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Snubby ammunition
- Thread starter Wanderer
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Stephen A. Camp
Staff In Memoriam
Hello, sir. The only ammo I know of that's made specifically for shorter bbls is in .38 Spec and is the Federal "Chief's Special" load ie the standard pressure nylon coated, lead HP. They refer to it as Nyclad and it weighs 125 grains. Out of my S&W M042, it averages a surprising 887 ft/sec and is not the plus p version of this, which would work fine in your .357. Remington's 125 gr Golden Saber appears to be a "mid-range" self-defense load and averages 1151 ft/sec from my 3.5" bbl S&W M27. Best.
I've got two takes on this topic.
1)I keep a M640-1 loaded with either 158gr LSWCHP+P 38's, or sometimes 110gr Win. 'white box' JHP 357's. It depends on the season.
2)Expansion from a snubbie, even a 357 snubbie, is an unsure thing. In addition, the snubbies usually only have 5 rounds at the ready. I think that the best course of action is to select a load that you can shoot quickly and accurately.
Stopping power doesn't mean a damn thing if you miss.
I shoot both of the above loads well. If I couldn't, I'd pick a different load. Even if it meant going a little lighter or slower with the bullet.
It's as simple as this:
Snubbies don't allow the waste of ammo.
Snubbies produce low end power, that needs to be placed carefully to do the job.
If you can't shoot well with the gun and load, you've already lost the fight.
-Kframe
1)I keep a M640-1 loaded with either 158gr LSWCHP+P 38's, or sometimes 110gr Win. 'white box' JHP 357's. It depends on the season.
2)Expansion from a snubbie, even a 357 snubbie, is an unsure thing. In addition, the snubbies usually only have 5 rounds at the ready. I think that the best course of action is to select a load that you can shoot quickly and accurately.
Stopping power doesn't mean a damn thing if you miss.
I shoot both of the above loads well. If I couldn't, I'd pick a different load. Even if it meant going a little lighter or slower with the bullet.
It's as simple as this:
Snubbies don't allow the waste of ammo.
Snubbies produce low end power, that needs to be placed carefully to do the job.
If you can't shoot well with the gun and load, you've already lost the fight.
-Kframe
There'sa coupla different theories but the real world has a way with theories.
The S&W 640(marked 642,might be a collector) here likes my old duty load. That's a 110 gr JHP +P. This load does shoot a little low,and the fireball in low light is rather impressive. It's easily defensible in court, and I've a fair amount of it here.
It also likes the old FBI load, a 158 gr SWCHP +P, but recoil control is difficult.
Following something the NRA wrote about decades ago,I tried target WCs. Recoil is light,accuracy is excellent, and that 148 gr pure lead bullet should deform nicely even at the low velocities possible with that short bbl.The square shoulder on the projectile helps energy transfer too.
The S&W 640(marked 642,might be a collector) here likes my old duty load. That's a 110 gr JHP +P. This load does shoot a little low,and the fireball in low light is rather impressive. It's easily defensible in court, and I've a fair amount of it here.
It also likes the old FBI load, a 158 gr SWCHP +P, but recoil control is difficult.
Following something the NRA wrote about decades ago,I tried target WCs. Recoil is light,accuracy is excellent, and that 148 gr pure lead bullet should deform nicely even at the low velocities possible with that short bbl.The square shoulder on the projectile helps energy transfer too.
Out of my wifes Model 85 she prefers 38 special 125gr NyClad HP ammo. Very good 25 yard groups and very controllable out of that 2" barrel. Out of my Detective Special I like a little more power & use the Federal 125gr NyClad +P 38 Specials. This also gives excellent 25 yard results. I have never had very good results out of 357Mag ammo with less than a 4 inch barrel.
hankrearden98
New member
Use heavy bullets! You can't count on expansion and adequate penetration at the same time regardless what the gunwriters and ammo salesmen say. If you want to know why, see my post in the "Stopping Power" topic.
Stephen A. Camp
Staff In Memoriam
Hello, Sierra. I apologize for taking so long to answer your question, but have been moving into a new house and then went deer hunting. My S&W M042, essentially a 442, has firing approx. 200 of the factory Federal Stand Pressure Nyclads. Mine hits to point of aim at 15 yards which is about as far as I shoot this little gun. Well, sometimes I play at 100 yards or so on bowling pins and manage to hit some, but not all. I have fired several hundred rounds (estimate 500) of the Winchester USA 130 gr ball and probably 300 rounds of handloaded ammo using a 125 gr cswc loaded to about 850 ft/sec. The little thing's holding up fine; timing remains perfect and I detect no excessive "looseness" from firing. Best.
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