sigcurious
New member
I'm guessing the answer is yes, but not enough to matter for practical/range purposes. However I'd like to know what the consensus is from the revolver shooters out there 
.38spl out of a .357mag, accuracy reduction?
- Thread starter sigcurious
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The answer is possibly, but so few people can shoot well enough to tell the difference it won't matter.
IE: Shooting .38s through my .357s, I can hit a 4" hanging steel plate at 25-yards, MOST of the time. About as regularly as I can when using .357s. So I'd say you'd have to be able to hit a 2" plate EVERY time at that range to be able to tell a difference.
Of course, there is always the 140gr Hornady XTP .357, which seems to shoot wonderfuly in every revolver and load I've tried with them.
IE: Shooting .38s through my .357s, I can hit a 4" hanging steel plate at 25-yards, MOST of the time. About as regularly as I can when using .357s. So I'd say you'd have to be able to hit a 2" plate EVERY time at that range to be able to tell a difference.
Of course, there is always the 140gr Hornady XTP .357, which seems to shoot wonderfuly in every revolver and load I've tried with them.
NoSecondBest
New member
It hasn't been my experience that there is a reduction in accuracy. I have had a number of 357's which I shot cast bullets in 38 cases and they shot as well as the 357 cases. I recently sold a custom made 357 competition gun that would shoot under an inch at 25 yds off sandbags with either case ( and the right reloads). I shot a new S&W 686 last week that a friend of mine bought and he had a boatload of factory new 38 wadcutters we used in it. It was extremely accurate. In theory it should be somewhat less accurate but I've never seen it.
ScottRiqui
New member
I had a S&W .357 Magnum that was noticeably less-accurate with .38 Special ammo. Of course, it could have been because the two types of ammo were from two different manufacturers as well. I'm just one data point anyway, so don't put a bunch of stock in my experience.
In theory, the additional .125" jump may cause a problem with accuracy - the projectile not entering the throat perfectly square. It's a difficult thing to measure.
Using the same projectile, several in .357 magnum cases, several in .38 Special cases, same powder load, and same primer, may be helpful in a test.
After a sufficient number of test rounds, you could probably develop data which would prove/disprove the question. However, it's difficult enough to load consistently with a standard press, dies, etc., that your results would probably owe more to the variance in reloading than variance in target results.
Benchrest shooters go through this exercise every time they go to the range. They not only track variances in components, but also variences in temperature, humidity, sunshine or lack thereof, etc.
Using the same projectile, several in .357 magnum cases, several in .38 Special cases, same powder load, and same primer, may be helpful in a test.
After a sufficient number of test rounds, you could probably develop data which would prove/disprove the question. However, it's difficult enough to load consistently with a standard press, dies, etc., that your results would probably owe more to the variance in reloading than variance in target results.
Benchrest shooters go through this exercise every time they go to the range. They not only track variances in components, but also variences in temperature, humidity, sunshine or lack thereof, etc.
Hammerhead
New member
Theory shmeory.
.38 specials are highly accurate in most .357's including revolvers, single shots and carbines. I've never owned a .357 that wasn't accurate with 38's. The basic .38 LRN round is very forgiving of long jumps to the rifling, slightly mis-aligned cylinders.
Considering the .357 round has to go through the throat, jump the gap, funnel through the forcing cone and then the leade into the rifling, adding another .1" travel for the .38 special isn't an accuracy breaker.
.38 specials are highly accurate in most .357's including revolvers, single shots and carbines. I've never owned a .357 that wasn't accurate with 38's. The basic .38 LRN round is very forgiving of long jumps to the rifling, slightly mis-aligned cylinders.
Considering the .357 round has to go through the throat, jump the gap, funnel through the forcing cone and then the leade into the rifling, adding another .1" travel for the .38 special isn't an accuracy breaker.
If you are talking accuracy differences in terms of different weights of bullets and different sizes of charges, then yea feasibly there could be accuracy differences. But by that I mean maybe having to hold on target a little different. But you could encounter that same accuracy difference if you reload the same data everytime, then change powder. You may have to sight the gun in again. Stretch yes, but the only difference is the length of the case. The caliber is the same. So any and all accuracy difference will only come from the fact that the "slower"/"lighter" .38 special loads are only going to hit in a different spot using sights sighted in for "faster"/"heavier" magnum loads.
Kreyzhorse
New member
It might but I don't believe that any of us shot well enough to notice.
I had problems finding an accurate hand load (testing supported from the bench), using my cast bullets and .38 Spl. casings in my S&W 686. I finally just used .357 cases and got better accuracy. To me It does not make much difference in the process because I hand load for both.
I got a factory target with my 6" Colt Python. They fired 148gr 38 Specials in the thing. Whatever the distance was, you could put a thumb on the target group.
This topic used to be beat to death in gun magazines because it requires very little effort to test.
Based on what decade and what article, the answer is yes, no, and maybe. I don't think it really matters.
The only problem I had with shooting 38's in 357 cylinders was a lead ring build up. It actually caused extraction difficulties with full power 357 rounds.
So I only shot 38's in my 38's.
This topic used to be beat to death in gun magazines because it requires very little effort to test.
Based on what decade and what article, the answer is yes, no, and maybe. I don't think it really matters.
The only problem I had with shooting 38's in 357 cylinders was a lead ring build up. It actually caused extraction difficulties with full power 357 rounds.
So I only shot 38's in my 38's.
Back when my father was still able to shoot, I bought him a couple of cases of Winchester match wadcutters and one of Federal.
They were Winchester Super Match 148-grain Lead Mid-Range Wadcutter and Federal 148gr Gold Medal Match Wadcutter. What's a little money for ammo when it's for your father, right?
Good gosh, you can buy accuracy.
It made his Pythons even more accurate, but I'd like to relate what it did to my 4" Ruger Service-Six. Shooting with my forearms resting on my range bag, I shot a 6 shot group with the Federal that measured an honest 2" - at 50 yards. I put the guns away and we took my mother to lunch. I'll never shoot like that again I don't expect.
John
They were Winchester Super Match 148-grain Lead Mid-Range Wadcutter and Federal 148gr Gold Medal Match Wadcutter. What's a little money for ammo when it's for your father, right?
Good gosh, you can buy accuracy.
It made his Pythons even more accurate, but I'd like to relate what it did to my 4" Ruger Service-Six. Shooting with my forearms resting on my range bag, I shot a 6 shot group with the Federal that measured an honest 2" - at 50 yards. I put the guns away and we took my mother to lunch. I'll never shoot like that again I don't expect.
John
melchloboo
New member
Plenty of folks have used .357 revolvers competitively in Bullseye and PPC competition with 38sp.
Onward Allusion
New member
Of course there is a difference in accuracy, but unless you put it in a ransom rest, most people aren't going to be able to tell the difference just shooting off-hand.
lefteye said:
That's just because most people react negatively to the flash and blast of the .357, especially in the little guns. (I think shooting a sub-3" .357 must be akin to holding a flash bang in your hands.) I doubt the mechanical accuracy difference between .38s and .357s in the same gun is worth consideration.
Same consideration when most people "shoot revolvers better than semis"; they're thumb cocking the hammer and taking advantage of the better SA pull of a DA revolver. Lop the hammer spur off and suddenly a Glock seems to shoot better than a Model 10 for most people.