Just got a taurus 85 2 inch

[ruger-p94]

I been out on the range with the new snubby and can't hit anything. I've decide to move to one of the other ranges which lets you get closer to the target....around 15 ft. I've ordered some snapcaps to work on my trigger and hopefully after a few thousand snaps I will have the trigger down or blisters on my fingers. I have some Unique and have been using a lee 158 grain SWC tumblelube. Does 3,8 sound good for a nice load for a snub. I want to be able to try to get off a few fast shots. It's a great little pocket gun so I want to become really proficient with it.

[fcvan]

I have had a Taurus M85 for about 25 years. I carried this gun a lot and tried lots of grips for it. The original factory grips were great but like an idiot I carved them down to make them smaller. I purchased a different set of smallish grips and they were fine. I like Hogue grips but found a pair of Uncle Mike's rubber grips that were quite good.

I used to shoot a lot of 125 RN loads through it. My wife prefers the Lee 358-105 SWC boolit. In fact, she liked that boolit so much she won't give the gun back and has advised me to 'get my own'

With a proper grip you can maintain a good sight picture. Trigger time with snap caps will certainly help. When I was shooting and competing I could regularly hit 6" steel plates at 65 yards with the snubby. Just the other day I got to shoot an oddity, a Taurus M380 chambered in duh .380 ACP. It can be shot with or without moon clips.

The little M380 weighs less than the M85 due to an alloy frame I think. At any rate, it shot quite well. Since my wife has told me I should 'get my own' I'm thinking of the Taurus 905 which is the M85 in duh 9mm. It also uses moon clips which are built in speedloaders. Little snubbies are just cool. Frank

[35remington]

I've always preferred a good 148 cast wadcutter with about 3.1 to 3.3 grains Bullseye for practice in my small 38 Specials. In my two inchers the 3.1 grain charge with the lube groove Lee wadcutter gives about 710 fps and cuts pleasing round holes. It is not particularly difficult to get them all cutting the same large hole at 21 to 30 feet, and once you learn trigger control with a snubby you'll be quite gratified.

The revolvers can be quite accurate, really. They're just hard to shoot accurately due to lack of practice and relatively poor sights. A good trigger can overcome fairly poor sights as long as the shot is not too long, and regularly hitting 8 inch steel plates at 25 yards while gripping the gun with two hands standing up (I will not use the nonsense term "freehand" as it means nothing) is not at all difficult with any reasonably frequent practice.

I vastly prefer a two inch 38 to any of the tiny auto pistols in 32 or 380, and too small 9mm's are no better. They have way too many compromises in terms of relability, most particularly in breechface overtravel (lack of it, actually) past the magazine well to ever earn my trust. Too small in an auto means too likely to jam.

The same wadcutter, seated out to approximate SWC seating depth and loaded over Unique makes a more formidable load than any .380 can shoot.

[nicholst55]

I've got one of the M85CH versions, and find it to be quite accurate for what it is. I disassembled it and spent some time stoning the inside of the frame where the hammer and rebound slide rub, which helped it's DAO trigger significantly. I can keep a cylinder full of 158 SWCs in the X-ring at 7 yards when I take my time. I put a pair of Uncle Mike's rubber 'boot grips' on it, and it fits my hand such that I am able to easily 'stage' the trigger in DA.

Of the four Taurus handguns that I have owned, this is the only one that's still with me.

[Thumbcocker]

I think the 9mm can use shortened .38 special cases without clips. My friends Ruger would.

[35remington]

Oh, I never mentioned the Lee 158 TL SWC, but I have one and it's a decent bullet. Were I you, I would up the charge to 4 to 4.5 grains for more realistic practice. 5 grains is Plus P, while 5.5 grains is upper end Plus P. The 5 grain charge gets 850 to 860 fps in my two inchers.

[ruger-p94]

After shooting my Smith 13-3 then going to the snub is a real culture shock to say the least. The trigger definitely needs work on it but it will be fun to master. I was really surprised at how well that Taurus fits the hand and operates. It's a great pocket gun. I'm going to try all the load suggested and find the best. Thanks for the help guys.....casters rule

[bobthenailer]

I have a 85 light weight in 38 special at 20 feet it will put them in to a ragged hole but low and slightly to the left , i filed down the front sight down some to get elevation corrected and lived with being slightly to the left, the guns hard rubber groips were uncomfertable for me so i got a set of Hoag grips and there softer shooting and a little longer so your whole hand can grip it . i also installed a set of Wolff reduced power springs and all is well in Taurus 85 land.
I used to shoot 148gr wc with 2.5 gr of BE but have switched to 125gr cast bullets with 3.0gr of BE, its softer shooting !

[FergusonTO35]

Unique will not give good results in the short barrel, its too slow burning. Accurate #5 seems the best powder for .38 Special regardless of barrel length. Try 5.7 grains under a 158 grain boolit, it clocks around 780 fps in my snubbies consistently and is very accurate. Titegroup works well also, although Accurate #5 works better for top end loads.

[brghp]

I'm with 35remingtom on loads with Unique. I would, however, reduce the 5.5 gr slightly, as the 850 - 860 fps for 5.0 gr is already more than the 158 lhp FBI load normally produces in a 2 inch snubby. For many this is a fairly stout load.

[tomme boy]

I have the ultra lite version. It has a aluminum frame. It is a handful. It is a 10 yard gun. It shoots about 12"s high even at this range. It is very accurate, but I don't like how it shoots high.

[kyle623]

if you really want to get you DA trigger pull down, put a penny on the top strap, when you can run through all 5 chambers twice with the penny still on top you should be in good shape.

[35remington]

Given a short barreled .357 (1 7/8ths to 2.5 inch) still gets the highest velocities with the slowest powders like W296, Unique is not "too slow" for a .38 Special. It is capable of obtaining velocities just as high or higher than faster powders and has quite a history of successfully pushing bullets to standard or Plus P velocities from short barrels in the .38.

So try other powders if you wish, but don't avoid Unique for fear of it being "too slow" for the .38. It is not. As I mentioned, a mere 5 grains of Unique pushes a 158 SWC at 850 to 860 fps from my 2 inchers. How's that "too slow?"

I'll state that the 5.5 grain Unique charge is heavier than I normally use, but in fact, depending upon bullet, several sources still recommend charges from 5.3 to 5.5 grains of Unique under a 158 grain bullet as the top end of the Plus P range. The 5.0 grain load seems to be enough for me, and 850 to 860 is decent velocity for a snubbie.

[ruger-p94]

I got my snap caps so I will be snapping till next Thursday when I go to the range. I'm also going to make up a bunch of different loads of Unique from 4.5 to 5.0 and see how they work out. I've also read that the hotter loads of Unique burn a lot cleaner than the light loads so it should be interesting. Is it called cheating if you stick the penny on the barrel with a piece of gum...

[35remington]

The 5.0 grain load under your TLSWC will be pleasing in terms of power, and decently clean burning enough. That's my prediction for you. The larger stocks for the short light revolvers are noticeably more comfortable when I boost the power a little.

For standard velocity duplication you may wish to drop to the 4.3 to 4.5 grain range.

[jmsj]

My wife bought a Taurus 605(stainless version of the 85) w/ a 3" barrel years ago and it is her carry gun. Like nicholst55, I stoned and polished the action but to get a decent double action pull I had to get a spring kit from Brownells.
It has been a great little gun, it is more accurate than I thought it would be. I would pick a load that is really comfortable to shoot while learning to shoot double action. I taught my wife to shoot double action using Lee's 358-105-SWC and 2.8-3.0 grains of Bullseye.
Good luck, jmsj