|
|
02-02-2020, 09:03 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 56
Likes: 5
Liked 15 Times in 11 Posts
|
|
M65 and 357mag loads
Fellows. I handload, mostly rifle, which is what I shoot the most. Brought out a M65 3" I have and various handloads that I had made up. I chronographed them and by the end of the day at the range found that a 357 magnum load I had loaded was extremely accurate at 25 and 50 feet.
What I would like to know is, long term, how determental is the use of ANY 357 Magnum ammo on this K-Frame gun if using 357 Magnum ammo excusively.
|
02-02-2020, 09:30 AM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 6,315
Likes: 13,115
Liked 12,802 Times in 4,228 Posts
|
|
Any gun shooting a steady diet of .357 Magnum ammo is going to have more wear-and-tear. How much that'll shorten a gun's useful life is hard to tell, but if you maintain the gun properly there's a good chance the gun will outlast you.
Specifically to the K-frames like the 65, you want to limit, or avoid, full-power loads with bullets 125gr or less (i.e., 125gr @ 1450fps). Heavier bullets, or lighter-powered loads, should be fine. FWIW, I had a 3" 65 and my favorite magnum load to shoot was the WWB 110gr SJHP (~1250fps, IIRC).
|
The Following 4 Users Like Post:
|
|
02-02-2020, 10:30 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: southern illinois
Posts: 1,943
Likes: 2,248
Liked 2,389 Times in 1,008 Posts
|
|
in my 65-2 I shoot .38 158gr. handloads....very accurate revolver! suprizes me all the time....If the .357 itch comes up, scratch it with an N frame
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
02-02-2020, 11:45 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: \'ell if I know
Posts: 1,100
Likes: 0
Liked 476 Times in 279 Posts
|
|
My guess is that the gun will outlast your wrist.
|
02-02-2020, 01:04 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 56
Likes: 5
Liked 15 Times in 11 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by buck460XVR
My guess is that the gun will outlast your wrist.
|
Buck... Yes indeed. Was noticing that after firing about 30 rounds of the various charge weights of .357
Maybe more so being that gun features its original (smallish) wooden S&W grips.
On the other hand I was amazed at the tight group the gun shot....so I kept firing until I was out of my handloads.
|
02-03-2020, 03:37 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 44
Likes: 31
Liked 39 Times in 14 Posts
|
|
I have a model 65 with 4" barrel. I shoot handloads in mine to. But I shoot more of a mid range power loading. I like anything from 6.6grs of Unique up to 7.5grs of Unique. I also use 158gr lead bullets in 357 cases.
I don't have a leading problem at that speed and the bullets are either Lasercast or my Lee tumble lube SWC bullets. They shoot to the sights. I don't know the exact speed but they should be in the 1150fps range. So about what the original 38-40 loads were.
I don't think that gun will ever wear out with those loads. And they are cheap to shoot and have all the recoil I want for a days worth of shooting.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
02-03-2020, 04:48 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,364
Likes: 1,552
Liked 4,271 Times in 1,805 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ptf18
Fellows. I handload, mostly rifle, which is what I shoot the most. Brought out a M65 3" I have and various handloads that I had made up. I chronographed them and by the end of the day at the range found that a 357 magnum load I had loaded was extremely accurate at 25 and 50 feet.
What I would like to know is, long term, how determental is the use of ANY 357 Magnum ammo on this K-Frame gun if using 357 Magnum ammo excusively.
|
It would help substantially to know what the load is.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
02-03-2020, 05:02 PM
|
SWCA Member
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Old Dominion
Posts: 1,146
Likes: 2,659
Liked 1,471 Times in 607 Posts
|
|
I practice with Speer Lawman 158gr +p and exclusively carry Underwood 158gr SJHP .357 in my Model 13 3" FWIW
__________________
SWCA 3563
10mm aficionado
|
02-03-2020, 07:23 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Posts: 6,838
Likes: 7,394
Liked 8,049 Times in 3,652 Posts
|
|
Details on your handload would help us answer your question.
I've been shooting a Ruger Blackhawk with a 155 grain cast lead SWC gas checked bullet over 7.0 grains of Unique for about 40 years now with no ill effects .
I don't believe this load would be hard on a S&W model 65 .
Gary
__________________
Certified Cajun
NRA Member
Last edited by gwpercle; 02-03-2020 at 07:25 PM.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
02-04-2020, 08:30 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Demon-class planet
Posts: 7,404
Likes: 29,169
Liked 8,461 Times in 3,772 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ContinentalOp
Any gun shooting a steady diet of .357 Magnum ammo is going to have more wear-and-tear. How much that'll shorten a gun's useful life is hard to tell, but if you maintain the gun properly there's a good chance the gun will outlast you.
Specifically to the K-frames like the 65, you want to limit, or avoid, full-power loads with bullets 125gr or less (i.e., 125gr @ 1450fps). Heavier bullets, or lighter-powered loads, should be fine. FWIW, I had a 3" 65 and my favorite magnum load to shoot was the WWB 110gr SJHP (~1250fps, IIRC).
|
^^^what he said. As usual, ContinentalOp is on the mark. Not a handloader, I like the moderate .357 Blazer load for practice. Re the WWB 110gr SJHP: somehow, it has gained the reputation of being a 'gun-eater' like the 125gr planet-wreckers. It is anything but. When introduced in the 80s IIRC, it served as an acceptable load in K-frame mags to lessen wear. Still does, IMO.
Moderate loads seem to be the way to go.
Kaaskop49
Shield #5103
|
02-04-2020, 09:55 AM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 56
Likes: 5
Liked 15 Times in 11 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwpercle
Details on your handload would help us answer your question.
I've been shooting a Ruger Blackhawk with a 155 grain cast lead SWC gas checked bullet over 7.0 grains of Unique for about 40 years now with no ill effects .
I don't believe this load would be hard on a S&W model 65 .
Gary
|
Fellows. The 357 Magnum load that I shot was this. 6.7gn WW231 and a 158gn jacketed HP (purchased 25ish years ago, unkwn MFT) WW primer.
Very surprised by the extremely small group I fired (at both 25 and 50 FEET) with this load, 2 handed and unsupported. This was thru a Model 65 3"bbl.
|
02-04-2020, 12:14 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Southern FL, East side.
Posts: 2,281
Likes: 2,312
Liked 3,010 Times in 1,251 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ptf18
Fellows. The 357 Magnum load that I shot was this. 6.7gn WW231 and a 158gn jacketed HP (purchased 25ish years ago, unkwn MFT) WW primer.
|
My Speer #10 would indicat that to be a mild magnum load. Using 158g Speer JHP it shows 7.2 to 7.7 grains of W231.
It lists the same bullet in a 38 Special as 4.5 to 5.4 grains of W231.
Blast away, it sounds like an enjoyable load.
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
02-04-2020, 12:36 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Virginia
Posts: 8,713
Likes: 19,282
Liked 11,738 Times in 5,351 Posts
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ptf18
Fellows. The 357 Magnum load that I shot was this. 6.7gn WW231 and a 158gn jacketed HP (purchased 25ish years ago, unkwn MFT) WW primer.
Very surprised by the extremely small group I fired (at both 25 and 50 FEET) with this load, 2 handed and unsupported. This was thru a Model 65 3"bbl.
|
That's a relatively mild load for a 357 Magnum revolver. I think you are just fine with that load in terms of wear and tear on a K-frame S&W.
__________________
VCDL, GOA, NRA
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
02-04-2020, 01:54 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Montana
Posts: 5,162
Likes: 3,433
Liked 6,245 Times in 2,061 Posts
|
|
Blaze away until your hands can't take it anymore!!!
You have found what works well for YOU and YOUR revolver....
Randy
|
02-04-2020, 02:49 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: High Desert of NM, USA
Posts: 6,236
Likes: 9,328
Liked 8,817 Times in 2,555 Posts
|
|
The issues I've seen with K-357s have been caused by 125-grainers going really, really fast. Much more prevalent were issues caused by idiots flicking the cylinder closed or pulling the trigger super-fast for a long time.
I kept my 3" 65-5 hiking gun stoked with handloaded 180-grain hard casts over a max load of Blue Dot - they would give 1230 fps from the short tube at this altitude, and did no harm that I could see to the gun. Figured it would leave a mark on anything I might come across on the trails.
My brother's wife liked it, so he has it nowadays:
__________________
Now go make God proud...
Last edited by Erich; 02-04-2020 at 02:52 PM.
Reason: To add a photo
|
The Following 3 Users Like Post:
|
|
02-04-2020, 04:01 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 56
Likes: 5
Liked 15 Times in 11 Posts
|
|
Fellows. Thanks for the additional info. Not being a pistol shooter and thus not really doing much in the way of handloading for them, I was concerned about this load, being that I'm using WW231. Having read various forums about the use of WW231/HP38 with the "heavy" bullets I wonderd if its "too fast" of a powder. But the results were quite surprising.
The average velocity is 790ish. Thats a 3" barrel.
|
02-04-2020, 04:27 PM
|
Member
|
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Virginia
Posts: 8,713
Likes: 19,282
Liked 11,738 Times in 5,351 Posts
|
|
W231/HP-38 is fine as long as you are not looking for magnum velocities. Just be sure that you don't double charge a case, it's easy to do with fast burning powders in the large capacity magnum cases.
__________________
VCDL, GOA, NRA
|
The Following User Likes This Post:
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
|
|
|
|