Most inherently accurate centerfire handgun cartridge

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

MagKnightX

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2003
Messages
867
Which centerfire handgun cartridge, loaded to match specs, is going to be the most accurate? My guess is going to be .38 sp. wadcutter, but I'm probably wrong. Since it's a handgun, does it really matter anyway? Probably not, but whatever.
 
Both answers listed are good.

45acp is also very good.

Think 38 super has to be close since so many competitors shoot it now.

Sure this will be an thread with a lot of opinions:evil:
 
All good answers but how about a oldie but a goodie; 44-40 WCF. Nothing shoots any better from a Colt SA!
 
I think a shorter thread would be to list the least accurate centerfire handgun calibers. Honestly, just about all of the calibers have similar accuracy potential when loaded optimum bullet and powder charges. Probably the biggest limitation is the gun itself. People have said the 40 S&W in inherently inaccurate, but if you look at the guns, virtually none are target grade, all are service grade weapons.
 
I think you have to include platform to make this ideal.

I do think it is possible to load a .357 mag to very tight tolerances and, in a suitable platform .. say a 6" 686 ... it can shoot very tight indeed ..... and not even be a max load. I tried this way back .... and had keyholing at 25 yds.
 
.32 long
.38 spl
.44 spl

these calibres all have a long history outstanding accuracy in handgun competition. they maximize bearing surface when loaded with wadcutters.
 
When handgun target shooting started about 1880 the most records were made with, and the cartrige considered the most accurate was the 44 Russian. The most common chambering for the Remington rolling block target model was 44Russian and 22lr. The 44Russian was the replaced by the equally accurate 44 special and the 44 Mag is high on the list also.
 
I'll echo what Mete says and cast a vote for the .44 Mag, with the .32 Mag coming in a close second. This would be based on a revolver platform, which is mostly what I shoot.
 
The 6 BR from an XP-100 might beat out the 7 BR, but it would be close :).

According to Irv Stone of Bar-Sto Barrels, the most accurate centerfire revolver cartridge is the .38 special, and the most accurate centerfire auto cartridge is the 10mm. These opinions were based on all of the barrels he has installed and tested.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

P.S. I have some guns for sale in the Trading Post :).
 
I have seen 7 BR's that will hold less than an inch at 100 yards in an XP-100. yes the 6 BR will probably do just as good. it is really scary how well they shoot. everything else is a distant second and that would probably be the 38 spec , 45 acp and 41 mag
 
I do think it is possible to load a .357 mag to very tight tolerances and, in a suitable platform .. say a 6" 686 ... it can shoot very tight indeed ..... and not even be a max load. I tried this way back .... and had keyholing at 25 yds.
Click to expand...

:confused:
 
Blueduck - sorry if any confusion!

I posted purely on a personal experience back when I was trying to wring the best out of what I had ...... not having tried any ''exotics''.

I found that thru my 686 ... which was a comp' loaded gun .. a slightly sub max .357 mag load (N-110 powder .. exact throw forgotten tho I think just over 14 grns) was used to push a Lyman cast/gas check 158 SWC. This seemed to produce remarkable consistency at 25 yds .... no further was tested I'll admit.

I also had a Walther GSP way back in .32S&W which was a great and an accurate set up for bullseye shooting - loading my own full wad cutter loads.
 
Thanks P-95 the "keyholing" reference just kinda confused me (not hard on Friday mind you ;) ) in that you were saying something to the effect of really tightly controlled loads keyholed (were unstable) in the .357.

Like I said I'm said I'm slow on Fridays ;)
 
Oh - the ''keyholed'' .. haha .... of course yeah, that could sound a tad ''bad''!:D Though if I mean unstable ammo I tend to use term ''tumbler''.

Guess I should refer to shots in target that ''cut'' each other!:)
 
clearly, we need some empirical testing.

anybody got a whole bunch of ammo, and a range that will let you clamp rounds down by the rim while you tap at the primer with a nailset? surely there's a magical caliber that can hit paper under these conditions! ahem.

inherent is inherent... using a barrel, or even a chamber, is cheating ;)
 
I'm gonna throw a monkey wrench here...

What criteria are we discussing?

Bullseye shooting, the top centerfire calibers are .38 Special and .45 ACP. Back when revolvers were the order of the day, .38 Special and .44 Special were highly touted as bullseye grade handguns. .32 S&W Long was a very accurate round in a revolver.

The 7mm BR is no doubt a very accurate round, but only for either benchrest or silouette competition.

IPSC and IDPA competition really doesn't put that much emphasis on accuracy. Six inch groups at 25 yards are nothing special.

I've always had the notion that the firearm and the ammunition loading (preparation) techniques had more to do with accuracy than the round itself. But I have noticed no one builds serious bullseye target guns in .32 ACP.
 
I have a Contender in .223 Rem that shoots sub 3/8" @ 100yds. with a 7 power scope but IMHO it's not a "handgun cartridge". In the normal handgun cartridge class my vote would go for the .38 spl.
By the way the Contender is for sale if anyones interested.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Armored farmer
  • Locked
Most durable centerfire repeating handgun
2 3 4
Replies
92
Views
4K
Sneakshot92
Sneakshot92
D
  • Locked
Most accurate handgun?
2 3
Replies
65
Views
30K
kymarkh
K
K
  • Locked
.22LR C&R Handguns
Replies
15
Views
2K
sadp40
S
J
  • Locked
What's the most accurate handgun you've fired?
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Replies
237
Views
14K
Route 66
R
P
  • Locked
Most Accurate Self Defense Handgun
Replies
19
Views
2K
The Lone Haranguer
T
Back
Top