What is the best revolver & caliber for long range targets?

[ACES&8S]

My son wants to get the best revolver he can for long range shooting for under $2000
& I will join him with what I have if I can.
Not for competition , just for here on our range, which is 300+ yards & that is probably
too far for the revolvers, or is it?
I have a few T/C pistols that can do that range but I don't know how well revolvers do
at real long range.
Although I do have several magnum S&W revolvers with 8 & 3/8" barrels & shoot
them at 60 yards often including an S&W model 29 scoped which goes 100 yards easy
enough even for deer hunting.
What I have here is a model 27-2 & 25-5 & 29-2 in 8-3/8" barrels & a few of the same
in 6" barrels.
I can get any of them prepped for a scope if necessary for my own set up.
Are any of these capable of accuracy at long range? And that makes the question more
complicated is ,what is considered long range for a revolver?
Please don't tell me it takes one of those elephant gun calibers in a revolver that looks
like a cartoon prop ,I want to keep it realistic for him.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Dan Wesson's are renowned for their accuracy thanks to their two-peice barrel system. Some new Rugers are using a similar setup.

 

[Jonesy814]

I would think a 357 with 6 or 8 inch barrel should work. You are basically lobbing any handgun cartridge at that distance but it can be done. Saw a video with Jerry Miculek shooting a J frame 38 special at 100 yards. I think he said he was holding the sights about 11 feet over the target

 

[ColtPythonElite]

If new, I would look for a 7" 686. If used, I would look for a 8 3/8" 686, perhaps a Silhouette model.

 

[FotoTomas]

Any decent revolver is adequate for long range shooting and the best one is the one you shoot best.

I can regularly ring full size IPSC steel with a "J" frame shooting at 100 yards. On those rare occasions where I have access to longer ranges and revolvers my 6 inch .357 and .44 magnums work best for me. Nothing exotic required unless you are getting into handgun silhouette shooting and even then that depends on the category you want to shoot in.

 

[buck460XVR]

Please don't tell me it takes one of those elephant gun calibers in a revolver that looks
like a cartoon prop ,I want to keep it realistic for him.

I have steel gongs set up on my personal range at 40, 70, 125 and 200 yards. While I can regularly hit the 125 gong and often hit the 200 yard 12" gong with my P.C. 629 Magnum Hunter (which is scarey accurate out to 100 yards), it does not come close to the long range accuracy of my P.C. .460 X-Frame past 150 yards. So realistically, if you don't want to consider them as a long range revolver, you are probably not going to get what you ask for in the title of this thread.

Any of the guns you already have will work and may be just fine for your expectations and the scenarios you described. One can lob a .38 bullet at a 200 yard target and hit or miss, it's no big deal except for your ego, when it's just for ships and giggles. One does not have to spend $2000 on a .357 to do it, as paying more for the platform does not really improve the cartridge. Heck, we shoot at my 200 yard gongs with our .22s.

 

[IlikeSA]

The S&W .460 was what I was thinking too, but a a second one would be a Freedom Arms revolver in a magnum caliber. I also think any quality revolver, properly throated, with quality handloads should be capable. Sights make a difference as well, and I'd recommend a sight with gold bars on it to regulate aiming points.

 

[Malamute]

Shooting distance with revolvers isnt voodoo or rocket surgery, despite many saying its impossible, or anyone saying its possible cant be telling the truth. No, its generally not as precise as most rifle shooting or specialty scoped pistol shooting, but is much easier to do once its been done a while. Its also hugely fun, and forces one to really concentrate on all the basics. Most that Ive gotten started on the habit shoot pretty wild at first, but on dry ground where you can see the hits, they double down on their basics and start doing better right away. Most can hit an 18" plate at 300 yards withing a few cylindersful with a little coaching. One thing most do wrong at first is trying to "hold over" using the sights even across the tops as for close distance, then holding over some amount, often using some spot on the landscape above the intended target. That comes apart when shooting other places and distances. Holding the front sight and target always in the same relationship, and lowering the rear in relation to the front seems to be more repeatable for iron sight use, and doesnt obscure the target as "holding over" does. Time and experience start making educated guesses on how to hold the sights more productive over time. First round hits at various unknown distances eventually becomes common.

Keith made up some front sights with small gold bars inlaid horizontally across the face as reference points to hold even with the top of the rear sight. The red ramps on S&W front sights can also be used this way (a percentage of the red ramp for various distances, or the entire red portion, etc), as can the dots on many modern sights. As an example, the hold for my g-19 was holding the top edge of the rear sight about 2/3 down the front dot, and the tip of the front sight splitting the 300 yard plate. I could hand the gun to somebody and tell them the hold and they could get first round hits, or be very close. Scoped should be more precise, but you may need some extra elevation built into the bases or rings. Im curious how this works out with your guns and scopes, I may want to do similar if it works out and isnt difficult getting zeroed or getting "elevation added" bases worked out.

One of the guys here built a special revolver for longer distance shooting with a Ruger 357 DA, I dont recall the model. he had it rebarreled and scoped and was getting pretty impressive groups at 300 yds and longer distances.

Simply "use whats the most practical/efficient/smart/whatever" isnt always the most fun and interesting way to go about things. Long distance revolvers or auto pistols with irons or glass is something that appeals to me more than contenders or other specialty pistols, though the XP has some appeal to me.

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I would think for accurate shooting at 300 yards you would be better off with a Encore / Contender or a bolt pistol not saying you cant hit a 20" gong
at 300 yards with a Ruger SBH in 44 magnum but if looking for accuracy I would go with a single shot at that range with a scope on top
and maybe be looking in to a bottle neck case like a 6mm of some sort

 

[tbob38]

Your model 29 should do fine. At longer distances, bullet/ammo quality becomes very important. Then practice. A lot.

 

[CraigC]

There are two schools of thought. One is to use the longest barrel, highest velocity and big scopes in a vain attempt to turn a revolver into a rifle. IMHO, this ain't what I think about when someone mentions long range revolver shooting. Long range precision rifle shooters don't use lightweight bullets at the highest velocities and revolver shooters shouldn't do that either. What I think about is a .357, .41, .44 or .45 shooting standard to heavy bullets that are proven to remain stable at long ranges. The Keith designs are favorites here. As Malamute described, you're not trying to get a zero, you're raising the front sight above the rear with the target perched on top. It takes a lot of practice and finesse but hits at several hundred yards are possible.



The series of videos Chad Mathis posted is very good.

 

[tbob38]

^^^^^^ This is pretty much how I have done it when I was doing it. It works.

 

[Ru4real]

Is one consideration the sound barrier and when the bullet crosses it?

If your doing holdover anyway, it seems a 38 special at subsonic the whole time may have a leg up at 300y over a 44 mag that drops subsonic at 200 on the flight to 300 yard target.

 

[CraigC]

Is one consideration the sound barrier and when the bullet crosses it?

Not in this case.

 

[Tradmark]

No revolver has been as easy to hit with at those distances as my bfr 460. None, and i have alot if them.

 

[Water-Man]

I shoot a Ruger Single Seven 7.5" .327 Fed Mag that reaches out there pretty well.

 

[DWFan]

My vote would be for a Dan Wesson M40 .357 Maximum SuperMag. With the remaining money from the purchase, I would install a 10" 1:14 twist barrel and rechamber to 358 GNR.

 

[Varminterror]

One of the guys here built a special revolver for longer distance shooting with a Ruger 357 DA, I dont recall the model. he had it rebarreled and scoped and was getting pretty impressive groups at 300 yds and longer distances.

Ernie Bishop is the guy - he has a Bayside Custom FrankenRuger GP100 in .357mag. He also now has a FrankenRuger Redhawk in .44mag, among a lot of other specialty pistols.

I personally have a Ruger Redhawk, which started life as a .357mag in 1984, but was reamed by Bain & Davis Gunworks in Cali to be a .357/44 B&D Mag. I push a 180grn Speer HotCor (drawn) between 1800-2000fps.

There’s no magic to long range shooting with revolvers. In general, Ruger, Smith, & Taurus revolvers will be 2.5-4moa out of the box. Throw a scope on top, a couple of bags underneath, some work on the trigger, and practice a lot. Be exceedingly cautious of parallax, and take the time to dial your drops. Holding over that far with plex reticles can work, but it sucks, period.

The advantage of the super magnums, like the .460, Ernie’s long barrel FrankenRuger, or my B&D is found in the velocity. Life is a lot easier, and the loads are a lot more forgiving as you pour on the speed. Cheating with a lighter bullet to pick up speed doesn’t work - you need the ballistic coefficient too, as unlike rifle bullets, BC will make a difference inside 500. The downside of the X frame 460 is the size and weight, but the FrankenRuger isn’t anything small, and my B&D Redhawk certainly isn’t a belt gun. It’s a lot cheaper for me to run necked and turned 44mag brass with 180grn bullets and ~23grn H110 in my 357/44 than it is to feed ~42grn H110 under a 300grn pill in more expensive and harder to find 460 brass... let alone the recoil. My .460 rocks the gong a lot harder though, but confirming 180grn impacts at 300yrds isn’t so difficult... Ernie’s FrankenRuger has the barrel length and minimized B/C gap to add significant speed.

This kind of thread is always plagued with advice by guys who have never fired a revolver past 100yrds, let alone 300yrds, so take with a grain of salt and do your homework to understand what you’re really buying into. Uncle Jerry’s skills are amazing, but his staged long range parlor tricks aren’t practical for most folks, or even for him, really. Elmer’s legend of walking a 44mag onto a mulie at 600yrds isn’t evidence of effectiveness, albeit a great story... what can reliably be accomplished is a different thing than what can happen in this world...

 

[Varminterror]

Is one consideration the sound barrier and when the bullet crosses it?

If your doing holdover anyway, it seems a 38 special at subsonic the whole time may have a leg up at 300y over a 44 mag that drops subsonic at 200 on the flight to 300 yard target.

Ironic username to go with this post - because I’m not quite sure if this is trolling or not.

1300fps+ with a better BC in the 44mag will easily outshoot the 900fps 38spl at range.

 

[Saleen322]

As others have said, the 460 is excellent at long range for a revolver but you are looking for something smaller. I shot silhouette using a 357 SM Dan Wesson in revolver class which was created for competition where you are shooting out to 200 meters. I also have Dan Wessons in 44 and 375 SM. Of these my personal favorite is the 375 SM but understand these are reloading only and you need to initially make the cases for ammunition. Also while smaller than a X-frame Smith, they are not small revolvers. What you do get is a revolver that can shoot bullets in the .235 SD range which work well for distance. If you want something medium size to shoot out to 300 yards with light recoil, try a 327 magnum and even a 357 magnum will ring gongs at 300 yards.

 

[RecoilRob]

The larger Super-Magnums will reach out there...but the blast and concussion as well as recoil might take some of the fun out of it. I've got a 15" 30.06 Encore and it will no doubt do the job...but it's a little on the noisy side of things and you said it needs to be a revolver? How about going the other way from the Magnums and maybe a 22 Hornet Taurus? Long barrel and from what I've read they can shoot pretty well. Would be loud but the recoil mild which might help with the precision needed to hit things at distance and you likely could start the bullets out a good bit faster than even the big Magnums.

BFR's come in 30-30 if single-action would appeal to you and might work well.

 

[MrBorland]

Is one consideration the sound barrier and when the bullet crosses it?

Ironic username to go with this post - because I’m not quite sure if this is trolling or not.

As someone who doesn't have LR handgun experience, Ru4real's question seems pretty legit. I was thinking along the same lines. Matter of fact, before posting, I went to a ballistic calculator and typed in the BCs and velocities for a .38 (158 grain) and .44 XTP (240 and 300 grain) traveling 300 yards, and while the .44mag is less affected by drop and windage, it does go trans-sonic around 125 yards. So while I don't doubt those who actually have experience in the matter, I'm reasonably wondering why the velocity drop to subsonic doesn't wreak havoc.

 

[CraigC]

It's all relative. If we were hunting down every last hundredth of an inch from a rifle, it obviously matters. Here we're talking hits on relatively large targets. The added velocity more than makes up for anything that happens when it goes transonic.

 

[MrBorland]

Here we're talking hits on relatively large targets. The added velocity more than makes up for anything that happens when it goes transonic.

Got it. Good to know. Thanks.

 

[Saleen322]

As someone who doesn't have LR handgun experience, Ru4real's question seems pretty legit. I was thinking along the same lines. Matter of fact, before posting, I went to a ballistic calculator and typed in the BCs and velocities for a .38 (158 grain) and .44 XTP (240 and 300 grain) traveling 300 yards, and while the .44mag is less affected by drop and windage, it does go trans-sonic around 125 yards. So while I don't doubt those who actually have experience in the matter, I'm reasonably wondering why the velocity drop to subsonic doesn't wreak havoc.

Interesting question. I checked my old notes and the match load I used with the 357 SM was a 200 grain around 1435 fps. I would normally do initial testing at 50 meters and if it showed promise moved to 150 meters for accuracy testing. While I never thought about it, it was certainly subsonic at 150 meters but the accuracy was very good. Before the 357 SM, I shot a 44 mag because that was the only revolver I had. It was accurate enough but had more drop and more recoil.