First Reloads = Match Win!

[doc540]

Who'da thunk it?

The new (to me) 629 shot great this morning. (Embarrassed myself with the 686, though.)

Powder puff .44 Special load in .44 Mag brass - 240 gr SWC & 5.4 gr Win231.

Won both classes for my friend Jess, an incredibly tough young girl who's battling cancer like a Spartan.





Thanks for everyone's help here.

Now to get the .357 load dialed in!

[tappedandtagged]

Great going! Who's 240 SWC are you using?

Still using the factory 38's for the 686?

[doc540]

Originally Posted by tappedandtagged

Great going! Who's 240 SWC are you using?

Still using the factory 38's for the 686?

Missouri Bullets 240's

Yes, the Rem 125 gr +P's.

I didn't shoot well with it today, but it still left four or five plates turned and not tumbled.

158 grains should help with that when I get a powder and load figured out.

[Skip Sackett]

Good going doc!

What powders do you have available for the 357Mag and what is the course of fire?

[doc540]

Originally Posted by Skip Sackett

Good going doc!

What powders do you have available for the 357Mag and what is the course of fire?

I have 4.5lbs of Unique and .75lb of Win231 on hand.

COF:
10 steel silhouettes
50 yds
5 shots in 60 seconds
reload
5 more shots in 60 seconds

4 stages of 10 shots = 40 possible points

I need to find a good recipe of Unique and 158 gr SWC for the 686.

With that Matchdot it shoots like a rifle, and I won the last optics class match with it. Today I embarrassed myself with it.

[tappedandtagged]

Mine (Taurus) shoots 6 grains well with MO's 357 action bullet. My dad gets me to load for his Ruger SP 101 with that loves the mild recoil. But... I've never put a scope or red dot on my 357 to see exactly how well it shoots. Also never pushed it beyond 25 yards.

My magnum load is 12 grains of AA 9 which is snappy (bout equal to factory velocities). Pushed it to 30 yards shooting a stump in my pond. It consistently nailed the small stump from a sitting position steadied on my knees.

[Skip Sackett]

Originally Posted by doc540

I have 4.5lbs of Unique and .75lb of Win231 on hand.

COF:
10 steel silhouettes
50 yds
5 shots in 60 seconds
reload
5 more shots in 60 seconds

4 stages of 10 shots = 40 possible points

I need to find a good recipe of Unique and 158 gr SWC for the 686.

With that Matchdot it shoots like a rifle, and I won the last optics class match with it. Today I embarrassed myself with it.

If you have 60 seconds for 5 shots then dealing with recoil for follow up shots is a non-issue. That being said, go to the top of the CURRENT data with either of those powders. If in 38spl, use +P data from Hodgdon or Alliant, that gun will take more of them than you will! If 357Mag, work up to the maximum for either powder. Push that bullet as hard as you can, while staying inside current data and that gun will purr like a kitten.




The latter is a picture of what the stock gun in the first picture could do in my hands @ 7 yards, offhand, 12 shots, 18 seconds. The load was 158gr LSWC over 3.5gr of Bullseye, standard 38spl load. Granted, it is pretty close and about 800fps from that 6" tube, but shooting offhand, all double action work in that time frame, is still pretty impressive. No modifications to the gun had ever been made, I took it out of the box, onto the range and started winning matches with it. This is a M586 though, still the same gun....

FWIW

p.s. I usually got done in 14 or 15 seconds too!

[dhom]

When I use 158 keith style Missouri bullets I load 5 gr of Titegroup in my 686 and it shoots very tight groups. [8 3/8 barrel] Don't have a chrono, but I am guessing about 1000 fps. Using the 170 keith style cast I use 6.5 gr Unique with great groups.

[forestswin]

Skip
I am going to try the same work-ups, same recipes, same gun.

Light, medium or heavy crimp???????????????

[Skip Sackett]

Forest,
I have used them both ways. Like this:

where I only closed the case mouth back to straight, in the Bullseye loads.

To this:

with slower powders in order to get more consistent velocities.

Either way, you will have enough accuracy @ 50 to get 4"-5" groups that will knock down most steel targets.

Hope this helps. One thing though, we will need a report and picture or two from your results and, of course, a video may even be better!

This is me: (click on it to watch)


Shooting at this:


Have fun, be safe............

[doc540]

Thanks
How much Unique would you recommend with the 158 gr Missouri Keith-style bullet?

I've loaded 5 and 5.5 with just "ok" results.

Should I up the ante?

[Skip Sackett]

No, do not go above that in 38spl brass. Change to 357Mag brass and work up to that maximum.

[Skip Sackett]

p.s. We have already proved that the most accurate ammo is NOT the answer!

[Skip Sackett]

How far have you gone with W231?

[doc540]

Originally Posted by Skip Sackett

No, do not go above that in 38spl brass. Change to 357Mag brass and work up to that maximum.

in .357 mag brass only....how much Unique do you recommend?

(just got 1,000 new from Starline yesterday)

And, Skip, I don't have much Win231, but I have over 4lbs of Unique to work with.

[ACP230]

My most-used manual (one from Hornady) often lists "most accururate"
loads with various bullet weights and powders.
If yours does you might start with those, or just below them if
they are hot loads, and see if you get the accuracy you need.

I used to shoot NRA Hunter's Pistol Silhouette with my Ruger Blackhawk
.357 using 158 grain SWCs and Unique powder. The load was just a bit
heavier than the 5.5 grain one you quoted.

Had no trouble making accurate enough loads (the Ruger liked most everything) but shooting them accurately enough was something else again. I still hate steel turkeys.

[doc540]

Thanks, next week I'll try loads higher than 5.5 of Unique.