.38 Special
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I am chastened.
I look forward to whatever advice will get the gentleman's 2 MOA revolver to really shoot.
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Trying to decide on only one bullet for 357
- Thread starter savagelover
- Start date
I look forward to whatever advice will get the gentleman's 2 MOA revolver to really shoot.
Alaskamike
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- Jun 19, 2020
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No intention to chasten here.
I just think it makes sense to split off what seems to be a new thing. I would love to hear about 2 MOA revolvers, but I think it's safe to say this is completely different from plinking loads.
I just think it makes sense to split off what seems to be a new thing. I would love to hear about 2 MOA revolvers, but I think it's safe to say this is completely different from plinking loads.
barnfrog
Member
One bullet I don't think anyone has mentioned yet is a 148-grain wad cutter. Lots of folks swear by them. MBC and others offer a coated version at a very reasonable price.
Looking back at the first post, the OP simply asked if it makes sense to pick one bullet and try different powders. Well.....yeah. Why wouldn't it? You might pick a bullet and find it just won't perform well in your gun, as he seems to have found with 158-grain SWCs. It's possible he just hasn't tried the right powder with that bullet, but if he has a variety of powders on hand from testing the 158, it's just as reasonable to try a different bullet with all those powders as it is to try yet another powder.
tightgroup tiger
Member
Last time I was on Brazo's web site they said they quit selling the 158gr SWC because they were only going to sell the popular bullets.
They are what I always used to and now I can't buy them from Brazo's. That was a new one on me. 158gr SWC not popular?
They do sell the 148gr button nose wadcutter. I think Brazo's bullets must be going through some bad times.
I shoot the 158 gr Lee tumble lube bullet also and it has always been accurate for me. They just lead my barrels badly so I had to quit using them. I'm double coating them in Alox to.
If I could get my 686-4 to shoot a 2" group at 100yds I wouldn't be looking for alternatives. Maybe it does, but I certainly can't. That would have to be done on a Ransom Rest.
158 Lee gas check is a simple fix.
Your right, it's beat to death
Soonerpesek
Member
Well…..
It is the OP’s 2MOA revolver with the OP’s plinking load that he is looking to “improve”,
So they pretty much coincide with one another……. in this case…
P Flados
Member
I have been shooting handguns for IHMSA for many years.
The posted group seems to combine a number of things that make the results very impressive.
- Revolver
- 6" barrel
- Open sights (assumed, most likely for a gun to be used for plinking)
- Cast bullets
During load testing I have been just under 2 MOA with cast bullets in a TC Contender off of sand bags using a scope. My IHMSA revolvers options are both Dan Wesson 357 Max guns. They are open sight only and my best ever group off of sandbags was probably 3.5 MOA (at 150 yards). Repeatable groups on a good day are closer to 4.5 to 5 MOA.
As previously noted, I would call it quits on looking for a load if that target is anywhere close to a repeatable 100 yard group from a cast bullet load in a 6" S&W 357 mag revolver. I ran the velocity shown on the target through Quickload and noted that It is what I would call "mid range" and that most any fast powder could have been used,
The posted group seems to combine a number of things that make the results very impressive.
- Revolver
- 6" barrel
- Open sights (assumed, most likely for a gun to be used for plinking)
- Cast bullets
During load testing I have been just under 2 MOA with cast bullets in a TC Contender off of sand bags using a scope. My IHMSA revolvers options are both Dan Wesson 357 Max guns. They are open sight only and my best ever group off of sandbags was probably 3.5 MOA (at 150 yards). Repeatable groups on a good day are closer to 4.5 to 5 MOA.
As previously noted, I would call it quits on looking for a load if that target is anywhere close to a repeatable 100 yard group from a cast bullet load in a 6" S&W 357 mag revolver. I ran the velocity shown on the target through Quickload and noted that It is what I would call "mid range" and that most any fast powder could have been used,
One bullet for .38 Spl or .357 out of a quality revolver: Lyman's 358156 gc. With or without the GC, it's a honey and has been for 75 yrs or so. With its double crimping groove, it allows use of .38 Special brass to produce .357 Magnum velocities IN .357 FRAMED GUNS.
Without the check and w/light loads of #2, Bullseye, or 231, it'll stay with most any of the full wadcutter tgt bullets in all but camp Perry level shooting.
Loaded mid-level with Unique, Herco, WSF it'll duplicate the old FBI load of a 158 LSWC at 950 fps and do it with superb accuracy & w/o the GC too.
For really good shooting up at .357 Magnum velocities, 2400 produces the velocity and accuracy as do 296 / 110 and Ac#9. At this level, 13.0 gr of 240 with a GC'd 358156 will give me sub-2" gps at 25 yds from any of my .357's.
It's overall length and skinny scraping band allow it to feed through my 1894 Marlin with ease and the Magnum level 2400 load has produced dozens of 3 shot groups at or below 2" AT 100 YDS SCOPED. The gas check and good lubed allow it to perform at these velocities with a wheel weight alloy cut 30% with pure lead....this is a prescription for an expanding bullet with suitable hp mold.
One choice...for all uses...easy to pick Lyman's production of the old Thompson bullet the 358156 GC. It's my #1 choice for the Rugers Smiths and one Colt I've owned since 1967.
Best regards, Rod Edit: Anneal your gas checks with a Bernzomatic torch...cherry red, let 'em cool....they'll improve the accuracy of your gc'd bullets.
Without the check and w/light loads of #2, Bullseye, or 231, it'll stay with most any of the full wadcutter tgt bullets in all but camp Perry level shooting.
Loaded mid-level with Unique, Herco, WSF it'll duplicate the old FBI load of a 158 LSWC at 950 fps and do it with superb accuracy & w/o the GC too.
For really good shooting up at .357 Magnum velocities, 2400 produces the velocity and accuracy as do 296 / 110 and Ac#9. At this level, 13.0 gr of 240 with a GC'd 358156 will give me sub-2" gps at 25 yds from any of my .357's.
It's overall length and skinny scraping band allow it to feed through my 1894 Marlin with ease and the Magnum level 2400 load has produced dozens of 3 shot groups at or below 2" AT 100 YDS SCOPED. The gas check and good lubed allow it to perform at these velocities with a wheel weight alloy cut 30% with pure lead....this is a prescription for an expanding bullet with suitable hp mold.
One choice...for all uses...easy to pick Lyman's production of the old Thompson bullet the 358156 GC. It's my #1 choice for the Rugers Smiths and one Colt I've owned since 1967.
Best regards, Rod Edit: Anneal your gas checks with a Bernzomatic torch...cherry red, let 'em cool....they'll improve the accuracy of your gc'd bullets.
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.38 Special
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I do wonder where the other two shots landed.
AJC1
Member
I would normally recommend zero, but the standards were set. Maybe a sierra matchmaster or xtp might serve his needs and support his goals.
Out of all the different weights I have reloaded over the years in 38/357 I always come back to the 158 gr swc I prefer the coated version but I would have no problem using plain hard cast and lubed.
41 Mag
Member
I went through a similar process about a decade or so ago. Just wanted to narrow things down to make it easier and more efficient for my loads. I realized real quick how futile that was going to be. So I ended up with a few but they all do very well.
For just up close just getting trigger time, I went with either the Zero 148gr HBWC or my own cast H&G #30 148gr DEWC which usually finishes up at 150gr. Those are run on top of a miniscule amount of Red Dot or Bullseye.
For other stuff, I went with the MP 359-640 Hp which finishes up at 160gr and replaces the Remington 158gr SJHP that I shot for so many years. Loaded over a copious amount of AA-9 they run very well and accurate from my GP-100'S.
The solid I settled on is the Lyman/Ideal 358429 with the square lube groove and equal drive bands. These are loaded over around 13grs of 2400. They shoot fast and flat and hit hard. A lot of folks mention them not being very accurate, but I found the faster they go the better they shoot. They're fine within the listed data for a 357. Some use them in 38 cases loaded to +p due to the nose length being to long to fit some cylinders.
All in all, I could have settled on the MP bullet in the HP and solid out of the same mold. That 170gr SWC though just shoots so well and looks nice in a 357 case.
For just up close just getting trigger time, I went with either the Zero 148gr HBWC or my own cast H&G #30 148gr DEWC which usually finishes up at 150gr. Those are run on top of a miniscule amount of Red Dot or Bullseye.
For other stuff, I went with the MP 359-640 Hp which finishes up at 160gr and replaces the Remington 158gr SJHP that I shot for so many years. Loaded over a copious amount of AA-9 they run very well and accurate from my GP-100'S.
The solid I settled on is the Lyman/Ideal 358429 with the square lube groove and equal drive bands. These are loaded over around 13grs of 2400. They shoot fast and flat and hit hard. A lot of folks mention them not being very accurate, but I found the faster they go the better they shoot. They're fine within the listed data for a 357. Some use them in 38 cases loaded to +p due to the nose length being to long to fit some cylinders.
All in all, I could have settled on the MP bullet in the HP and solid out of the same mold. That 170gr SWC though just shoots so well and looks nice in a 357 case.
N555
Member
If you want full power ammo I would do 125gr that's what I run. If you want lower power plinker ammo definitely 150-158gr.
The lesser case volume under a 158gr bullet makes lighter powder charges behave better.
The lesser case volume under a 158gr bullet makes lighter powder charges behave better.
41 Mag
Member
Yeah I agree. It started off simple enough but sorta fell through for all the different uses I seemed to come up with.
Like those GP100'S though...
OP
OP
savagelover
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Wish I was able to do it all the time,but can't.. I have a green dot sight on it. I size the bullet at .357 as well. From a rest also..
I own a blued 6 in GP 100 best wheel gun I have ever owned
IWAC
Member
While I am leaning toward the 158-160 gr. LSWC or LRNFP, the RCBS SWC 38 150 gr. boolit was my go-to for years. Of course, I don't cast any more, and no commercial caster offers that number. That said, I have quite a supply of other projectiles of the 125 and135 Gold Dot persuasion that I have to shoot up. I'm at the age when I don't buy green Bananas, but I'll do my best to get through the lot...and maybe buy a few more!
