is ridiculous. For each inch of barrel length after an inch, the round picks up considerable power. I have a 2.25-inch Ruger SP-101, but that's still too small for ranch use. The 2.75-inch or 3-inch Speed-Six or the 4-inch Security-Six is really ideal. And rubber grips without the metal insides (such as the type Pachmayrs have) keep the weight down even more.

The Smith 686 and Ruger GP-101 revolvers are simply too heavy for my taste, but the 686 is much better balanced due to its steel grips. The earlier models were perfect for range use, but horrible for carrying. Bill Jordan, who recommended the 13/19/65/66, knew that people carried guns more than shot them. Somewhere along the line Smith and Ruger lost sight of that. I suppose they figured since police departments were switching to autos, that everyone would be shooting at ranges. Big mistake. I'd love to have a mint 66 earlier model. The 6-inch versions of the Ruger/Smith were considered the perfect ranch/hunting guns. After the heavier models came out, articles extolling their values as ranch/hunting guns took a nose dive.



The Ruger trio are great ranch guns. You can still get them on the
used gun market.




The S&W 66 also is ideal as a ranch gun. I prefer the earlier models.




The Rugers have a modular design that makes them stronger than the Smiths.

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giese, congratulations on your purchases. "Heft" is one of the things I, too, like about the SP101.

Rexster said:

giese, congratulations on your purchases. "Heft" is one of the things I, too, like about the SP101.

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Same here!

Years ago Ross Seyfreid wrote an article about using a snubby 38 to finish wounded elk. He loaded his gun with Speer Lawman ammo. He said the bullets only made it to the skull of an elk and then flattened out. He said he went back to what always worked. A hard cast SWC Keith style bullet. He tested these on fresh leg bones and said they shattered the bones into fragments. His son used the load on an elk and reported it worked very well.

I agree and prefer these myself. I like penetration. I can't offer any personal experience on shooting cattle so thats why I related the RS story. I have shot a goat with a hard cast 158 medium 357 load at about 1100fps. Just as I shot the goat took off. I hit it in the back of the left leg. The bullet exited through the right shoulder blade. It cut a perfect circle in the clavicle. The goat fell over dead right there.

cocked and locked, that's a great looking sp! what grip is that?

Thanks!

back40 said:

cocked and locked, that's a great looking sp! what grip is that?

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Those are Pachmayr Compaq grips on the SP101. I removed the Pachmayr medallions and replaced them with Ruger medallions.

nice!

I like the longer barrels and thus better sight raduis, but if you are going to the 4" bbl, you might as well upgrade the frame and get that 6th or 7th round. There is not a huge difference between a 4" SP101 and GP100 when you actually carry them. It may seem like it on paper, but trust me, having carried both, there isn't much diffence.

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When you are working (actual physical labor requiring movement and exertion, unfamiliar to many) or operating a piece of equipment that requires movement to operate, every little bit of not much extra gun tends to get in your way. BTDT. Hence the recommendation for a smaller gun.

Handgun on the farm or ranch while working may have had some merit in the early 1900's when you may have to shoot a horse that's on top of you, however in a mechanized farm or ranch I see little to no need for it unless you run into dangerous trespassers, pot cultivators using your property or other 2 legged varmints. To carry a handgun because you think you may need to shoot your valuable equipment or breeding stock then rethink your safety habits.

Every farmer or rancher I ever knew carried a rifle or shotgun in the pickup when working to dispatch varmints, predators, stray dogs, injured stock, and that also provided for the self defense needs they had. They only carried a handgun when traveling, esp to sales or auctions when they had large sums of cash. The only rancher I ever met that carried a handgun was also a Sheriffs deputy and it stayed in the glove box most of the time only coming out when he had to go to a call.

SteveC wrote: "To carry a handgun because you think you may need to shoot your valuable equipment or breeding stock then rethink your safety habits." The gun at your side is a part of the risk assessment, and a safety device. When a Ram or bull decides to go berserk for what ever reason and is between you and the truck who ya gonna call? That is why we carry.
ll

Yup, this ain't the 1900's. Now we only gots to worry about occupy squatters, nut jobs off their meds, and deppities that always seem to be on the other side of the county when ya really need them. I'll keep carrying.

Enjoy your SP101! Remember to hold that beastie high on the grip, to reduce muzzle flip.

back40 said:

you made a good choice with the sp101. i like the lcr too but i think the sp will serve you better and be more rugged for years to come.

here's another vote for the BB 180s. they're a hoot!

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In my new 4" SP101, I tried those BB 180's for the first time the other day and they made the traditional factory 357 loadings feel like 38+p. My trigger hand actually jumped out of my support hand and usually it's only the hottest 500 S&W loads that do that. Now I know just to take a different grip for those.

It's hard to imagine an LCR supporting a load like that. So if you feel that that kind of load is appropriate, the SP101 or larger is definitely the way to go.

I am not a farmer, but I do live in a rural area. I have owned an SP101, and currently own an LCR, though mine is in .38 Special.

For your purposes, I would choose the SP101. While both will handle the .357, the human part is going to find the LCR much more brutal, due to its lighter weight. I have come to the conclusion that the repetition of recoil of hard kicking handguns is cumulative. It might not hurt for the first few years, but after decades it builds up.

Size is similar, in fact holsters are similar. I think the LCR is great for .38+p loads intended for 2 legged varmints. For .357 level loads I want some thing heavier.

The Rugers have a modular design that makes them stronger than the Smiths.

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The extra weight in steel helps out too.

giese said:

Texas- Agreed with much of what you said, see my post from later yesterday. I am not claiming to be a cattle expert but have been working some cows for a few years.... In my world I would have a better chance of meeting my end from a 4 legged crazed critter I am working by myself that gets me down than 2 legged, I cant have a babysitter in this line of work all the time. Probably better chance of that than most folks on THR, other than law enforcment, have of meeting a bad situation with 2 legged. So the majority of folks on here carry with less of a chance of being injured/maimed/killed than I do, I would say you might want to change your plan and keep something on you. Just playing the odds.

RC- Thanks for the correction, my reference was to an article I read by Ayoob many years ago in which he cited Keith, I ask forgiveness for my error. After you corrected me I seemed to have much more recollection of the article and you are correct in what you said, thanks again, I dont want to misrepresent Keith or lead folks astray by my ignorance and that was not my intention. Kudos for your gun history knowledge. THR has some pretty competent folks.

So.... in conclusion... Went to the store... Picked up a nice 2" SP101 for myself... Liked the heft, ruggedness, and trigger is similar to my GP100. I will grab some holster selections over the next few weeks and be happy I believe. But I just didnt like leaving that LCR.... So Mrs. giese took one in .38+p home with her, she was very pleased with the trigger, probably get some static for this but she liked the Colt Detective we had an opportunity to fire a few weeks back and she said it felt simialr in her had. Her purse will be much the wiser for this choice I hope... and smiles were had all around....

Thanks for advice, now ammo and holsters are on my mind........

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Nice job of matching the right tool to the job. The SP ought to be superb for your use with stout loads and the LCR should be terrific for Ms G for CCW. I've had my SP for quite a few years now and it's still my favorite small frame revolver for shooting. Other guns might carry easier but none combine the portability and shootability especially with heavy loads as well as the SP. I still want to get an LCR for carry but my SP will likely stay just 'cause it's such a sweet shooting and handy gun.