More shooting results with Open Top .38s

[PJ Hardtack]

An unexpected turn of the weather gave me cause to go to the range yesterday .....

Tried BP in my 5-1/2" '71 - 17.5 FFg/160 GCSWC (no gas check installed) lubed with SPG. Shot two groups 'Duelist' at 15 yards after first shooting a group with smokeless - 3.5 Red Dot/160 hard cast SWC. I'm not interested in what my guns can do from a rest, as I will not be shooting them that way.

There was no appreciable difference in group size. All groups were 10 shot groups as  feel I get a better indication of the load and my ability than with 5 shot groups. A couple of times I wished I had quit after printing a 4 shot 3/4" cluster with the smokeless load. An occasional 'shooter induced' flyer widened all groups to just over 3".

Oddly, the BP load was closer to POA than the smokeless, which prints 1-1/2" to the right of POA at 15 yds. This became more pronounced at 25 yds with the smokeless load, using a two hand hold, printing 2-1/2" low and 2" right of POA; 6 rds in a nice 2" cluster. Flyers widened that to 4". This was fired right after the BP load. I didn't shoot at 25 yds with the BP load - this time.

As for the 'fun factor', the BP load wins hands down, recoil being at least twice what is with smokeless. A nice, resounding report and lots of smoke. Function was fine with the limited number of rounds fired.

I had not yet printed at 25 yds with the 7-1/2" '71 using smokeless and was gratified with a well centred 10 shot 6"group using a two hand hold.
Then it was time to play, ringing the the 10"x12" 50 yd gong with the smokeless load in the 7-1/2" gun with every shot. I could learn to like these guns ....

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Looks like you are ready for anything with those revolvers and ammo.

The SWC style catches up on the chamber in my Uberti 1866.  I went to the RCBS 38-140-RNFP for a single load for both my Richard Masons and the Yellowboy.

[PJ Hardtack]

My wife has the same problem with SWCs in her .357 Marlin carbine. She won't use anything other than RNFPs and the gun shoots best with 130 gr bullets.
On the other hand, her 3/4 size frame .38 Uberti 'Stallions' do their best work with 158s of any shape. Now that I've got three .38 Open Tops, I have to stock up on 158s.

Hell of a problem to have ... ;>)