xphunter
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That is my go to bullet for hunting!
Longish Range Handgun
- Thread starter DMW1116
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That is my go to bullet for hunting!
i loaded up 140 grain xtp bullets over enough w231 to get the mv to 1200 fps. this was for a friend's vaquero (large frame) which we took out shooting a 2 liter bottle @ 440 yards. my friend won "closest to the target" that day [he was sitting down at a picnic table and rested the gun on my front bench rest]. closest was less than a foot from the target.
so, your gun can shoot that far (my blackhawk was loaded with 180 grain lead @ 1200 fps and i was shooting off-hand), too.
by the way, i was aiming using kentucky windage about thirty feet above the target, at a leaf on a tree. aim small hit small is necessary at that distance.
luck,
murf
xphunter
Member
I am not that good with irons....I use a scope
xphunter
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Smaug
Member
How about 158 gr. XTP vs. 148 gr. wadcutter? XTP will be the clear winner.
Also, I disagree that the wadcutter would be OK at 100. Even the 125 gr. XTP will easily outperform it, in terms of bullet drop.
Jim Watson
Member
My only experience at "longish range" was at IHMSA; metallic silhouettes at 50 - 200 metres.
Revolver division bullet weights were in the middle to high weight range per calibre.
After a brief dalliance with 158-173 gr .357s I moved on to 250 gr .44s. I did not see or hear of anybody shooting light fast bullets for a "flat trajectory".
Revolver division bullet weights were in the middle to high weight range per calibre.
After a brief dalliance with 158-173 gr .357s I moved on to 250 gr .44s. I did not see or hear of anybody shooting light fast bullets for a "flat trajectory".
The wadcutters are strictly 50 yards and under when doing my impression of a bullseye shooter. These 125 grain cast have a trajectory similar to a 22, meaning that from a 50 yard zero I’d expect 6-8 inches of drop. I’m fine with that for now.
This is as good a place as any to ask. Is there a 357-32 or 357-25 wildcat cartridge? I know of the 357 Sig and the 44-357 cartridges. Just wondering what people came up with for purpose driven 200 yard handgun shooting.
This is as good a place as any to ask. Is there a 357-32 or 357-25 wildcat cartridge? I know of the 357 Sig and the 44-357 cartridges. Just wondering what people came up with for purpose driven 200 yard handgun shooting.
Jim Watson
Member
Bottlenecks don't work too well in revolvers. The .256 Winchester is a .357/.25 and only a few prototypes and one offs were made, its only production handgun was the single shot Ruger Hawkeye.
See above, 200 metre REVOLVER shooting is most commonly done with heavy bullets in magnum calibers. Ranges are known, so "drop" is immaterial, adjust the sights or hold over a known amount. Single shots in that game are just shortened rifles, mine was a Thompson Center Contender Super 14 .30-30.
See above, 200 metre REVOLVER shooting is most commonly done with heavy bullets in magnum calibers. Ranges are known, so "drop" is immaterial, adjust the sights or hold over a known amount. Single shots in that game are just shortened rifles, mine was a Thompson Center Contender Super 14 .30-30.
Varminterror
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Ok great, moving a goalpost from a “light XTP” to the heavy, so the BC increases by 33%…
100 yards, even in these cartridges, is not far enough to REALLY be bothered by differences in BC. I’m not speculating here, I’ve been shooting long range with revolver for over 25 years. If you want less drop at 100yrds in a 357mag, the faster the bullet, the less drop you’ll have. A 125 XTP has a lower BC than a 158, but it’s leaving 250fps faster, arriving at the target .031sec faster, with 3” less drop… Despite giving up 25% lower BC than the 158.
Stretch to 200, things shift. But 100yrds just isn’t really far enough for BC to own the game. It’s still short-to-mid range, so speed rules.
But as I said before, it’s just not asking that much to shoot small at 100 with whatever you want to shoot - it’s not long distance. Whether I cast a bullet out there at 1500fps or 1000fps, bc of .05 or .24G1, it really doesn’t matter for anything except the number of clicks on the scope.
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Varminterror
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The 25/357 is called 256win. There’s also a 22/357 called 22 Jet (and a couple others). I know there is a 32-357, but I forget it’s name. Gary Reeder (say what you will about him) as a handful of bottleneck revolver rounds as well, I’d have to get my book out to recall what’s what for their parent cases - wanna say he does a 357/41… Gary told me a few years ago he wouldn’t do a 357/44 B&D because he can’t get them to run… when I’d had mine running for a few years at the time, with no issues.
They take a little doing, but they work fine once you figure out how. Primary ignition is critical, as is keeping lube out of the chambers, so we get shoulder expansion to grip the chamber walls early before the case head thrust moves the case back too far. I also have flex honed 400grit on the front half of my 357/44 B&D chambers, 800grit as standard behind that, also to give a little more grip.
But I have and have had revolvers in 17 HMR, 22 Jet, a 218 Bee wildcat shortened to fit a Single Six cylinder, 256 wm, 22 Hornet, 30-30, and 357/44 B&D and 357/44 Bobcat (same deal, just using polycarb collars in a 44mag cylinder instead of a shouldered chamber)… just a little common sense and they all work out.
As a calibration, I’ve had less issues with case thrust in bottleneck cartridges than with crimp jump in 454 Casull and 475 Linebaugh, but nobody really recommends against buying those because of bullet jam issues…
xphunter
Member
It is always wise to consider the words of those who have been there, and done that, and are continuing to do it.
Experience and failure, and the lessons learned, and corrections to that failure, are the folks who I want to be listening to.
Experience and failure, and the lessons learned, and corrections to that failure, are the folks who I want to be listening to.
Jim Watson
Member
I know you can do it if you work at it, but I just don't get that weird. I suspect the OP might not care to go to the trouble, either.
Historic recollections:
Some old timers used Christy barrels and cylinders to set up SAAs in .218 Bee, liking that better than a Hornet.
I think the .25 Dean - .25-20 Improved - was ok in a revolver.
The .22 Cotterman Jet had a more conventional shape and shoulder but I don't think it did much better than standard.
There was one intrepid innovator who cut off .30 Herrett dies to get down to cylinder length in a rechambered .30 Carbine Blackhawk. He said he had one high velocity load with a lot of 4227 and a bullet with great big hollow point that would not back out.
Not a bottleneck but I read of a .25 Hornet revolver that the writer said he missed a coyote with because he allowed for too much "drop" at distance.
Historic recollections:
Some old timers used Christy barrels and cylinders to set up SAAs in .218 Bee, liking that better than a Hornet.
I think the .25 Dean - .25-20 Improved - was ok in a revolver.
The .22 Cotterman Jet had a more conventional shape and shoulder but I don't think it did much better than standard.
There was one intrepid innovator who cut off .30 Herrett dies to get down to cylinder length in a rechambered .30 Carbine Blackhawk. He said he had one high velocity load with a lot of 4227 and a bullet with great big hollow point that would not back out.
Not a bottleneck but I read of a .25 Hornet revolver that the writer said he missed a coyote with because he allowed for too much "drop" at distance.
Smaug
Member
Verminterror: Have you shot wadcutters @ 100 yds?
I am not that good with irons....I use a scope
no one hit the bottle. i hit just under it with my blackhawk in 45 long colt. that is the closest i ever came.
murf
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