Chris: no, I didn't chrono the handguns after those two changeovers to shorter barrels. I figured that I had lost some velocity but considering the way I use those two handguns, for 50 yds or less (unless I have an absolutely clear shot farther out), any velocity loss wouldn't matter much.
As it now stands, the 200 gn cast swc load I use in the 357 will penetrate t&t a whitetail chest out to 75 yds - done that. I've also used that load on a 175 lb doe and it broke through the shoulder girdle and penetrated the chest, exiting soft tissue between two ribs. With the 44 magnum, shooting 265 gn hornadays I have had the same, if not better experiences. I'm trying to save some wrist life and will go to a 250 gn Keith style swc over a load of 2400 or 296, expecting the same results.
I know that I have lost some velocity from the 357 - I tried those loads on the sily-wet range post barrel change and found that I had to raise my sights another click at each marker with those loads, which indicated some velocity loss. I had to do the same once a number of years back when going to an accuracy load for the 200 gn 357 - I went from using the 296 load to using a 630 load that mirrored the velocity of a 4227 load for that slug. The velocity difference was about 150'/sec or so and one additional click of the sights brought the poa to poi, or at least high enough on the metal targets to knock them over. HTH. Mikey.
