Heaviest bullet for .357 Blackhawk???

[Bagdadjoe]

I prefer heavy bullets in my 45's but haven't experimented with a 357...didn't own one... I have one now. Can anyone tell me if a 6 1/2" Blackhawk will stabilize 180-200 grainers? Further, is the twist the same in a shorter barrelled Blackhawk? I'm going to a gunshow this weekend to try to snoop out another (I like "little" guns too)
thanks in advance.

[felix]

Yes. Rugers typically have 16 twist. Colts typically have 14 twist. Smiths typically have 19 twists. ... felix

[curiousgeorge]

I am also new here but I think you are going to like this site a lot.

I have had both 4.75 & 6 inch blackhawks for over 20 years. Both have been fed a steady diet of 358429 & the same bullet in H & G ( can't think of the bullet # right now to save my life ) which I cast at about 170 grains. Accuracy excellent with several loads. Have also shot close to 1000 180 gr XTP bullets again with good results. Did try one 200 gr cast. It was a Lyman round nose design with a plain base (again, will have to look numbers up when I get home) but results where not very good. So, from my experience, 170 - 180 grain bullets shot great. I am sure someone else can fill you in on the 200's.

Enjoy the 'Great Eastern' this weekend. Too much traffic for me. Good to here from another Kentuckian.

[1Shirt]

The 180 plus Ranch Dogs shoots like a million in my 94. Lucky to have that mold with him going out of business. Now wish I had a spare.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[9.3X62AL]

I've had very good results with the Lyman 195 grain blunt RN referenced above (#358430) in my Bisley Blackhawk x 7.5", and lot of other 38 Special and 357 Magnum revolvers. I've had that mould for a long time, since ~1981 when I got started in this casting madness.

[anachronism]

I shoot 358627 Lymans for bowling pins from a GP100. They weight about 220 gr, fully dressed. Pins are impressed by them. I've never shot them at any real distance to see how well they do. My deer bullet is a 180 gr LBT LFN.

[frank505]

I shoot a 200 grain Keith from a Ballisti Cast mold at 1233 fps. Shoots like it has eyes as far as I can shoot in Wyoming. Also shoot the 358627 at 1190, it also does well at long range. The 358429 is an offender as it will not shoot at long range but it is a wonderful performer in my 38's at close range.
My 357 is a Blackhawk cut off to 5 inches.

[9.3X62AL]

Add-on to above post........my 38/357 cast boolit reloading starts at 150 grains, and moves up from there. I don't know if a given twist rate is "optimized" for a particular weight-class, but over 30+ years of restuffing 38s and 357s I've not been disappointed by any bullet/boolit from 150 to 200 grains in weight. Specific to the Lyman #358430, I have run these from 700 to 1250 FPS, and accuracy has remained constant. While that blunt RN form doesn't inspire confidence for game-taking, I'll bet it would do right well if "soft-pointed" a la the Bruce B Method.

One other little aside.......in the Ruger, the #358430 seems to tumble after impact on jackrabbits. I hadn't noticed this tendency from S&W or Colt revos in the past, which are pitched a little faster. I think--not certain here--that Ruger uses 1-20" pitch for its rifling twist. Maybe that is why the 195 grainers lose stability after impact, but that is total speculation. Trying to predict terminal effects is like herding cats.

[gon2shoot]

My 6 1/2" Blackhawk shines with 180gr boolits, it shoots fairly well with 158 or 200gr also, but the 180 seems to be the favorite.

[Bagdadjoe]

Wow, you ask here and you receive! Looks like a 180 grainer will be safe. Isn't technology great?
And to Curious George, greetings fellow Ky'er! I try to get there when the gate opens. Not too bad for traffic that way. I'll let you know what "prize" I take home. I'm taking a Yugo Mauser (everybody needs at least one, and yes I even cast for this one), a Gov't Model Ruger and a S&W M&P .40. I like it, but it isn't a .45........know what I mean? I'm thinking a short barrelled Blackhawk of whatever flavor and I need a 10-22, no I don't cast for it...yet.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Have shot 1000's of the Lyman 158gr pb swc, 1000's of the NEI 160 gr GC, & 1000's of the Seaco 180gr gc.
Wife's old RBH did ok w/ the 158 & 160, But I think it did better w/ the180.
My Redhawk seems to do well W/ the 180 too.