357 short barrel ammo

[markthenewf]

I've got an LCR357 and am looking around for carry ammo. I regularly shoot 45ACP and I've shot a bunch of FMJ S&B, Tula, and WWB 357 of WWB out of the LCR, so I'm ok with the.... uhhh.... snappy (!) recoil. For me, recoil isn't the issue as it's manageable, and I somehow doubt I'll even be thinking about it during a self-defense situation.

've been surfing around and from what I understand, many of the 'short barrel' ammo (like Speer Gold Dot) is really just neutered 38SPL+P and that it defeats the point of having a 357. So I'm looking for a bit of input here. I'm looking at premium ammo in a revolver, so I'm not particularly worried about stuff not going bang. There are two things I'd like to concentrate on:
a- General performance out of short barrel.
b- muzzle flash

Is a lighter/faster round (125gr) better than the big/heavy/slower rounds? Also My LCR lets loose a heckuva ball of flame with WWB, so Item b is something of a concern to me considering that there is a higher likelihood that I'd have to use the gun at night.

Right now I've got a box of Speer gold dot 125's and a box of buffalo bore HP 140's on the shelf, but I'd like to get one a stick with it, which is what I've done with my carry 1911.

[Sidro]

Hey Mark, long time no see. Almost any .357 ammo out of that LCR is going too show a big corona and make lots of noise. The optimal round from a .357 is a 125 grain jhp bullet(6 1/2" bbl), but I can not tell you how that that translates to the LCR. If you have no problems with that load on recoil it should do well for you. I use this in my SP101 but for sure it ain't a target gun but performs very well out to 25 yards. The gold dots are problably a better choice over the buffalo bore, just remember anything out of that short of a bbl is going to have a big muzzle flash. The LCR wasn't designed for long range but is a very fine choice for personal defense. If you are comnfortable with the LCR shoot the heck out of any load you want to try and enjoy it.

[markthenewf]

This is WWB 357



This is something I want to avoid. That would be blinding in low light.

I understand that the snubby will be for more up close situations, so I don't bother practicing with it outside of 10 yards. Looking at the Speer, the short barrel loads have velocities lower than 45ACP, so I'm not sure that's acceptable. The reason I looked at the Buffalo Bores was because they come in a wide range of weights and the the 'tactical' versions are low flash, moderate recoil, with velocities over 1100 fps no matter what the bullet weight. If I'm carrying a magnum load, it should act like one!

[WildBill]

The load is acting just like a .357Mag. If you don't want the muzzle flash on this cartridge get a longer barrel gun. This is why TAM was joking the other day about even if you miss the BG you will set his clothes on fire. Low flash is low flash, but IMO you aren't going to get rid of it. IMO, the 125 grain may give better performance in the short barrel.

[snatchel]

The load is acting just like a .357Mag. If you don't want the muzzle flash on this cartridge get a longer barrel gun. This is why TAM was joking the other day about even if you miss the BG you will set his clothes on fire. Low flash is low flash, but IMO you aren't going to get rid of it. IMO, the 125 grain may give better performance in the short barrel.

I agree on the above. Short barrel = giant muzzle flash every single time. It's not a problem with any type of ammo, the problem is that with a magnum 357 load, you are going to have excess powder that burns off OUTSIDE of the barrel because the barrel isn't long enough to burn off all the powder.

I tried everything in the SP101. While there were some loads that had a significantly larger torch than others, everything I shot would have a noticeable one. If you are concerned about the muzzle flash being a problem in low light, there is a solution. Rather than trying to fix the ammo, fix the low light. Carry your snubby AND a tac-light.

[The Annoyed Man]

In my scandium framed M&P340—about the same size as your LCR—I carry the Hornady Critical Defense 125 grain .357 load. Hornady says it gets 1200 fps and 400 lbs ft of energy out of a 2" barrel, and it isn't that bad to shoot.

[markthenewf]

Well, looks like 125gr it is. I guess I'll get a few types and shoot/chrono them and see what's up. Any excuse to head to the range.

I hadn't thought about the Hornady ammo. Sounds interesting. I'll look into the regular brands as well (Fed Hydroshok, golden saber, winchester HD, etc.).

Tanx!

[Pawpaw]

In my scandium framed M&P340—about the same size as your LCR—I carry the Hornady Critical Defense 125 grain .357 load. Hornady says it gets 1200 fps and 400 lbs ft of energy out of a 2" barrel, and it isn't that bad to shoot.

Tam, I thought you were partial to Remington Express "Pistol & Revolver" 158 grain SJHP !!!

[The Annoyed Man]

In my scandium framed M&P340—about the same size as your LCR—I carry the Hornady Critical Defense 125 grain .357 load. Hornady says it gets 1200 fps and 400 lbs ft of energy out of a 2" barrel, and it isn't that bad to shoot.

Tam, I thought you were partial to Remington Express "Pistol & Revolver" 158 grain SJHP !!!

I was telling someone that story just yesterday! My hand finally did stop hurting. No so sure about my ego.

[markthenewf]

I know they're not real fun to shoot, but with all the adrenaline and fixation you have, would shooting a 158gr round matter to you in a self-defense situation?

[mrvmax]

I use the Gold Dot made for short barrels in mine:http://le.atk.com/general/speerproducts ... arrel.aspx

[Richardc]

In my scandium framed M&P340—about the same size as your LCR—I carry the Hornady Critical Defense 125 grain .357 load. Hornady says it gets 1200 fps and 400 lbs ft of energy out of a 2" barrel, and it isn't that bad to shoot.

I have and EDC that same gun and I use 110gr FED SJHP 38spl+p, FBI surplus from a long time ago I got from a friend that taught for NCIS. They are real hot, and I get the same FPS ans Foot/lbs as a magnum with less than half the recoil. They hold a tight group even out to 25yds. As to your(TAM) story about the nice hot loads in this gun, I taught a CHL class today and though I would show off a bit. I allowed the only two students who wanted to shoot it do so. They both shot one round and were DONE(one said "F that thing")! Having 3 more rounds left I thought I would give a demonstration on week side one handed shooting. I am still icing my left hand down, But I got through all 3.

[The Annoyed Man]

I know they're not real fun to shoot, but with all the adrenaline and fixation you have, would shooting a 158gr round matter to you in a self-defense situation?

Not in a heavier gun, no. But in a 13 oz gun, it was just too painful. I would use it if I had nothing else, but the 125 grain bullet hits the target just has hard in terms of impact velocity and penetration, and honestly, I'd be afraid that regular EDC of that 158 grain load might make me hesitate to shoot when I most needed to do it.

[ghostrider]

Not in a heavier gun, no. But in a 13 oz gun, it was just too painful. I would use it if I had nothing else, but the 125 grain bullet hits the target just has hard in terms of impact velocity and penetration, and honestly, I'd be afraid that regular EDC of that 158 grain load might make me hesitate to shoot when I most needed to do it.

Are the snub revolvers designed for a particular bullet weight in mind? I thought I read somewhere that they (Ruger) were sighted for 158gr bullets, although I think the early Ruger SP-101 only allowed bullet weights up to 125gr.

[ghostrider]

some interesting discussion here:

http://rugerforum.net/ruger-double-acti ... -load.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://rugerforum.net/ruger-double-acti ... sp101.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;