Flop...where are you buying those 165s??? They are not listed on the Sierra website...

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by SuperMan:
Flop...where are you buying those 165s??? They are not listed on the Sierra website...

Bob

Bob, I bought the loaded Corbon 165gr. JHPs and pulled the bullets. Sierra won't sell me the bullets and Corbon won't either. There is no other source that I know of. I used 180 gr. Hornady XTP data as listed in Modern Reloading by Richard Lee. I'm using a compressed charge (and may I add max charge) of 31.5 gr. H110 in Starline nickel brass with a CCI magnum primers. The bullet clocks at 1656 fps. from my 5" 629 for over 1000 fpe. It cost some money to develop and test this load, but I knew I was on the right track and the load has performed (weather jello or woodchucks) better than I ever imagined. It truly is like a steroid 125 gr. .357 on PCP. It would not be managable in all .44 mag. revolvers IMO. With a lot of practice and a 5" full underlug mag-na-ported barrel it works. Recoil is much like a 180 gr. Federal JHP. I use warm 180 gr. handloads for practice. They shoot very close to the same POI.

Option C. Switched to Double Taps' .44 Special load in my M21 & M24. And if .357 qualifies for big bore, then I load the 3/4 power Silvertip 145s for general carry.

quote:

Originally posted by jdh:
In the 57 Silvertips, in the 1894 41 mag Federal 250 Cast Core.

+1 on the .41 Silvertips. As long as you're not trying to penetrate a car or anything, they're about the best anti-personnel round.

Depends on where I am and which roscoe I'm carrying that day (which depends on my mood...you all understand). Lately, though, I've been carrying my 4" 629 and been leaning toward option B midrange loads. This is because I often spend time in both urban and rural settings, and I figure a 250 grain Keith bullet in front of 10 grains of Unique should solve just about any problem I have short of a really big, mad griz.

All you experienced fellows know jacketed bullets are SWAGED (Squeezed) into shape with high pressure on pure lead cores. The jacket prevents leading and looks good. (Ooh, shiny!)

You also know that part of the energy in the powder is used pushing that hard stiff jacket down the bore. I've read numerous places we can get about 100fps more velocity by leaving the jacket off.

But then we get leading, both from lead rubbing against the bore and "boiling" off the base due to the high-temperature of burning powder, then "condensing" on the cylinder face and even the outside of the cylinder. This terrible leading can be reduced by (sparingly) lubricating the bore before each shot, or painting the base with grease, using a card wad, etc.

Possibly one of you "Jacketed Junkies" might like to experiment with soft lead bullets you cast yourself. (Lee aluminum molds are cheap and fun.) I'm curious, but just don't have the time these days. Maybe in a year or two....

quote:

Big Bore Ammo Survey

Option A for me.

When I carry my 4" 500 Mag it's loaded with 325 gr. JHP bullets with 45.3 grs. of Hodgdon's H110 Powder @ approx. 1,951 fps, which is specs out of a longer test barrel so knock of a couple hundred fps and it's probably in the neighborhood of 1,750 fps. Still no slouch.

Smitty

I use the 10mm Auto round. I have Cor-Bon 135gr JHPs, Winchester Silvertips, and Glaser Safety Slugs. I'm sure any of these rounds will do the trick.