686 shooting major

[glocklover]

How many people out there are shooting a 686 in major? I know that it's not a 625, but why not? I don't know that it's that much easyer to reload?

[GunCat]

How many people out there are shooting a 686 in major? I know that it's not a 625, but why not? I don't know that it's that much easyer to reload?

I've been known to shoot a 6” 686 (using a box full of Comp 3 speed loaders) as my “second gun”

Fed it handloads consisting of 158 grain TC lead bullets and enough Unique to make major.

[Calmwater]

I have given this some thought myself. I think I would like revolver, but know I can't afford 45 acp anytime in the near future and reloading is currently out of the question. Thought about shooting 38s out of one for a while and if I ever improved enough for it to matter shooting hotter loads in matches. I think there are moonclips out there for .357 if you wanted to get a cylinder cut.

[John Z Sr]

I've made major using 195 gr. LRN bullets and they felt fine,,, you might just want to stick with shooting minor for awhile and work on your hits and reloads, then when you get "up to speed" shooting faster and getting more charlies the major loads will help out, just my opinion

[S&WIowegan]

No reason not to, Craig. Go for it!! Bubber(Roger Davis) from icy Oklahoma has been doing this with speedloaders for quite some time. Only drawbacks are somewhat slower reloads and the fact that most factory .38 Special ammo doen't make minor. Some factory .357 ammo will make major but don't take that for granted. Best way to get there is to load heavy lead .357 bullets as slow as you can and still make major.

PM me and I'd be glad to help you any way I can.

Bob.

A16841

[Bubber]

No reason not to, Craig. Go for it!! Bubber(Roger Davis) from icy Oklahoma has been doing this with speedloaders for quite some time. Only drawbacks are somewhat slower reloads and the fact that most factory .38 Special ammo doen't make minor. Some factory .357 ammo will make major but don't take that for granted. Best way to get there is to load heavy lead .357 bullets as slow as you can and still make major.

PM me and I'd be glad to help you any way I can.

Bob.

A16841

Not relly that much slower. The only draw back is losing your brass and having to find the speedloaders. And yes it is better roll your own to make sure you get PF you need. later rdd

[buzzworm]

Back in the late '80s, early '90s. I shot my 686 using 160 cast .38 super bullets to get major. That was when PF was 175. I was running 177-178. Recoil was a bit sharper than the 625 with 200 cast major I use now, but was not bad.

Kicker was, the guy doing our scoring just assumed that since I was shooting 686 that I was shooting minor like eveyone else, and did all my scores at our local match that way for several matches. One day he told me that I had put major on my score sheet by accident again, and that he would change it when he entered it into the computor for the match scores. That's when I found out what he was doing. He told me "no body shoots major in revolver"

[colt]

I don't have a 625 either yet !! So I shoot minor out of my 2 686's with 38s bras. I have had both moon clipped and that makes a big difference in reloading time. I have never tried 180 bullets , so maybe that works. I have tried 158 at major and thought I be better with minor and shoot faster and more "A" as compared to the recoil of 158 at major.

Brent

[glocklover]

I don't have a 625 either yet !! So I shoot minor out of my 2 686's with 38s bras. I have had both moon clipped and that makes a big difference in reloading time. I have never tried 180 bullets , so maybe that works. I have tried 158 at major and thought I be better with minor and shoot faster and more "A" as compared to the recoil of 158 at major.

Brent

I'm currently trying an experiment. I bought some 180 gr bullets from hornady. I cut off the tops of the 38 spl brass that I have.(about an 1/4 inch) So, that the brass goes in easyer. I bought some Bullseye. A fast burning powder. I've had the gun cut for moon clips. I don't think that you can shoot revolver and be competitive in minor. So, I think I have to shoot major. I know that the holes are not as big as a 45 acp, but there isn't anything I can do about that. I'm going to give it a try. I might fail big time, but what the hell. I'll let you know.

Craig

[hdgun]

I don't have a 625 either yet !! So I shoot minor out of my 2 686's with 38s bras. I have had both moon clipped and that makes a big difference in reloading time. I have never tried 180 bullets , so maybe that works. I have tried 158 at major and thought I be better with minor and shoot faster and more "A" as compared to the recoil of 158 at major.

Brent

I'm currently trying an experiment. I bought some 180 gr bullets from hornady. I cut off the tops of the 38 spl brass that I have.(about an 1/4 inch) So, that the brass goes in easyer. I bought some Bullseye. A fast burning powder. I've had the gun cut for moon clips. I don't think that you can shoot revolver and be competitive in minor. So, I think I have to shoot major. I know that the holes are not as big as a 45 acp, but there isn't anything I can do about that. I'm going to give it a try. I might fail big time, but what the hell. I'll let you know.

Craig

Craig,you do not have to cut your brass, just buy 38 long colt. it is about 10th shorter than special cases. when i did shoot revo i shot a modified 686 in 38 super ( had the cylinder reamed ) with 158s and blue dot powder.

[Bubber]

I don't have a 625 either yet !! So I shoot minor out of my 2 686's with 38s bras. I have had both moon clipped and that makes a big difference in reloading time. I have never tried 180 bullets , so maybe that works. I have tried 158 at major and thought I be better with minor and shoot faster and more "A" as compared to the recoil of 158 at major.

Brent

I'm currently trying an experiment. I bought some 180 gr bullets from hornady. I cut off the tops of the 38 spl brass that I have.(about an 1/4 inch) So, that the brass goes in easyer. I bought some Bullseye. A fast burning powder. I've had the gun cut for moon clips. [size=5 ]I don't think that you can shoot revolver and be competitive in minor. [/size] So, I think I have to shoot major. I know that the holes are not as big as a 45 acp, but there isn't anything I can do about that. I'm going to give it a try. I might fail big time, but what the hell. I'll let you know.

Craig

Being competitive is all in your interpertations. Jerry V. has quietly snuck into the top 20 A Class revo shooting minor. I am about 2.5% away from sneaking into Master in Revo. I shoot nothing but minor. It is not easy but it ain't that hard. Simply shoot faster with better hits, something we are trying to do already.

[glocklover]

I don't have a 625 either yet !! So I shoot minor out of my 2 686's with 38s bras. I have had both moon clipped and that makes a big difference in reloading time. I have never tried 180 bullets , so maybe that works. I have tried 158 at major and thought I be better with minor and shoot faster and more "A" as compared to the recoil of 158 at major.

Brent

I'm currently trying an experiment. I bought some 180 gr bullets from hornady. I cut off the tops of the 38 spl brass that I have.(about an 1/4 inch) So, that the brass goes in easyer. I bought some Bullseye. A fast burning powder. I've had the gun cut for moon clips. [size=5 ]I don't think that you can shoot revolver and be competitive in minor. [/size] So, I think I have to shoot major. I know that the holes are not as big as a 45 acp, but there isn't anything I can do about that. I'm going to give it a try. I might fail big time, but what the hell. I'll let you know.

Craig

Being competitive is all in your interpertations. Jerry V. has quietly snuck into the top 20 A Class revo shooting minor. I am about 2.5% away from sneaking into Master in Revo. I shoot nothing but minor. It is not easy but it ain't that hard. Simply shoot faster with better hits, something we are trying to do already.

[/quot

What kind of loads and gun do you shoot?

Craig

Edited January 31, 2010 by glocklover

[Bubber]

One of the L frames I shoot has been modified for 38 super in six shot, so I can get my brass back in moonclips. For that I use a 135 Billy Bullet with 5.5 grains of Winchester Super Field. It is moving about 1000 fps. It just seems to hit better with that load and me. The one gun I truely like is my L frame 38/357 with the Jet or Safariland Comp III's. That is the one I will be using at the Memphis Charity Challenge. I just don't like losing all my brass or having my friends having to crawl around on the ground picking them up with me. For the 38 Special I like the Solo 1000. Very clean burning and soft, from 3.7 to 4.2 grains behind the 160 billy Bullet. Run Whut You Brung. later rdd

[20nickels]

I would think you could easily make major with a 158 or heavier bullet in a 686. I would find 200 gr. LRN's and use volume to replicate .45 ACP loads. Be carefull with those shortened cases and fast powders!

[glocklover]

I would think you could easily make major with a 158 or heavier bullet in a 686. I would find 200 gr. LRN's and use volume to replicate .45 ACP loads. Be carefull with those shortened cases and fast powders!

I bought some 180 gr bullets from cabelas, and I bought some 158gr cast bullets. I'm going to load them up and see what the chronos says. I'll start off with some light loads and work my way up.

Craig

[Northern Xtreme]

I had a 6" 686 cut for moonclips by Clark. I shot "38 major" out of it using Berrys plated 158 round nose bullets and 38 special cases. I cant remember the load off the top of my head and I'm at work right now but I shot that for a whole season and it worked well.

When it comes to the shooting I prefer the 686 frame, but for the reloading you cant beat the 25's.

[glocklover]

I had a 6" 686 cut for moonclips by Clark. I shot "38 major" out of it using Berrys plated 158 round nose bullets and 38 special cases. I cant remember the load off the top of my head and I'm at work right now but I shot that for a whole season and it worked well.

When it comes to the shooting I prefer the 686 frame, but for the reloading you cant beat the 25's.

If you can remember what load you used I would like to try it.

[Cherryriver]

A few years back I ran off a few hundred loads with the old NBC 200gr lead TCs with VihtaVuori 350 in .38 Special cases that made major rather easily... in a four-inch Official Police. And, they were very nice to shoot.

I can't find my old notes on that but you can get there without strain.

The traditional high-power powder for .38s was always 2400. Good flash and boom, too. I think Elmer used to use a quarter pound behind his hardcast 173gr wadcutters. Check that one out before you drop the hammer, though.

It'll work in moderation, too. I don't care to quote ol' Skeeter Skelton's major loads but you can find his old articles on the 'net. If you can find an old Hercules data sheet, that might get you going, too.

Blue Dot's good, too, as would be VV 3N37.

But man, lay offa the Bullseye for major in .36 cal!

I ran a few matches with both a 686 (yes, I do actually own a stainless gun) and my wonderful old 28, going major with 158gr Berry's. I never thought I was doing as well on the second shot and felt that recoil sharpness was holding me back.

Just the other day, I ran across and old vid of me with the 686 on a classifier stage and it doesn't look as though I was getting much muzzle rise or twist at all. So, I don't know.

I did try minor, but you really, really need your alphas, then. For a guy like me who prefers fast to anything else, not such a good idea.

[John Z Sr]

If you would like to try some 195 lead round nose, PM me and I'll send you a handful

[AzShooter]

I've been shooting my 686 with 185 grain hand cast bullets for Major in .38 cases using full moon clips. I also use the clips and switch to .38 short for minor loads. This way I don't get the loads confused.

185 grainers don't need a lot of powder to make major.

[glocklover]

If you would like to try some 195 lead round nose, PM me and I'll send you a handful

Thanks, but I bought some over the internet. I'll let you know how it goes.

Craig

[John Z Sr]

Try to stay away from the slower powders, I found that I was getting some unburned powder and got the cylinders dirty real quick, good luck

[glocklover]

O.K. So, I went out to the range today and chrono some rounds. I used bullseye for my powder. I used it because it's fast burning. I loaded up four different loads. First, 158gr cast bullet with 3.7grs Bullseye it gave me a power factor of 125. Just made minor power factor. It was about 30 degrees today. So, when matches start up in a mounth I should be fine with the warm weather. Second, load was 158gr cast bullet with 4.0grs Bullseye gave me a power factor of 135. Third load was 180gr jacketed bullet with 3.3grs Bullseye gave me a power factor of 114. Fourth load was 180grs jacketed bullet with 3.4grs Bullseye power factor of 118. Not much difference I know but I wanted to start slowly. My next load I think I will do 180grs jacketed bullet with 4.0 grs of Bullseye. To see if I can get to major. Both of the minor loads felt very light, not much recoll.

Craig

[Northern Xtreme]

I had a 6" 686 cut for moonclips by Clark. I shot "38 major" out of it using Berrys plated 158 round nose bullets and 38 special cases. I cant remember the load off the top of my head and I'm at work right now but I shot that for a whole season and it worked well.

When it comes to the shooting I prefer the 686 frame, but for the reloading you cant beat the 25's.

If you can remember what load you used I would like to try it.

Sorry for the delay.

The load I used I got from someone else here on the forums by the way. It worked good, I used it in my revolver one whole season. I called it the 38 magnum. It was hard on brass, I used once fired nickle because it extracts easier, I did not re-use the cases.

6.8 grains Unique, 158 grain Berrys copper plated round nose, Fed 200 magnum primer, OAL 1.540" made major PH of about 170 in my 6" SW 686, cases extracted easily, some deformation of cases in unsupported areas near moonclip/ extractor, kind of like a Glock bulge if you will. Thats why I didnt reuse them. Powder burned clean leaving no unburned grains to gum up the action.

Disclaimer: I am not reccomending anyone alse try this load, I am only describing my personal experiences.

[bikerburgess]

if you want to make major go for it but it is not necessary I shoot whith a guy who regularly beats half the auto shooters and all the revo guys with a 686 and 38 specials loaded to minor he has his gun set up for moon clips and just shoots faster and more acuratly thatn the rest of us. its just like the production guys we have that beat the limited and open shooters its all about accuracy and speed run what you have and have fun.