Let's Talk SP101 (.357) Carry Loads

[P. Plainsman]

What Magnum loads do you folks get good results from in the 2.25" barreled Ruger SP101? Any chrono / ballistic data?

I just picked up one of these sturdy little fiveguns (bobbed-hammer DAO model) and took it for its first range session. I was very impressed. Good accuracy and controllability. The revolver also has good fit and finish, a tight barrel-cylinder gap, and a "welded to the frame" feel at lockup.

Once I get my picture-posting capability set up I will post a thread with some targets and a full range report on the SP's shakeout cruise.

But right now I'd like to talk ammo. The CCI Blazer 158 .357 JHP was easily controllable and very accurate. Kind of mild; a good practice load. The Winchester 145 grain Silvertip .357 JHP, a respected full-power load, was actually manageable as well. The little Ruger kicked, and there was about a 50 degree muzzle lift, but I could bring it back on target fast enough for useful shooting. That's a good load. I'm tempted to adopt it for carry and step up my practice schedule to make sure I can deploy it well.

I was not as impressed by the Speer Gold Dot "Short Barrel" 135 gr .357 load. It was loud with snappy recoil, almost indistinguishable from the full-power Silvertip load, and no more accurate. Yet Speer's website says it's only good for 1000 fps at the muzzle. The Silvertip ought to be good for 145 @ 1150 or so in a snub -- significantly more power. The Winchester round is a little cheaper, too. I like the "Short Barrel" 135 Gold Dot ammo in .38+P flavor as a carry load for airweight snubs, but the .357 version, meh.

(EDIT TO ADD: I usually keep a stock of the Remington Golden Saber 125 grain JHP .357 load on hand -- a good accurate "reduced power" load that could make a lot of sense in a snubby. I just don't happen to have any right now. Will get some and try it.)

Interestingly, the SP101 did not spit debris back on the shooter with any magnum loads, whereas my trusty 4" GP100 does spit. Is that difference usual? Is it a function of barrel-cylinder gap?

So far I am far more impressed with this SP101 than with my last Ruger .357, a 3" GP100 that shoots way low and binds up inoperably after 15-20 rounds. That one's going back to Ruger soon.

 

[rdaines]

Not to restart the "handloads vs. commercial loads" debate for SD again but the majority of the time I carry my SP-101 with 38 Special handloads of 125g Golder Saber bullets @ 850 fps. I make these loads to be manageable rather than super deadly hoping to prevent over penetration and injury to others. these are summer months loads when bulky clothing is not an issue. Winter loads are commercial; either Remington Golden Saber .357 mag in 125 grain or Federal 38 Special Hyra-Shok in 110 grain. Never needed to use them so I don't know how well they work.

 

[critter]

Mine is currently loaded with the Golden Sabers you mentioned.

I suspect that any good 125 gr .357 JHP will suffice quite well.

 

[RichardB]

"Interestingly, the SP101 did not spit debris back on the shooter with any magnum loads, whereas my trusty 4" GP100 does spit."

Possible timing issues with GP100?

 

[mavracer]

I carry 145 silvertips in my tauri 605.POA=POI this is more important

 

[MCgunner]

I think you will find, if you have a chronograph, that out of that short barrel, bullets of 140 and up perform better. Now, my chronographing is based on my favorite handloads. I don't have the money to buy ammunition for all the calibers I shoot, been handloading forever. But, most any old school 125 grain hot load is going to be loaded with a similar burn rate powder as the 2400 I use in three of my loads. My theory on it is that the 125 grain bullet accelerates fast enough to be outside the barrel before the powder has reached peak pressure. The flash bang, high extreme spread/standard deviation of the shot string, lesser accuracy, and light recoil are other clues to this. My 140 grain load is my carry. The 180 is pretty awesome and AA#9 is a fantastic powder. Haven't tried any lighter bullet weights with AA#9, probably should. The 140 is hot, recoil is manageable, it is very accurate, and recoil recovery time is quick, so I just settled on the 140. The 180 is for four legged critters and was developed for my Blackhawk. It kicks like you wouldn't believe in the SP101, but is accurate and powerful. Not a self defense load, though. My 158 SWC uses a gas check Lee two cavity mold and is down from max listed loads by about a grain, but it's an old standby load and easy on guns for practice. I have killed deer with it, but it's mostly my practice load. I get scrap lead at the range, so the bullets are free and I can load 'em for under $2 a box.

My gun is a 2.3" SP101.



125 grain JHP/18.0 grains 2400......1102 fps/337 ft lbs
140 grain JHP/17.0 grains 2400......1332 fps/551 ft lbs
158 grain SWC/14.5 grains 2400.....1162 fps/426 ft lbs
180 grain JHP/13.8 grains AA#9.....1306 fps/682 ft lbs

 

[DawgFvr]

Corbon DPX 125 Gr.

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/Corbon 357 Magnum 125 gr DPX Ammo.htm

 

[lanternlad1]

A gunsmith told me to use 158gr, as thats what the sights were set for at the factory, but I use Federal Hydroshock 130gr. I base that on this:

http://www.brassfetcher.com/357magnum130grFederalPDH.html

My SP101 is a 3", so it should be close...

I pity the poor BG on the other end of it.

 

[DawgFvr]

lanernlad1: Read the article above you on 125 gr. Corbon DPX and you will find photos/facts where the author's 3 inch SP101 was "dead on" at 25 meters. The 125 gr DPX will consistently expand out of your three inch barrel whereas the 158 gr might be a tad bit too slow for expansion.

 

[MCgunner]

Odd thing about mine is, and it's the first .357 I've ever owned like this, but it shoots .38 wadcutter, 125 grain magnum, 140 grain magnum, 158 grain magnum, and 180 grain magnum ALL to the same POA. I really don't understand it, but I sure ain't complainin'! Every gun is different I reckon.

 

[P. Plainsman]

My SP101 does seem to be sighted in for full-house 158 grainers.

With a dead-level sight picture, the 145 grain Silvertips and the 158 grain Blazers hit close to POA. Lighter bullets hit low.

Of course, one can "correct" the sights for light bullets by holding up a little extra front sight, and it was no problem to do so.

 

[Nameless_Hobo]

Don't give yourself a load that's to punishing. You don't have to push the .357to it's max to put down the bad guys.

 

[rj112275]

i always carried Remington GS in mine. if i carried anything else, it probably would have been 158 gr LSWCHP +P

 

[MCgunner]

If I ain't going to shoot a HOT .357 out of the SP101, I'll carry my M85UL with +Ps. It's half as heavy and has a smaller, more compact grip, a lot easier to tote and pocketable. The SP101, as I see it, is the smallest, most compact .357 magnum revolver that is completely controllable with full power, hot, fire breathing man stoppin' magnum loads. That's why I have one. It's very controllable with my 140 grainers. I also added a Hogue monogrip which helps a lot, too. I can carry it IWB under just a T shirt or in my new Thunderwear. The Thunderwear is more comfy than IWB to me and the little gun just disappears that way.

I'd agree that .38+P is necessary for the little 12 ounce Smith Unobtainium wonderguns. Any magnum in one of those things is intolerable and slow to recover from, for me anyway. The SP101, though, is a full 27 ounces, just 6 ounces lighter than a K frame 4" service gun. It's quite shootable with hot stuff, I just prefer 140 grainers or less. The 158s are beginning to be a handful.

JMHO, though. I fully realize everyone has a different level of recoil tolerance. Some might not like +P in my little 17 ounce Taurus. It is a little snappy, but not that bad to me. You just have to judge for yourself what's too much for you, do some shooting, with different loads and find out what shoots in the gun well and what you can handle in the way of recoil.

 

[Risasi]

Generally I carry .38spl Gold Dot 125gr +P's in mine. I can make fast DA shots with this, whereas with .357 loads I find I am much slower on the follow up shots.


Though in the past I have carried the 158gr Winchester Super-X in .357. This is the most accurate load I've found for my SP.

Heavier 158's in a .357 load generally shoot to POA, though not as accurate. The 38's shoot a little low, which is fine by me. I'd rather hit low than miss high. I also tend to shoot with a real low six aim when engaging targets in DA at high speed. Probably another reason I prefer the .38's.


Sorry, even though I do own a chrono, thus far I have been too lazy to pull it out when shooting. Once I start reloading I'll probably care about this a little more.

 

[mavracer]

oh ya chrono.my ported 2 1/4" tauri 605 sends them 145 STs at 1080fps

 

[shooting on a shoestring]

My 2 cents

I only carry loads I've loaded myself, so maybe this doesn't count, but my findings via chronograph are Blue Dot gets the most velocity out of my 2.25" SP101. I use 158 Gold Dots over 10.7 gr Blue Dot gets me 1140 fps. I found W296, Lil'Gun and 2400 to run between 1050 to 1100 fps at max loads. The Blue Dot pushed 125 Gold Dots to 1310.

I put Hogue grips on to help tame the stubby snubby.

 

[P. Plainsman]

If I ain't going to shoot a HOT .357 out of the SP101, I'll carry my M85UL with +Ps. It's half as heavy and has a smaller, more compact grip, a lot easier to tote and pocketable. The SP101, as I see it, is the smallest, most compact .357 magnum revolver that is completely controllable with full power, hot, fire breathing man stoppin' magnum loads. That's why I have one.

That's the same thinking that led me to buy the SP101, MCgunner. In fact, my usual carry gun, too, is a Taurus 85UL that I load with .38+Ps (Rem 158 gr LSWCHP) and tote in the pocket. (It's not really "half as heavy," of course, but it does weigh 8 oz less than the Ruger.)

I, too, tend to think the SP's comparative advantage over smaller/lighter snubs is that it's the snubby you can tote five powerful shots in and realistically hope to deploy them well... with practice.

I'm still in the experimenting phase, but you've articulated one of the reasons I'm interested in good full-boat, 140 gr +, magnum carry loads for this revolver.

 

[MCgunner]

I use 158 Gold Dots over 10.7 gr Blue Dot gets me 1140 fps. I found W296, Lil'Gun and 2400 to run between 1050 to 1100 fps at max loads.

Mmm, seems to be some discrepency here between data, but I'm getting 1162 with 14.5 grains of 2400 behind my 158 SWC. 15.5 grains is the listed max, but 14.5 grains is an old standby load. My 140 grain load is pushing 1300+ fps with 2400 with 17.0 grains. Now, I agree, the 125 grainer falls on its face and it's a max load, but the powder is too slow for that bullet. Blue dot would no doubt wake that one up.

Might be a difference in guns, don't know, but I'm pretty happy with my 140 Speer JHP load for carry at 551 ft lbs and GREAT accuracy. I've long preferred the 3" barrel, but I bought this gun from son-in-law for $250, couldn't turn it down at that price regardless of the short barrel.

 

[P. Plainsman]

Quick update -- took the little Ruger for its second outing.

These are seriously good revolvers. My 50' double action targets with the SP101 look like my 7 yard targets with my Ultra-Lite Taurus .38+P snubby (itself a useful gun).

Tried several different .357 loads. Nothing hurt to shoot, though the heavy stuff like the 145 Silvertips and full-house 125 gr Federal Classic JHPs is slower to recover than some other loads. The gun still loves CCI Blazer 158 grainers -- shot some sweet groups with that load. Magtech 158 gr SJSPs were stout-kicking but accurate. Magtech revolver ammo is a good value.

The Federal 125 grainers also proved accurate as long as the shooter concentrated on fundamentals. It's what I think of as .357 "cop ammo" for service revolvers back in the day. Loud and flashy, but I bet it'd make a great feral dog / SD load for hiking outdoors.

The cylinder, barrel and frame got hot after 50 rounds of magnums. Grip and trigger still perfectly comfortable.

I've owned six Ruger revolvers, and this one is the best since Ruger #1, a 4" GP100.

 

[Airman193SOS]

Mine is loaded with Federal Hydra-Shok 158-grain JHPs. I am partial to Hydra-Shoks for no particular reason, and the truth is that I'm not really about to quibble over a few FPS or one shot stopping percentage or any of that minutiae.

The simple fact is that I load my Glock 27 with 165-grain Hydra-Shoks and I carried it over to my SP101 due to nothing more than inertia. I'm sure that any commercial JHP self defense load will be quite adequate (GDHPs, Golden Sabers, whatever).

 

[marley]

I shoot the silvertips in my sp101. Don't often want to shoot 50 rds of them through it in one day but more like 20 every other time I am at the range. I have shot the golden sabers mv a few time and they seem fine as a second load for me. YMMV Patrick

 

[MCgunner]

Quick update -- took the little Ruger for its second outing.

These are seriously good revolvers. My 50' double action targets with the SP101 look like my 7 yard targets with my Ultra-Lite Taurus .38+P snubby (itself a useful gun).

Mine's not any more accurate than my Taurus M85UL and I don't shoot it any better, but that's pretty danged good! These snubbies will keep all shots in a 3" bull (or a little less) at 25 yards off sand bags and that's about as good as I shoot with one. I can waste the 6" plates at 25 off hand with either gun. The Ruger is heavier and easier to steady and, add to that, the bigger grip. I got some 2.5" 5 shot sand bagged groups at 25 with it and had a 2" group going with 180 grain fire breathers until I started flinching, LOL. I was doing this over a rest while chronographing the loads. Like all Rugers, it's built to take anything, strongest designs going. This little SP is stronger than any K frame gun I've ever owned, yet it's lighter than any L frame and more compact. Ruger really hit a home run with this one, I agree.

 

[Rexster]

A home run, indeed! An SP101, or perhaps more than one, go with me everywhere, regardless of what else I may be carrying at the time. When buying ammo specifically for the snubbies, I buy 145-grain Winchester Silvertips, but often my longer sixguns' 125-grain full-power Federals end up being used. I like to keep my ammo fresh, regardless; the stuff that has been carried a bit gets put into a bag to use at the next range session.

 

[Charles S]

I love my SP101 it is very accurate and very shoot table with full power loadings.

BTW the 145 Winchester Silver Tip you mentioned is absolutely one of my favorite loads for this gun, I have killed a fairly substantial hog with mine with this loading.

Other good loads include the Speer loading and the very hard to find Remington 140 gr SJHP. Speer used to load an excellent 140 gr loading in their Lawman line that they have discontinued.