Your experiences with 180 Gr. 357 Mag. In REVOLVERS

[C. Cash]

Didn't want to jump in on the rifle thread dealing with this so pose it here. Thinking about trying Buffalo Bore's cast 180 Gr. in 357 Mag. as a possible Bear protectant in my Security Six with the 2.75" tube. Time and money is precious, so wondering if any of you all have any experiences to the yay or nay side. Also, if I get into an unexpected fight with a group of banditos, will the bullets stay stable out to 50-70 yards? I know....the 44 is better but the Security Six would be much easier to always have on me conceled versus my long barreled SA Rugers.

[bdhold]

I've shot a few cylinders in my 6" Smith 686, though never targeted that distance. You know you're shooting a big load, and I think it would be a great bear deterrent.
Shot many rounds at 100yds in the baby rolling block and, in fact, it's my favorite round to shoot, short of a 180gr .35 spitzer that I load.

[C. Cash]

I've shot a few cylinders in my 6" Smith 686, though never targeted that distance. You know you're shooting a big load, and I think it would be a great bear deterrent.
Shot many rounds at 100yds in the baby rolling block and, in fact, it's my favorite round to shoot, short of a 180gr .35 spitzer that I load.

Yeah I would probably shoot relatively few due to cost, and the hot load/short barrel will no doubt roll the socks down a little. Seems like they ought to work, though I owner about OAL in the Security Six.

[Chuck 100 yd]

I cast and load a 180 gr. SWC bullet in the .357. It is a very accurate load in both handgun and rifle. I haven't noticed any tipping of the bullets on any targets so I suspect they would stay stable it any distance you are likely to use them in that short barreled revolver.
That said, I have a Ruger Security Six shortie just like it. They are surprisingly accurate.

[Tycer]

I can send you some 180 GCs to roll your own Chris

[Old Ironsights]

I prefer 180s. Period. But especially in snubbies.

IMO the 110s, 125s, & 158s "snap" too much out of a short tube, enough so that I have trouble with quick followups.

I don't have that problem with 180s, even with "rifle" loads.

My Every Day Carry load for my SP101 is the Federal Premium 180gr SJHP (1000fp, 2" bbl). Easy shooting and quick to followup.

BUT my 180(+) gr WFN/Buffalo Bore 180WFN loads (1200fps, 2" bbl)) are not much slower on the recovery than the Federals and hurt my wrist less than OEM 158s.

(For the same reason I always liked 180gr .40s in my G27 than lighter loads...)

[Grizz]

shot 185s from daughter's 2" S&W snubbie at steel. no problem, no sign of tumbling. It's the round that does 1700 something from the WinchRanger 16" barrel.

Blaine shot it too, easy to hit the gongs at SE AK deer ranges, or bow range I suppose. Maybe he remembers the distance.

Where's Mescalero?

[tman]

I use it in taurus 4"&6" barrells for deer/ bear. expensive, but worth it, if you don't reload.

[Sixgun]

Back in the day when I shot more revolvers than rifles, (got something to do with eyesight ) I used to load the Keith 173 gr. load in many different 357's and always preferred these heavyweights for long range shooting. Same with the 357 Maximum, which I still shoot on occasion. You just have to watch the seating length, as the heavy bullets can tie up the cylinder by protruding out the end.

Like others here, I use the heavy cast bullets in my carry gun. I want penetration.----6

[C. Cash]

Cool! Well it sounds like a definite go then. Tycer......thank you so much for the offer on those. I am not set up for 357/38 yet, otherwise I would take you up on that. Means a bunch! l'll try the Buffalo Bore in the meantime. I have always been impressed with the accuracy of this little rig....shoots about as good as I can hold. Thanks to all for the response.

[Old Ironsights]

Cool! Well it sounds like a definite go then. Tycer......thank you so much for the offer on those. I am not set up for 357/38 yet, otherwise I would take you up on that. Means a bunch! l'll try the Buffalo Bore in the meantime. I have always been impressed with the accuracy of this little rig....shoots about as good as I can hold. Thanks to all for the response.

Can't say how the Marlin will handle the Buffalo Bore ammo, but it quite handily cratered a 6pt at 110 yds out of my Rossi a few years ago...

(oops... posted on the wrong 180gr thread...)

[BigSky56]

I have shot BB 180,s very stable out to 100 havent tried it further out. I now load my own using up my CP180's WFN but have gotten beartooth 185's WFN. I use it in a 3" gp100 for bear's. Penetration on a cougar was 4' chest to rearend. 2400 and lilgun are excellent with the edge to lilgun for top velocity 1300 fps in a 3" bbl. danny

[1886]

180gr Cast Perf. loaded hot shot great in my 4" GP-100 and my 92 Trapper. Used H-110, Starline brass, CCI small pistol mag primers, and an expander .005" smaller than projectile diameter. Tried their 200gr version too and the 180gr was superior. 1886

[Tycer]

Heck Chris, I'll loan/sell you the dies, sell you 100 primers and give you the brass full of Lil'Gun. What's yer excuse now? Huh? Huh? I've got three sets of 38/357 dies and since I no longer shoot 360 DW, that third set is extra.

[Old Ironsights]

Heck Chris, I'll loan/sell you the dies, sell you 100 primers and give you the brass. What's yer excuse now? Huh? Huh? I've got three sets of 38/357 dies and since I no longer shoot 360 DW, that third set is extra.

Enabler...

What's the phrase?... "Get thee behind me Satan?"

[TedH]

I can tell you one thing, they will flat penetrate out of a handgun. I shot some of the same 180 cast bullets from both my 6 1/2" Blackhawk and my 20" Rossi 92. The bullets from the rifle performed very well. At 1780 fps they showed some mushrooming in the water soaked phone book medium, and penetrated some 15-16 inches. Then I shot the same load from the Blackhawk at 1320 fps. They plowed through all the phone books, about 24", and about two inches deep into oak tree behind the books. Didn't deform at all at that speed, and almost looked like you could just load it again. These were cast from wheel weights and heat treated.

[C. Cash]

Heck Chris, I'll loan/sell you the dies, sell you 100 primers and give you the brass. What's yer excuse now? Huh? Huh? I've got three sets of 38/357 dies and since I no longer shoot 360 DW, that third set is extra.

Enabler...

What's the phrase?... "Get thee behind me Satan?"

That is a most gracious Tycer. Yeah I have no excuse for sure and if they are taking up space on your bench would love get set up with those. I'll PM tomorrow and see what you want and THANK YOU! Yeah, this could get me deep into the sickness quick. Thinking about that bullet/cartridge in my BSA Martini Cadet as well.

That penetration is pretty amazing on all accounts. Funny how you read very little of this stuff in hunting magazines. I was really impressed at what my .359, 210 gr. FNGC's did to my Texas Hog....passed through both gristle plates and dug a good sized hole in the earth on the hogs off side. It should have been doing 2000 fps plus in the 356 Winchester....would have like to recovered the bullet to see what it looked like. It did the job quick.

[BobM]

I think Paco had an article on the 357 where he talks about using Remington 180 JHPs with good success.

[Lastmohecken]

When I started shooting IPSC in the early 80's, All I had was Smith 586 with a 6 inch barrel, at first, and I was given a load for a hard cast 175gr flat point. There was a local bullet caster at the time that sold to all of the local IPSC, and NRA Hunter Silhouette shooters in the area.

Anyway, we used the 38 special case, with a stout load, (off the page in the reloading book) of W231, and the man that gave me the load recipe, told me it wasn't all that accurate but would make major (1000fps with that weight bullet) and the shorter cases would clear the cylinder quicker. But in my gun it was a very accurate load, and I used it for all of my IPSC competition and my Hunter Silhouette loads in that gun. It was very accurate and always hit the rams at the 100yd mark with authority.

I don't know how fast it left the muzzle but it was over a 1000fps, because I never got called out, for not making major, when they tested my loads at the matches. I like the heavier bullets in the .357, however, that load did kick pretty hard in the 6 inch L-Frame.

[3leggedturtle]

Have shot my Saeco 180gr RNFP over 13.5grs of A2400 and it is a nice shooting lite kicking load out of a 6" Ruger Sec Six. Don't remember if I shot it out of my 4" Sec Six or not. It chronoes 1550fps or so out of my 20" Puma

[C. Cash]

I tried some of the Buffalo Bore 180's....one of those five more minutes of usable daylight situations after patterning my boy's shotgun for turkey. They are thumpers out of he 2.75" Security Six! Nice fireball too in the dark....good minute of bear medicine. Hit close to point of I'm at 25 yards. Now, to replicate some of these with bullets Tycer was so kind to send. Very impressed with the 180's and wonder why they are not use more often?

[Old Ironsights]

... Very impressed with the 180's and wonder why they are not use more often?

Got me... I carry either Federal 180gr HP almost exclusively for CCW, but am not at all afraid to run my BB Equivalent loads out of my SP101 (1200fps).

I actually prefer either to Factory 158 SP.

[C. Cash]

... Very impressed with the 180's and wonder why they are not use more often?

Got me... I carry either Federal 180gr HP almost exclusively for CCW, but am not at all afraid to run my BB Equivalent loads out of my SP101 (1200fps).

I actually prefer either to Factory 158 SP.

Yeah, the hot 158's out of my old 4" GP seemed worse than these out of my shorter, lighter security six. The recoil with the BB 180's did not seem bad at all: powerful but a slow burning mag feel. I just added the Hogue Monogrip and it really helps as well.