Normal?

[tipiguy]

 I went to the range to shoot a NMBH in 357 mag I recently purchased.  My hand loads were 180 grain hornadys using H110.  They chromed at 1125 fps.

At 25 yards they shot about 4" low.  At 50 yards they shot about 4" high.  Is this normal?  I was using a bench at 50 and free handing it at 25.  Maybe that makes a difference.  I would have expected the opposite.  I shot about 25 rounds and maybe I need to just shoot more. 

Any help?

Thanks.
Tipiguy

[Bigeasy]

Handguns, especially single actions, can be very sensitive to grip, and bench technique.  Depending on how they are held and rested, groups can vary wildly from what you would get shooting off hand.  The bench can do a great job in showing you your most accurate loads, just don't expect groups to be the same POI of hand held.
 
To minimize bench error, I usually hold the gun two handed, just as I would shooting off hand, and rest my wrists / lower forearms on sand bags, allowing for a steady hold, and for the gun to recoil as close to normal as possible.  If you are resting the guns barrel on a hard object, recoil could certianly cause the gun to jump and group high.
 
Try some 12 shot groups offhand at 25 and 50 yards.  They might not be tight, but once the sights are adjusted so the group is ballpark center of target, then the gun is where you want it to be for off hand shooting.
 
Larry

[timothy]

Make sure your aiming point is the same at both ranges. I draw a 3'' black square at 25 yards and 6'' at 50. This makes it easier to hold the front site at the same point at both ranges.

[Larry Gibson]

I was using a bench at 50 and free handing it at 25.  Maybe that makes a difference.
Yes, it does make a difference.  How much depends on how the revolver was rested while bench shooting.  "Free handing" allows the revolver to rotate freely in the hand depending on grip.  Off a bench, depending how the revolver is reated, it can rotate much higher particularly if the butt is rested.  The barrel will rotate up before the bullet leaves the barrel (that's why the front sights are higher above the bore than the rear sights) during recoil. 
 
Larry Gibson
 

[tipiguy]

Thanks!  I will try free handing it at 50 yards.  I couldn't figure it out.  I thank you for helping me understanding the likely problem.
 
Tipiguy
 

[HAMMERHEAD]

Didn't Elmer Keith say something to the effect of 'big bore six guns are as sensitive to grip strength as a violin'?