I'm a soon to be owner of a 686 with 8-3/8" barrrel. The check is in the mail. I'm thinking about starting with some 158 gr LSWC from Missouri Bullet. He claims about 18 bhn that should be good for magnum velocity. I'm not really shure what the limits are, but 1200 fps sounds reasonable. I've used his 12 bhn, 158 gr lswc in .38 special at around 800 fps without any problems in a M15.

I'd like to hear some opinions on an accurate target load for the 686.