Diving Deeper into GP100 Shooting: The Journey Starts

[03RN]

Also, if I were to carry this with .38 Special +P's, what are the best loads for a 4" barrel service size revolver? I have about a hundred rounds of Remington 158gr LSWCHP +P I bought when I bought my 64-3 earlier this year, but are there more modern loads that would be better? I remember @Chuck Haggard recommending the Gold Dot 135gr +P Short Barrel even for 4" revolvers, but I can't find that stuff in stock anywhere. I do see that the 125gr +P Gold Dot is available, but I can't find any testing or information on it.

Target sports has gold dots in stock they're good.

These are actually pretty good performers too
https://www.sgammo.com/product/38-sp...umc-ammo-l38s2

If you can't find a bullet that penetrates as much as you want then just use a swc.

When I carry my .38s I use my hst reloads.

[03RN]

Oh ok. I don't think I could do that even if I wanted to.

One thing I do like about revolvers is that it forces me to slow down and really pick my shots. At times I find it hard to justify carrying a 6-7 round all steel 4" barrel gun when I have 15-17 shot 9mms and 12-13 shot .45's, but if there is some increase in effectiveness with a good .357 Magnum loading, it helps, along with not having to worry about the kinds of malfunctions in actual shootings one sees in police bodycam videos, especially in vehicles (where I spend a lot of my time).

I agree, ill carry a 4" m10 here and there because I live in the middle of nowhere

[dannyd93140]

What would too fast be? So that I don't do it

I shoot 38 special loads using 357 magnum cases because the only difference in the case is 1/10 of an inch. S&W did that in 1935, so people would not put a magnum round in an old 38 special revolver. Use 158 lead bullet at about 850 fps works great for paper and cardboard.

[SwampDweller]

Target sports has gold dots in stock they're good.

These are actually pretty good performers too
https://www.sgammo.com/product/38-sp...umc-ammo-l38s2

If you can't find a bullet that penetrates as much as you want then just use a swc.

When I carry my .38s I use my hst reloads.

I wonder what the penetration of that 125gr +p load is compared to the 158gr +P LSWCHP FBI load I have. Also, I don’t understand why Federal doesn’t just load their 9mm 147gr HST bullet in a .38 case. IIRC the .38 HST they were making a couple years ago was discontinued because of inconsistent results.

[revchuck38]

Also, if I were to carry this with .38 Special +P's, what are the best loads for a 4" barrel service size revolver? I have about a hundred rounds of Remington 158gr LSWCHP +P I bought when I bought my 64-3 earlier this year, but are there more modern loads that would be better? I remember @Chuck Haggard recommending the Gold Dot 135gr +P Short Barrel even for 4" revolvers, but I can't find that stuff in stock anywhere. I do see that the 125gr +P Gold Dot is available, but I can't find any testing or information on it.

I use the R-P version of the FBI load in my 3"-4" revolvers, including my M19-3. The main advantage more modern loads have is better intermediate barrier performance. In addition to the GD-SB load, Winchester's Ranger Bonded 130-grain JHP works well, as does Federal's 130-grain HydraShok Deep.

[Rick R]

I’m thinking about carrying my 4.2” GP100 when out and about, bouncing thru the forest here East of the Mississippi.
It’s quite accurate and fun to shoot, kicking less than my 10mm GP100 and ammo is easier to find (kind of). Cheaper ammo is good when you have friends with plate racks and steel targets in their back yards. I can shoot my cast bullets in my home rolled ammo cheaper in .38/.357.

I’d like to carry .357 Magnum social ammo in it but pick’ns are slim and I’d like POA/POI to be similar to my handloads.

I can find modern Remington 158gr jhp ammo in 20 round boxes. It averages 1,270 fps out of my gun (over my chronograph) and accuracy is good. I can also find Fiocchi 158gr ammo that chrono’s at 1,080 but Fiocchi has changed from loading XTP’s to some faux XTP bullet that is of apparently dubious quality for expansion but reasonably accurate.
And last I can occasionally find Hornady ammo loaded with 125gr and 158gr XTPs at decent prices, in fact I have a box of each that I need to go shoot for accuracy and over the chrono. The Hornady Critical Whatever stuff runs 50% more $ per round than their other ammo and is harder to find reliably.

So what do .357 magnum shooters carry when they want to carry magnums?

[SwampDweller]

I’m thinking about carrying my 4.2” GP100 when out and about, bouncing thru the forest here East of the Mississippi.
It’s quite accurate and fun to shoot, kicking less than my 10mm GP100 and ammo is easier to find (kind of). Cheaper ammo is good when you have friends with plate racks and steel targets in their back yards. I can shoot my cast bullets in my home rolled ammo cheaper in .38/.357.

I’d like to carry .357 Magnum social ammo in it but pick’ns are slim and I’d like POA/POI to be similar to my handloads.

I can find modern Remington 158gr jhp ammo in 20 round boxes. It averages 1,270 fps out of my gun (over my chronograph) and accuracy is good. I can also find Fiocchi 158gr ammo that chrono’s at 1,080 but Fiocchi has changed from loading XTP’s to some faux XTP bullet that is of apparently dubious quality for expansion but reasonably accurate.
And last I can occasionally find Hornady ammo loaded with 125gr and 158gr XTPs at decent prices, in fact I have a box of each that I need to go shoot for accuracy and over the chrono. The Hornady Critical Whatever stuff runs 50% more $ per round than their other ammo and is harder to find reliably.

So what do .357 magnum shooters carry when they want to carry magnums?

I’m still in the process of figuring out the answer to this question but right now it seems like Remington 158gr SJHP is the main contender, followed by Critical Duty 135gr. I like that the CD is more of a “mid level” Magnum load but the grain weight means there might not be a practice version that hits the same POI.

I’m also interested in 125 and 158gr XTP but I cant find much on it.

[JonInWA]

Federal 158 gr HydraShok and Remington HTP 158 gr.

Best, Jon

[03RN]

[BehindBlueI's]

Also, if I were to carry this with .38 Special +P's, what are the best loads for a 4" barrel service size revolver? I have about a hundred rounds of Remington 158gr LSWCHP +P I bought when I bought my 64-3 earlier this year, but are there more modern loads that would be better? I remember @Chuck Haggard recommending the Gold Dot 135gr +P Short Barrel even for 4" revolvers, but I can't find that stuff in stock anywhere. I do see that the 125gr +P Gold Dot is available, but I can't find any testing or information on it.

Gold dot is good, I haven't see short barrel in stock anywhere for awhile, but any flavor seems to work as advertised. I like it.

PDX-1 was good, I assume they haven't changed it. Make sure it's the bonded kind, I may be misremembering but I *think* they had a non-bonded version at some point. It's what I used when I couldn't find Gold Dot for awhile.

If I were not prohibited by policy, I would have zero issue carrying the mentioned LSWC round. It may not be the most modern load, but it'll do it's job just fine.