Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 357 load to hit to sights

Colt sa is hitting low at 25 yards with 148 dewc and 158 swc pushed 800 to 900 fps. I am hitting three inches low would like hit to sights. Thinking I have to go heaver bullet. Any load ideas,like to stay under 1000 fps. Thanks

3” at 25 yards isn’t much. You may get the 158’s there with a different load.

I'd try the 173 grain Keith or any of the available 180 grain cast 357 bullets. That should get you there based on what you're seeing with the 158s,

173 Keith sounds good, will it be to long loaded in 357 brass

My understanding is you are 3.3 Mils low at 25 yards. Is that from the benchrest or standing on your own two feet?
If from the benchrest that may be partly the cause because if you are holding down on the gun it may shoot low. Some of the suppositories of knowing on here experiment with their benchrest hold so the gun shoots very close off the bench and shooting offhand.
Since I cant shoot and am not a suppository of knowledge I am just sitting here in admiration of the other suppositories.
Not everyone can be a suppository.

How the hell does a grown man get to the point that he's talking gibberish on the www to get attention? You sound like a drunken retarded 11 year old.

Pick an accurate load with a good weight and velocity and file the sight.

It's about recoil. The greater recoil will raise the barrel higher during firing, causing the bullet to hit higher. So the number one factor in recoil is bullet weight, followed by powder charge. Regardless, you need to add in more recoil to get your sights to hit to point of aim. Start by going to a heavier bullet. 158 is the "standard" bullet for .357 but the Keith 173 is the load that was a close second for standard. You can try moving up to a heavier bullet, or you can pick a very bulky powder and start increasing the velocity of your 158gr loads.

Also understand, the front sight on a SAA was made to regulate with a VERY stout, heavy bullet load. The thought was, you develop the load you want, then you file your front sight to hit with that load.

The SAA is a strong revolver and it was kinda THE choice for really heavy loads way back in the day. So if you want to shoot light loads and you want them to hit to point of aim, it's going to require modification to the front sight.

Thanks, order some 170 Keith type bullets from Rimrock. Not sure if they are going to be to long out of 357 case, which I have A ton. Thinking of trying 2400 with them not sure how well it will work on the lighter side.

If the COL is to long, trim or use 38’s.

This site has gone downhill. There are a few posters here that would rather inject sarcasm and mockery than actually be useful. To the OP, you can try a heavier bullet as heavier bullets typically hit lower in a revolvers. However, I'd do as others have said, pick my pet load and file down the front sight to bring the group up.

I'd try the WFN 180 at about 950 fps. AA#7 should be a good burning rate for .357 loads of that weight and velocity.

Is that off a rest? Sometimes the free recoil of shooting off-hand will raise the impact.

Heavier and / or slower. The more time the bullet spends in the barrel, the greater the effect of recoil. Experiment with somewhat slower loads of at least 158 grains.

jack dont talk about stick like that it aint nice

Shooting off rest and freehand. My rest method is forearms on bags nothing touching gun. I shoot with A heavy grip and yes it will hit higher with A more gentle grip but do not think I have the brain power to have different grip with different guns.