45 Recoil in a 357mag?

[awaveritt]

I've almost completed my assortment of guns necessary for Cowboy Action Shooting. Just need one more single action and I'll be set. Went with 357 Ruger New Vaquero (still shopping for one more).

My question has to do with perceived recoil. Some 45 Colt guys say the game is a little tougher with their caliber since the 38 special shooters get better target acquisition due the low recoil. Of course, CAS ammo is ALL loaded down so much, I really don't see much difference.

With that said, and just for grins, what kind of 357/38spl load would you come with to mimic the perceived recoil of a 45 colt - not in CAS, but in regular power loads? Any thoughts?

[bigboredad]

wouldn't that defeat the purpose of buying the .357?:veryconfu

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

The 357 is gonna be a bit sharper snap, compared to a push . . .

[awaveritt]

wouldn't that defeat the purpose of buying the .357

Having very little experience with 45colt, I'm just wondering what all the fuss is about. It would just be a little experiment, to satisfy my curiosity, should I ever want to gravitate to 45. Most old timers in CAS I've talked to, stress that EVERYONE eventually buys more than one set of guns - obviously part of the fun. I'm sure the 45 colt pards will gladly let me try out some 45's, though.


The 357 is gonna be a bit sharper snap, compared to a push . . .

This makes sense to me, given the higher pressures and velocity of the 357. Wondering if the top end trail boss loads in 357 and heavier boolits would more closely approximate the 45colt?

[OBXPilgrim]

Actually, find a Lyman 358627 215gr mold and it might not be that hard to do what you want. I loaded some in 38 special with very mild loads & they shot very tight.

It was more of a test to show myself whether a GC mold could shoot w/o a GC - it was the most accurate of 4 types (HP w/GC, HP w/o GC, solid w/GC, solid w/o GC - HP w/o GC won!). Like I said, it was a mild 38 SPL load, but had a nice 'push' and I bet it would work in 357 (at little hotter) - I didn't own a 357 at the time. I need to try all that again.

[fecmech]

Go here and plug in the numbers and match the recoil up. http://handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp

[Ed K]

Go here and plug in the numbers and match the recoil up. http://handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp

That was a good idea. Had to try it myself. Looks like a 38cal 200gr mold is in order!

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee153/mvesk/45_to_38_recoil_comparison.png

[2ndAmendmentNut]

8.5~9.0 grains of Unique under a 250gr boolit has been a long standard of mine in the 45colt. Recoil in a 357mag (as others have noted) has more of a snap then the roll of a 45. However if you can comfortably shoot 158gr~180gr 357mag loads using Blue Dot, 2400, or H110 you should have no problem with recoil in the 45colt, in fact you might just find the 45 more pleasant to shoot. Now a full case of BP in a 45colt has plenty of “boom” and a healthy dose of recoil, but in CAS very few if any are using full house loads.

Go ahead and by another 357 to complete your set, but know that sooner or later you are going to pick up a pair of 45s. Have fun!

[Calamity Jake]

In the CAS game the top shooters(GAMERS there called) use 38/357 and some 32's with as light a boolet and powder charge as they can get by with, low recoil and fast target aquisition
is the name of the game for them.
Been in the CAS game for 17+ years, I've always shot the 45C with a 260gr boolit and 4gr of RD in both rifle and pistol. A light load in inself but the lightest.
Until my wife started getting corpel tunnel in the rists and thumbs she shot the same load in pistols, off hand, or Lady Duelist as it's called. She still shoots LD but with 38's now.

The CAS game is fun.

[Groo]

Groo here
The advantage to the 357/38 is that a lighter bullet can be fired at a given speed
for less kick..
Unless you go with a 45 acp cast bullet at about 145 gr in your 45 colt the 38 /357
will kick less.
They are apples and oranges..

[runfiverun]

i always shot 160's in my 45 colts.
it's the same load i use for pine grouse in the levergun when deer hunting.
i would imagine a 160 at 700 and a 158 at 700 feel about the same except the 357 is a heavier gun.

[NickSS]

I only shoot CAS matches occasionally and do it with a 45 colt in both rifle and pistol. As I do not practice speed shooting much if at all I never am in the winners circle but I have a lot of fun. I generally load 6 gr of RD and a 200 gr LFP bullet. this is not a light load as some guys shoot but they shoot to POA for my Colt clone revolvers and I never miss anything with them. I have also shot the game with 38 spls loaded with 125gr bullets over 2.5 gr of RD. These had much less recoil but interestingly my speed is about the same. I guess I just think that if you are going to a gun fight you should shoot something that will put the other guy down in a hurry.