Sight in for light bullet, then use heavy bullet for 200 yards?

My brother told me that in his old black powder cannon club, they had a mandatory one month waiting period on any new ideas. I have taken that as a good rule for general reloading and shooting, also. So although I had this fantastic idea in the reloading room last night, I'd like to run it by more experienced shooters before I try it.

Here's the set up at our "club":
-various plinking targets at close range
-6" gong with 2" swinging center at 50 yards
-various targets at 100 yards
-tantalizing 18" wide silhouette at 200 yards
-kids from 9 to 16, my dear wife, misc friends, and me

Main gun is a S&W Model 19-3 with 6" barrel and target sights.

I'm thinking of sighting in the gun for the NOE 100-grain wadcutter bullet I have, and letting everyone shoot that up to 50 yards, then loading one of my heavier bullets, like 358311 or 358429, at about normal 38 Special level. When we shoot those, they would be too high up close, but not too far low out at 200 yards.

Would anyone like to throw in your advice before I go wasting components?

By the way, my gun has been at the Performance Center, but it's supposed to get home next week. So I can't try anything yet, but I'm eager to get things ready.

Thanks!

Jeff

Doubling the bullet weight and quadrupling the range, I don't have a clue. Why not load ten or so and see what happens?

Yes, it will come down to loading some and trying it. But I'm trying to tap into the knowledge base first. I've been casting and reloading for about ten years, and have learned alot. But some of the guys on here babysat Elmer Keith when he was a kid, and helped try out Bullseye when it was new.

I don't know whether I am following you right. The heavier bullet will hit higher than the light one.
That is fact. But for the whole idea to work out to fit your needs is a complex problem. Even if you
work it out on paper it would still be depending on the individual gun. I suppose there is a load
Bullet/ charge that would work out for you. Trail and error is the best way to arrive at it.

You are right about that, of course. But the point of this post is to see what experienced shooters have to say before I start pulling the handle on the loader, so as to maximize the "trial" and minimize the "error"! It may well be that one of the guys will reply saying, "Yeah, I did that a few years ago, worked great." or "Yeah, I tried that a few years ago, it doesn't work because of _____ ." This is a discussion forum, right?!?!

There is no way to know until YOU try it. Your gun/grip/load/etc. And when someone else shoots it, they will hit a different place than you. Just load 50 of each and give it a go. Report back with YOUR results.

Try putting the numbers in a ballistics calculator. I did that in mine and it shows the heavier bullet still needing lots more sight adjustment at 200 than the light bullet needed at 50-- of course, I don't have the velocities you are using or the ballistic coefficients, so I may be way off.

A ballistic Calculator won't tell much due dwell time of Bullet in the barrel and angle upon exit a revolver is not a static platform from which to shoot.

One gun, two loads and numerous shooters. That is a fair sized demand. None the less I admire you for getting folks to shoot.

My first advice is to pick a case. 38's or 357's. Yes I know there are those that shoot both with zero issues. I just happen to not be one of them.
My 19 likes 357 brass with pretty much any load.

You mention the 358311. I have used that design in several different 35's with good success. I don't recall pressing it past 100m though.

I just visited a bit with a friend of mine this past weekend on wheel guns and shooting them past 100. In a nut shell a lot things go to pot a lot of times past 100. Each and every wheel gun has its preference.
We both agreed a long heavy bullet pushed to keep it super sonic all the way to 200 is the way to go. BUT, the twist has to be right. There in lies the problem.

Fast powders to get them to speed is not a good idea.

I could give you a load that you more than likely don't have a mold for. But I consider it an FA only 357 load. The 19 may shoot it, but I doubt it.

For what you seek, and to put smiles on folks faces I suggest a TC with a 10" barrel.
Different loads with bullet weights from 100-200+ grains can be used with exceptional results.

I would suggest a 158-170 pushed pretty hard with a case full of slow powder.


Sorry that is about the best I can do for you.
The 357 is a very underrated cartridge by most. One of my favorites.
Yet I am not a big 38 special fan.
Good luck, good shooting and safe shooting

Jeff

If I wanted to do this I would sandbag the gun and sight in for light bullet at your given distance.
Get a large piece of card board and set at max distance. Using a known load near factory duplicate
for control comparison, sandbag and fire 5 on target. Check impact and adjust. Using medium load
will give you room to adjust velocity. I do similar to this when "sighting" fixed sight older revolvers.
I usually load 10 and proceede in 1/2gr increments. I color code case heads with magic markers
for ease of indentification.

Thank you, fellars, for that good info. If anyone else has good ideas, please keep them coming.

Well, that's going to be an interesting experiment, might have to try it myself. Lived in Sherman in the late 60's (Air Force) have a lot of fond memories & fired a lot of cast bullets around there. Worked part time in the old Gibson's Discount Center on the Hwy, gone now.

Dick

Small world!

I'm going to guess NO. Maybe but iffy at a hundred but at two hundred, that's a long way for a 38.

why not watch this 1000 yards with a 9mm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ3XwizTqDw

Besides all that was stated, barrel length will affect the outcome. Different barrel lengths in a revolver have different dwell times before the boolit exits the muzzle. This will affect boolit impact vs sight alignment.

Only way to tell with varying barrels lengths and boolit weights is real world testing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hickok

Besides all that was stated, barrel length will affect the outcome. Different barrel lengths in a revolver have different dwell times before the boolit exits the muzzle. This will affect boolit impact vs sight alignment.

Only way to tell with varying barrels lengths and boolit weights is real world testing.

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This, as well as grip tension. Grip tension will affect muzzle flip, which will in turn affect muzzle location at the time of bullet departure which will affect POI. Results will vary from one shooter to another.

I'm just guessing the fella with the 9mm wasn't holding on target with a 50yd sight setting.

Best put out a bed sheet as a 200 yard target.

My security six would follow this rule. It has the wrong front sight blade, so with 158s it shoots about 6" high at 25 yards with the rear sight almost all the way down. It is zeroed for hot 140 grain loads 1" high at 25 yards, and 158s hit about 6" above that, be it 38 or 357.

Swap a hot 158 in, and as long as the windage was on it would be close or maybe still a little high at 200 yards. My ballistics calculator says 6" high at 25 would be roughly a 250 yard zero with the highest point being 21.3" high at 130 yards. Or a 150 yard zero at 1000 fps.