An Update...
How heavy a bullet can you shoot in a .38 S&W revolver and Rook rifle, and have it exit the barrel, be "combat accurate" and have low noise level with still good penetration adequate to shoot through a deer?
Well, we got the answer now!
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Accurate 36-240H was designed with the intent to be the heaviest plainbased bullet which would be stable at subsonic velocity when fired from a 1:16" twist of rifling in the .35 Remington, for use with a "can."
I specifically wanted to further explore the Rook Rifle and "Low Noise Blooper" load concept, seeking the lowest velocity which reliably exited a rifle barrel, about 700 fps, while using a fast-twist barrel, to ensure that the bullet would be well stablized to give the deepest possible penetration to shoot clear through any dinosaurs raiding my vegetable garden, and do so without disturbing the neighbors.
So I loaded some test rounds in .38 S&W cases with 3 grains of AutoComp. Upon chambering, the bullet nose is lightly engraved. Velocity from the 20-inch barrel at about 720 fps with a mild report like a .22LR. Penetration is amazing, zipping through EIGHT 1-gallon water jugs, straight through like a laser, with absolutely no signs of yaw, thanks to using a the 1:10" twist Green Mountain 9mm Parabellum spec. "Gunsmith Special" barrel. The fired bullet pictured was captured in a 5-gallon jug of kitty litter placed as a backtop behind the 8th water jug.
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I got an X-ring 25-yard group from the Lettuce Protector using simple open sights, and firing over the chronograph. I'll take it.
I also shot a few from my 5" S&W Victory Model because I wanted to see whether they keyholed in a slow revolver twist. Not exactly Camp Perry match accuracy, but "Combat-Accurate." There was one full-profile keyhole out of ten shots, but the keyholed shot would have still been on an "E" silhouette at 25 yards. Grouping was about the same as 178-grain WW2-era Mk2z FMJ. The Point of impact is quite high to the sights, as would be expected, given the heavy bullet. The 240-grain .38 S&W load with 3 grains of AutoComp gives 617 fps from the 5-inch Victory .38. It kicks like a .455! and probably hits like one too! I gotta shoot some more water jugs with this load in the revolver. Given that the bullet holes from the revolver DO show yaw, I'd bet they will likely tumble in soft targets and should be deadly at CQB distances.