Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns A fun day shooting

This is a continuation of last Saturday shooting the 500, the 10/22 and the guns I consider my self-defense and backup guns. It was a cool, cloudy and very windy day so the groups might have been bettered if not for that stiff and gusty wind...........maybe not, too! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I'd been playing with the 360PD for a while trying to arrive at a decent defense load. I can't say I've found it for sure since I couldn't chrono in that wind but the group looked good and the recoil is not bad at all: sharp and noticeable but I could shoot 50 and not be any worse for the wear. It's a 38+P load that uses 6.3 grains of Power Pistol behind a 125 grain jacketed bullet. I have to use a bullet with a cannulure since the recoil in the 12 oz 360, has worked out other bullets and locked the gun up. A 12 oz gun doesn't even make a good hammer or rock if you can't shoot it and gotta hit them with it or throw it at 'em. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Anyway, I picked up a couple of boxes of 125 XTP's and ran 15 of them out of the gun to see what I thought. I tinkered with the laser a bit to get it where I wanted it and got use to the new XS Sight Systems big dot tritium sight I had put on it.

Here's the gun on the bags and with the Glock 20 for comparision.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/imrick/Handgun%20shooting/360onbag.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/imrick/Handgun%20shooting/Glock20and360PD.jpg

Another comparable that's not very comparable,maybe. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/imrick/Handgun%20shooting/triocropped.jpg



Here's one of the group it shot, after I had the laser adjusted. The round at 3 o'clock is the prior to the last laser adjustment made. The next round landed at 12:00 and I figured I'd use that for the final five rounds to check the group. I was pleased. particularly since the wind moved that light 360 more than all the rest.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/imrick/Handgun%20shooting/360PDat50feet.jpg

All the targets for these three guns were shot at 50 feet or so , since that is the outside range for most defensive shooting in my estimation. YMMV. I used a portable shooting table and sandbags for a rest, as I was testing the guns and loads capablity more than my own.

Here's how the Glock shot with the 165 Golden Sabers and Power Pistol. It does not have a laser, just add on tritium fixed sights.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/imrick/Handgun%20shooting/Glock20at50feet.jpg

And last, but never least, my Kimber shooting 230 Golden Sabers. I had put a re-conditioned Crimson Trace laser on it and didn't have to touch it on the range. I had adjusted it at home to witness the irons which I knew were on and it just went ot town eating that orange dot. I would prefer the newer style grip like I have on the PD but the price was half what the new ones cost, so I bit.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/imrick/Handgun%20shooting/Kimberonbag.jpg

And the target.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/imrick/Handgun%20shooting/Kimber45at50feet.jpg

That's the first flincher <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> from the 700 grain 500 below the 45 ACP group more or less on the dot.

I think I'll move the 360 up to the 357's and see what the next interation will do. I'd like to achive 1K fps out of it and have shot some 357's that are tolerable, but not chroned. The really stiff stuff (bottom of chart H110 & N110 loads) went at 1300 which is smokin' for a 1 7/8 barreled gun but were far more than my hand and whole body could tolerate.

If the +p's are running 850-900 (Hogdon book says 1165 but that's from a 5.6" barrel, whoever makes one of those??!!) do you guys think they'd be an OK stopper? A little slow I'd think but they are nice to shoot.

It was a fun day but there's just never enough time to get them all the attention they so richly deserve. I may need to get back out again this week with this same trio and chrono each load too.

I left all the targets out. The images are HUGE!!!!!

No 700 gr for the 500? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the assist. I must need a tutorial! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Nice weapons Ricky.

Thanks Ethan. Along with a Ruger Mark II they pretty much cover all my bases and maybe then some. I've pared down from the pretty ones and duplicates to ones I use. I probably don't need both big Smiths but can't decide which is expendable.