I just can't seem to get a decent level of accuracy when shooting my .38 special target loads in my 4" model 686.
Do .38s generally shoot as accuately in a .357 as they do in a .38 revolver?
Thanks.

38 Special loads can be very accurate in 357magnum revolvers. To find the most accurate load, you will have to experiment with several different powders and bullets.

I shoot many more .38 Specials in my 4" M686 than .357 Magnums.


One of my favorite .38 Special loads is 4.0gr W231 under a 158gr LSWC. That is a very accurate load in my revolvers.
The other is 3.2gr to 3.4gr W231 under a 148gr DEWC.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

Won several competitions doing just that with my M586 -5. 3.5gr Bullseye under any 158gr LSWC.

Try putting the same load in 357mag cases and see how they do. Make sure you clean out any carbon rings first though.

That will tell you if it is the case length or not.

Are your bullets super hard? Maybe they aren't big enough or soft enough to obturate, hence the accuracy issue.

If no better with longer cases, go back to special ones, bump the load up to maximum and see what happens, then go to 357mag cases again, work up to maximum for 357mag and see if you get any better accuracy.

Using faster powders for harder bullets may help because to get the same velocity as slower powders, the pressure is higher. That makes the bullet "squish" better and fit the lands and grooves better.

Just a thought.

Try shooting from a rest. This will tell you if it is the gun/ammo or the shooter. This will save you $$$-time-aggravation in the long run.

I had one model 686 that left the herd because of accuracy issues. Several weeks later, by accident, the new owner was bragging about the wonderful accuracy of his S&W. He was shooting jacketed factory ammo and the groups were smaller than what I shot with cast bullets but I wasn't impressed. He was happy and that's what counts.

Not every S&W revolver is blessed with incredible accuracy, it's one of those "manufacturing statistical function" things that we all complain about -- just like cars, trucks, or the toaster.

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S&WHF 366

I have a pre WWII 357 registered magnum which shoots the classic 38 Special bullseye pistol load (148 gr. Remington LHBWC, 2.7 gr. Bullseye, Rem 1.5 primer) more accurately than any other 38 Special I own including several Colt OM Targets. This Reg mag was used by a bullseye psitol shooter in the northeast for many years and enabled him to win several state championships.

There are many reasons you may not be getting the same accuracy. What kind of bullets are in your ammo? What kind of rifling is in your barrel? Are the specs to standards for the bore, forcing cone, and cylinder? Are you pushing soft lead too fast? Is the lead sealing to the bore the way it should? Is the powder eating at the bullet causing leading? Is the bullet sized .001” or .002” over the bore diameter? There are all sorts of reasons for accuracy issues. These are only a few.

The gun has been throated, and the red ramp front sight is now colored black (by a magic marker) so that I can see it. I have been shooting:

38 spl. 158g RNL over 3.5g Bullseye
38 spl. 158g SWC over 4.5g Unique
38 spl. 158g RNL over 4.5g Unique
357 magnum 158g SWC over 6.0g Unique
357 magnum 158g JSP over 11.0g Blue Dot

Coloring the front sight black has helped.
The gun 'wants' to shoot well. I have several times found three or four out of six rounds touching, with the others as fliers maybe 2 to 3 inches away. I am shooting off sandbags at 20 yards. I am wondering whether lighter bullets might perform better. Maybe 158 grain bullets are too heavy for this 4" gun to guarantee sufficient spin.

In my 640 and old 28 (as in mid 60's) I use 3.2gr W231 with DEWC and 3.0gr for HBWC. Clean the cylinders after each use to prevent buildup. The 28 has had countless thousands of wadcutters down the barrel and both it and the cylinders are clean.