beginner learning to shoot a revolver, ammo choice

[bill bryant]

I've shot rifles and shotguns for many years, but never handguns.

After careful research both online and in shops, I've decided to buy an SP101 in .357 with a 2-inch barrel.

Since this is my first handgun, I want to learn to shoot it using gentler ammo so that I can avoid developing bad habits. (I'm assuming this is a good thing to do.)

If you were my instructor, what series of ammo choices would you take me through, starting easy and working up to a good self-defense round, in order to help me learn how to shoot this revolver confidently?

 

[hobbeeman]

I am not an instructor, but I practice my .357 with .38 special ammo, to avoid the bad habits you speak of

 

[ugaarguy]

If you were my instructor, what series of ammo choices would you take me through, starting easy and working up to a good self-defense round, in order to help me learn how to shoot this revolver confidently?

Since it's a 2" SP I'm guessing it has fixed sights. To start I'd buy a some standard pressure .38 Special, in the common 125 gr or 130 gr FMJ, 148 gr Wadcutter, and 158gr LRN varieties. I'd then shoot several groups from a rest - shooting single action if your gun is capable - to determine which ammo's point of impact (POI) matches the point of aim (POA) of the revolver's fixed sights. Once you determine if the gun's POA/POI matches with light or heavy rounds stick with the weight range it likes for your practice ammo.

For practice start with slow fire at close range. Focus on the front sight with the target and rear sights slightly blurred as you would when shooting a rifle with irons. I often repeat to myself "front sight squeeze, front sight squeeze" as I focus on keeping the front sight aligned on the target and gently squeezing the trigger until it breaks. Progress to longer ranges and faster fire as your skill improves.

Don't be discouraged with your initial groups - revolvers, particularly small framed ones with short barrels and small fixed sights - take quite a bit of time and practice for most folks to master. Start with short range trips and progress to longer ones as your hand & wrist strength increase as you get accustomed the DA pull on your gun.

From the standard pressure .38s progress through .38+Ps and then onto full house .357 Magnums, again staying with loads which correlate POI/POA on your gun's sights. Many folks here stick with .38+P ammo at most on their smaller revolvers, preferring the faster and more accurate follow-up shots afforded by the .38+P's lighter recoil, lower flash, and lower muzzle blast when compared to the full house magnums.

Hopefully that gives you a good start, but ask more questions if you need clarification on anything.

 

[Jim March]

Given that gun's weight and ergonomics, ANY 38special ammo (even 38+P combat loads) will be very controllable.

There are a couple of 357 loads that are low recoil, lower power but still a cut above 38+P in combat effectiveness. The mildest-shooting "357" ammo I've ever personally shot is the Speer 135gr Gold Dot hollowpoint "short barrel" 357. It is also the most accurate factory load I've shot in my 357 Ruger New Vaquero. That doesn't mean it'll be the most accurate possible critter in YOUR gun but it shouldn't suck .

Other mild 357s include the Remington Golden Saber and the Cor-Bon 125gr "DPX" - the heaviest of these "mild 357s" but in an SP101 certainly not a wrist-breaker - and a very respectable carry load. It's a weird all-copper hollowpoint, projectile is by Barnes and they have a good rep for both effectiveness and accuracy.

In terms of practice ammo, I know of no low-powered 357 practice stuff, other than maybe some of the "Cowboy Ammo" (limited to 1,000 feet per second due to the rules in the cowboy action sports). And that tends to be expensive.

I would practice with 38Special, myself, and remember to clean the cylinder bores real well before shooting 357, if you just shot a lot of 38. Remember, the 357 guns were meant to be able to eat 38Spl too but the 357 shells are a couple of millimeters longer so that the newer more potent 357s couldn't fit the older/weaker 38Spl guns and blow them up. But that means shooting 38s leaves a "crud ring" in the cylinder bore ahead of the 38-length shell. If a 357 shell is jammed into a heavy crud ring, it might not successfully release it's bullet on firing causing a pressure spike and even a k'boom (gun blows up). It's rare, OK? But it CAN happen. Cleaning the bores after a session with 38s is a good idea; in a pinch, jam a fired, mouth-expanded 357 shell in there to push aside the worst of the crud before shooting 357s.

 

[Jim March]

To add to what ugaarguy wrote while I was typing:

He's right in that loads of the same weight class will often shoot to the same elevation regardless of how fast they're going. In other words, 158gr 38 practice ammo will often go the same place in relation to the sights as 158gr 357 combat ammo.

My gun's sights are dialed in (literally by filing the front sight) to peak effectiveness with 135/140gr class loads, and that's the way I like it. It's still OK with 125s and up to 158 if I need to go there, at least at close range.

You need to figure out with different weights of 38 which type your gun likes best. Then again, in a snub you're likely not to care too much about a 2" vertical difference at 15 feet or so...

 

[chris in va]

Very, very good choice. I really enjoy my 3".

Just get some FMJ stuff from MalWart and have at it. Get a box of 357 for grin factor. Oh, consider the Hogue monogrips, they very ergonomic and don't cost much.