WinMike
11-26-2012, 03:08 PM
So we don't hijack, posted on the 1860 Uberti Henry thread by Owen from Duluth (brrrr....it's cold 'der today....) in reference to my comment that I really liked my Uberti 1873 chambered in .357 Mag:
WinMike, just how accurate is that 357? I have a 1873 in a 45 Colt that barely does the job. What I mean by that is I could probably shoot a deer at a 100 yds . About pie plate accuracy. I love the gun. If I could get more accuracy from a 357, I'd save up and get one.
Owen, mine is the "Short Rifle" with a 20" barrel. I've not fired it beyond 100 yards, and because I elected to keep/not change the original buckhorn rear sights.....and because I'm 70 years old....the gun is still (as the saying goes) more accurate than I am.
That being said, I've shot 2" groups at 50 yds, 3" groups at 80 yds and 4.5" groups at 100. I'll admit I used a very bright-colored 6" bull at 100 yds. All from a rest.
Installing a tang and/or vintage scope would improve my accuracy significantly, I'm sure. Maybe in the future; those Leatherman scopes look pretty cool....maybe.... Is that your '73 on your avatar? If so, your tang sight is a great start to getting better accuracy than I do.
I shoot only cast bullets and my best accuracy has been with 158 and 180 gr. RNFP Laser Cast and Cast Performance bullets. I'd guess your 45 Colt may have the same feeding characteristics/limitations: i.e., SWC and other sharp-shoulder bullets will not feed (obviously, then, not all cartridges I've loaded for my revolvers will interchange).
I like the .357 in a rifle, and so I have 3 of them (the other two are a Browning Low Wall, and a Marlin 1894 lever; FWIW, the low wall is the most accurate: with the factory tang sight, cast 160 gr. RNFP, my best is a 1.76" 6-shot @ 100 yds.). 357 Mag shoots flatter and faster than a 45 Colt, and with the right bullet might could come close to making almost as big a hole (I have some Hunters Supply 158 gr. PHP bullets that look very intriguing). 357 Mag ballistics and bullet weights can be configured to match 30-30 Win.
But before you give up on your 45 Colt....especially if you like the caliber....play around with various bullets, particularly various cast bullets. Have you slugged your barrel? 45 caliber barrels and bullets come in a variety of diameters. For example, I once had a S&W Mdl 25 in 45 Colt that wouldn't hit a barn from the inside until I found the right diameter bullet.....and then it became the most accurate revolver I've ever owned. I'll bet if you do some experimenting and/or research, you can reduce your 100 yd-group significantly.
One other point: what's wrong with 100 yds.? Years ago, I realized that I almost never shot critters at more than 100 yds (the exception was Alaska caribou). Almost all my deer hunting takes place on the wet side of the Cascades, where even in clear-cuts, I could easily arrange for 50-75 yd shots, and even elk hunting on the dry side, I never made a shot over 75-100 yds. If you can be comfortable making 2-3" groups at 100 yds, that's meat in the freezer!
WinMike, just how accurate is that 357? I have a 1873 in a 45 Colt that barely does the job. What I mean by that is I could probably shoot a deer at a 100 yds . About pie plate accuracy. I love the gun. If I could get more accuracy from a 357, I'd save up and get one.
Owen, mine is the "Short Rifle" with a 20" barrel. I've not fired it beyond 100 yards, and because I elected to keep/not change the original buckhorn rear sights.....and because I'm 70 years old....the gun is still (as the saying goes) more accurate than I am.
That being said, I've shot 2" groups at 50 yds, 3" groups at 80 yds and 4.5" groups at 100. I'll admit I used a very bright-colored 6" bull at 100 yds. All from a rest.
Installing a tang and/or vintage scope would improve my accuracy significantly, I'm sure. Maybe in the future; those Leatherman scopes look pretty cool....maybe.... Is that your '73 on your avatar? If so, your tang sight is a great start to getting better accuracy than I do.
I shoot only cast bullets and my best accuracy has been with 158 and 180 gr. RNFP Laser Cast and Cast Performance bullets. I'd guess your 45 Colt may have the same feeding characteristics/limitations: i.e., SWC and other sharp-shoulder bullets will not feed (obviously, then, not all cartridges I've loaded for my revolvers will interchange).
I like the .357 in a rifle, and so I have 3 of them (the other two are a Browning Low Wall, and a Marlin 1894 lever; FWIW, the low wall is the most accurate: with the factory tang sight, cast 160 gr. RNFP, my best is a 1.76" 6-shot @ 100 yds.). 357 Mag shoots flatter and faster than a 45 Colt, and with the right bullet might could come close to making almost as big a hole (I have some Hunters Supply 158 gr. PHP bullets that look very intriguing). 357 Mag ballistics and bullet weights can be configured to match 30-30 Win.
But before you give up on your 45 Colt....especially if you like the caliber....play around with various bullets, particularly various cast bullets. Have you slugged your barrel? 45 caliber barrels and bullets come in a variety of diameters. For example, I once had a S&W Mdl 25 in 45 Colt that wouldn't hit a barn from the inside until I found the right diameter bullet.....and then it became the most accurate revolver I've ever owned. I'll bet if you do some experimenting and/or research, you can reduce your 100 yd-group significantly.
One other point: what's wrong with 100 yds.? Years ago, I realized that I almost never shot critters at more than 100 yds (the exception was Alaska caribou). Almost all my deer hunting takes place on the wet side of the Cascades, where even in clear-cuts, I could easily arrange for 50-75 yd shots, and even elk hunting on the dry side, I never made a shot over 75-100 yds. If you can be comfortable making 2-3" groups at 100 yds, that's meat in the freezer!