Shooting the 340PD

[GTBL]

Shot the 340PD for the first time this week. I had some ammo in my basement that I decided to just try.

First up was the 110 grain .38 JHP - Very Easy to shoot. Just concerned it would not be effective as a Self Defense round??

Second - 130 Grain .357 JHP. Hell No! Shot it one time and had no desire to shoot again.

I think 125 or 135 grain .38 JHP may be a good compromise.

What have y'all had success with and can count on?

 

[Czechvar]

Shot the 340PD for the first time this week. I had some ammo in my basement that I decided to just try.

First up was the 110 grain .38 JHP - Very Easy to shoot. Just concerned it would not be effective as a Self Defense round??

Second - 130 Grain .357 JHP. Hell No! Shot it one time and had no desire to shoot again.

I think 125 or 135 grain .38 JHP may be a good compromise.

What have y'all had success with and can count on?

You might want to try the impact absorbing Rubber Grips with Magnums. The stock grips are awful...

 

[M29since14]

Winchester .357 Silvertips are all I can handle. More (heavier) than those, which are 145 gr - no thanks. Remington 125 gr SJHPs are a lot more friendly in the 340PD. I prefer the heavier bullet so I'll stick with the Silvertips, for now.

 

[SpartyME]

My M&P340 CT likes both of these even with the titanium cylinder installed

 

[Eagle1*]

this is a great question as I am thinking of getting a PD model. Shot my M&P340 today and shot a perfect score for duty quals. Was using 130 grn remingtons though, but had some PMC starfire 125 grn +P and those babies were hot but super accurate. looking forward to hearing what others have to say about the 340PD as well...

 

[michpatriot]

Sweet spot

I think that the 135gr Gold Dot 357 load is about perfect for most situations, when I'm up in the woods where there are hogs and black bears I load up with 180 gr hardcast Buffalo Bore outdoorsman. The 340 PD is beast with heavy 357, but if you take the time to practice, a few at a time,it's really amazing what this little cannon is capable of! I usually start with a bandaid in the web between my thumb and finger and it really helps when shooting heavy magnum loadings.

 

[pittpa]

I think that the 135gr Gold Dot 357 load is about perfect for most situations, when I'm up in the woods where there are hogs and black bears I load up with 180 gr hardcast Buffalo Bore outdoorsman. The 340 PD is beast with heavy 357, but if you take the time to practice, a few at a time,it's really amazing what this little cannon is capable of! I usually start with a bandaid in the web between my thumb and finger and it really helps when shooting heavy magnum loadings.

I agree on the Gold Dot 357 135g loading. It has been shown to perform very well at the velocity it makes out of the 340 PD (for me it averaged 1027 FPS). I find the recoil tolerable compared to regular 357 defense rounds.
Edit, Michpatriot (not OP), I carry a 10mm in the woods.

 

[les.b]

Another vote for the Speer Gold Dot 135gr .357 magnum short barrel load. This is all I have carried in my 340PD, M&P 340, 640-1, and 640-1 Pro Series. This is IMHO, the best round for these little guns.

They are sometimes hard to find, and are a little pricy, but well worth it. I have been carrying them for at least four years now, and am very pleased with them.

When you find any, stock up, as I noted above, they are hard to find.

Best Regards, Les

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Shooting 357 in a Model 340 takes practice. Loads and grips can help moderate the recoil, but the main thing is practice - maybe more than one shot. Even so, I never have got it to where it was "fun" to shoot 357 in the 340.

 

[TMan51]

when I'm up in the woods where there are hogs and black bears I load up with 180 gr hardcast Buffalo Bore outdoorsman.

Now that must be a "bear" itself! Those babies are a handful in my 6" GP100. And a bit pricey.

 

[Old cop]

I keep my 340PD loaded w/the old school 125 grain +P from Remington. Recoil is tolerable w/wood bootgrips and follow up shots a lot tamer then w/their .357 loading. I put about 100 + rounds through it today and had fun, but my hand's pretty sore.

 

[just plain joe]

I have run the Speer 135 grain Gold Dots in .38 Special +P. With practice, they are controllable. With .357 Magnums the juice ain't worth the squeeze for me.

As an aside, I just sent mine back to S & W. After my yearly qualification for retired officers, I discovered that the frame area beneath the barrel/forcing cone, exhibited a crack. I'm waiting to hear what they have to say.

It seems that the 340's are prone to cracking as evidenced by a Google search.

I'm disappointed as I practice with standard pressure and +P ammunition and have less than a box of .357 through the revolver.

Apologies for the thread drift.

JPJ