Accuracy problems with 357 magnum loads

[bruner1981jpce]

Hey everyone. I just got into reloading and went out to the range this weekend and finally had the chance to try my loads out, and had some serious issues with accuracy. I'm shooting them out of a Taurus model 605, 2" barrel. When loaded with 10 grains of blue dot behind a 158 grain lead RNFP, it could not hit anything. Shooting at a target about 50 feet away, the bullets had a high tendency to hit the ground 20 feet in front of the target. With 8.1 grains of blue dot behind a 125 grain FP, it was a good deal more accurate, but still not where I'd like it. It was best by far with 38 special, 6.8 grains of blue dot behind a 158 grain RNFP. Does anyone know why this is happening and could explain it to me? Thanks in advance!

[highpower790]

50ft with a 2" barrel...thats asking to much!

[bruce381]

no offense but maybe you need more trigger time. Also for testing I shoot off of sand bags using single action only. Sounds like you shot of hand maybe?

[bruce381]

alos a 2 inch barrel with a very little bit of sight error will thow shots feet off of where you aim. A 4 or 6 inch will be far better.

[XDRoX]

2in barrels are for shooting people 2ft away.

[hermosabeach]

Forget the 50' nonsense.

If you know how to shoot then 17 yards is no big deal for a 2" revolver

If you are having round hit the ground, then I would start with the shooter.

Have someone else shoot the gun single action off of a rest.

I prefer 700x or 2400 for .357 loads. I have not used blue dot.

Even with undersized bullets, they would have to be significantly undersized to hit the ground in 10-20 yards.

[hermosabeach]

I would also shoot again at 5 yards and progress out in 5 yard increments with both factory and your reloads.

How are the groups?

Are the bullets keyholing and hitting sideways?

[Bumslie]

2 inches disappoints both men and women.

[bruner1981jpce]

I understand the comments about trigger time, no offense taken. After I started shooting the loads with 10 grains and was getting horrible accuracy, I tested my other rounds and fired each one the exact same way. Same stance, same grip, same sight position, all single action. I didn't have any sand bags available, or else I would have used some. As I mentioned, doing this with the 357 loads with 8.1 grains, it was much closer to what I was aiming at, and the 38 special loads were nearly dead on. I also failed to mention that using the loads with 10 grains, I couldn't hit a pumpkin at 10 feet. Aiming dead center at the pumpkin, I was missing by a couple inches on either side. Given that I've been shooting since I was 6 (I'm nearly 20 now), and I've taught many friends how to shoot and helped teach shooting merit badges to scouts for 4 years, though I'm not trying to claim I'm any kind of pro shooter, I can say with confidence that the problem with not hitting the pumpkin with the 357 was an ammo problem. I'd like to know if anyone else has experienced this problem before or might know why its so much more accurate with lighter powder charges. Thanks!

[bruce381]

not to beat a dead horse buit high recoiling loads in a small gun are very hard to shoot. Light loads recoil less and you have a tendency to flinch less.

I always standardize my inital laod development to a start of about 15 yards over sand bags. Untill you get a baseline like that offhand and longer ranges will not tell you much.

You have 2 things going against you a light gun with a heavy recoiling round and a 2 inch barrel.

I do not use blue dot so do not know if your laod is good or not, that and size of the boolit maybe also a problem.

Too small diamenter can cause key holing and a patteren like a shot gun.

try a diffenet boolit style may help.

Oh also if you are a new reloader things like crimp, OAL, accuracy of powder charge and normal relaoding curve i think will all be exagerated with a small gun short barrel.

[sargenv]

Blue Dot is a tad faster than 2400 for most loads.. It tends to like being loaded to the upper end of pressure to work well... It is not surprising to me that the lighter load is "more accurate" in the 2" gun.. you are likely flinching less.. I know powders are hard to come by these days and likely why you are using Blue Dot in the first place.. 2400 is a tad slower than Blue Dot and seems to be less load sensitive but it is still a "magnum" level powder.

I suspect it's not the load but the combination of high recoil with likely a beginning shooter firing a frearm meant for an advanced shooter.. I was like that at one point.. I shot magnum loads before I was ready for them and it took me years to get rid of that damn flinch..

After reading a bit about the OP.. I speak from 33 years experience with firearms and 27 years experience reloading metallic cartridges.. I think it could be a combination of flinch, sight radius of the firearm, and being a Taurus, possible quality control.. Short revolvers that are light tend to be very difficult for most people to shoot well.. even someone like myself, with the hot loads you were firing.. You didn't mention if the grips are wood or rubber, that too sometimes factors into the equation.. If each round "bites" you, you tend to do all sorts of things subconciously.. even if you think you are holding, sighting and doing everything exactly the same shot to shot.. Sand bags or some sort of rest would tell you if it's you or the gun/ammo combination.

[thenodnarb]

What you are describing is not possible even from a poorly loaded round. I've seen it happen to friends. At 7 yards they were hitting dirt 2 ft in front of the target with a sub compact pistol. They blamed the gun. I could take the gun and shoot a 2" group. That same friend could take a 1911 and shoot a fine group. The problem is not the reloads.
Read that first sentence again.

[Cheep]

I would bring factory loads along with reloads to determine if the problem is the ammo or gun/shooter related.

[ironhorse1]

Is your bullet cast lead or a soft swagged?

Ten grains of Bluedot will produce a tremendous amount of muzzle flash especially in a two inch barreled gun.

The fact that you are hitting low seems to indicate that you have developed a flinch.

Next time out load five only and spin and close the cylinder.

Then you can see if you are pushing the gun forward/flinching when you pull the trigger on the empty chamber.

irh