S&W 686 Plinking Ammo?

[Plinkerton]

I am soon to acquire a S&W 686 4" of which I am very excited about. I apologize if this is posted somewhere else, but I didn't find it.

I do not know what the specifics of ammo means, as far as the bullet weight, grains etc., as I am knew to the world of bigger handguns (I am used to .22's).

What I am looking for is a good, somewhat cheap, all around plinking ammo. I am looking for .38 as well as .357, as I would like to get used to both.

Also, any info on using jacketed, non jacketed, etc.

Anyways, thanks for the info.
-Plink-

 

[Ala Dan]

Greeting's Plinkerton-

You will find that any of the commerically manufactuered
110 or 125 grain JHP (jacketed hollow point) .357 mag
ammo to be very HOT; with a brilliant muzzle flash and
moderate recoil. On the lighter side for target practice,
you can pick up a box of the 148 grain bevel base wad
cutter's in .38 Special for about $6.95 a box! They are
much easier to shoot; and won't wreck your nerves!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Jim March]

Basically any 38Spl ammo you can scrounge up cheap will work great in that thing.

What I personally would do is first, figure out which combat loads you're going to shoot in it, and then find a practice load that is ballpark similar in terms of weight. Even when the power level is way different, loads of the same weight will tend to print to about the same vertical elevation. Not the terms "about" and "tend", as there are exceptions.

Still, 38Spl practice ammo of 130grains is easy to find and will be close to the same elevation as 357Mag 125grain combat loads with no adjustment of elevation needed. If you're going to load 158grain JHPs for home or street defense, then 148s and esp. 158 38Spl practice fodder will go to around the same place.

Follow?

So let's talk about combat ammo, even though that's not what you asked about it's a related subject.

In a large 4" barrel 357, I think there's a lot of merit to loads based on the Speer Gold Dot 158grain 357 load. These are typically rated at around 1,250fps or similar - you do NOT want the "full house 158 hunting loads" at 1,500ish. This fairly mild 158 expands well at speeds between 1,100 and around 1,400, with the "sweet spot" right around 1,200 - 1,300, which is generally what you'll get with this load and a 4" barrel. These are loaded by Speer, Proload, Black Hills and Georgia Arms, the latter is probably going to be the cheapest esp. if you buy by their 100-count. You then score some 38Spl lead 158s for practice. The 158 Gold Dot will feel more controllable than the hottest 125grain full-house 357s like the Cor-Bon, Remington and similar. 158grain practice fodder is easier to find than 125s, although 130 38Spl is easy to find and usually works as a substitute.

If those 158 Gold Dots prove to be too much of a handful (how strong are your wrists, how much experience do you have?) then the next step down in power will be the milder 125s...Proload has a 125grain "Tactical Lite" 357 meant to be controllable in small snubby 357s, and will be very easy to cope with in a 686. Remington has something similar, the Golden Saber.

Next down from those are the various 38+Ps.

 

[Plinkerton]

Thanks. That info is definitely helpful. As far as my experience, it is limited, especially because I don't know the specs of what I have shot before. I shot a ported Taurus Tracker with .357 loads, but did not know anything about the rounds I was using. I think I'll be alright though, even with the more powerful ones.

 

[Doug Add]

Like Plinkerton, I have just acquired a 4" 686. My hd load is Georgia Arms 125 gr. .38 spl. JHP +P. So, if I understand you correctly Jim, the Winchester 125 gr. .38 spl JSP should print similarly. Am I Correct?

EDIT: How about the 130 gr. FMJ. Similar here too?

 

[Jim March]

Doug, that's about the size of it. The GENERAL rule of thumb is that ammo of a given weight in the same gun should print to about the same place regardless of velocity - within reason. Read: sometimes, the difference in powder bulk between any two loads is so extreme, the powder weight will make a difference in muzzle rise!

Next, the Gold Dot 125grain 38+P is a fine choice for a 4" barrel. For a 2", I'd say you might want to look around for the new 135 but in a 4" either should do and the 125 might actually have advantages if the weather is warm and clothing barriers are moderate. With heavier barriers (colder weather, bulkier clothes), the sheer massive size of the 135's JHP cavity might factor in as a positive.

130grain 38spl plinking fodder should print pretty damned close to your 125 combat load. I recommend a range session where you "bench-test" some of the 125+Ps to see where they print, and then compare to a small selection of 125grain and 130grain practice ammo loads, see which ones get the closest to where the combat loads go.

Now for another comment on loads for these 686s 4"ers: this summer Bufallo Bore will ship that new red-hot 158+P "38 special from hell" rated around 1,100fps from a 4" tube. This may prove to be a WONDERFUL load for these big steel-frame guns, even for a newbie .

 

[Doug Add]

Thanks Jim! I hope to get to the range in the next couple of days. I will run both the 125 JHP +P and the 125 JSP through it.

I have followed your discussion of the the 135 gr., and particularly like the larger HP. I may have to check out the BB 158 +P when it arrives. Thanks again.

 

[RWK]

I have fired thousands of rounds of inexpensive, fine-quality, 130 grain FMJ .38 Special ammunition from Winchester (USA/White Box), Federal American Eagle, and S&B with absolutely no problems. When I am ready to order a load (normally a thousand round case), I check the major ammunition Internet sites (Ammoman, Cheaper-than-Dirt, and so forth) for the best buy (including shipping and handling). Currently, Ammoman has American Eagle for $169 a case (or $8.45 a box) – and that is the fully delivered price including shipping and all other costs (plus Eric provides GREAT customer service).

 

[Plinkerton]

I have a question about using lead vs. jacketed bullets.

I thought I had heard somewhere that it was a good idea to use a certain kind of bullet, for a brand new gun. I thought I remember it being lead, but I'm not sure.

Is there any merit to this? Should I start with using lead SW's or Wadcutters? Also, I guess they "lead" the barrel much more than jacketed, will it help to shoot jacketed at the end, to clean some of the leading out? Also, what about softpoints. Those seem to be partially jacketed.

In the indoor range around here, you cant shoot hollowpoints, so those will only be for defense and if I happen to have any for the outdoor range.

I think I have all the rest down, grains etc. but I don't know much about the bullet types.

I have been browsing www.midwayusa.com to see what different kinds there are, and see pictures for each ones.

Any advice?

THank you.

 

[B27]

I recently spent some time shooting groups off the bench with three different types of inexpensive .38 Special practice ammo.
The ammo was-
Winchester USA 150gr. RNL
Federal American Eagle 158gr. RNL
Remington UMC 158gr. RNL
The guns used were a four inch S&W model 686 and a six inch S&W model 19.
With BOTH guns, the Remington UMC ammo produced groups at 25 yards half the size of the other two.

So I recently received 1000 rounds of it from www.ammodepot.com

 

[Tony Mig]

I'll ditto the Remington / UMC 158gr. LRN, it's usually very inexpensive to purchase, about as clean as any factory ammo you'll find, and very accurate. The only ammo that you'll find to be more accurate, or cleaner burning will involve reloading your own.

This may stir argument, but I personally feel that the best all around bullet for the .38 / .357 Magnum is the 158gr. Wether it's the lead round nose, semi wadcutter, or jacketed softpoint, the wieght is perfect for the caliber, and gives you the best consistancy between different brands and loads.

The 148gr. wadcutter is good for bullseye shooting, and other forms of precission target shooting where a perfectly cut hole in a paper taregt is important, but they're not a very aero dynamic bullet shape, and it shows when trying to shoot them beyond the 25 yard line.

 

[James Bondrock]

"I have a question about using lead vs. jacketed bullets.

"I thought I had heard somewhere that it was a good idea to use a certain kind of bullet, for a brand new gun. I thought I remember it being lead, but I'm not sure.

"Is there any merit to this? Should I start with using lead SW's or Wadcutters? Also, I guess they "lead" the barrel much more than jacketed, will it help to shoot jacketed at the end, to clean some of the leading out?"

____________________________________________________________


Barrel leading is not a serious concern. The old 158-grain all lead bullets at full magnum velocity were bad about leading barrels, but at the low velocities of target loads, it would take an immense amount of shooting to leave any lead behind. More frequent cleaning is required because of the residue from the bullet lube. Also be sure to keep the chambers clean if you shoot a lot of .38 Spl. loads, or residue at the front of the chamber may impede chambering of the longer Magnums. Similarly, jacketed bullets in theory will cause more wear on the barrel's forcing cone and rifling, but it would take several lifetimes, unless you wish to shoot it exclusively with the magnum 125-grain JHPs, in which case it might take one lifetime.

 

[roo_ster]

Cleaning .357 Chambers after .38spl

A little OT, but I found a new (to me) way to clean up the chambers of my S&W 686 after shooting .38spl lead.

1. Purchase an AR15 chamber brush and one section of AR15 cleaning rod. (Can be bought in one of those issue cleaning kits).

2. Screw chamber brush onto rod section

3. Place rod section into your power drill. High-RPM not necessary; my 450RPM cordless works fine.

4. Go to town on those chambers from the front end of the cylander. Use solvent if you like (Ed's Red is cheap).

5. Repeat on other chambers.

Note, the chamber brush is bronze with steel brush toward the rear. Don't use the steel portion of the brush on your weapon.

Keeps the chambers squeaky clean & ready for .357