Long range bullet for 357 revolvers

[bhn22]

Is anybody playing with 357s for long range shooting? I'm wondering what molds I should be looking at for 200 yards. I suspect the original full dimensioned Keith and the 185 LBT FN are going to be the real players here. Gas check or not?

[Outpost75]

The large flat noses more than about 0.7 of bullet diameter don't carry up as well in revolvers as the less blunt forms.

The original Keith 173-grain is pretty good, so is the 180-grain Saeco.

Are you shooting revolvers or T/Cs?

[Outpost75]

The large flat noses more than about 0.7 of bullet diameter don't carry up as well in revolvers as the less blunt forms.

The original Keith 173-grain is pretty good, so is the 180-grain Saeco.

Are you shooting revolvers or T/Cs?

[bhn22]

This is for revolver work. 44 mag recoil is taking a toll on me, I thought I'd experiment with .357, since I already have one. I'd love to find an old original 173 Keith, I've heard it simply beats Lymans later versions to pieces. I foolishly passed on one a few years back. Like I said, foolish.

[Outpost75]

If Veral Smith is on the mend and back to work, he makes a top notch original Keith version.

[Beagle333]

NOE makes a nice 358429 that drops 168gr solids. These are the HPs.(I don't really use many solids)
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/shutupandjump/cast%20boolits/Picture081_zpsc2e2ea66.jpg

[Wayne S]

Which "wheel gun" are you planning to use ? Either the RCBS 180 Sil. of their 200 FN has been used a lot in silhouette shooting. Using 357 cases will require using a taper crimp die and crimping over the top driving band or using 38 Spl. cases.
Go the the IHMSA web site , or Specialty Pistols .com , they have two sections there; one on cast bullets and the other on "shooting Steel"

[btroj]

I have an older Lyman Keith HP for my 357. Casts well, shoots well.

[rintinglen]

Try the 180 grain RCBS silhouette boolit. I haven't used it in quite a while--in fact, I can't put hand to the mold, but it worked very well for me back in the 90's when I was dabbling in the silhouette game. I had a long barreled Seville .357 that was quite accurate with that boolit, but times got hard and I sold the gun when I couldn't afford to compete any more. I can't say I won any matches with it, but it was easily the most accurate boolit at ranges of 150 and 200 meters of the ones I tried.

[PS Paul]

A little off topic relating to immediate answer, but the www.lasc.us site has a terrific two-part article by Todd Spotti on 357 in Freedom Arms revolvers where a certain "Rick", who is a member on this site, loads a 200 gr. cast boolit for 357 long-range. Might help?
Here's a pair of links to both parts of the article. Darned good reading, IMO.

http://www.lasc.us/RangingShotFreedomArms357CastBullet.htm

http://www.lasc.us/RangingShotFreedomArms357CastBulletPT2.htm

[bhn22]

It's for a GP100. I should have Veral make me whatever he thinks will work. He hasn't missed the mark for me yet.

[cbrick]

Yep, that certain Rick did very well with the RCBS 35 200 but it may be a bit long, dunno the OP didn't say what revolver. That certain Rick switched from the RCBS 35 200 to the RCBS 180 Silhouette boolit after that article was written just for the nose profile and better 200 meter ballistics. I shot perfect 40x40 and 60x60 with both of those boolits.

Rick

[PS Paul]

I recall in the original article, you had to trim the brass to get the 2oo gr. to fit in the revolver. Not so with the 180?

[bhn22]

I've been seriously looking at the RCBS silhouette bullet.

[wantoutofca]

The 180gr saeco tcgc boolit is excellent.

[cbrick]

The 180gr saeco tcgc boolit is excellent.

In a rifle, decidedly not a revolver boolit.

91051

Above is SAECO #396 and #399, both the PB & GC. Both of these boolits were sized but notice the front band on both were not touched, they are .005"+ smaller in diameter than the base & middle bands. These boolits caused worse cylinder leading than I have ever seen and the worst accuracy of any boolit I've tried.

Rick

[wantoutofca]

In a rifle, decidedly not a revolver boolit. These boolits caused worse cylinder leading than I have ever seen and the worst accuracy of any boolit I've tried.

Rick

This is the polar opposite of my experience but every wheel gun is different.

[leadman]

I shoot the Saeco 180gr RFN GC and is accurate enough for me to hit gallon milk jugs at 200 yards pretty regular.

[MtGun44]

GCs not necessary in pistols, might be necessary in the longer
barrels where velocities get higher, but up to 6" bbls with max
velocity loads (book claims 1600-1650 fps, I have not chronoed)
no issues with PB designs , like 358477, 358429 or BB like Lee
358 158 RF.

Bill

[Bullshop Junior]

My favorite boolit for the 357s I have had was the 200gn flat nose RCBS, loaded over 13gn on steel, and loaded in 38spl cases crimped in the crimp groove.

[dubber123]

As mentioned by a few before me, the RCBS 180 Sil boolit has shot excellently for me in any .35 caliber revolver. My copy casts close to 200 gr. out of WW. The tiny Meplat makes it useless as a hunting boolit, but it is great for long range accuracy.

[robg]

rcbs 180 siloette gc shoots well at 100 yards 11.5 g 2400 1200fps oal 1.6inches in my 94 trapper

[bosterr]

In a rifle, decidedly not a revolver boolit.

91051

Above is SAECO #396 and #399, both the PB & GC. Both of these boolits were sized but notice the front band on both were not touched, they are .005"+ smaller in diameter than the base & middle bands. These boolits caused worse cylinder leading than I have ever seen and the worst accuracy of any boolit I've tried.

Rick

I have literally fired thousands of this boolit out of .357 Contenders and 586/686 S & W revolvers. The .005 smaller front band allows it to be chambered in my Smiths, otherwise it probably wouldn't. The only time they leaded was trying to load hot Win 231 loads for combat matches. My girlfriend loves plunking them into the same hole at 25 yds. off sandbags with her 10 inch scoped .357 Contender.

[bobthenailer]

I have used the RCBS 200gr fn alot in a 357 mag SSpistol and it is super accurate . also a friend used it in a FA 357 mag with excellent results but the col will be to long for most 357 mag revolvers.
i also have the saeco #354 180gr fpgc , #396 180 gr tc ,and a group buy lee 180gr gc wfn for revolvers . I also cast up some saeco #395 200gr tc gc years ago from a friends mould but havent tried them yet.
for 200 yards shooting in a revolver the saeco 396, 395 or 399 as well as the rcbs 180 sil should work well!
Before buying a mould ask for some samples from fourm members.

['74 sharps]

I shoot a S&W 27 with 8 3/8" barrel at 200 yd steels using the Lyman 358665 158gr tumble lubed and they work very well.

[bhn22]

In a rifle, decidedly not a revolver boolit.

91051

Above is SAECO #396 and #399, both the PB & GC. Both of these boolits were sized but notice the front band on both were not touched, they are .005"+ smaller in diameter than the base & middle bands. These boolits caused worse cylinder leading than I have ever seen and the worst accuracy of any boolit I've tried.

Rick

Hmmm... like the Lyman Keith bullet that only offers mixed success. Some guns will shoot them well, others, not so much.