Out shooting today

[Gene R]

My youngest son and I went for a walk in the woods for a little shooting fun today. He was carrying his 357mag, and I with my 45LC. Since we started reloading this has been even more fun. Any way, we were having a lot of fun just picking targets at a distance 25 - 75 yards. He was missing quite a bit, and was getting discourraged. So he wanted to swap guns, he said his was off. Well he startd hitting what ever he shot at, I was still hitting also but I didn't like it as much.

The 357mag is way louder than the 45LC, and seems to kick more. Mine is a 5'5" BH and his is a 6" GP100, he is shooting 158gr at about 1400fps and I'm shooting 250gr hard cast at about 1150fps.

It just reminded me of why I don't like magnums. He is now wanting a 45LC for Christmas, with a full leather rig. There have been a lot of friends that go shooting with me that say the same stuff, and they shoot the BIG MAGNUMS 44,454,460. And I'm finding that this 45 does everything the magnums can do (at least in the dence woods of SC)

I will probably get him and my oldest son 45LC with leather rigs for Christmas, and ofcourse I will keep mine for ever, but I have been wanting a single action 44 special also. Maybe I can convince the wife to get me that for Christmas, and if the kids get their leather, then I will need that too. There is nothing more fun that shooting and hunting with my boys.

I have always loved these standard calibers more than magnums, and since we've started reloading I love them even more.

Enough rambling for now.

Gene

[Mohawk]

  Sounds like a great day out Gene. Wow, you guys are shooting some "warm" loads. I have only shot factory of the two. Those were plenty stout for me. Anywho, take care of the kids. If he wants the .45 with leather gear, do it. You will be training a future sportsman. Congratulations on that. My son is 6yrs old and autistic and things come slower to him. We are just now learning to spell his name, use eating utensils, and say please and thank you. He is a ways off from learning firearm ownership or even learning to be trained with firearms but the time you spend is what it is all about. Good luck and keep it up.

[Gene R]

Sorry, the 357mag - 158gr is at 1200fps not 1400......must have had happy fingers

[navylawdog]

Gene R,

Sounds like you had a good outing with your son. I must commend you for spending some quality time with your kids. I am almost 29 and I just started really hunting with my father about two years ago. Until then I could count the amount of times I went hunting with him on one hand. I am grateful for having other family members and friends who liked to hunt.

Navylawdog

[S.B.]

You were using hearing protection, weren't you? To protect your hearing.

[tallpaul]

Ya should load some midrange loads for that .357... there is no need for magnums for just plinking. Het used to it and then when ya shoot the mags ya likely will be better

[Mikey]

Gene - I have to agree with tallpaul.  Mid range 357 or 38 spl loads are great for plinking and there are bunches of milder loads for the 45 Colt.  If you're going out woods walkin' and plinkin' or small gaming, mid range loads are a bunch better.  Distances to 75 yds are just pefect for mid range loads.  I believe there are metallic silhouette courses for non-magnum handguns with targets to 100m if you really want to have fun with mid range loads. 

Both the loads you mentioned, the 357 and the 45 Colt, should be uncomfortably loud without hearing protection and discomfort from shooting noise can really sour a fun outting.  Milder loads are much easier on ya if you don't wear hearing protection. 

The 357 seems to kick more - well, it is a high pressure cartridge but to be honest, your 250 gn/1140'/sec load should significantly out recoil his 158 gn/1240'/sec load.  It might have something to do with the shape of the grip.  I'll bet mid range loads should help.  HTH.  Mikey.

[Gene R]

The 45LC shoots smooth, and I like to practice with what I hunt with. But I will load him some milder loads for his 357 and see how he does. I have personally never been a fan of the double action any how, my other son has a 357 BH w/6" Barrel and it feels smoother that the GP100, but it is just as loud.

Both boys have been shooting and hunting (with rifles) since they were about 5 yrs, but this is my youngest sons first real handgun other than a .22 single six.

Him needing more practice is good for me to, this gives us more reasons to spend a few more hours here and there together. I suffer more than they do now that their older they spend less time with me than they used to unless we are shoothin or hunting. They get occupied with GIRLS, and girls, sometimes it's just girls.

[Ole Man Dan]

Gene:

If your boys shoot the BH better than the 100, they are candidates for a .45...  Even the sound of a strong .45 doesn't bother me as much because it's a boom.  The sound of the .357 is sharper, and more painful.  I concur with everyone that you should load the .357 down for fun shoots.  My .357s stay home now while my .45s go to the woods.
Like you, I like the feel of the single actions.  Treat yourself to some good leather, it's habit forming.
(I made the plunge and began hunting with my single actions.  The rifles stay home now.  Hunt the thick stuff.)

[Catfish]

There is nothing wrong with a .45 LC, or .357, or a .44 sp., or a .44 mag., or a .500 S&W. Personally I like them all, as long as they are in a wheel gun.

[Mikey]

Gene - ummm, forgot to ask...was your son shootin' the gp-100 double action???  If so, that could account for some accuracy issues.....   

You mentioned you weren't a fan of the double action but I didn't know if that meant your son was shooting double action.  The gp-100s are accurate revolvers otherwise. Mikey.

[Gene R]

He was shooting it single, I know the gun is accurate as I can shoot 3" groups with it at 40 yards.

[buck460XVR]

different guns fit different folk differently. The search to find the one that fits just right is half the fun. Regardless of the gun or even what you were doing, the important part is the quality time spent with family. Spent the day yesterday with my two boys shootin' everything from .22 pistols to L & X frame revolvers. I think there were a coupla carbines, a coupla cowboy doubles and a TC Pro in there too. Some we shot well, some we need more practice with. Gives us a good reason to do it again.

I agree with the milder loads, especially for the boy. It may be the flinch from anticipating recoil that is affecting his shots. My youngest(15) kicked all our butts with the .357mag, but couldn't hit squat with the .460......until I purposely left one cylinder empty one time for him. Once he realized how much he was anticipating the recoil, his groups closed up considerably.

[LarryL]

I think I'm with Mikey.  It's all in the grips.  The BH might be a little heavier than the GP too.  The double action grips are gonna give it all to you.  The SA grips will rotate and be much easier on your hand.  I used to have a 6" S&W 629 .44 mag with gripper grips on it.  The DA shape with the narrow profile of the gripper grips was damn uncomfortable on the web of the hand.  I did not like shooting it very often!!  I have a 5.5" SBH .44 with slightly oversized smooth Lett grips, and that is a pussycat even with heavy loads.  Earlier this week, I was firing some 320 gr hard cast Corbon loads at something like 1270 fps.  That's getting very close to factory .480 Ruger numbers, but it was still very easy on the hand.  I also have a 7.5" bbl SRH with a scope.  That's both a longer barrel, and a significantly heavier gun.  The recoil doesn't really bother me too much, but I sure wouldn't describe it as very easy on the hand!

If your son was shooing the .357 in a SBH, he would probably find the recoil similar and maybe even less than the 45LC depending on the 45 load.  I would agree that the .357 is sharper on the ears and has more blast than the 45LC, increasing perceived recoil and encouraging flinch (again somewhat dependent on the load). 

Heck, if he likes the SBH in 45LC, he sure can't go wrong with that choice.  You could also consider the .44.  Either one will work fine with lighter loads as well as heavy loads, and take most anything you might want to hunt for.  On the bright side, you have someone to shoot with, and now you know what to get him for Christmas!!

Getting the .44 special for you for Christmas is good too.  Always gotta be giving the wife ideas!  If it was me, I would opt for the .44 mag.  You can still shoot the 44 specials, and then step it up to the mags when you need them.