Buffalo Bore Tactical Short Barrel .357 mag opinions?

[MichiganScott]

It's not just about how fast the bullet's going. It's also about the bullet construction. Unless they are using the same projectile, you can't say that they are equivalent. As Boge has pointed out, the projectiles are not the same. This is a case of people convincing themselves to disregard the facts because of a warm and fuzzy they get due to the "more is better" syndrome that affects most of us males.

The reason the old FBI load works so well at snubbie velocities is because it's pure lead (or almost) and will expand way below the velocity any cast bullet will expand. Although you can cast pure lead bullets, the reject rate is too high to be profitable. You must alloy lead for it to flow well enough to fill out the mold properly.

 

[Boge]

I'm in the wrong line of work. I need to be selling ammo that goes fast & have a great sales pitch!! Who needs Real World results because.......it's REAL fast!!

 

[Stu Honea]

I've yet to use anything from Buffalo Bore. I can speak a little on the old FBi,Chicago load. It dropped quite a few miscreants around here in days gone by.It was effective from snubs on a least two occasions I know of whether it expanded or not.
There's better available now,but the old LSWCHP hasn't gotton any worse because of it. I think the Remington version may have used a softer lead,but it's been a long time so I wouldn't take an oath on it.
The post mortem I photographed from one of the snub shoots definetely revealed an expanded slug.

 

[snowman.45]

I have been carrying the Buffalo Bore 158 gr. +P LSWCGCHP FBI load in my 340 M&P(s) for a number of years. I have chronographed them out of the 340 and got an honest 1000+ fps. I don't know about the composition of the bullet, but I've fired it through wet phone books and jugs of water. Not only was the penetration in both media within recommended FBI ranges, but the expansion was quite good. As stated above, however, it is a little stout in the alloy framed guns (although not as stout as most .357). I also keep my Model 60 loaded with the BB rounds.

In my 640, I prefer to carry magnum loads most of the time. For that gun, I like the Speer GDHP 135 gr. SB in .357. I trust the GDHP in just about every load in the calibers I've used; .38, .357, 9mm and .45 ACP.

 

[M E Morrison]

I've yet to use anything from Buffalo Bore. I can speak a little on the old FBi,Chicago load. It dropped quite a few miscreants around here in days gone by.It was effective from snubs on a least two occasions I know of whether it expanded or not.
There's better available now,but the old LSWCHP hasn't gotton any worse because of it. I think the Remington version may have used a softer lead,but it's been a long time so I wouldn't take an oath on it.
The post mortem I photographed from one of the snub shoots definetely revealed an expanded slug.

Using the highly reliable thumb nail indention test, the old Remington was softer than the competition. The new Remington, however seems a bit harder.

 

[Blackshirt]

Underwood has some phenomenal loads in both .357 and .38 Special. I use their .38 +P 158 grain hard cast Keith cartridge in the field...it delivers over 500 ft lbs of KE @ 1250 fps with great penetration. Good customer service, too. The .357 load in the link below is seriously stout...

357 Mag Ammo For Sale - 158 gr JHP Underwood Ammo In Stock