First Wheelgun Purchased Today

[wyrmzr]

So, I got my stimulus check in, and one of the LGS's had a *gasp* Taurus Tracker M627 on the shelf for $414. It's the 6.5 in. barrel. After much research, I decided "why not?".
I've only put just over a dozen rounds through it, but the recoil is certainly manageable, and it's not even as loud as I expected. It's also right on at 10 yards (I have yet to get out to the actual range), and no issues with function. I'm going to hold onto most of my .357 rounds, and keep some .38 Special in it for home/self defense until I can get a good mold for casting, probably starting with a 158 grain boolit since both calibers can run it.
My current powder, and the one easiest to find locally, for magnum rounds is IMR 4227. Imagine my surprise when I looked at Hodgon's reloading site and was told they only had a load for 140 grain pistol boolits. However, switch to rifle, and IMR 4227 has the same load data as H4227 for *some* reloads(???)
I've seen a lot of information that indicates the two powders are the same, but Hodgdon's site, at least for pistol, doesn't seem to think so. Strangely, for the rifle rounds, they recommend MORE IMR 4227 than H4227 for the same round in one of the rifle loads.
I'm confused.
Also, any recommendations for which mold to start with?

[waco]

I have a 4" Tracker. Had it for many years. Shoots well with a lot of molds. My current go to 357 mold is an Accurate 36-158-V
http://accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=36-158V-D.png

[Bazoo]

I don't load either 4227 but know it's a classic powder with a lot of data listed. You'll do well to acquire a loadbooks USA manual in both 38 and 357. Mine are invaluable.

[tominboise]

Congrats. 357 Mag revolvers are hard to beat and everyone should have at least one.

[gpidaho]

wyrmzr; Glad to see others helping me stimulate the economy in a worthwhile manner. I own and load for a lot of different calibers but the 357 is an all around favorite in my family. And yes, the 4227s are excellent magnum load powders for the 357. Pretty hard to beat these three moulds in 38cal. 158gr SWC 148gr. WC and the 125gr. RNFP. Keeping things simple for plinking rounds powders like Bullseye, TiteGroup and HP-38 will do very well for targets or bean can shooting. Enjoy the new revolver. Gp

[tankgunner59]

I bought a Tracker like yours several years ago and I love shooting it. I load my 357 rounds with a Lee 358-158-SWC over Alliant 2400. I use the Lyman Cast Bullet book for cast and Lyman 50th and Hornady 9th for J-words, over 2400. I have IMR4227 on hand for back up, but I haven't needed it yet, our LGS just got in a big shipment of powder a couple week ago and I picked up a pound of 2400. Had to do it curb side. I like the Lee 358-158-SWC bullet for my 357, I have a different mold for my wifes 38 Special.

gpidaho, thanks for the info on the 4227 loads, I'll have to try it out.

[megasupermagnum]

No they are not horribly loud as you found out. Louder than 38 special? Yes. Earsplitting, go-deaf-in-one-shot? No.

I've only bought IMR 4227. I know that H4227 and IMR4227 used to be different. I believe they are currently the same powder. Unfortunately I do not know how to tell which data is considered newer. The thing with either 4227 in rounds such as 357 magnum is that you really can't fit enough in there to get into trouble and still seat a bullet on top. Take that statement with a grain of salt. I never did get the accuracy I desire with 4227, but many do. I prefer bluedot or H110.

As for the bullet, you could start and stop with the Keith, but where is the fun in that? It's likely the best all around bullet with lots of data. If you only ever intend on shooting solids, I recommend the Arsenal molds 358429 SWC 170 Gr. KEITH. If you ever intend to shoot hollow points, and you can cast solids with it too, get the NOE molds 360-176-SWC.

[lawdog941]

I've found that 4227 likes to be loaded near max with a good crimp. I use Hodgdons info interchangeably on a 454 Casull, no problems.

[tazman]

I had one like yours for a few years. It was a very accurate shooter with cast. Somewhere on this site is a picture of a target I shot with it. I put thousands of rounds through it over several years.
The only reason I let it go was the ejector. The rod wasn't long enough to cleanly eject even 38 special cases, let alone 357 mag cases. Reloading in a stressful situation was going to be a slow process.
Mine would shoot nearly anything accurately.

[Thumbcocker]

It would be hard to go wrong with a Lee 158 RNFP. That boolit shoots well over a wide velocity range for me and if you go with 6 cavity it makes a lot of boolits in a hurry.

[BigAlofPa.]

Congrats on the 357. One thing you may want to change the grip on your tracker. Mine came with them spongy grips. I kept hitting my finger against the trigger guard.
261381

[wyrmzr]

I had fun yesterday firing about 20 .357 rounds and just a couple of .38 special. 10 yards and I had shots inside an inch firing it SA. This will also be my replacement for muzzleloader this year for whitetails.
The IMR 4227 is sitting here because I've had good luck with it in the 300AAC and 7.62x54r, and I figure the fewer powders I need to keep on hand, the better. I actually sold off the 91/30, which it turns out was the worst possible timing.
I'm also casting for my .40 S&W, and have yet to start casting for the 300, but plan on that as well. I PC some of my rounds, but am still also experimenting with alox to see if there's any accuracy difference; for some of the cast, doing both seems to work better than one or the other, which seems strange, but it could also just be me.

[Dieselhorses]

Congrats on the gun! I've had good luck with HP38, Ramshot Enforcer and IMR 4227. Titegroup will work but doesn't agree with my powder coated bullets (shelf life-or at least they say).

[rintinglen]

IMR 4227 and I had a passing relationship many years ago when a more experienced friend was shooting some excellent groups with his 8 3/8's inch barrel M-27 with a load of IMR 4227 that made my groups look poorly by comparison. I bought a pound and gave it a try. IMR 4227 is a little bit slow for the 357. You start to run out of room before you are really up to speed. It was not as good as 2400 in my S&W M-19, but the experience I got shooting up that pound of powder shrank my groups by a fair bit.

16.0 grains of IMR 4227 under a 150 grain RCBS 38-150 KT works fairly well, but 14.7 grains of 2400 is/was more accurate. Both were top end loads.

[IHuntDragons]

Congrats on the new purchase and popping your cherry on wheelguns. Get out and enjoy it as much as you can.

[engineer401]

I put a hogue monogrip on mine. I really don’t like the Taurus grips. The gun is a treat to shoot. Recoil is not bad. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

[onelight]

Hope you enjoy your new gun.
But you know you are gonna need a bigger safe those little guys multiply like rabbits.:guntootsmiley:

[Texas by God]

Good to hear a good Taurus thread. Enjoy that revolver.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Norske]

Since this is your first wheelgun, I'm going to assume it's the first time you'll be reloading larger volume handgun cases. Please always use powders that will overflow or nearly overflow the case with a double charge. A shooter at the indoor range where I volunteer destroyed a S&W 41 Magnum with a double-charged cartridge. He didn't personally get hurt, but 1/2 of the cylinder is gone, the top strap is bent upward, and even the red dot sight is broken. I've heard rumors he wasn't inspecting every case after every step in the reloading process, and was minimizing expense by using a fast-burning powder. Even if do you look into the deeper magnum cases, noticing double charges is more difficult than with short semi auto cases, unless the % of occupied space is considerable.

[WebMonkey]

It would be hard to go wrong with a Lee 158 RNFP. That boolit shoots well over a wide velocity range for me and if you go with 6 cavity it makes a lot of boolits in a hurry.

+1 on that
:)

[Silvercreek Farmer]

+1 on that
:)

+2

If economy matters to you, pick up a jug of Promo. I've sent a lot of lead downrange with it and I can always find a decent load as long I am not looking for top velocity.

[wyrmzr]

I just had a bit of luck finding some cast boolits; it seems that one LGS went to an estate sale and bought a lot of stuff they don't know what to do with. This includes a large batch of .357/.38 special boolits weighing in at around 161 grains. The owner of the estate was actually a competition shooter, which helps me to trust his casting skills. That, and I've weighed 25 of them so far and found less than 2 grains difference among the batch. I picked up 75 of these boolits for $5. I'd rather cast my own, but I'm not passing that up, and the owner of the shop knew he wasn't going to find too many people with any interest in cast boolits. I should probably check and see if the guy had any lube in one of those totes, and/or a spare reloading die set.

[JoeJames]

I'm old school. I use Bullseye for 38 Special, and Unique for 44 Special and for that matter 44 Magnum tolerable loads.

[wyrmzr]

Well, I'm using what's on hand for now, and have finally gotten out to practice with some cast boolits. I only took 14 rounds with me, the first seven had 13 grains of IMR4227, the 2nd group had 14 grains. It certainly likes the 14 grains at 15 yards; I pulled left on 2 shots but all other shots hit the bullseye.
It does seem I'll want to replace that grip; it's not terrible, but I did find that a little more meat on the grip, and perhaps some covering of the back of the trigger guard, seem like they'd help. It's a big gun, I've got big hands, and comfort is certainly important.
Now it's time to load up some more cast boolits and make sure I remain consistent. Probably some dry firing is in order so I develop good grip habits.

[lar45]

Excellent, I'm glad it's shooting well for you.
I have a Raging Bull in 454 and really like it. It's well made, has a smooth trigger and can hold 1.5" at 50yds with several loads.

[gwpercle]

My favorite , all time accuracy champ boolit in both 38 Special and 357 Magnum for paper punching , tin can perferating and all around general use is :
NOE #360 - 160 - WC - PB .
This is a 160 grain wadcutter that is not designed to be deep/flush seated in the case .
It is sort of a cross hybrid Semi-wadcutter and Wadcutter .
It's a great design that works . The cost of a 4 cavity NOE mould in this design may seem pricey but trust me ...it's worth every cent . Since getting this mould ...I have cast no other 38/357 boolits , this one does it all .

Taurus has come a long way in quality...my MOST accurate 45 acp is a Taurus Revolver...it's scary accurate!
Gary

[tazman]

The mold gwpercle refers to is a copy of the Lyman 358432. It is designed to be loaded to the same OAL as a 150-158 grain SWC. This gives you the option of loading the boolit to full power 158 grain levels.
He is also correct that it is a superb performer.
Lyman made them in 160 grains and 148 grains. I have the 148 grain version from Lyman and the 160 grain version from NOE. Both are excellent molds and great boolits.
I cast my NOE mold as a hollow point which gives it a weight of 148 grains.
I can't find the NOE mold on their website at the moment. Not certain if that is just a temporary thing or not. I got mine from them as a group buy.

One of the fun things about wadcutters in a revolver is, you can seat the boolit so it is crimped into one of the grease grooves instead of the crimp groove. This accomplishes the same thing that the 358432 does without the need for an additional mold.

[wyrmzr]

Right now I'm not even sure which mold was used to cast the bullets I'm using; they were bought off an auction. Of course, I've gone through and weighed them, and the average is about 160 grains. So far a little xlox and they're running great. My next test is perhaps a bit of overkill, but it's a 180 grain XTP that I plan on using for deer season. If that doesn't bring them down, it's my fault.

[facetious]

When I couldn't find 2400 I tried some BE-86 and and found I kind of like it. In .357 it uses about half the powder as 2400 or H110 and sill go fast enough to be useful . 4227 is to slow for any thing under 160 gr . 2400 has to be the best , I'v tried it from 140's to 160's and I think it will get the most out of the .357 but for a general purpose load BE-86 has shot good and is a lot cleaner. I use it with lighter boolits like My LBT 150-OWC's and save the 2400 for 358-156's in my BH

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Was talking to an old shooting buddy recently and we decided that revolvers and 1911's were more satisfying to shoot than our plastic pistols. Feel the same about bolt and lever rifles.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Was talking to an old shooting buddy recently and we decided that revolvers and 1911's were more satisfying to shoot than our plastic pistols. Feel the same about bolt and lever rifles.

I agree 100% I also would rather not pick up brass and find myself shooting revolvers and my Contender more

[wyrmzr]

Yep, the revolver just plain feels better overall to me. Plus, the simpler the better in case you have to troubleshoot something.

[pocketace]

how is the porting dealing with the leading?

mine is good gun, accurate, even with crappy swaged factory ammo. However it would be nice to have a nice smith or ruger, but with the cost of the guns astronomical.....