Taurus 85 shoot

[Barry the Bear]

So I took my Taurus 85 UL to the range for the first time and shot a total of 350 rounds through it .
Although Recoil is subjective, my experience was not bad at all, I wasn’t shooting crazy loads mainly LRN from American eagle and my carry ammo which WAS hornady critical defense but since it’s a light load (110 grains) the gun shoots to the left with it . when shooting 148 and 158 grain loads it shoots to point of aim.
Im gonna go back to the fbi load for carry purposes and shoot the remaining light stuff outta my .357s .

The gun itself was reliable with all ammo used not one failure to fire or to eject any rounds , this one is a keeper.

 

[chicharrones]

350 rounds on the first range session with a snubby? Well, I'd say it is well tested and ready to go.

 

[just for fun]

Hopefully you reload! Speer# 10 has a load w/ 158 LSWCHP and 2400 got 925 FPS from my 85SS W/ 2in. barrel. check it out

 

[Barry the Bear]

I do reload but not for .38 .

 

[just for fun]

I do reload but not for .38 .

True told, no big rush! there hasn't been ANY 2400 powder for sale in over 2yrs!current manuals show almost TWO (2!) grains less. Cases fell out and primers showed no signs of flatting.

 

[Tallball]

I have had my 85UL for over ten years with zero problems. It has a decent trigger and is nicely accurate. You done good!

 

[Barry the Bear]

Thanks , its been very reliable and as mentioned before 350 rounds through a lightweight .38 is no walk in the park . My hand is still sore, at least I know the gun can be counted on.

 

[Candyman87]

I did 100 rounds the first trip to the range with my 85 (not ultralight) and hurt a good bit. Props to you for getting through it.

 

[Rex B]

I gave my 85UL to my BIL.
Sure do miss it

 

[Zendude]

I've used a cheap weightlifting glove on my shooting hand for times when I shoot that much ammo.

 

[TimSr]

I've been carrying one for a couple of years now. I like my 148gr hard cast DEWC over 7.1gr Blue Dot at 950fps. Just don't carry wadcutters in a speedloader!

 

[eldonator]

I've got my 85 coming on federal express. Will probably test it with 5 shots and put it in my carry location.

 

[Wishoot]

True told, no big rush! there hasn't been ANY 2400 powder for sale in over 2yrs!current manuals show almost TWO (2!) grains less. Cases fell out and primers showed no signs of flatting.

Man isn't that the truth. 2400 is nowhere to be found on the shelves locally.

Shooting over 100 rounds in a 38spl in one session is pretty impressive. 350 is borderline masochistic.

 

[1goodshot]

It is one of their better guns

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

I'm not sure I could put 350 rounds through a lightweight revolver in 5 trips to the range, let alone 1!

 

[ACP]

An old, blued Taurus 85 CH was one of my early CCWs and it always shot to point of aim. Like an idiot, I let it go. I've been searching the used counters ever since...

Congrats to you on a fine purchase and on 350 rounds through a snub. You must be a blacksmith.

 

[Drail]

350 rounds in a UL 85? You have bigger cajones than I. I shot one for maybe 4 cylinders worth and that was enough. Heck, 350 rounds of medium level ammo in an all steel 85 is a pretty good workout.

 

[Barry the Bear]

Thanks guys I love the little .38 it's taken out a couple of snakes already and seen a lot of carry use as a back up.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO 2400 is too slow a powder for loading .38 Special +P ammo. I use either HS-6 or AA#5 for two different replica loads. Long shot is as slow as I would go but rarely. I have a very good replica FBI Load using HS-6.

 

[chaim]

Congrats on the new gun.

I don't have the 85UL, but I do have an old Taurus 85CH and a S&W 442 (bought the 442 when they first dropped the price, I wanted DAO, and it was cheaper than the lightweight Taurus 850). I think the small framed snubs are where Taurus does their best work and I'd say they are as good as the S&W J-frames (and I'm also a big S&W fan). You did good. As for 300 rounds out of any snub (let alone a lightweight snub), you have a higher pain tolerance than I. 100-150 is the max I shoot out of my 85, and 30-50 is the max I like to shoot out of my 442 (though I've done more in the past). If choosing between shooting .38+P out of my 442 and .357mag out of my Rossi 461, it is pretty much a draw as to which I'll find more uncomfortable to shoot.

As for the load, I have recently been re-examining my carry/HD .38/,38+P load since it has been nearly a decade since I picked mine (125gr Speer Gold Dot and 135gr Speer GD Short Barrel loadings). Looking at gel tests with 4 layers of denim, I was surprised to find that the old 158gr +P LSWCHP gets more consistent expansion and better penetration (more likely to penetrate enough, less likely to overpenetrate) than the best of the modern loads. Even in standard pressure non +P it seemed to be a better performer. More surprisingly, my second choice in .38 defensive loadings (and 1st choice for .357mag) is now the old 125gr SJHP (the semi-jacketed round seemed to give more consistent expansion than the modern short barreled JHP options with little risk of overpenetration). Sometimes the old way is still the best way.