Shooting today, 44 & 357 Chrono result I'd like to share

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Ohio357MagFan
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Shooting today, 44 & 357 Chrono result I'd like to share

Post by Ohio357MagFan »

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Went shootin today, like to share my results from 357 magnum and 44 magnum carbines, both have 16 inch barrels. Tried a bunch of different polymer coated bullets and I absolutely LOVE the new concept!!!.....

It was mid 80s temperature here toady FYI. Average of about 5 shots...

44 Mag results. All 44 mag was loaded with Federal 150 std primers...

Penn Bullets 185 DEWC full wadcutter Coated.

Unique 7.5 gr- 1225, 8gr- 1275, 8.5 gr 1350.

I loaded a few 185 DEWCs with 9 and 9.5 gr power pistol, they got mixed up but I ran a couple over the chronograph and they were hitting the very high 1300's and 1400 FPS right on.

Comment- I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Penn Bullets 185 DEWC for the plinking I do. I do all my shooting at close range at water filled jugs and water ballons and bowling pins. THe DEWC at 1300+ was VERY light recoil and noise but was making the water filled jugs explode into a mist JUST like a hollow point, I actually think a little more because I was getting sprayed a few times. You can't get a bigger meplat then the DWEC and they are only 40 bucks for 500.

Bayou Bullets 240 LSWC coated.....

18 gr 2400- 1575 . I was suprised the velocity was this high for a starting charge of 18 gr. I shot a bunch and they all hovered around 1575 FPS

18.5 gr 2400 1595 fps

8.5 Unique- 1215 fps GREAT Plinkin round LOW kick BUT still has authority

Bayou Bullets 215 LSWC Coated

9 gr unique - 1315 FPS
9.5 unique- 1370 FPS

Comments- I like the 215 LSWC from Bayou bullets, its a great bullet for a mid range power type round. I will experiment with it more and work up more loads with it in the future.

357 magnum results, I used mixed brass and always CCI 500 standard primers for everything....



Penn Bullets 125 Coated Truncated Cone (Love this bullet)

7 gr unique... 1450 fps, 7.5 gr unique 1515 fps, 8 gr unique 1575 fps

7 gr power pistol.... 1425 fps, 7.5 power pistol 1525, 8 gr power pistol- 1565 fps

Same 125 Penn bullet in 38 special brass....

5.3 unique- 1275 fps, 5.7 unique 1300 fps, 6 gr 1350 fps


I gotta say that I love coated bullets. VERY clean bores! Just love em. Two of my observations today, regular cast lubed bullets go faster then similar profile and weight jacketed bullets with same powder charge and the coated go even a bit faster then the traditionally lubed cast bullets. Also another observation today, and this mirrors what I've seen others observe too is that Alliant Power Pistol produces about identical velocities as unique powder. We all know Unique is the faster burning powder and also in the loading manuals the same charges with same bullets always shot the unique load going a lot faster, but in my results it's about the same, the unique load will go about 15 FPS mabey 25 fps faster at the most
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mr surveyor
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Re: Shooting today, 44 & 357 Chrono result I'd like to share

Post by mr surveyor »

Your results with the Bayou Bullets pretty well match mine. I started using Bayou Bullets within the first few months of beginning my reloading foray about 6 years ago. The first couple of years was mainly just with Ruger revolvers as I hadn't gotten into the Rossi lever guns. After I bought my first R92 (20" in .44 mag), I had something that I could really compare the Bayou Bullets and conventional lubed cast bullets with. It seems to me that as long as you push the B-B's above 1500 or so fps, with enough starting umph to properly obturate the bullet base, they are fairly consistant and moderately accurate on target. Under 1300 and above 1600 fps and they tended to get a bit erratic for me. Properly sized, conventional lubed cast bullets tended to be more consistent in both velocity and accuracy at all acceptable velocities, and if they fit the bore (.431's work for me) leading is a non-issue. I was a big fan of the coated bullets, but when I was buying Bayou Bullets it was either .430's or .... .430's. Pretty much the same with the .357 Bayou Bullets. "One Size Fits All" usually don't. I still appreciate the concept of coated bullets, and Mr. Donnie (now "retired from his BB company) was really onto something when he was in mass production.

Just my observations and limited experience.

jd
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Ohio357MagFan
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Re: Shooting today, 44 & 357 Chrono result I'd like to share

Post by Ohio357MagFan »

ValleyViewEM.jpg
Mr Surveyor,

FWIW, the PENN 44 caliber bullets I tried are sized at .431, both them and the Bayou bullets seemed to work ok, but I didn't test for fine accuracy, all the paper targets within 50 feet was hitting dead on. I did shoot some of the hot 240s with 2400 moving high 1500s at about 100 feet and they were hitting consistently on the paper target. Most of my shooting is just spending the day with the family and close range, like 50 feet and less, we shoot at bowling pins, water filled plastic jugs, water balloons and clay birds. I usually use jacketed hollow points for the water filled stuff because of the way it blows em into a mist, but the 44 cal 185 DEWC bullets had the same explosive effect on the jugs as jacketed hollow points for a WHOLE lot less money.

I attached a picture of the range we spent a half day Friday, it's very informal and laid back. During Monday through Friday you usually have the place to yourself. They have the fence post to the left where you can place anything you would like to shoot like jugs and bowling pins, just as long as it's not glass.

Check out PENN bullets, they size all the .44 cal bullets at .431 and now offer all bullets in coated.
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