357 target loads

[oldracer]

I searched around and did not find exactly what I was looking for, so here is the question. I want to do some competition shooting with my S&W 327 TRR8 and so far have not shot but one box of 357 magnum loads but several thousand 38 special target loads through it. My question is: would the accuracy be much better loading 357 cases which are longer than the 38 special cases with the lead semi wadcutter bullets. I have been using 3gr w231 with Winchester small pistol primers and was going to bump the load up to 4gr of w231 in the 357 cases. This should give a very mild load with fast return to target sighting since the competition must shoot one handed and I have some serious arthritis in my shoulder and elbow joints.

PLease let me know what you think since I need to get the 357 cases or if the change in accuracy is very little I will use the 38 special cases. Thanks for the help.

 

[AzShooter]

Stay with the .38 cases. You won't notice a big difference going to .357 cases. I'd probably bump the load up to 3.3 grains of 231 or switch to bullseye and a mild charge of 3 grains. 2.8 grains if you are using 148 grain wadcutters.

 

[greenmachine]

I agree. I use 3.1 grains of 231 with 158 grain SWC or RN bullets for .38 cases and increase it to 3.4 with .357 cases. I get good accuracy even out to 50 yards.

 

[Skip Sackett]

racer,
I have used both type of cases in competition. My loads were just a tad higher than yours though. My 160gr LSWC over 3.5-3.7gr should be a good load for that bullet in either case.

You want to have the pressure up in an acceptable range or W231/HP-38 is going to be real dirty. When you don't have a high enough charge the case will not obturate causing blow back.

The one thing about using 357Mag cases is the carbon ring associated with the 38spl cases.

The 38spl cases are faster to reload though. It depends on the type of shooting you are doing.

FWIW

 

[H Richard]

If you are shooting in any competition that requires a "Power Factor", you probably won't make minimum with the 3.1 to 3.4 gr. 231. Those loads out of a 6" gun will probably only get to the 600-700 fps range.

 

[8emem]

Let me offer the view that says a .357 case is better. My most accurate load in a .357 revolver has been a hard-cast (18 bh) 158 grain lead round nose with 4.8 gr W231 and a WLP or Remington LP primer. Bullets are from Meister and National Bullet (now defucnt). Sub-inch groups from the 25-yard bench are routine. I have tested this load in a GP100, 686, and 627. This load beats even the .38 wadcutters in these guns. I shoot better with loads that leave the barrel faster, especially when the barrels are 6" or longer.

 

[oldracer]

Thanks for all the replys. As I suspected, I think a large part of the accuracy is due to the shooter and not the gun/load/powder/etc. I think I'll try some 357 cases as my die set has the spacer ring that is supposed to let you go from short to long cases easily and so far I haven't tried it. I'll load up some and try at an indoor range so that wind is elminated as a factor and rest the gun with both loads to see what happens. I'll post the results later but I am not expecting and big difference between them as several of you have noted. Thanks again for the info.

 

[sjmjax]

8emem's comments are interesting.

I have been seeing evidence in my shooting a wide range of loads in .38 S&W, .38 Special, and .357 that RNL bullets seem to give the best accuracy in my hands.

I still like the big, easy to see, holes wadcutters and semi-wadcutters punch. I still shoot more of them than anything else. But, the RNL seems to consistantly give me better groups even when loaded the same as their SWC counter part. I've assumed it had something to do with better aerodynamics.

And, they load easy too!

 

[oldracer]

I have given some serious thought to the aerodynamics issue and was debating which bullet type to use and even if jacketed or cast lead was a better choice. I would think that aero would probably only come into plan at the 50 yd distance and a month or so ago I tested this at an indoor range where there is no wind. I was surprised to see that the light load wadcutters grouped the same as the jacketed hollow points at 25 yds even when some of the wadcutters looked like they had tumbled and made large rectangular holes (not nice round smooth ones)! These shots were all taken with the gun on a bench rest and the hammer was cocked giving and very light trigger pull. I was also surprised to find that the shots hit higher than the red dot point of aim at 25 yds than at 10 yds and I expected them to probably drop a little. We do have one range in the San Diego area that is long so I might try that to see what the wadcutters do at 10, 20 and 50 yds as to the point of aiming?

 

[ChuckS1]

I like 148 grain DEWC and 3.0 grains of Bullesye.

 

[MTKTM]

I'm with 8emem on this one. I shoot lots of 38 Specials in 357 chambers, but if I'm loading them myself as opposed to buying factory stuff, something I am doing more often now that the cost of even bulk 38 has nearly doubled, I prefer to load in 357 brass. I see no significant accuracy difference, but find that the loading is no harder with 357s, and like not having the carbon build-up in the chambers.