.38 +P Buffalo Bore

[LawofThirds]

I recently picked up a box of their 158 grain SWCHP +P's (advertised as 1000 fps!) and they've got a really aggressive crimp where the metal of the casing has been "scratched" from the pressure. It's not a roll over like I'm used to seeing on a .357 or .38.

Is this normal or do I have a poorly manufactured batch of ammo?
The buffalo bore is the top one, a round of 158 grain xtp by hornady is below for comparison.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I can assure you that buffalo bore is a hot round. They probably crimped it to decrease bullet pull when fired from an airweight.

 

[wlewisiii]

(pulls Model 64 out of Maxpedition bag. pull round from cylinder)

Yep, looks just like that one. I think that what looks like a wierd crimp is because the crimp is over part of the gas check. This round would lead a barrel like like crazy at 1000+ fps without the copper on the bottom.

It's a really great round.

William

 

[Deaf Smith]

Out of my Smith 2 inch 64 it does get 1000 fps. And out of my 2 3/4 inch speed six it gets 1100 fps.

Yes 1100. So close to a .357 magnum that my .38 Ruger Service Six 4 inch 'house gun' uses that load. And so does my 2 3/4 speed six!

 

[OregonJohnny]

Have you tried shooting it yet? I truly believe their advertising figures for this round. It packs a wallop!

I bought that exact ammo from Buffalo Bore and tried it out in my S&W 642. My 642 wears the thin, smooth wood grips of the Lady Smith model. After 2 rounds of the Buffalo Bore, I opened the cylinder and took out the other 3 rounds and put them back in the box. "That'll do just fine," I said as I shook out my right hand.

They feel and perform great out of my Ruger GP100, and that's what I use these rounds in now. No more out of the wood-stocked j-frame airweight. When I want to be punished, I do it with my Ruger Redhawk, where at least the pain gets spread out more.

I think this is just about the most potent .38 Special round you can buy off a shelf.

 

[LawofThirds]

It's good to hear the praise, I got the buffalo bore to replace the 125g golden sabers since the golden sabers were hitting ~4" low at 10 yards out of a 642 carry comp but my 148 grain wadcutters were dead on (and scary accurate) out of that 2" barrel.

If you've got adjustable sights, the golden sabers are great, I was getting around 950 fps out of them in the snubby and they were opening up to almost 3/4" but it's gotta hit where I aim it first.

 

[joeq]

Yes, those rounds are definitely normal. That is my carry load in my S&W 442. They are by far the hottest rounds I have found in 38 spcl +P. All of the buffalo bore rounds I have fired performed as advertised with no FTF's. They have stout recoil but are manageable in an airweight.

 

[Oyeboten]

A Hefty Crimp probably adds a few FPS, as well as that it is necessary of peppy Rounds are to be fired from light Revolvers, so as to prevent Bullet's drifting out of their Cartridge Cases.

 

[RatDrall]

What about their 125 grain ammo:

a. S&W mod 60, 2 inch- 1072 fps (319 ft. lbs.)
b. S&W mod 66, 2.5 inch- 1108 fps (341 ft. lbs.)
c. Ruger SP101, 3 inch- 1180 fps (386 ft. lbs.)
d. S&W Mt. Gun, 4 inch- 1258 fps (439 ft. lbs.)

That's almost 357 velocities out of a 4" barrel

 

[wlewisiii]

I really can't say about the 125's - I've been to smitten with the 158's to bother trying anything else. Hell, I just ordered two more boxes from Midway so I can spend next week range time mostly shooting what I carry - I'll shoot what's in my gun and speed loaders & then 22 more while leaving 18 new ones to go back in my carry rig.

I should try the 125's sometime. But for now I'm just really happy with the 158's.

William

 

[rdrancher]

Yep looks normal. If you care to read my completely non-scientific observations on the round, follow the Behind the Barn link in my sig.

rd

 

[Dave T]

As an interesting historical note, this BB loading almost exactly duplicates the old 38/44 or 38 Hi-Speed load that the S&W Heavy Duty and Outdoorsman were built for. Those old factory loads delivered a 158g bullet at 1150 fps, the same velocity BB gets from 4" barrels. The 38/44 was introduced in 1930, five years before the 357 Mag and was obviously the forerunner of the Magnum.

Dave

 

[Deaf Smith]

I bought that exact ammo from Buffalo Bore and tried it out in my S&W 642. My 642 wears the thin, smooth wood grips of the Lady Smith model. After 2 rounds of the Buffalo Bore, I opened the cylinder and took out the other 3 rounds and put them back in the box. "That'll do just fine," I said as I shook out my right hand.

I used to use a scandium Smith Centennial in .357 with REAL magnums. I found I could not hit well one handed and I was afraid to try it left handed! Plus there was no way in heck my wife would fire that gun if she needed to use it!

So I'm not shocked the 642 would be that bad with BB ammo!

But it the cats meow in my Smith 2 inch 64 and Ruger Speed Six!

BTW, I use DPX in my 642.

 

[The_Shootist]

BB?

I fired off a box of that round in my 3" bbl SP 101 and it was stout! It almost felt like I was shooting a "medium power" .357 rd (ie Golden Sabre). I imagine it would be more than just vaguely unpleasant from my 642.

In fact, the round I carry in my 642 is the "standard pressure" BB loading. Since that delivers a pretty good smack to the hand it almost feels like a regular + P load. But its controllable and VERY accurate.

 

[LawofThirds]

Went to the range earlier today and went through half a box in the 442. The recoil is stout but not hand destroying by any means. It groups well at point of aim and does an even 1000 through a chronograph.

If this is about all a .357 feels like out of a J Frame, I may have to upgrade to a .357 J frame.

 

[1KPerDay]

You're a better man than I am... the regular 158 grain BB loads just about make me cry out of my Model 37. And I eat nails for breakfast.

 

[DBR]

I use the Buffalo Bore 38spl standard pressure 150gr wadcutter in my S&W 342 and 642 revolvers. Recoil is acceptable, it tracks straight through the target media and it cuts a hole at least as well as a good hollow point that actually expands from a short barrel and better than one that doesn't. I am much more worried about under penetration than over penetration in this caliber in these guns.

http://www.brassfetcher.com/Buffalo...r standard pressure Hard Cast Wad Cutter.html

 

[WYO]

I shot 3 .38 special. +P 158 gr. LSWHC-GC over the chronograph using my 3 inch SP101 over the weekend, and got 1064, 1055 and 1075, for an average of 1064. For comparison, I also shot 3 Fiocchi 158 grain XTP .357 magnums, and they averaged 1063. I didn't think the recoil was that bad compared to, say, the .125 grain .357 Gold Dots I also fired over the chronograph, which averaged 1327.