Author Topic: Why is my 357 Mag shooting so high... (Read 479 times)

Bullseye · « **on:** September 19, 2004, 05:27:11 PM »

I was playing with a new to me 10" 357 Mag Contender barrel this weekend. I was shooting 180 gr. XTP's loaded on the light side and only steaming along at about 950 fps. The thing is 16" high at 50 yards with the rear sight all the way down!!!!!

I know I can call T/C and get a higher front sight, the one they had to send me for my 45-70 would work. But why would this thing be so dang high. Would a more normal load with say a 158 gr XTP at something like 1150 fps. make the thing shoot low enough to sight in? This one really confuses me.

Paladin · « **Reply #1 on:** September 19, 2004, 06:10:07 PM »

My guess is the heavy slow bullet is causing the barrel to rise to an extream. I'd try a lighter faster load. good luck

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 20, 2004, 01:03:12 AM »

I know if you shoot a .38 special in a 357, it will shoot high. Same for the 44 special in a 44 MAG. I suggest you try some full loaded .357MAG loads and see where you are at.

The slower round lets the barrel rise more before it exits the barrel. That is why you are hitting high.

C A Plater · « **Reply #3 on:** September 20, 2004, 02:09:57 AM »

Load them hotter and the point of impact will come down. It's mostly because the bullet is in the barrel longer while the gun recoils.

Bullseye · « **Reply #4 on:** September 21, 2004, 05:38:36 PM »

Well folks, I have heard that theory before and wondered if that was it. It seems strange to me that the load and barrel rise would make 16" of difference. But since I am open minded, I found four 158 Gr XTP's that I had laying around for some reason and loaded them over a pretty heavy load of powder. I will test it this weekend.

haroldclark · « **Reply #5 on:** September 24, 2004, 08:59:58 AM »

I'm going to deviate from the other opinions and tell you what happened to me and my .357 - 10" TC. I put a long scope on the barrel and it required that I remove the Front Sight.

When I took the scope off, I didn't know which front sight came off of it, so I picked one out of the pile of many and stuck it on there. I was trying to shoot 38 special loads at 25 and 50 yards. I couldn't get down low enough for either distances. I also, shot some 200 grain cast loads in 357 Magnum cases at the same distances and shot over with everything.

The solution was putting the correct front sight back on the barrel. The 357 mag requires a tall front sight. Once I found the tallest one in the pile of front sights, everything worked just fine. The same thing occurs with the 96 Swedish Mauser when we try to shoot them at 100 yards. You gotta change out the front sight or solder a piece on top of it to make it shoot lower.

If you bought the barrel used, this may have happened to the barrel before you bought it.

Just a suggestion.

Harold Clark

Bullseye · « **Reply #6 on:** September 27, 2004, 02:46:13 PM »

Shot the loads and got the same but similar results. The 180 gr light loads were 6" high with the sight all the way down (why only 6" instead of 16", I dunno but the two shots were touching). The 158 gr. loads with the heavy charge were 3" high, thus proving you folks theory true. My problem still is that the barrel needs a higher front sight. I will dig through my sight pile and see what I have (I should have one that will get me 6"), or I might just put a red dot on it since that is something I always wanted to try.