357 Magnum Target Shooting.

[Recycled bullet]

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

44 if you think a flat profile Winchester soft core jacketed 357 mag pistol bullet driven close to 2000 fps can hold up to the friction from the air as loads approach 2000fps, try some for yourself.



I guess I'll have to. The bullets I used were Remingtons and they held up fine to 100yds launched from a Marlin carbine at 2200fps.



Until they hit something. (anything) THEN, they blew up



Simple point of fact, not every bullet is ok at every speed.



The problem is that 125gr JHPs are optimized for self defense at the speeds found in most defensive handgun barrel lengths, and the carbine adds some 500fps give or take and that goes well past the upper limit of the bullet's controlled expansion velocity range.



JSP 125s might do better, I don't know. I do know that 158s, driven into the 1800fps range do much better penetrating and holding together.







Apples and oranges. The .300 Blackout is a rimless bottle necked .30 caliber 55,000 psi cartridge. The .357 is a rimmed strait wall .35 caliber 35,000 psi cartridge.



ONE load with a 125gr bullet from a carbine length barrel happens to have the same approximate velocity. Other than that, they have little in common

That may be ("apples and oranges") as they are very different cartridges. 357 Magnum is from the 1930s and 300 blackout is from 2010'ish. I am handloading both -also with cast hollow pointed bullets for each specific caliber. I like them each for their own particular reasons. 38 and 357 have between them almost a century of loading data, reasonable opinions, science and exploration etc available to look at. There are so many bullets in 35 caliber that function very well in a 357 or 38 revolver or both as far as feeding- firing -accuracy -and terminal ballistics for the handgun hunter and fantastic accuracy for the Target shooter. The accuracy and power in 357 Magnum has got me hooked. Out of any caliber that I load 38 and 357 is the one I have the most experience with. I want to buy a progressive reloading machine just to load 357 Magnum. I may do that in the next year or so.

300 blackout is very interesting cartridge. It's very -very cast bullet friendly, in spite of my lack of experience with it ...having been loading it for only a couple of months... it has been rewarding.

Looking into the loading data it says that I may be using similar charge mass of the identical gunpowders to push similar weight bullets at similar velocities when fired from rifle length barrels. The shorter the barrel gets the more obvious the optimization of 300 blackout becomes. It looks like 300 blackout can push a 200 plus grain bullet significantly faster than 357 Magnum can each measured from a 7-in barrel. I'd really an afternoon to test a single shot 300 blackout pistol and a chronograph and test that for myself.

300 blackout is a 55,000 PSI cartridge designed to be operated in an AR-15.

However that does not mean that I have to load my brass to that high pressure especially with my homemade bullets I don't think the results would be very good

I've been loading 300 blackout and 357 Magnum to similar low pressure in the results have been okay. Brass seems to last a long time, it doesn't seem to grow terribly fast, and the bolt action rifle is fantastic with 30 round magazines. I have some more work to do as far as getting it to feed perfectly but I'm getting the hang of it.

I wish my ruger blackhawk held more ammunition in the cylinder. If that was a 10 shot revolver it would be the most funnest target shooting pistol ever. Does anybody use 357 Magnum magazines to speed load a single action revolver?

[44 AMP]

Does anybody use 357 Magnum magazines to speed load a single action revolver?

What .357 Magnum magazines might those be??
The only one I know of that you might get your hands on easily (but NOT cheaply) is the Desert Eagle. And, it wouldn't be a good choice for "speed loading" an SA revolver, because the rounds don't "thumb out" easily.

I'd be willing to bet you'd have an easier time, and be faster using a speed strip.

Knew a guy who used a GI 1911A1 mag to "speedload" his .45ACP SA, that worked fairly well, but rounds strip out of 1911 mag easily. I doubt you would have as good luck with a .357 Magazine, DE, Coonan, or one of the uber rare LAR Grizzly's. Speed strip, holds the rounds well, is a bit flexible, and its smaller and waaaay cheaper than any .357 magazine.

[bbqncigars]

Had to check the Grizzly mag on the 'bay. $500!! That makes the Coonan mags at $350-400 look reasonable.
Speaking of which, this thread inspired me to set up the range bag with the Coonan and MR73 for a magnum plinking outing. Just have to wait for the rain to break.

[Recycled bullet]

It's less trouble to locate a 308 magazine for my old school Browning BLR then it is to find a quality 357 Magnum magazine I'd like to keep my arms and legs thank you very much

I'm getting faster for ejecting the empties, and when it's time to reload I can stage the six cartridges by grabbing them between my fingers and use my thumb to push them in.

If the cylinder had a positive stop at each charge hole and if it were possible to rotate in the opposite direction it would speed up ejector rod alignment and help eliminate operator error ejecting empties.


I really should have bought one of these years ago!!! This is the most fun I've had with revolvers since I started.

[44 AMP]

One of the things some people complain about the Ruger Blackhawks is the cylinder doesn't "click" right into place for ejecting and there is no going backwards with the stock gun.

it can be a pain in .357, less so in .44 & .45, but its not like the gun is considered first line combat equipment, so I'm fine with it being a bit slower.

There is a trick you can learn, that will help with ejecting the fired brass. Just learn where to put your thumb.

it varies slightly (different people) but there is a spot on the cylinder, either over the chamber, or in the flute, or inbetween, but there is a spot you can find and put your thumb there (when rotating the cylinder) so that, when your thumb hits the frame the chamber is lined up for ejection.