ammo questions for carry revolver

[blujax01]

...

When I carry a snubby revolver (which isn't very often nowadays) I carry a 158-grain +P semi-wadcutter, and enough extra ammo to reload once...

W.E.G. that is a very nice ammo pouch!

 

[W.E.G.]

Bought it at a cop shop in Silver Spring MD in 1984.

Still in (light) service, and with no end in sight.

 

[hotrod150]

I like the ammo pouch also. Who's the maker? I'm gonna be giving leather work a try & a 3x3 ammo pouch just like that one will be my first project.
FWIW I handload all the ammo for my 38 spl j-frames. I am of the "one do-it-all load" school of thought, and that one load is a Speer soft lead SWC-HP at 800-850 out of a 2" barrel. I might be bumping the powder charge up half a grain or so to get an honest 900 fps, but otherwise I think that's the way to go. I don't trust fancy bullet design & iffy velocities to deliver the goods.

 

[skyraider]

ammo report

Today I had a brief window of opportunity to go to the range and try out my 3" Model 10-5 that is now my carry gun. For ammo I just took what I had at the house (haven't yet ordered any of Buffalo Bore or Golden Spear, etc). I have a box of 125 gr SJHP--don't even remember buying it--that might be good self defense stuff, so I tried it first while the gun was cold (I would guess that in any true emergency your gun will be cold). The wind was blowing out of the southwest creating a crosswind (200 at 20 g to 25). I managed to put the first six rounds I've ever shot out of this gun in a group of about 4" at 10 yds. Not great, but I've never shot the gun and the wind was honestly blowing tumbleweeds across the range.

Here's the first interesting thing: every round was approx. 3" low of my point of aim. After shooting the first six rounds I remembered reading that hotter or lighter (faster) rounds will be low because the gun deflects up and off of target less before the round leaves the barrel. Makes sense.

In order to do a somewhat scientific experiment, the next cylinder full was std. load 158 gr. .38 spl ball ammo. the first shot literally hit the bullseye, and the next five were within a 3" group around the bullseye. Someone on this forum told me that the fixed sights on the Model 10's were set using 158 gr. standard load ammo.

As a result, whatever I decide to use while carrying will be 158 gr. standard load stuff. That seems to be what this gun really likes. The Buffalo Bore may be what I try first because it is designed for shorter barrels.

Thanks for all the terrific input,

Paul Moore

 

[Texas Star]

Today I had a brief window of opportunity to go to the range and try out my 3" Model 10-5 that is now my carry gun. For ammo I just took what I had at the house (haven't yet ordered any of Buffalo Bore or Golden Spear, etc). I have a box of 125 gr SJHP--don't even remember buying it--that might be good self defense stuff, so I tried it first while the gun was cold (I would guess that in any true emergency your gun will be cold). The wind was blowing out of the southwest creating a crosswind (200 at 20 g to 25). I managed to put the first six rounds I've ever shot out of this gun in a group of about 4" at 10 yds. Not great, but I've never shot the gun and the wind was honestly blowing tumbleweeds across the range.

Here's the first interesting thing: every round was approx. 3" low of my point of aim. After shooting the first six rounds I remembered reading that hotter or lighter (faster) rounds will be low because the gun deflects up and off of target less before the round leaves the barrel. Makes sense.

In order to do a somewhat scientific experiment, the next cylinder full was std. load 158 gr. .38 spl ball ammo. the first shot literally hit the bullseye, and the next five were within a 3" group around the bullseye. Someone on this forum told me that the fixed sights on the Model 10's were set using 158 gr. standard load ammo.

As a result, whatever I decide to use while carrying will be 158 gr. standard load stuff. That seems to be what this gun really likes. The Buffalo Bore may be what I try first because it is designed for shorter barrels.

Thanks for all the terrific input,

Paul Moore

Paul, I'm not the guy who told you that, but it's true, and sights are set to give dead-on hits with a six-o-clock hold on a bullseye at 15 yds. You may need to experiment a little to see how much front sight to hold up to get center hits with your gun and the load that you choose. Most Plus P 158 grain ammo shoots to the sights on my guns, or very close.

BTW, there is no "Golden Spear" ammo. You're thinking of Speer's Gold Dot. Or Remington's Golden Saber. But Golden Spear would be a great marketing name for ammo, wouldn't it? Sounds like a projectile that would be thrown from the chariot of Alexander the Great... But I think even he used bronze or iron spear and arrowheads. Why waste good gold on Persians, etc. ? Also, gold is a very heavy metal.

 

[skyraider]

Thanks, Texas Star. I meant Remington Golden Sabre--not spear. At 10 yds with standard 158 gr. loads this gun is dead on. Thirty feet is a little far for a true self defense situation, but that's the distance I normally shoot at the range. Fifteen yards isn't an option at our range: 7, 10, 25 and 50 yards are the distances for the handgun / short rifle range.

What part of Texas are you from? Dallas is my hometown. Thanks for the correction on my inadvertent use of spear, and the confirmation of S&W's fixed sights.

Paul Moore

 

[all357mag]

hORNADY 158GR XTP's.