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Post by Frank V on Dec 20, 2016 21:47:40 GMT -5
Wow! Buffalo Bore wants $20 for shipping. I don't know if I'm that willing despite how much I want to try them. That equates to $2.50 per round when shipping is figured in. Not sure what round you're eyeing but my LGS had their wadcutter round in stock (so no shipping) and I went with them. I'll bet that'd work. Probably be a GREAT small game load too!
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Post by bradshaw on Dec 20, 2016 22:45:14 GMT -5
Not my first but I really like it and will be carrying it as a secondary as well as a primary SD gun. I have some Federal Hydrashoks but I want something a little better. Tell me what you use or what you woul use and why. I am currently looking at Buffalo Bore but don't know where to settle. Any help would be appreciated. Chris *** Chris.... I’d worry less about the ammunition than the gun. With a proper Smith & Wesson Centennial, you have a reliable, straight shooting belly gun. The S&W J-frame is the benchmark for all so-called backup guns. As a primary defense, it gives you extreme accuracy for a pocket pistol, with reliability to match. The belly gun has limited power, tactical inflexibility, so you know you have to make your shots count. However anemic .380-.38 Special ammunition may be, many of the guns are worse. A 180 grain Wide Flat Nose or wadcutter lead bullet should work. Holster maker Chic Gaylord pushed the old lead 200 Round Nose on NYPD detectives, and anyone else who would listen. Upon Chic’s advice, I fired ‘em into water jugs from a Chief’s Special and thought they came up short. Charles Askins said he folded a German soldier with the 200 grain .38 from a 4” Colt. Small differences in velocity make for dramatic differences in penetration from low velocity handgun rounds. Making ammo choice important. Where winter clothing may be heavy, or the carcass covered in lard, a cast 158 SWC, 173 SWC, 180 WFN, or 200 grain anything may just give you the edge. Short of finding your hypothetical dream bullet, the old swaged 158 Lead Hollow Point loaded by Federal and Remington (and Winchester?) worked pretty well on livestock. I liked it better than the JHP’s, probably because gets more velocity at low pressure. I have a hard time believing how badly some people shoot belly guns. And how poorly some concealed carry instructors teach. The first order of business with a belly gun is to learn it. From there, load any good ammo in it and deal. Don’t carry it for life insurance loaded with cottage brand crap. David Bradshaw
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Wasp
.30 Stingray
Posts: 312
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Post by Wasp on Dec 21, 2016 1:33:32 GMT -5
I don't shoot it bad at all, I actually like how they shoot. In fact when I did a short review on another forum I commented on exactly that, how many people talk about how inaccurate a snub can be even at reasonable ranges. I hear it a lot but to me that just means that one, they haven't shot one, or two, they haven't shot one enough to learn and be comfortable with it. It's no target gun but if you can hit a paper plate between 7-12 yards then you've pretty well got it, I can do better than that at seven but I like the platform. This is my third J frame over the last fifteen years so I'm not new to it, I've owned a 637 which is now my fathers, another 442 before this one but I sold it like an idiot, I want another one besides this one but it will have to wait. I am just exploring other ammo types than what I have carried in the past or currently have on hand. The guys here are pretty experienced with not only firearms in general but ammo as well as compared to many forums. As you are aware there is a lot of anmos out there (did I just say ammos?) and I would like to carry something that performs well and is accurate. This is my second group at seven yards after pulling this 442 out of the box. Been a while since I had shot one so I was surprised.
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Post by JSutter on Dec 23, 2016 11:06:15 GMT -5
I still load the Remington 158gr LSWCHP +P in my S&W642, mainly because it still works and I have a few boxes.
The Speer short barrel load, 135grJHP +P, has a really good reputation with a lot of people who work shootings. This load can be hard to find.
And for any recoil sensitivity issues that may happen, wadcutters are very accurate with no recoil. I've loaded these while recovering from arm or hand injuries.
FWIW
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Wasp
.30 Stingray
Posts: 312
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Post by Wasp on Dec 23, 2016 23:55:06 GMT -5
Speer 135gr GD +Ps are rated pretty well. My personal carry load in the .38 Special is the old FBI Rem. 158gr Lead SWC HP +P or the Winchester loading. Buffalo Bore makes a std pressure load with a similar bullet that I've chronographed at just over 800fps from a 2"bbl. [ Remington 158gr Lead SWC HP +P is what I have in it right now.
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Post by Frank V on Dec 25, 2016 15:20:01 GMT -5
Speer 135gr GD +Ps are rated pretty well. My personal carry load in the .38 Special is the old FBI Rem. 158gr Lead SWC HP +P or the Winchester loading. Buffalo Bore makes a std pressure load with a similar bullet that I've chronographed at just over 800fps from a 2"bbl. [ Remington 158gr Lead SWC HP +P is what I have in it right now. Me too, they worked back when & I'm betting they still will. Massad Ayoob thinks so too!
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Wasp
.30 Stingray
Posts: 312
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Post by Wasp on Jan 2, 2017 8:05:53 GMT -5
For now I've decided on the Winchester PDX1 130 gn +P. They are similar to the Ranger ammo. I have been shooting them in 9 & .45 for quite a while and like them pretty well. I have two boxes coming tomorrow.
I also got some of the new CCI #4 Shotshells to play with.
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Post by ezekiel38 on Jan 3, 2017 9:37:31 GMT -5
I've run the Buffalo Bore Non +P 158grain LSWCHP load through a Colt Detective Special 2" and it was producing 840 fps. Controllable and accurate. Also like the full wadcutter load as a load in the piece then a pointy nose bullet for a reload.
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Post by rjm52 on Jan 3, 2017 9:59:48 GMT -5
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Wasp
.30 Stingray
Posts: 312
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Post by Wasp on Jan 5, 2017 23:04:57 GMT -5
My 18 round MTM ammo wallet. These will fit great in a back pocket, a back pack, the glove box, etc.
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Post by MackaySagebrush on Jan 14, 2017 10:27:41 GMT -5
As a long time carrier of a 442 for a BUG, I will throw this out there: By a considerable margin, the single best accessory I have ever used in relation to these guns is a set of Crimson Trace laser grips. They are such a massive improvement to the traditional iron sights in less than optimal lighting conditions, that I consider them almost a requirement. Another thing in regards to ammo. I found that a standard Trader Joe's mint tin will carry exactly 24 rounds of wadcutters, as well as a pair of earplugs. This is not for any sort of "speed reload", but simply a great way to carry some extra rounds in a back pocket, or pack. I stick a rubber band around my box so as to avoid it accidentally opening up.
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Wasp
.30 Stingray
Posts: 312
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Post by Wasp on Jan 14, 2017 11:44:57 GMT -5
I'm not crazy about lasers but I do understand your reasoning.
Thanks a lot for the tin suggestion. I like my new wallets a lot! I used to use the old shotshell pack from CCI but it cracks so easy! I will try the tin when I get some wadcutters and throw it in a bag.
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Post by Rimfire69 on Jan 15, 2017 8:53:25 GMT -5
I'm still using the 12 rnd ammo wallets, will look for those bigger ones. I love the 24 rnd peppermint can idea, ear plugs included.
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Wasp
.30 Stingray
Posts: 312
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Post by Wasp on Jan 15, 2017 9:37:30 GMT -5
I'm still using the 12 rnd ammo wallets, will look for those bigger ones. I love the 24 rnd peppermint can idea, ear plugs included. MTM on Amazon. Just type in MTM .38 and it should come up.
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Fowler
.401 Bobcat
Posts: 3,566
Member is Online
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Post by Fowler on Jan 15, 2017 18:51:29 GMT -5
In my never humble opinion the MTM boxes are great for field work but are miss matched with a 442 for self defense work. The 442 is not really a ranch/back country sort of a working gun, its not like its the first choice for shooting jack rabbits at 75 yards. So it is a last ditch protection gun from 2 legged vermin, and while I seriously doubt a reload will ever be necessary for civilian CCW work a I always carry a reload in a TUFF products speed strip or in a speed loader in my left front pocket. They are so much faster to reload from than a MTM box that I cant get rounds out of one handed in the first place.
The MTM boxes are a great way to carry a few extra rounds when hunting or working with your regular hip holster guns. For working guns like this I typically carry a 6 round cartridge slide along with my holster and gun and I might drop 1 or 2 MTM boxes in my pack depending on the circumstances I am working under. If we are working over ground squirrels I might just take a full 199 round box of ammo if we are getting very far from the truck!...
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