I found a load my pistol loves!

[tazman]

The inserted picture is of a target I shot last Friday at a local gun shop/indoor range. I knew the revolver would shoot fairly well but I wasn't expecting this.
Taurus 627 tracker-6in ported barrel-4.2 grains WINCHESTER SUPER TARGET(WST)-158 grain round nose(Lyman 358311)- water dropped wheelweights- sized .357.
38 special cases fired in a 357 magnum pistol.
I do not recommend this load to be used in a 38 special revolver as the Hodgdon data site says it is too hot for 38 special.
Range was 10 yards
I know you can't see them all, but there were 10 shots fired into that target.
Group size was .8 inches outside edge to outside edge.
For once all my shakes cancelled out.

Attachment 96549

[rintinglen]

Yee-ha! That'll get 'er done. that 358-311 is one of the most accurate boolits for use in a 38. I shot 50 of them some years back versus 50 H&G #50 WC boolits from a tricked out Python. The Wadcutters won by a smidgeon, but they were both much tighter groups than the keith 358-429. Others have written that the round nose worked better for them, and I'll not call them wrong.

[Hickok]

That had to bring a big smile!
My wife says she can tell how well my results were when I come back from the range, just by the way I act! Must be women's intuition!!!

[tacklebury]

Nice shooting 8)

[Skunk1]

No better feeling. Warmer weather coming our way next week. Can't wait to go out.

[denul]

Which lube did you use?

[str8shot426]

Good shooting.. I am also a fan of the round nose lyman. I have a 358430 150gr. It is discontinued. But get very good results in my taurus 66. My best group was with alliant 2400.

[tazman]

Which lube did you use?

I used a 50/50 lube that I bought on eBay. I have been using it in my Lyman 45 sizer. Seems to do an excellent job for both my 357mag and 9mm. After following the sticky recommendations here for the 9mm and revolver setups I have had NO problems with leading at all. I have tried some Lee liquid alox but it doesn't seem to make a difference as far as leading or accuracy.
I have a couple of boolits that drop so that I don't need to size them. On those I use the Lee lube to save time. I tried them both ways but it doesn't matter to the target.

[Dale53]

I shot the 358311 in the quick load stage when shooting PPC "back in the day". I have a nice Lyman 4 cavity mould for it (no, it's not for sale). However, I am not a fan of a bullet that doesn't cut a clean hole in paper or animal. It's not very useful to me. I would much rather use a SWC, a full wadcutter, or a WFN or WLN. I want the same bullet I would use in the field, for the most part, and full wadcutters work just fine on edible small game which is more than I can say about the round nosed bullets.

Just a personal bias against round nose bullets...

FWIW
Dale53

[tazman]

I'm not overly concerned about how clean the hole is, just where it is.
I won't be hunting small or large game so no worries there. I am unlikely to be in competitive shooting either as I am not a particularly good shot.
The posted target was a one time affair, although that boollet does perform consistently well in my revolver.
What I need at this time is a load that shoots to point of aim if I do my job. I am still learning to shoot properly and accurately so this load should fit my needs just fine.

[osteodoc08]

Good shooting. Now back that target out some and keep improving!

[tazman]

Good shooting. Now back that target out some and keep improving!

That's my plan

[jonp]

I'm glad you posted the powder and load. I don't hear much about WST and always wondered how it would do.

Good Shooting.

[tazman]

I'm glad you posted the powder and load. I don't hear much about WST and always wondered how it would do.

Good Shooting.

The newly revamped Hodgdon data site lists the load I used as too hot. It worked for me because I was using it in a 357 magnum revolver. I would not recommend this load for a 38 special revolver.

[jonp]

The newly revamped Hodgdon data site lists the load I used as too hot. It worked for me because I was using it in a 357 magnum revolver. I would not recommend this load for a 38 special revolver.

Indeed. When seeing an interesting load on any forum always check the books/powder manu's website first, reduce 10% and approach with caution. Thanks for the reminder. All of my pistols are 357Mag.

[44MAG#1]

There is always someone like me around but:
How many times say out of ten can you shoot a group like that or very close to it?
I don,t pay much attention to a single or even a couple super groups to decide about what a load shot offhand or off the bench can do.
It is what a gun, shooter and ammo can do the majority of the time that really determines what the gun+shooter+ammo can do to equal the "accuracy".
I've seen poor shooters shoot a single or a couple really, really good groups but were poor shots overall.
It is called "sloppy pooling" them in.

[tazman]

You are quite right, there is always some one like you around.
I stated that my shakes had cancelled each other out and that I wasn't expecting that group.
With my old eyes, being able to see well enough to shoot like that is a day to day thing. At least it happened for me once.

In your defense, I once saw someone shoot a single bullet into a target and try to claim smallest group with it.

[44MAG#1]

Did not mean to upset you but to keep people grounded in shooting ability.
I am over 61 years old (it is years old not years young as some like to call it to make themselves feel better).
I have done the same thing and then was unpleasantly suprized when I found out that I was just "lucky" that day.
That is the reason I went by what I could do on the average and not what me or the load could do once in a great while.
It keeps me, only me, more grounded in reality.
That is the true test.
I have trouble seeing the sights too. So, I am not a stranger to getting older and realizing my limitations.
You, as a free willed citizen, have the right to believe the way you want and to set values for yourself as you see fit.

Have a wonderful day.

[jmort]

Tazman, I'm feeling for you. Post group with specific info and data, most useful, and also include disclaimer/proviso and yet you get nonsense post in thread. Thanks for O/P and thread. Nice to have success regardless of frequency. I don't golf, but if I got a hole-in-one, I would be thrilled and not concerned that it did not happen everyday, I would just enjoy the hole-in-one.

[tazman]

You only upset me for a moment. At age 62 I hope I am a bit more in control of myself than to have a bad day because of what some one said. I have seen excellent pistol shots and know I am not one of them. Beyond the stated 10 yard my eyes are bad enough that my groups go to pieces. I am not certain I could hit a deer at 25 yards.
As it happens I have fired that load since then just for confirmation and the group size was the same or only marginally larger.

I found another load yesterday at the other end of the load range that nearly matches it. The new Lee 95 rf bullet designed for the 9mm. My mold drops it at .359 so I can size it to .357-.358 for my revolver. I loaded it over 3 grains of Titegroup and it shot nearly as well.