Gunboards Forums banner

357 reloading

2K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  Clyde 
#1 ·
i just finished reloading 357 magnum, 125 jhp and used bullseye 6.6 gr. I shot my 4 inch revolver approx 10 yds away and it shoots 2 inch below the bullseye while aiming at bullseye. do you think it will hit bullseye at 25 yds?
 
#5 ·
Well, that sort of depends on the sights and how they are set, but as a GENERAL proposition, a gun with sights set for (say 25 or 50 yards) will shoot below POA at shorter ranges (a fact that has more than once caused me to miss a first shot on a serpent). Whether your particular load that is hitting 2" below POA at 10 yards will be on at 25 - require a range test. but it SHOULD be hitting higher at 25 than it is at 10, presuming no change in POA or sight setting.

That 6.6 grains of Unique with a 125 gr jacketed bullet should be OK - it is 1 grain below the lowest load with that powder and bullet listed in my Sierra data for the 357 Mag (7.6 grns Unique, 1250 FPS from a 6.5" Colt Mark III Trooper)
 
#6 ·
Well, that sort of depends on the sights and how they are set, but as a GENERAL proposition, a gun with sights set for (say 25 or 50 yards) will shoot below POA at shorter ranges (a fact that has more than once caused me to miss a first shot on a serpent). Whether your particular load that is hitting 2" below POA at 10 yards will be on at 25 - require a range test. but it SHOULD be hitting higher at 25 than it is at 10, presuming no change in POA or sight setting.

That 6.6 grains of Unique with a 125 gr jacketed bullet should be OK - it is 1 grain below the lowest load with that powder and bullet listed in my Sierra data for the 357 Mag (7.6 grns Unique, 1250 FPS from a 6.5" Colt Mark III Trooper)
Clyde. He said 6.6 gr. "Bullseye" not Unique.
I agree on the impact most likely will be higher at 25 all else being equal. It's the same effect as with a rifle and scope. The scope in above the bore as the pistol sights are above the bore. When you sight in you make those 2 center lines cross. With a handgun at 25 yards this means the bullet has to "rise" to meet the sight line. ( The barrel is at a slight upward angle compared to the line of sight.) Anything shot closer than 25 yards with the same hold will be below point of aim. Add a scope to your handgun and it gets worse. As db2004 suggested a 25 or even 50 yard sight with 6 o' clock hold works good. With it as the target gets closer you will still be near center.
 
#4 ·
Reloading is a matter of matching the bullet, and the choices are many, to the powder load providing the best performance.
Crimp and seating can have an impact.
First, if you have adjustable sights, zero the sights to at least 25 yds. I prefer a 6:00 lollipop setting at 50 yds on all my handguns. Know where the gun shoots at each distance with factory loads.
Test your reloads by making batches in increments of powder charge from the lowest to the highest listed. Bench rest them for overall group size. You will quickly establish the best powder load for a given bullet, the load with the tightest groups.
You can load to achieve high velocities, at the expense of accuracy and at some point it will start to deteriorate.
If at all possible, chronograph each batch and write the results down. Look for consistency.
Observe the holes in the target. Look for signs that the bullets are yawing or tumbling (an oblonged hole or "keyhole"). Pushing them a little too hot often leads to tumbling and yaw.
DON'T BELIEVE THE BOOK! The loading data sheets are a starting point for recommended loads but you still have to test and match the load to a specific bullet type and shape. Be extremely careful about the high end limits and the gun you are shooting them out of as you can easily beat some guns to death with full power loads!
 
#7 ·
You don' happen to have some type of tacti-cool "dot" system sights by chance?
Most of the three dot or two dot (painted, illuminated, fiber optic etc.) are low light quick acquisition "combat" sights intended for 10yds or closer.
Aligning the sights using the dots, dead on, at these closer ranges should put it on target.
Using a "conventional" sight alignment at longer distances, you may find them way low.
This can be most distracting to anyone well trained for a "conventional" sight picture and target shooting at distances 25yds and out using a 6:00 lollipop bullseye so the front blade does not obscure the target. In the case of "fixed sights" there is often little you can do to adjust them and they sometimes must be replaced.
The "dots" can be very disconcerting as your eye is naturally drawn to them. If you don't shoot low light at close range, paint over them!
That may not be easy as you have to find the correct sights to fit the dovetail cut and figure out what it is.
The one complaint I have with a Tauris PT1911 .45 is the 2 dot "figure 8" Heine sights they put on it with a proprietary dovetail cut that nobody makes a replacement sight to fit. A "conventional" 6:00 hold at 25 yds puts the shots over a foot low! The only option was to have the slide re-milled for a common dovetail and (expensive) custom sights installed. After considerable work with a file, I was able to gradually cant the rear sight using the allen screw to tilt it upwards raising it almost 0.22". Still not quite the sight alignment I am accustomed to at 50yds but satisfactory at 25 and closer.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top