Good day at the range, new loads, new gun

[Bob Jones]

No big news or questions here, just sharing. Had a beautiful indian summer day yesterday here in western Oregon, sunny and dry, so spent a few hours at the range testing some new loads and trying out my new Blackhawk.

Shot 100 rounds of .357 with the Lee 358-158-RF over 13.5 grains of 2400, full power .357 loads. A while back I bought an old Taurus 689, an exact copy of the Smith 686 built shortly after Taurus took over the manufacture all on their own. 6" barrel, vent rib, about a 2 pound single action trigger, beautiful blueing, really a nice revolver I was able to pick up cheap. I put a Swift 1.25-4 power scope on it as I'd never shot a handgun scope before and wanted to give it a try. With that load it was shooting about 2" groups at 50 yards, not bad at all, plenty good for deer hunting to that distance.

Shot 100 rounds through the new .41 Blackhawk, 220 grain Lee tumble lube SWC over 17 grains of 2400, good full power but not screaming load. With the new grips it was very comfortable, no problem with the recoil, unlike the first try with the original Ruger grips, those hurt. I was shooting about 5" groups at 50 yards with the Blackhawk, most of which I attribute to bad eyes and open sights. I have a better mold on the way and looking forward to seeing if a better bullet design will tighten it up, but may have to go to a red dot sight or similar. Since I want to use it for hunting I'd prefer to keep the open sights to make for easy carry,b but don't know if I'm going to be able to shoot it accurately enough beyond 50 yards.

The best part was after finishing up I ran a bore brush down the barrels a few times and checked them out, smooth and shiny with no evidence of any leading at all. I cast from range scrap, water dropped, and tumble lube all my bullets, even the 358-158-RF, but it seems to work great even at magnum velocities.

I did find a way to eliminate recoil from a .357, shoot 100 rounds through a .41 first! I used to think full magnum loads in a .357 kicked, now I don't even notice it. Guess if I get a .454 I won't notice the .41 either... I have a 358429 on the way and a .41 Keith mold coming, so looking forward to trying both of those in a few weeks.

[Cayoot]

It was a great day!
I went to the range to zero my scope on my 7 1/2" Ruger BH (.45 Colt). I have a 452424 loaded over 19 gr of H-4227. Can't believe how accurate it is.

I didn't want to walk through too much mud, so I just shot at 25 yards. Zero'd it to shoot 1 inch high at 25 yards. I'm thinking that should put me in minute of deer heart out to about 65 yards or so.

I have a new mould-RCBS 45-270 SAA. It is my hope to find a single load using this boolit for both my Ruger (hunting) and my 625 Mnt Gun (Woods walking and trapping). Unfortunately, I cant find anything that will get me closer than 4 inches at 25 yards with the Mnt gun. I know that gun will shoot well, when I bought it (used) it came with 750 rounds loaded. Very gentle, but would ring a 4 inch disk pretty regular at 45 yards (range from my office back door to the target-it's my stress relief!)

Now I'm out of that ammo, so I'm trying to find something new....very frustrating.

Still, a BEAUTIFUL day yesterday!

[targetshootr]

Sounds like a great day. My eyes are at the age l'm happy to shoot 5" at fifty yards sitting offhand. I like the 452424 at 850 fps with a crisp trigger which is usually an old model Ruger.

[44man]

Recoil is a funny thing! [smilie=1: I shoot all day with my .475 with no problem. I mounted a red dot on a friends .44 Redhawk and that thing hurts my knuckle.
But if you want to turn a .357 into a .22, shoot a pile of full house .475's first.

[Bob Jones]

I sure found out how much difference a set of grips makes. The first time I shot the .41 I cracked a couple of knuckles with the stock Ruger grips. I got the Hogue monogrip and put on there and it was very comfortable, no problem at all with the recoil.

I just got into handguns about 7-8 years ago and gradually been working my way up, started out with 1911's etc. and these days focusing on large bore revolvers, going back to the classics. Now I find myself thinking about a nice .45 Colt, 5" barrel or so, hmmm....

[redgum]

I recently purchase one of the Lee 358-158-RF molds (2 cav.)
Nice bullet but someone on this forum advised that it likes to be driven hard. I'm still experimenting with lubes (pan vs LLA) but the harder I drive it the mor they seem to spread....
I'm not givin' up on it yet tho'..... :)

[Bass Ackward]

I recently purchase one of the Lee 358-158-RF molds (2 cav.)
Nice bullet but someone on this forum advised that it likes to be driven hard. I'm still experimenting with lubes (pan vs LLA) but the harder I drive it the mor they seem to spread....
I'm not givin' up on it yet tho'..... :)


Red,

A lot of times when you here someone say that a bullet tends to be .... anything they either have a gun specific issue or ......... they aren't flexible in their reloading techniques. Regardless of how hard your bullets are, if they are opening up with everything you try, there is a good chance that they are too soft or too small for the abuse you are subjecting them too.

I usually try .... widening or stretching might be a better word, the pressure range of softer lead, but I now have run into a monster that just requires harder lead to perform. At least, up to this point. Coarse it is a new gun, (I hate new handguns) but I will eventually get through this to see what I eventually have.

You don't mention what you are using, but these are 357 loads in 357 cases. I do OK with that bullet at 6.5 grains Unique and 20 BHN lead, 11.3 grains of 2400 with ACWW, and again at 14.5 grains and back to those 20 BHN jobs. 8 grains of AA#5 works too if you go with a magnum primer and ACWW. All are sized 358 in guns with 3575 throats. I just started shooting the 357 again after a 20 some year hiatus mostly to have something lighter to wear and to shoot when the arthritis flairs. You can't shoot'em if you can't hold'em.

[Lloyd Smale]

What bass said! It may have been me that stated it needed to be pushed. Theres a couple bullets i find that act like that. That is one and the rcbs 270 is another. Thing you have to keep in mind though is as you push them harder you need to go to a harder alloy. Like bass also said theres alot more to it then that. You need a good lube a properly sized bullet for your gun. A gun that has proper dimentions. A good barrel. A powder and primer combination that is going to work at the proper pressure that bullet needs at those speeds. A guy cant just push fast burning powders to to high of pressures or down load slow powders to the point they dont burn effeciently. Also using faster powders is a tad harder on your bullets and requires a harder alloy at the same velocitys. Theres alot more to it then even i understand and you cant give up on a bullet that doesnt shoot with the first couple loads. I think its only happened once in my life that the first load i tried with the first bullet i tried ended up being the best load in a gun. That was with the new montado ruger. Im still not believing it and still am trying different loads but so far that first one has held up.

[Cayoot]

the rcbs 270 is another.


Lloyd,
Which RCBS 270 was that? Are you talkng about the 45-270 SAA? Cuz I'm having a bugger of a time getting that to shoot well in my Mnt Gun and I really want to use it as my "Go To" load for that gun.

[Lloyd Smale]

sorry pal but that bullet never did to well in my mt gun either. the 255 rcbs did much better. It does do well in one of my clements bisleys but its loaded to levels quite a bit heavier then youd want to run in your smith. Did you get in on the 280 kieth group buy? that one should be done anyday and hopefully it will do a little better. For now what id recomend you do if you absoluetly need a heavier bullet in your smith is try the 300 swcgc rcbs bullet.

[Cayoot]

sorry pal but that bullet never did to well in my mt gun either. the 255 rcbs did much better. It does do well in one of my clements bisleys but its loaded to levels quite a bit heavier then youd want to run in your smith. Did you get in on the 280 kieth group buy? that one should be done anyday and hopefully it will do a little better. For now what id recomend you do if you absoluetly need a heavier bullet in your smith is try the 300 swcgc rcbs bullet.

WOW! Thanks! I'm getting a headache from beating my head against the wall with it! I thought it was supposed to be the "Do-all, End-all" in the .45 Colt!

It does ok in my Ruger BH (7 1/2") pushed hard, but even then, not any better then my 452424.

So you like the RCBS 250 better (in your Mnt Gun) than the Lyman 452424?

If so, I'll probably buy one of those.

Yes, I'm in on 2 .45 280ish gbs right now...waiting waiting waiting...

Bary

[Bass Ackward]

Lloyd,
Which RCBS 270 was that? Are you talkng about the 45-270 SAA? Cuz I'm having a bugger of a time getting that to shoot well in my Mnt Gun and I really want to use it as my "Go To" load for that gun.


Yoot,

Buddy uses 50 / 50, WW / pure for 8 BHN and 15.5 grains of 2400.

[45 2.1]

Yoot,

Buddy uses 50 / 50, WW / pure for 8 BHN and 15.5 grains of 2400.

Hey, I've seen that before. :mrgreen:

[Cayoot]

Yoot,

Buddy uses 50 / 50, WW / pure for 8 BHN and 15.5 grains of 2400.

What gun does he use it in Bass? Do you have any idea of the size of groups he was getting?

Could be worth trying....what kinda pressure is that pushing I wonder?

[Bass Ackward]

What gun does he use it in Bass? Do you have any idea of the size of groups he was getting?

Could be worth trying....what kinda pressure is that pushing I wonder?


Yoot,

Quickload says 18,000 and his chrono says 920 fps. He is using a 25 Smith. It ain't a mountain, I mean it has the old style rifling. If you have one of the new ones with the angled rifling, you may need a slightly harder bullet. I would guess ACWW should be ideal with any high grade lube.

He said he got the idea from a Handloader magazine artical written by Scovill, I think, and he used 16 grains I believe.