I took my chronograph out to the range today to test four factory 357 Magnum defense rounds. What made this fun and different is that I used three S&W 686 revolvers - a 3" bbl, a 4" bbl, & and 8-3/8" bbl. These are all 10-round samples. An expensive day 
.
First up - Federal 130 grain Hydra-Shok "Low Recoil":
686 3": 1356 f/s; 530 ft/lbs.
686 4": 1430 f/s; 590 ft/lbs.
686 8": 1538 f/s; 682 ft/lbs.
These have "Low Recoil" on the box. But they are by no means low recoil. These are very potent.
Next up, we have something of a specialty round: Speer's 135 grain Gold Dot Hollow Point - Short Barrel (GDHP SB). Specifically designed for short barrel / carry applications (think 5-shot, J-frame), this round is clearly "de-tuned" compared to most 357 defense rounds.
686 3": 1153 f/s; 398 ft/lbs.
686 4": 1223 f/s; 448 ft/lbs.
686 8": 1215 f/s; 442 ft/lbs.
It's not a surprise that the 8" barrel was outperformed by the 4". With little doubt, the short barrel loading is with a fast propellant that is exhausted before the bullet gets much past the 4" mark. This is exactly what I expected. Even with the 3" gun, this round is tame and easy to handle - also not nearly as loud. This loading obviously doesn't deliver the big numbers as the others, but there's more to choosing a defense loading than sheer kinetic energy. This round clearly outperforms its 38+P counterpart (955 f/s 3"; 1011 f/s 4"), and bridges the gap between 38+P and full-house 357. And its radical hollow point design makes expansion a near-certainty, given proper shot placement. A good choice for many in certain circumstances.
Next up, another Speer product. Their 125 grain GDHP.
686 3": 1346 f/s; 502 ft/lbs.
686 4": 1460 f/s; 591 ft/lbs.
686 8": 1560 f/s; 675 ft/lbs.
Like the Federal Hydra-Shok's, these are potent rounds. Judging by the bullet profile, I would expect the Speer bullet to expand more aggressively than the Federal (doesn't mean better). But that's for tnoutoors9 on u-Tube with his ballistics gel tests. If you prefer to have a very potent round using a lighter bullet, then either one would be an excellent choice.
Next we have Speer's 158 grain GDHP.
686 3": 1078 f/s; 407 ft/lbs.
686 4": 1153 f/s; 466 ft/lbs.
686 8": 1190 f/s; 497 ft/lbs.
These were surprisingly "de-tuned" by the standards of the 125 grain Gold Dot and the 130 grain Hydra-Shok. I will say that I really liked the way this round handled in the 4" bbl especially. These would be a good choice if you prefer a heavier slug for your defense needs. Even with the lower velocities, I have little doubt that Speer's Gold Dot design has excellent potential to open up and do what it's supposed to do. Maybe the numbers don't look as impressive as the lighter bullets, but I really liked this round.
It's always interesting to see how ammunition performs in your actual gun(s). So this was a fun day at the range for me.
If you're into handloading, I also chronographed a few of my handloads in the same manner and posted it in the handloading section, if you're interested.
Have a great day everyone.
.First up - Federal 130 grain Hydra-Shok "Low Recoil":
686 3": 1356 f/s; 530 ft/lbs.
686 4": 1430 f/s; 590 ft/lbs.
686 8": 1538 f/s; 682 ft/lbs.
These have "Low Recoil" on the box. But they are by no means low recoil. These are very potent.
Next up, we have something of a specialty round: Speer's 135 grain Gold Dot Hollow Point - Short Barrel (GDHP SB). Specifically designed for short barrel / carry applications (think 5-shot, J-frame), this round is clearly "de-tuned" compared to most 357 defense rounds.
686 3": 1153 f/s; 398 ft/lbs.
686 4": 1223 f/s; 448 ft/lbs.
686 8": 1215 f/s; 442 ft/lbs.
It's not a surprise that the 8" barrel was outperformed by the 4". With little doubt, the short barrel loading is with a fast propellant that is exhausted before the bullet gets much past the 4" mark. This is exactly what I expected. Even with the 3" gun, this round is tame and easy to handle - also not nearly as loud. This loading obviously doesn't deliver the big numbers as the others, but there's more to choosing a defense loading than sheer kinetic energy. This round clearly outperforms its 38+P counterpart (955 f/s 3"; 1011 f/s 4"), and bridges the gap between 38+P and full-house 357. And its radical hollow point design makes expansion a near-certainty, given proper shot placement. A good choice for many in certain circumstances.
Next up, another Speer product. Their 125 grain GDHP.
686 3": 1346 f/s; 502 ft/lbs.
686 4": 1460 f/s; 591 ft/lbs.
686 8": 1560 f/s; 675 ft/lbs.
Like the Federal Hydra-Shok's, these are potent rounds. Judging by the bullet profile, I would expect the Speer bullet to expand more aggressively than the Federal (doesn't mean better). But that's for tnoutoors9 on u-Tube with his ballistics gel tests
. If you prefer to have a very potent round using a lighter bullet, then either one would be an excellent choice. Next we have Speer's 158 grain GDHP.
686 3": 1078 f/s; 407 ft/lbs.
686 4": 1153 f/s; 466 ft/lbs.
686 8": 1190 f/s; 497 ft/lbs.
These were surprisingly "de-tuned" by the standards of the 125 grain Gold Dot and the 130 grain Hydra-Shok. I will say that I really liked the way this round handled in the 4" bbl especially. These would be a good choice if you prefer a heavier slug for your defense needs. Even with the lower velocities, I have little doubt that Speer's Gold Dot design has excellent potential to open up and do what it's supposed to do. Maybe the numbers don't look as impressive as the lighter bullets, but I really liked this round.
It's always interesting to see how ammunition performs in your actual gun(s). So this was a fun day at the range for me.
If you're into handloading, I also chronographed a few of my handloads in the same manner and posted it in the handloading section, if you're interested.
Have a great day everyone.