View Single Post
 
Old 04-01-2018, 11:01 AM
RGVshooter RGVshooter is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: USA
Posts: 1,285
Likes: 1,112
Liked 1,609 Times in 660 Posts
Default My 357 mag Bowling pin loads

Some of you may know that according to the rules, bowling pin matches are set up at 25' to the pins. At our informal matches we hold each week, it's much further. We cut the top 6" off the pins and stagger 3 pin bodies with 2 pin tops on a steel table 36" high at 20 yards, 60 feet. Not 25 feet like what everyone else shoots at. 5 pins, 3 big, 2 small, and everyone loads up with 6 rounds only. No time limit, whoever knocks down the most pins wins. 1 pin (big or small) is 1 point if it clears the table, if it falls over but is still on the table that's 1/2 point, unless you shoot it again, clearing the table. So for example, if you have 1 pin still standing and the other guy has two pins on their sides remaining, then it's a tie. Load up another 6 rounds, and at the command, fire. Until whoever wins first. Got it?

With that in mind, we focus more on accuracy & knock down power, slightly less emphasis on speed. Although we do have a few speed demons amongst us.

I settled on my 4" 686 357 magnum. Which also doubled as a occasional carry that's why I chose 4" over 6" barrel. The handloads I came up with IMO are the best balance of power & recoil management as full power commercial 357 magnum can be kinda stout. Monarch 158gr 357 mag can rattle my teeth.

So I came up with this...

158gr Hornady XTP
9.5gr Blue Dot
WSPM primer
COL 1.575"

I haven't chrono'd these yet but it should give me around 1050-1100fps.

Another load that i came up with is

180gr Hornady XTP
11.9gr H110
WSPM
COL 1.590"

again est around 1100fps. But will chromo these later this week and come back with results.

The 158 recipe came out of Hornady #9 and the recoil is warmer than 38spl +P but very manageable recoil out of my 4" 686.

The 180's are definitely magnum territory and clear the pins clean off the table. Recoil is also manageable. But you can tell it has some ummf. I might back off the H110 a bit lol...
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post: