2016 bullet for Rossi .357mag
Posted: 01 Nov 2016 00:24
In the last month I've been trying to work up a deer hunting load for my Rossi and Blackhawk .357. Of course, I'm using my backyard, redneck manner of testing.
I've read and watched YouTube videos about using wet newspaper. Problem is, I don't read newspaper. So, buying newspapers and building the forms didn't appeal to me. Plus, it's a one shot deal, then you need another couple newspaper bricks. I tried wet magazines stuff inside a garbage bag lined cardboard box. There were issues with this technique. First the garbage bag always got torn and let the water seep out. I couldn't get consistent results because the water in the box was leaking out. Second, magazine pages are wax coated and don't absorb moisture like newspapers do.
A week or so off redneck pondering, I came up with an idea. I save sawdust from my workshop in feed bags for potential gardening projects. Wet sawdust would have similar characteristics as wet newspapers. And the feed bags would be useful to hold the sawdust in place.
I soaked the sawdust in a tug of water for a few days prior to range testing. On "shooting day I drained out as much of the water as possible. Then I hand scooped the wet sawdust into the feed bags, compressing it as much as possible after every 4 or 5 inches until the bags were about 60% full. I had 3 bags of wet compress sawdust.
Ballistic gel is great. It give a repeatable measurement for potential lethal performance of a bullet. The key words here are "repeatable" and "potential". It doesn't seem, in my readings, to take into account the bullet striking a bone or multiple bones or bone density. Or in hunting situations, it doesn't take in account the hide thickness of a 6 year old buck hide compared to 1 1/2 year old doe, or the bone density between the two. So the best we can hope for is a consistent way to measure proven deer killing bullet with a new one we are developing. I think my wet, compressed sawdust does that for me.
First, I fired my Savage rifle in a .270 with a 130 grain Nosler ballistic tip bullet, a proven deer slayer, into the feed bags, It had a great mushroom and penetrated to the back of the second bag at 24". (Digging bullets out of wet sawdust is not as accurate of a penetration test as ballistic gel. But, if you do it slowly you should be able to be plus/minus 1/2") Range 25 yards. This would be my benchmark.
I changed out the bags, compressing the saturated sawdust as I refilled the new bags. In the Rossi .357 with 20" barrel, I'm shooting 180 grain XTP's, charged with 15.3 grains of Lil'Gun. This is .3 grains above any published loads. Use it at your own risk. Penetration was 24" the same as my .270. NOTE: Increasing the maximum published load of 15 grains, increased fps by 100 fps. It, also increase mushroom from .55" to .66". The weight retention was virtually the same at 155 grain. I fired 3 shots through the chrono. They were so consistent that I didn't see a need to shoot more: 1711, 1709, 1713 fps.
Being satisfied that this bullet had serious deer hunting potential, I needed to check the accuracy. At 50 yards, shooting off my elbows on the bench, a Marble tang peep sight with a Merit aperture sight, I shot 3 times and checked the target I was MOA and was pleased, but kind of disappointed. I had budgeted 2 hours of range time in my schedule to adjust my sight for this new bullet. But, it wasn't needed. So I went to the house to get my Ruger Blackhawk with 6 1/2" barrel. It would be in my shoulder holster during deer season and I haven't shot it in 2 or 3 months.
The first cylinder of XTP's at 15 yard were nothing to right home about. I did keep them all in the 7 1/2 inch circle at 15 yards--dead deer. Next cylinder, I kept in the four inch circle. OK, I need some practice with the Blackhawk, but let's switch to target loads. To keep the little ammo case at multiples of 5, it's a quirk I have I loaded 5 rounds and stepped off to 25 yards. My goal has been to be confident in a 25 yard with a handgun shot at deer. All the Blackhawk shot were done from a kneeling position, resting off knee.
I think I'm ready for deer season in a couple weeks. I've never taken a deer with a handgun. Maybe this is my year. Here's pictures.
I've read and watched YouTube videos about using wet newspaper. Problem is, I don't read newspaper. So, buying newspapers and building the forms didn't appeal to me. Plus, it's a one shot deal, then you need another couple newspaper bricks. I tried wet magazines stuff inside a garbage bag lined cardboard box. There were issues with this technique. First the garbage bag always got torn and let the water seep out. I couldn't get consistent results because the water in the box was leaking out. Second, magazine pages are wax coated and don't absorb moisture like newspapers do.
A week or so off redneck pondering, I came up with an idea. I save sawdust from my workshop in feed bags for potential gardening projects. Wet sawdust would have similar characteristics as wet newspapers. And the feed bags would be useful to hold the sawdust in place.
I soaked the sawdust in a tug of water for a few days prior to range testing. On "shooting day I drained out as much of the water as possible. Then I hand scooped the wet sawdust into the feed bags, compressing it as much as possible after every 4 or 5 inches until the bags were about 60% full. I had 3 bags of wet compress sawdust.
Ballistic gel is great. It give a repeatable measurement for potential lethal performance of a bullet. The key words here are "repeatable" and "potential". It doesn't seem, in my readings, to take into account the bullet striking a bone or multiple bones or bone density. Or in hunting situations, it doesn't take in account the hide thickness of a 6 year old buck hide compared to 1 1/2 year old doe, or the bone density between the two. So the best we can hope for is a consistent way to measure proven deer killing bullet with a new one we are developing. I think my wet, compressed sawdust does that for me.
First, I fired my Savage rifle in a .270 with a 130 grain Nosler ballistic tip bullet, a proven deer slayer, into the feed bags, It had a great mushroom and penetrated to the back of the second bag at 24". (Digging bullets out of wet sawdust is not as accurate of a penetration test as ballistic gel. But, if you do it slowly you should be able to be plus/minus 1/2") Range 25 yards. This would be my benchmark.
I changed out the bags, compressing the saturated sawdust as I refilled the new bags. In the Rossi .357 with 20" barrel, I'm shooting 180 grain XTP's, charged with 15.3 grains of Lil'Gun. This is .3 grains above any published loads. Use it at your own risk. Penetration was 24" the same as my .270. NOTE: Increasing the maximum published load of 15 grains, increased fps by 100 fps. It, also increase mushroom from .55" to .66". The weight retention was virtually the same at 155 grain. I fired 3 shots through the chrono. They were so consistent that I didn't see a need to shoot more: 1711, 1709, 1713 fps.
Being satisfied that this bullet had serious deer hunting potential, I needed to check the accuracy. At 50 yards, shooting off my elbows on the bench, a Marble tang peep sight with a Merit aperture sight, I shot 3 times and checked the target I was MOA and was pleased, but kind of disappointed. I had budgeted 2 hours of range time in my schedule to adjust my sight for this new bullet. But, it wasn't needed. So I went to the house to get my Ruger Blackhawk with 6 1/2" barrel. It would be in my shoulder holster during deer season and I haven't shot it in 2 or 3 months.
The first cylinder of XTP's at 15 yard were nothing to right home about. I did keep them all in the 7 1/2 inch circle at 15 yards--dead deer. Next cylinder, I kept in the four inch circle. OK, I need some practice with the Blackhawk, but let's switch to target loads. To keep the little ammo case at multiples of 5, it's a quirk I have I loaded 5 rounds and stepped off to 25 yards. My goal has been to be confident in a 25 yard with a handgun shot at deer. All the Blackhawk shot were done from a kneeling position, resting off knee.
I think I'm ready for deer season in a couple weeks. I've never taken a deer with a handgun. Maybe this is my year. Here's pictures.