Need help with ammo for silhouette shooting

[DarryH]

I attended my first NRA Silhouette match last saturday.
I quickly found out while getting sighted in, that my cowboy action shooting ammo sucked for this game.
It is not because it is to mild, it is just plain not accurate!
It works great dumping quickly on the large, close cowboy targets.

I have a Winchester Model 92 with tang safety, made in Japan. It has a 24" barrel.
Caliber is .357 Magnum.
I know the gun can shoot, but I need good ammo for this new game.

I will have to start with commercial ammo, or commercial reloads.
I feel the 158 grain bullets will be adequate, so I won't have to spend extra to get 180 grainers like a few of the folk were using. I am not out to win matches, only to have lots of fun.

Can anyone hear stear me to a supply of loaded ammo that would be suitable and affordable ????????

I had taken two .22 rimfire leverguns to the match. The first was a Winchester Model 94/22.
It was great on the chickens and pigs, but did not do well with the turkeys or rams.
The second was a Marlin Golden 39A made in the 70's. I bought this gun privately about two years ago,
but had never fired it. It worked out a LOT better than the Winchester.
I nailed 8 of 10 rams, and just missed one of them.
I ended up the runner-up of the rimfire category.
I was very surprised, but also very happy.
Of course, now I am hooked.

Anyway, any help finding the .357 ammo would be appreciated.
Good Shootin!!
DarryH
Nebraska

[kimwcook]

Levergun silhouette is a fun sport. I wish there was a game closer than the 100+ mile away one that Wind and Whit Spurzon shoot at Tonasket.

PS - Can't help with the 357 ammo. Don't have one.

[JerryB]

COSteve should have some good loads for your work.

[Don McDowell]

Reloading your own is probably the best way to go, especially with a heavy cast bullet, but here's some "bulk" ammo
http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/browse/s ... _stype=GNU

[El Chivo]

try the Magtech 158's, the cheapest JHP with the nickel cases. I shot about 1500 rounds of it, mostly at silhouette targets, before taking up reloading. Quite accurate and enough oomph for the long range category. Save the cases. Midway should have it.

It is a copy of the Remington load so your point of impact should be the same; nice to know for emergencies.

[Newtmaker]

I occasionally buy some Federal or Remington 357 125g JHP at Walmart. They are hot loads, chrony above 2000 fps, but they shoot flat out to 100 yards.
If you reload there are lots of 125g bullets available at decent prices and you could load down to around 1700 fps and not loose much trajectory.
I have shot silhouette with my Henry lever 22lr and it sucks at 100 yard rams. Sometimes I hit one dead center and it stays on the stand!

Walt

[Cimarron]

I haven't bought factory .357's in over 35 years so I am not much help to you there. I have found that my Marlin 39A is one of the most accurate rifles in my collection. I would love to compete in levergun silhouette but as someone stated before, the nearest to me is several humdred miles away. Good luck, but mostly have fun

[bdhold]

I've found 1300fps mv to be the magic number for accuracy on my .357 baby carbine (22" barrel, not really a carbine)
The most consistent factory ammo I've found is the BVAC 180-gr Bear Load, these are SJHP and inexpensive, as they're factory reloads.
I'm grouping 1/2" at 100yds with a 3X scope.
This won't help you, but I can push the distance using 180-Gr .35 spitzers.
In HCL factory loads, the faster Double Tap and faster yet Buffalo Bore will not group under a inch, but between the two, the Double Tap is better.

[gundownunder]

I'm only new to the silhouette game but here's my 2c worth. If you want to use factory ammo you will just need to try various loads till you hit on one that works in your rifle. If it is for pistol caliber only then you can also include 38SPL ammo as that will have enough grunt for the 100mtr rams. If you also want to use the .357 for big bore you will probably need to go for heavy bullet hand loads or you will ring a lot of rams. I use the same rifle for both and I tend to ring a few rams, (if I hit them) and I use 180GR bullets and 2400 or 2205 (4227) powder.

[jdad]

This is a "game" that is 90% shooter and 10% equipment. With that being said, all you need to do is find the ammo that groups the best at 100m, in "your" rifle. Reloading is fine, but you need to load to "your" rifle. Bullet weight is not that important, for the Pistol Caliber targets. I have never rung a ram using a 90gr 32-20. Silhouette is a finesse and marksmanship game............and remember that it's just a game.