.357 Magnum day at the range

[Doug.38PR]

Today, I took my Ruger Security Six 4 inch and my S&W Highway Patrolman M28 6 inch down to the range to test various loads comparing them to my new Buffalo Bore Heavy Magnum 180 gr. The results were interesting. I had the following.

110 gr Winchester JHP .357 Magnum: Felt very little recoil compared to the others in both the Ruger and the S&W.

125 gr Winchester JSP .357 Magnum: VERY different. Harder recoil (naturally as it is a heavier round) but a firey flash out of both the 6 inch and the 4 inch muzzel

180 gr Buffalo Bore LSWC .357 Magnum: BOOOOM!!! Hard recoil, especially in the 4 inch Ruger Security Six. So hard was the recoil in this gun that the back tip of the hammer cut the joint of my thumb as the gun would snap back and the grips sliding through my hand. But interestingly, there was no bright muzzel flash as I had experienced with the 125 gr rounds.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Buffalo Bore ammo is the real deal. I would use that round in a HEAVY frame .357 (not cause it will blow up anything but the recoil is something else.)

I shot the .38 158GR LSWHP Buffalo Bore rounds out of my 2 inch Centennial .38, and I can say from the chrono it really does get 1000 fps (and man did it hurt!)

I use that load only in my 2 3/4 inch Ruger Speed Six which is made in .38 special. Chronos at 1100 fps. Not bad, not bad at all.

I bet those 180s are sailing out of your SS at honest 1350 or more!

 

[Doug.38PR]

I shot the .38 158GR LSWHP Buffalo Bore rounds out of my 2 inch Centennial .38, and I can say from the chrono it really does get 1000 fps (and man did it hurt!)

Oh that has a vicious recoil out of my larger Colt Official Police 4 inch. I shudder to think of the recoil out of a little 2 inch small frame.

In fact, I would even say that the recoil for a .38 158 gr Buffalo Bore is even harder than the recoil of a regular Winchester 110 gr .357 Magnum

I bet those 180s are sailing out of your SS at honest 1350 or more!

Probably even faster out of the Highway Patrolman with it's 6 inch barrel I was even feeling the burning powder from between the cylinder and the cone on my thumbs on that one (ouch)

That 180 gr Buffalo Bore is TRULY for BIG game and not for Concealed Carry Defense Ammo (Probably would go through not only the bad guy but 20 more people before it stopped)

 

[Eightball]

It does sorta make sense that the heavier grain kicked more. Laws of physics and everything......"equal and opposite reaction"........

Nice choice of guns, though

 

[Joe45acp]

That Buffalo Bore load is great. I shot it thru a 6" model 27 and a 4" model 586. You could really feel the difference in the recoil. I would feel comfortable carrying that load for woods defence or to hunt with it.

Joe

 

[The_Shootist]

Nod

When I shot the BB 158gr LSWCHP +P load out of my SP 101 I honestly couldn't tell the difference between it and say a medium .357 load like the Golden Sabre in 125 gr.

I have a box of the 158 gr BB .357 load, but suffice to say thats going downrange thru my 686+ - I'm not even going to bother trying that in my Ruger.

As to flash, doesn't BB pay particular attention to flash suppression with its powders? Despite the stoutness of the round, I don't recall any fireballs in using BB ammo.

Now, UMC, thats a different story

 

[SAWBONES]

My favorite load in my snubby Ruger SP101 is Buffalo Bore's 158gr JHC .357 Magnum round.

It's a Gold Dot bullet, I believe, and appears to be the same one that Double Tap uses in their 158gr .357 cartridge.

It really doesn't seem to have any notable muzzle flash, even in a 2.25" barrel, and the blast/percussion is modest for a full power .357 round. The recoil is not punishing at all. (Note that I've had Gemini Custom's Hybra-Porting done, which significantly reduces felt recoil and muzzle flip.)

Does any one here have actual chronographed muzzle velocities of these two rounds out of a 2.25" barrel?
Guesstimate is at least 1200-1300 fps. (Double Tap is advertized to give 1400 fps from a 4" barrel, while BB is said to give 1485 fps in a 4" barrel, 1398 fps in a 3" barrel.)