Short barrel vs Long barrel

[Patriot]

Short barrel vs Long barrel

OK, I'm getting in deep, deeper than I thought WRT this stuff. I figured that I'd go out,
buy some brass, bullets, powder, primers, get myself a press and I would be good to go.

BUT NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

It's no wonder you reloading guys are all OCD. A darker pit I have yet to run across. So
I want to get some lead and I think I'm OK with this now but I just talked to a custom
bullet maker and he threw me a curve that Big Papi couldn't hit. I knew that barrel length
was part of the reloading equation but this guy goes on to tell me about creating loads
for short barreled guns and using lighter bullets to attain velocity yet mild recoil out of
these guns. He is talking +P performance from a snubby .32 H&R Mag and he says that
the recoil is pretty mild. He also said shooting the commercial JHP loads is getting you
less than .380 performance out of a snubby .32 H&R.

Where, oh where, do I get some info on this tangent.

 

[GTOShootr]

Invest in a chronograph and do some experimenting.

 

[kevin9]

Give yourself to the Dark Side...

 

[TY43215]

Invest in a chronograph and do some experimenting.

You will not get better advice than that. Go big or go home

 

[Patriot]

I knew it! Just when I think I've reached the light at the end of the tunnel, I find out it's the
headlight of a freight train .

OK, you chrono guys, what's a good one at a fair price?

 

[TY43215]

Nice entry level chrony

 

[Pilgrim]

everything I've read says that the difference in speed from, say a 3 inch barrel vs a 6 incher, is VERY small. Only when the barrel gets up over a foot or so does it really make a big difference.

I've seen chrono tests of different barrel lengths and, if I remember right, the short vs long thing amounted to about 50fps.

Wish I could point you to the info.

 

[Supermoto]

Boston Patriot
I have a 2 Chrony's like the one Round Gun posted. If you are interested I wi
sell you one for cheap. But I won't be back in the area unil wednesday

Let me know if you ar interested

 

[Patriot]

Boston Patriot
I have a 2 Chrony's like the one Round Gun posted. If you are interested I wi
sell you one for cheap. But I won't be back in the area unil wednesday

Let me know if you ar interested

Cheap always interest me. PM me when you get back.

Thanks,

TBP

 

[noidlight]

+1 on that chrony as well. I also have one.

 

[WVBob]

How much of a bang are you trying to get? Dennis had it right when he said you don't get that much more from a 6in over a 3in. Look at the books and see what will give you the fastest and then work up to it. Remember, the fast load may not be the best load. My Model 66 Smith does not like a hot 125 JHP but cuts the X with hot 140 JSP. Do you want to shoot hot or be on?

 

[K.W.]

6" - 3" barrels

I know only 38spl 6": 992fps and 3": 852fps. Federal 158 gr LSWCHP FL

 

[Gammon]

Competition Electronics makes a nice chrono for about $100. I have been using one for over 20 years with no problems.

 

[jhrosier]

Shorter barrel guns tend to kick the snot out of you with slower powders and/or heavier bullets. It's not magic, just physics.
I have a full house load for my 8-3/8" 686 that uses a 180 gr bullet over a bunch of W296. It is fun to shoot and very accurate. I tried these loads in my M640 and quit after 3 rounds. I think that I saw the face of Jesus in the muzzle flash.
The M640 does well with a modest load of Bullseye or Unique and a 125 or 140 gr bullet.
There's a lot to be said for having a lighter load to practice the fundamentals, followed by a few rounds of full power ammo to check the sights. IMO, the little guns, even the best of them, won't stand up to a steady diet of full house loads.

 

[Twigg]

Invest in a chronograph and do some experimenting.

Best to buy two. Sooner or later you're gonna shoot it.

Don't ask me how I know.

 

[Gammon]

Shorter barrel guns tend to kick the snot out of you with slower powders and/or heavier bullets. It's not magic, just physics.
I have a full house load for my 8-3/8" 686 that uses a 180 gr bullet over a bunch of W296. It is fun to shoot and very accurate. I tried these loads in my M640 and quit after 3 rounds. I think that I saw the face of Jesus in the muzzle flash.
The M640 does well with a modest load of Bullseye or Unique and a 125 or 140 gr bullet.
There's a lot to be said for having a lighter load to practice the fundamentals, followed by a few rounds of full power ammo to check the sights. IMO, the little guns, even the best of them, won't stand up to a steady diet of full house loads.

Slower powders should produce less recoil. That large fireball is powder burning outside the barrel where it doesn't contribute to the velocity of the bullet and thus does not create recoil.

 

[jhrosier]

Slower powders should produce less recoil. That large fireball is powder burning outside the barrel where it doesn't contribute to the velocity of the bullet and thus does not create recoil.

Slow powders contribute half of their mass to the ejecta, increasing recoil, sometimes significantly. The higher muzzle pressures from slower burning powders generate some noticeable backthrust. Think about what makes a muzzle brake work.
I have three identical Ruger Security-Sixes, 2-3/4", 4", and 6". It is very interesting to see how different loads feel in them. The extra barrel length adds a small amount of weight to confuse the issue but with full loads of medium burning rate powder, the 2-3/4" is least comfortable. Interestingly enough, with the slowest powders, the snubby gets easier to shoot. This apparent contradiction is apparently the result of a large portion of the charge never being ignited.
About half the fun of handloading is trying to figure out why things happen. Identifying the significant variables and controlling them has always been the domain of the handloader. As you gain experience and gather data, it gets easier to find the best loads sooner. If you are just throwing together some loads from the books to save a few bucks you will miss the opportunity to get the most from your gun, and the satisfaction that comes from turning a 4moa group into a 1moa group.

Jack

 

[EddieCoyle]

I have a full house load for my 8-3/8" 686 that uses a 180 gr bullet over a bunch of W296. It is fun to shoot and very accurate. I tried these loads in my M640 and quit after 3 rounds. I think that I saw the face of Jesus in the muzzle flash.

I'll go along with this. I made some rounds for my .500 with 500 grain bullets and a near-compressed load of H110. They were stout in the 8-3/8" revolver, but when I fired them in the 4" model I think I saw the face of Satan in the muzzle flash. I don't know, maybe it was Ross - the concussion from the blast was quite disorienting.

 

[Cross-X]

I'll go along with this. I made some rounds for my .500 with 500 grain bullets and a near-compressed load of H110. They were stout in the 8-3/8" revolver, but when I fired them in the 4" model I think I saw the face of Satan in the muzzle flash. I don't know, maybe it was Ross - the concussion from the blast was quite disorienting.

And that, folks, is the NES funniest line of the night.

 

[Chris]

Another + here for the Shooting Chrony. If you catch them selling their refurbs, you can get 'em for about $50. Originally bought it for paintball, but works well for just about anything, including arrows. That's one of mine in my Avatar.

One nice thing is that it has no buttons. As EddieCoyle can vouch, when you are looking at muzzle velocities on heavy loads, sometimes the impulse will cause your chrony to reset. Not the case with this one.

Oh yea, be sure to get a cheap tripod too. Makes setting up the Chrony a piece of cake.