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BBS357, Now With 38 Spcl Bullet Drop!

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 3:11 pm
by ESquared
The big rifle target (on the right) shows a few rounds (in the center part of the target) with Fiocchi 158 gr, which is not the ammo that the scope was zeroed with, so the groups were landing low, if somewhat consistently. Leupold VX Freedom 1.5-4X20. Seated with monopod/V-rest. Indoors at 50 yds. Nothing to shout about.

At the left side is sort of an interesting "first try." I shot 20 rounds of MagTech 38 Special lead rounded nose , just to see how it was. Had a couple of funky cycles/feeding hiccups, but that's probably on me. Recoil is almost non-existent. Not 22LR-like, but close.

I knew the bullet would drop at 50 yards relative to any 357 round, so I intentionally aimed at the top/left smaller target. After 5 shots, I roughly circled that Point of Aim, as well as a generous circle around where the first 5 shots landed. Then I just loaded up 15 more and let 'em fly, using the same upper-left POA. Not surprisingly (I guess) they all landed in the same neighborhood. Didn't expect than much drop at only 50 yards, but what do I know? Interesting, if even just to me...

The black, spatterburst (immediately below) is a few mags out of the Ed Brown 1911, just because (19 ft. free-hand, standing).

Re: BBS357, Now With 38 Spcl Bullet Drop!

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 4:00 pm
by GFK
As you pointed out, nice grouping. I would not expect much of a drop at 50 yards either. What range did you zero at? What round did you use? Have you checked you zero with the round you used for it? If the zero is still true, then I would say the MagTech shoots low as well.

Re: BBS357, Now With 38 Spcl Bullet Drop!

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 6:05 pm
by Mags
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I would have said the samething GFK says.
GFK wrote:As you pointed out, nice grouping. I would not expect much of a drop at 50 yards either. What range did you zero at? What round did you use? Have you checked you zero with the round you used for it? If the zero is still true, then I would say the MagTech shoots low as well.
ESquared wrote:Didn't expect than much drop at only 50 yards,...

Re: BBS357, Now With 38 Spcl Bullet Drop!

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 8:03 pm
by JEBar
we usually zero our 357 Ruger GP100's (6" barrels) at 50 yards .... to do so, the 357 ammo is -.1" low at 25 yards .... the 38's are +1.7" high at 25 yards .... we no longer fire any 38's in our 357 revolvers or rifle .... I suspect that if you zero at 100 there would be a considerable difference at 50

Re: BBS357, Now With 38 Spcl Bullet Drop!

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 10:34 pm
by ESquared
GFK wrote:As you pointed out, nice grouping. I would not expect much of a drop at 50 yards either. What range did you zero at? What round did you use? Have you checked you zero with the round you used for it? If the zero is still true, then I would say the MagTech shoots low as well.
I only had the indoor range available to zero the scope in, so it was at 50 yds, about 1"high, using Hornady 158gr XTP. It's still zeroed in with that ammo, but everything else on the 357 shelf is shooting similarly low.
So, I would have expected the MagTech 38 Spcl to shoot low as well. Just didn't know how low. Now I guess I know, not that it makes any difference. Probably won't put any more 38 Spcl through the BBS.
Interesting exercise, though.

Re: BBS357, Now With 38 Spcl Bullet Drop!

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 10:38 pm
by ESquared
Now that I look at it again, the non-Hornady 357 lands about 2 to 2-1/2" low and the 38 Spcl lands about 6" low. Not that surprising, I guess.

Re: BBS357, Now With 38 Spcl Bullet Drop!

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2018 10:47 am
by GFK
ESquared wrote:Now that I look at it again, the non-Hornady 357 lands about 2 to 2-1/2" low and the 38 Spcl lands about 6" low. Not that surprising, I guess.
Maybe, the bigger drop with 38s could be due to velocity?

Re: BBS357, Now With 38 Spcl Bullet Drop!

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2018 2:22 pm
by ESquared
GFK wrote:
ESquared wrote:Now that I look at it again, the non-Hornady 357 lands about 2 to 2-1/2" low and the 38 Spcl lands about 6" low. Not that surprising, I guess.
Maybe, the bigger drop with 38s could be due to velocity?
Velocity, bullet shape, bullet material, all of it. Less ooomph, more drag = more drop.