.357 magnum at 300 yds

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rm.unsworth
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.357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by rm.unsworth »

Currently shoot a .357 winchester 94. In the next couple of weeks will be doing a 300yd shoot. Anyone got a good load for this distance and what setting a williams peep sight would need to be set at.
Thx in advance
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by TedH »

I'd look at some of the heavy silhouette type bullets. Can't say about yer sight, other than it's going to be waaay up there. Just have to try it and see.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Pete44ru »

[shoot a .357 winchester 94 @ 300yd - what setting a williams peep sight would need to be set at.]

:shock: :shock: JMO, but I would think a longer elevation staff's gonna be needed, along with shaving the front sight height down almost to the barrel. :o :roll:

That's a far piece, for a .357.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Blaine »

Download a free ballistics program and see how high it will shoot at 100 if zeroed at 300 and do that for a starting point, then move on for a final adjustment at 300. Might save you some ammo.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by tman »

keep us imformed. this sounds interesting.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by 76/444 »

Just got back from shooting at our private range. I moved the rest out to 250yds. I shot my ought6 while my neighbor brought out his 9mm Marlin camp gun zeroed at 50yds., for fun. Factory ammo hold over for the 9mm was about 2 feet. man size paper target, hold on top of head for chest hits.

I don't believe the 357 will be a whole lot different.
Last edited by 76/444 on Sun Feb 14, 2010 8:52 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by AJMD429 »

RCBS gives this for a .125 BC 158gr JSP at 1600 fps zero'd at 100 yards:

.Dist....Vel.....Drop..Energy..FlightTime
(yds) (fps) (inches) (ft-lb) (sec)
000 1600 -01.50 898.0 000.0
025 1503 +00.45 792.0 048.4
050 1411 +01.44 698.7 099.8
075 1327 +01.34 617.9 154.6
100 1252 -00.00 550.1 212.8
125 1186 -02.72 493.8 274.4
150 1134 -06.98 451.0 339.1
175 1089 -12.94 416.2 406.6
200 1051 -20.72 387.2 476.7
225 1017 -30.47 362.6 549.3
250 0986 -42.32 341.4 624.2
275 0959 -56.40 323.0 701.3
300 0935 -72.84 306.8 780.5

BUT it gives these figures for a 115gr (9mm) at 1500 fps, which would be a guesstimate of the other gun.

.Dist....Vel.....Drop..Energy..FlightTime
(yds) (fps) (inches) (ft-lb) (sec)
000 1500 -01.50 574.5 000.0
025 1369 +00.84 478.3 052.3
050 1255 +02.01 402.4 109.6
075 1160 +01.81 343.7 171.7
100 1086 -00.00 301.3 238.6
125 1028 -03.65 269.6 309.6
150 0979 -09.36 244.9 384.4
175 0938 -17.33 225.0 462.7
200 0903 -27.77 208.6 544.1
225 0872 -40.86 194.6 628.5
250 0844 -56.80 181.9 715.9
275 0816 -75.80 170.3 806.3
300 791.2 -98.05 159.8 899.6

So it could be that your rifle will shoot over a foot higher than the 9mm did at 250 yards.

Bottom Line - sounds like FUN. Post a RANGE REPORT afterwards! 8)

If it don't shoot flat enough for you, get a .358 BOS Mag- sighted in at 100 yards with a bit heavier 225 grain bullet, it only drops 6.6 inches at 300 yards... :mrgreen:
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Don McDowell »

You'll need to get some 170 or 180 gr bullets wound up pretty tight to get to 300 yds with that sight. Might be better off to order a barrel mounted ladder sight from Buffalo Arms and use it. Or go with a midrange soule or vernier sight on the tang.
I have a Williams 5d on my 45 colt trapper and have shot out to 250 yds with it, but it takes all the elevation adjusment and a good bit of hold over.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by w30wcf »

rm.unsworth,
I love shooting the pistol rounds in leverguns at extended ranges. :mrgreen: Using my .357 Rossi with 158 gr. factory and 180 gr. equivalent handloads, I was able to hit a number of steel javelina @ 300 meters (327 yards) once I had the right sight picture. The Rossi has the standard open rear sight and I found with it up all the way and holding the front sight up so that the bottom of the front sight was even with the top of the rear sight (ala Elmer Keith) the bullets were hitting pretty darn close to the sight picture. :mrgreen:

Based on the 73" drop @ 300 from a 100 yard zero courtesy of AJMD429, and assuming that you have a 20" barrel and thus the distance from the front sight to the Williams peep is about 23".......your Williams sight would need to be raised approx. .16".
That should put you in the ballpark.

Have fun,
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Last edited by w30wcf on Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Grizz »

OR: you could paint a series of lines across the top of the barrel at right angles to it, like stadia lines, then use the Keith method of aiming. I bet you can sling that bullet right in there once you get the angle right.....


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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Otto »

Attempted hijack, nevermind.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Rusty »

Veral Smith wrote quite a long piece a while back on the .357. He was singing the praises for the 180 grain bullets.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Malamute »

Sore Shoulder was hitting a rock of about 2'x3' @ about 500 yards with his Marlin 357 carbine, I don't know what hold, or how he was sighting it, but once he ranged it in, he was hitting pretty consistantly. We were shooting offhand. Not target accuracy, but the bullet is by no means falling on the ground gasping and wheezing at that range. 300 shouldn't be too tough.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by O.S.O.K. »

6' at 300 with a 100 yard zero sounds about right with a 158 grain bullet going 1600 fps - but you can push them easily and safely to 1800 fps.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by COSteve »

300yds isn't as hard as you all are making out with 158grn 357mags. I have both a 24" with tang sight and 20" carbine with stock sights. My reloads clock at 1,822fps. The tang sight can easily be adjusted for 300yds with room to spare while the semi-buckhorn on my carbine just barely runs out of room. I'm betting that Buffalo Bore's heavy 357mag load at 2,153fps will allow one to use the std sights on a carbine.

ETA: I used Handloads.com's ballistic calculator for a 158grn HP .357 @ 1,822 fps sighted in at 100yds and it says that at 300yds it drops 54.6" and is still going 1,051fps.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by AJMD429 »

I don't have the link handy, but there are a couple articles on shooting the .22 LR at 300 yards, and if THAT cartridge can do it, surely the .357 can.

I got interested in this issue a couple years ago when ammo costs started rising, and I also was impressed with long-range shooting and the .45-70; I reasoned you could 'scale down' things and have fun with the .22 LR at 300 yards just like the guys shooting .45-70 out to 700 yards or more.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Don McDowell »

It takes about 36 points elevation on the soule sight I have on my lowall to make it to 300 yds, and it doesn't change much between highspeed and standard velocity lr ammo.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Otto »

AJMD429 wrote:I don't have the link handy, but there are a couple articles on shooting the .22 LR at 300 yards, and if THAT cartridge can do it, surely the .357 can.
I don't doubt that many, perhaps most, cartridges can do it. I am just wondering whether most SHOOTERS would be able to, even with extensive practice. I know I have alot of work to do to get anywhere close to that.
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76/444

Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by 76/444 »

AJMD429 wrote:RCBS gives this for a .125 BC 158gr JSP at 1600 fps zero'd at 100 yards:

.Dist....Vel.....Drop..Energy..FlightTime
(yds) (fps) (inches) (ft-lb) (sec)
000 1600 -01.50 898.0 000.0
025 1503 +00.45 792.0 048.4
050 1411 +01.44 698.7 099.8
075 1327 +01.34 617.9 154.6
100 1252 -00.00 550.1 212.8
125 1186 -02.72 493.8 274.4
150 1134 -06.98 451.0 339.1
175 1089 -12.94 416.2 406.6
200 1051 -20.72 387.2 476.7
225 1017 -30.47 362.6 549.3
250 0986 -42.32 341.4 624.2
275 0959 -56.40 323.0 701.3
300 0935 -72.84 306.8 780.5

BUT it gives these figures for a 115gr (9mm) at 1500 fps, which would be a guesstimate of the other gun.

.Dist....Vel.....Drop..Energy..FlightTime
(yds) (fps) (inches) (ft-lb) (sec)
000 1500 -01.50 574.5 000.0
025 1369 +00.84 478.3 052.3
050 1255 +02.01 402.4 109.6
075 1160 +01.81 343.7 171.7
100 1086 -00.00 301.3 238.6
125 1028 -03.65 269.6 309.6
150 0979 -09.36 244.9 384.4
175 0938 -17.33 225.0 462.7
200 0903 -27.77 208.6 544.1
225 0872 -40.86 194.6 628.5
250 0844 -56.80 181.9 715.9
275 0816 -75.80 170.3 806.3
300 791.2 -98.05 159.8 899.6

So it could be that your rifle will shoot over a foot higher than the 9mm did at 250 yards.

Bottom Line - sounds like FUN. Post a RANGE REPORT afterwards! 8)

If it don't shoot flat enough for you, get a .358 BOS Mag- sighted in at 100 yards with a bit heavier 225 grain bullet, it only drops 6.6 inches at 300 yards... :mrgreen:


Such is the difference between REAL WORLD shooting,... and , computer formulated ballistic charts. 8)
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Old Ironsights »

Back in October (IIRC) I shot my Rossi at the Guernsey KD range out to 300yds... in a 15-20mph crossbreeze.

The factory 158s were pretty much right where AJ's ballistic calc said - about 72" drop.

The 180/1800 BB eq loads shot better, but I was still aiming over & left of the target by aprox 50" to get anywhere near a center mass hit...
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by AJMD429 »

Otto wrote:I don't doubt that many, perhaps most, cartridges can do it. I am just wondering whether most SHOOTERS would be able to, even with extensive practice. I know I have alot of work to do to get anywhere close to that.
Yep. I know that if it gets too far out there it becomes more of a 'random' event for me, and less of a skills-honing challenge.

If it is something I can do affordably enough (cheap .22 LR ammo) to eventually get better at, it's something I'll probably enjoy, though. Four factors come into play that I can think of that such 'extreme-range-for-the-cartridge' practice games can help:
  • 1. Consistent and Steady HOLD of the rifle - that's the part I want to get better with, especially in 'field' conditions.

    2. Consistent ammunition - I'm not good enough from 'field' positions to have that be a variable I have to worry much about (off a bench, that's another story).

    3. Ability to judge distance and adjust elevation by 'eyeball' or by sight adjustments - again, this is something I do enjoy learning and there is (sometimes slim) hope that I can improve eventually. I got a rangefinder last year, so may use that to help me learn estimation of range.

    4. Ability to deal with wind - there's no way I'll ever feel confident at that. (...maybe some Beano would help... :lol: )
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Don McDowell »

Doc with the 22 you'll find the standard velocity 22lr will hold up better at long range and in wind conditions than the high speed stuff.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by AJMD429 »

Don McDowell wrote:Doc with the 22 you'll find the standard velocity 22lr will hold up better at long range and in wind conditions than the high speed stuff.
In the little shooting I've done of that sort, it seems that the super-sonic stuff does fine out to 75 yards, then gets all wobbly and also starts dropping way fast. The sub-sonic stuff seems accurate out to 150 yards (farthest I've got to seriously ever shoot .22 LR for 'accuracy'), although it drops fairly steep from the get-go. Crossing the speed of sound the first time takes place in the barrel, but I'm assuming that the super-sonic .22 LR's must cross back down around 80 yards or so, and that must start yawing and pitching and general mayhem. I suppose the .357 would start to do that out about 200-300 yards or so depending on the load; maybe someone on here has found that true on the range.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Don McDowell »

When the bullet comes back subsonic is when things can go to pot, even in the longrange bpcr stuff.
That's one of the reasons I feel a 180 or heavier 357 will likely do a better job of staying stable when it comes back subsonic, the longer bullets seem to keep their balance better.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by JimT »

Reading all the above posts, you guys have lots of data and theory but it seems that few of you have ever just gone out and done it!

Now before you yell at me .. I do understand that a lot of people do not live where they can actually shoot that far easily .. or legally.

Data is fine ... theory is fine ... but it can't come close to actually doing it.

When I was younger (ha! .. hard to remember back that far) my daddy started me into big-bore sixgunning with a Ruger Blackhawk .357 .. what is called nowdays a "Three Screw". It was in the early 1960's. I shot a ton a lead through that thing.

Dad was one of those gunmen who did not think sixguns were for short-range application and we shot targets from up close out to 400 yards or so. Out of my sixgun I used the Thompson #358156 bullet over 14.5 gr. 2400 and fired by a small rifle primer.

The bullet weighed in at 160 gr. as I cast it and worked well to 400 yards or so. I shot up lots of these.

Later I used the Keith 173 gr. bullet and it was fine also.

But I can tell you from personal experience .. the 158/160 gr. bullets will work just great at long distances. I don't have any data on what they are doing there other than if I did my part they went where I wanted .. they did not keyhole (we shot cardboard targets at times to see what the bullets were doing) and any game that I put the slug through in the right place was down shortly. (though I never did shoot game at extended ranges.)

Load up a pile of ammo. If you have to drive a long distance to be able to shoot at long distances, load LOTS of ammo! Then go shoot until your trigger finger is sore. You will learn more about yourself, your gun and how things work than you can imagine.

It's worth the effort.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Otto »

JimT wrote:Reading all the above posts, you guys have lots of data and theory but it seems that few of you have ever just gone out and done it...
...Dad was one of those gunmen who did not think sixguns were for short-range application and we shot targets from up close out to 400 yards or so...
...But I can tell you from personal experience, the 158/160 gr. bullets will work just great at long distances. I don't have any data on what they are doing there other than if I did my part they went where I wanted .. they did not keyhole (we shot cardboard targets at times to see what the bullets were doing) and any game that I put the slug through in the right place was down shortly. (though I never did shoot game at extended ranges.)

Load up a pile of ammo. If you have to drive a long distance to be able to shoot at long distances, load LOTS of ammo! Then go shoot until your trigger finger is sore. You will learn more about yourself, your gun and how things work than you can imagine. It's worth the effort.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Malamute »

"Reading all the above posts, you guys have lots of data and theory but it seems that few of you have ever just gone out and done it!"


I get the same feeling. Longer range isnt that tough if you go do it a bit. Most of my new(to me) guns get shot @ 300 yards first, handgun or long gun. It's just the best shooting spot I have.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by AJMD429 »

I would love to do more long-range shooting, but the terrain around our place just won't accomodate it. :(
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by JimT »

AJMD429 wrote:I would love to do more long-range shooting, but the terrain around our place just won't accomodate it. :(
Understood ... that's why I suggest those of you who live where you can't .. stop eating twinkies and drinking starblocks .. put the money into a travel fund ...load hundreds of pounds of ammo .. and go where can this summer.

After you spend a week or two shooting 300 yards .. 500 yards and further you will know more about yourself and your gun(s) than you imagined possible.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by COSteve »

Don McDowell wrote:When the bullet comes back subsonic is when things can go to pot, even in the longrange bpcr stuff.
That's one of the reasons I feel a 180 or heavier 357 will likely do a better job of staying stable when it comes back subsonic, the longer bullets seem to keep their balance better.
The 158grn flies at a significantly higher velocity than the 180grn negating the 180grn's supposed advantage. Remember, these are flat tip pistol bullets, not known for high BCs so the theoretical advantage of the extra 22 grains of mass make little difference in the real world as the length increase is minimal due to their relatively large diameter and short lengths.

And, as JimT has rightly stated, its really a matter of shooting them rather than talking about them. I have over 4,000rds of 158grn bullets downrange out of both my 24" rifle and 20" carbine; most at 200yds and farther. Considering that the BC on this bullet is only .155 vs .177 for the 180grn version we aren't talking about either one being a real barn burner compared to an average rifle bullet at the ranges I'm shooting.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by oic0 »

Like the other guy said, take a TON of ammo. Go somewhere where you can see the impacts of even the wild misses. Setup a few targets, then just have at it.
I used to have a ton of fun with a brick of cheap .22 ammo and trying to guesstimate to hit stuff so far away you could count the seconds before impact. I'm sure a great scope, a range finder, skill, form, and some math would have helped. Since I don't and didn't have those things though, a ton of ammo can work in its place :D . Shoot enough and it starts to sink in.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Don McDowell »

Steve, I've got thousands of rounds yearly downrange both in practice and competition. The shorter bullets will loose stability worse and sooner than the longer heavier bullets when they come back to subsonic. Part of the reason that things like the 357 handgun loads will stay reasonably stable in calm conditions is they aren't likely to go supersonic, and if they do it will be very close (relatively speaking) to the muzzle and not for very long. Add a wind factor in and stability at long range becomes quite iffy unless you've got a very long and well balanced bullet.
Here's a picture of where I do my load testing and developement. The distance is 270 yds, the deck is attached to the upstairs of my house. My reloading bench is just inside the door.
Image

This is a down the barrel view of one of my 45-70's looking down range to one of the targets at the Quigly match 650 yds.
Image

Yes there's no substitute for getting out and actually doing it. Jim T is exactly right, if you don't live where you can shoot distance load a ton of ammo, some MRE's and a sleeping bag and headout to somewhere where you can. One word of caution tho. This long range stuff is/can be severely addictive. :D
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by JimT »

Growing up on my granpa's ranch in eastern Washington, you can see a .22 bullet strike at a mile without using optics. Shooting across the fallow ground was just such fun. We would pick out targets and try to walk the bullets out to them, no matter what we were shooting. You'd be surprised at just how far the little old .38 S&W will fling it's slug.

We had an old 41 Ford car body laying upside down at the section line .. 1/2 mile from the farmhouse. Evenings we would step outside and bang away at it with whatever we had on hand. The .22's did just fine.

Bought my first .45 Colt in 1969 ... had a box of factory WW for it ... I fired the first 3 shots from the gun at that car body. The first shot went over .. the second shot was short ... the 3rd shot we saw nothing .. then head a distant KLONK! That was satisfying!
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by COSteve »

Don McDowell wrote:Steve, I've got thousands of rounds yearly downrange both in practice and competition. The shorter bullets will loose stability worse and sooner than the longer heavier bullets when they come back to subsonic. Part of the reason that things like the 357 handgun loads will stay reasonably stable in calm conditions is they aren't likely to go supersonic, and if they do it will be very close (relatively speaking) to the muzzle and not for very long. Add a wind factor in and stability at long range becomes quite iffy unless you've got a very long and well balanced bullet.
I agree completely, however, my point is that in a 357 bullet the difference between a 158grn and 180grn's length is so little as to have a very small impact on it's 'carry'. Especially when you factor in the fact that its a short, fat pistol bullet. Now, if you're comparing say a 300grn to 400grn 45-70 bullet the BC difference is quite a lot and the heavier bullet's aerodynamics will make a noticeable difference.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Don McDowell »

Jim we had an old dump in a deep draw in the north pasture. There were tons of long range targets of opportunity in that thing. All the way from old ice boxes, and hulls of thrashing machines to an old rusted out studebaker. The EPA probably would have a bigger fit about the lead contamination from bullet fragements in there than all the old junk if its still there. :lol:

Steve even just the shape of a bullet can make a difference in long range stability. I've seen two bullets of relatively the same weight, and one of them would go to pot in even a simple 10 mph wind at 200 yds and the other would stay good to 1000. The extra momentum from that 180 would be well worth the OP's time to explore. He's still going to have to shave about half that front sight off to get his williams to work. But take the lesson from Old Ironsights post and see his report of the 180's holding up better with more hits than the 158's.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by COSteve »

Well, I stand corrected. I've been reviewing the size differences between the 158 vs 180grn .357 bullets and to be honest, the length difference is larger than I thought it would be. Maybe I'll take my dwindling stock of 158grn bullets as a sign to give the 180grn ones a 'shot' so to speak. The only drawback I've found is that most of the 180grn and 200grn bullets I've found are lead and I prefer to shoot jacketed.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by AJMD429 »

158 grain or 180 grain - it sounds like some of you guys do enough real-world long-range shooting that you can hit with either. We have enough acres to 'make' the range, we just have to figure out where, and how. It will mean shooting through a 'woods-corridor' of some sort, and maybe only in winter.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by COSteve »

Just for the heck of it I tried a few 490yd shots with my 24" Rossi and my 357mag 158grn reloads. I cranked the Marbles tang sight all the way up with my 357mag loads and I proceeded to shoot right over the top of the target!! I had to lower the sight ½ turn to get the bullets on target.

Long range shooting with a 357mag isn't anywhere near as hard as some make it out to be. One just has to practice the tried and true target shooting techniques; breath control and a smooth, consistent trigger pull.

I can't tell you how much satisfaction I get from smacking that 18" wide ram shaped steel plate in the head at 300yds. I start my sessions with a trip down range and give the it a quick once over with some cheap WalMart spray paint.

I'm partial to the body white and both the legs and horns in red. I can hear the 'clang' when I hit it and with my spotting scope its easy to see exactly where I hit. I just love to screw with the magnum caliber boys with their 16X scopes. I've left
Last edited by COSteve on Tue Feb 16, 2010 3:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by PaulB »

JimT is right.

There was a fellow in Idaho who wrote some articles for Precision Shooting magazine about shooting .44 Mag out of a Freedom Arms 83 and a Smith 629 at 1000 yards. Very interesting stories; he got amazingly good at it. He was using 300+ gr bullets.

I was at the Worland range one time when John Linebaugh showed up with one of his big guns. At one point we started shooting (I had my Smith 629) at a rock on the backstop that I ranged at around 800 yards. It was hugely amusing. Bullet takes a long time to get out there, and the sound to get back.

The main thing for this, is you have to go where there is dust. Wyoming after a few dry days (that is, almost always :lol: ) is excellent. You can see the hits, which is crucial. Western Oregon, the other place I spend a lot of time, is worthless for this.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by COSteve »

PaulB wrote:JimT is right.
The main thing for this, is you have to go where there is dust. Wyoming after a few dry days (that is, almost always :lol: ) is excellent. You can see the hits, which is crucial. Western Oregon, the other place I spend a lot of time, is worthless for this.
I guess that means that 'Soggy Seattle' wouldn't be worth a darn either. :lol:

Kidding aside, he's right in that using the dust kicked up is a great way to adjust your shots when you are learning where your rifle is hitting. That's usually what I do even with a new scope or sights; I start shooting at the berm to get a general idea where I'm hitting, adjust as necessary, and only then start shooting at the paper for the final adjustments. Its more fun than just punching holes in paper and once sighted in those dirt clods haven't got a chance.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by vanilla_gorilla »

Hi folks, I'm new here, but I've been lurking and reading for some time. COSteve will recognize me from the same user name on another forum.

What was said above about long distance is absolutely correct. Three hundred yards really isn't that much for a .357 rifle. I fairly regularly go out to a shade over 400 with my 5 inch .357 pistol and 6 inch .44 pistol. Once you know how much front sight to hold up, it's no biggie. A .358 158 grain LSWC at 1350 fps at the muzzle will, for a fact, penetrate 3/4 inch of plywood and both sides of a large all-terrain tire at over four hundred yards. I observed that one myself. The .44 Keith bullet will penetrate even better, but the .357 Keith seems to fly better.

I've got a couple videos of a friend and I running our wheelguns out to the 400 yard line, but I don't have them loaded anywhere right now. When I can lay my hands on a levergun, I'll video us doing it with that, too.

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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Don McDowell »

Just to clarify a bit. Noone here said a 357 wouldn't go 300 yds, or more. The Question posed was would the williams sight on the op's rifle be able to adjust for the 300 yd target. The general consensus is probably not, or at least not without filing some of the front sight off.
It appears as tho the OP is going to a match where hitting the target is probably important. the more hits the better. It's easier to hit the target when you can use a center or 6 oclock hold on that target , and not pointing off into space somewhere hopin that the shot lands close.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by COSteve »

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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Don McDowell »

The 22 is the one that always baffles me. It takes 36 points of elevation on the soule sight to get to 300 yds, yet the 45-70 and 90 and the 40-65 take somewhere from 65-75 points to get to the same target.

Filing the front sight down on the op's 357 will get him closer to first place in the 300 yd shoot, than applying Kentucky windage, with the williams sight adjusted to the top. First thing is the lower the rear sight the better and more consistant the cheek weld will be, and that's the first step into getting good long range groups.The rest comes with good sight picture, trigger pull, and a fair bit of trigger time to get it all coordinated.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by AJMD429 »

COSteve wrote:In addition, Handloads.com calculates that a 158grn 357mag at 1,822fps, sighted in at 100yds will be down 16.3" at 200yds and 57.7" at 300yds.
60" at 300 yards only equates to what, 0.6" at 3 yards (108"), or at the sight radius you're using, maybe 0.2" of sight adjustment, am I not right? PLENTY of room to do that with the Williams FP.
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Re: .357 magnum at 300 yds

Post by Don McDowell »

Another way to look at it
Range Velocity Impact Drop ToF Energy Drift
0 1822 -0.5 0 0 1165 0
50 1632 10.79 1.58 0.09 934 1.25
100 1464 18.79 6.45 0.19 752 3.76
150 1317 22.71 15.4 0.29 609 8.15
200 1194 21.6 29.38 0.41 500 14.52
250 1100 14.38 49.46 0.55 425 22.81
300 1030 0 76.71 0.69 372 32.8
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