Like I mention in the video I am not a sharp shooter, gun pro, expert, connoisseur of hand guns, and I am not Jerry Miculek, nor do I pretend to be, so before you fill the comment box of how ridiculously poor I shoot cut me a little slack. I am hoping to learn from you and you from me too.
This is a video of me shooting my S&W 686+ with some hand loads I put together to start to see what the gun likes and how it groups. Personally I am not very use to shooting open sights or handguns. It is all very new to me. Grip, technique, and even what to expect... How good should this gun shoot and at what distance? At any rate like I mention in the video I was using the following recipe . Please do not use this load data until you check it out your self or your gun may blow up and you will die:
* Hornady 140gr FTX Bullets
* Magtech once fired brass
* CCI Small Pistol Mag Primers
* Accurate #9 Powder (11,12,13grs 10 each)
* Trim length 1.240"
* COAL 1.585"
* Distance 20yds, no wind, 25°f to 30°f
* Light roll crimp
PLEASE LEAVE YOUR THOUGHTS OR TIPS in the comment box. Very interested to hear from some more experienced shooters and will be doing some more loading and experimenting on my own. Next video should contain some Hornady 158gr XTP's and just an FYI my goal is to have a gun that is accurate as it can be with me shooting it and if it shoots well enough I may try to take some game with this gun. Thanks for watching!!
This is a video of me shooting my S&W 686+ with some hand loads I put together to start to see what the gun likes and how it groups. Personally I am not very use to shooting open sights or handguns. It is all very new to me. Grip, technique, and even what to expect... How good should this gun shoot and at what distance? At any rate like I mention in the video I was using the following recipe . Please do not use this load data until you check it out your self or your gun may blow up and you will die:
* Hornady 140gr FTX Bullets
* Magtech once fired brass
* CCI Small Pistol Mag Primers
* Accurate #9 Powder (11,12,13grs 10 each)
* Trim length 1.240"
* COAL 1.585"
* Distance 20yds, no wind, 25°f to 30°f
* Light roll crimp
PLEASE LEAVE YOUR THOUGHTS OR TIPS in the comment box. Very interested to hear from some more experienced shooters and will be doing some more loading and experimenting on my own. Next video should contain some Hornady 158gr XTP's and just an FYI my goal is to have a gun that is accurate as it can be with me shooting it and if it shoots well enough I may try to take some game with this gun. Thanks for watching!!
That "factory" load group tells me that you really don't need any help with accuracy. Thats honestly very good for a 4" barrel! If you can lob 7 rounds in a group that size @20yds, you're "good to go"! 🎯👍
i used to shoot a 2 and a half inch smith and wesson a lot they sold reloaded 38 specials at a gun shop near me it was a great deal they sold them to police back then in 90s you just brought in your old brass and got a box of 500 or 1000 rounds for 80 bucks i think I shot a ton of those in wadcutter target rounds for practice
You look young for your white hair, I think thats a different trait ;because, Some people have white beards and black hair and look young also.
Finger placement is very important, you don't want to use the finger joint you want to use the pad of your finger. There are some good videos here on the subject that helped me tighten up my groups a lot.
Although you can, I don't use the FTX bullets in my revolvers. To achieve a proper overall length they recommend trimming the brass, so. I do use the Hornady XTP's though…..140, 158 & 180, as well as bulk Remington & others. As far as powder is concerned, I use H2400 and AA#9 in my heavy cast handloads primarily. It'll work fine in jacketed loads as well but I've found that the accuracy overall isn't as good. For magnum loads using jacketed bullets I use H110, W296, & Hodgdon's Li'l Gun primarily. For medium .357 loads, Unique works well. For light loads. including .38 Special wadcutters, HP38 or W231 (same powder) work very well. I used to use Bullseye back in the match days but it's much dirtier burning.
shit that group looks great id take it
just keep shottin ill bet when u started shootin tifles you werent taring holes i got the same gun keep shootin
I didn’t know it was legal to shoot guns in the people’s republic of New York
I have a 686 6 shot 4 inch
Do not give up on reloading or shooting
Just work on constant one way an one form standing even both eyes open watch pistol shooter Jerry Michalek on youtube he is the best at it for smith &Wesson
Both eyes open is real good ldea butt sounds like load data good check witch loads are best for accuracy an improvement will come i do not like glsses fogging eather been shooting for many years i am 65 load lots of 38 and 357 do not stop practice makes perfect
Thanks for the video man i got one just like that today and was glad to find this
Great video as always nice shooting my loads seem to shoot on the lower on data. You can always try 11.5 grs just like a rifle a half a grain can make a difference
Cool.. 7 shots, a lots of people like me didnt know that.. I just know that, revolver got only 6 shots max.. Glad to know it, learning everytime, anything… Thanks for this great video..
I too started with rifle’s and shotguns. My first revolver was a S&W .460 magnum. When I got my first carry gun, I went with the Smith&Wesson model 686+ I love it. My first auto loader was a Remington 1911 in 45. I still cannot find myself carrying anything else love my wheel Gun.
Have some fun and get a Henry 357 lever action .
I think when shooting a range of different guns with different bullets you need to experiment with 5, 15, 50 yard distances.
Bigger the bullet, the more damage it does but with short range. Longer the barrel, the more speed and distance. Stronger the firing mechanism also does something else. Having just one range can make measurements misleading and annoying.
A 7.62mm will go farther with less force than a 500 S&W magnum 4 inch
I know it's an old vid but since you asked for constructive, the only thing I would say is that for defense, it is my personal policy to carry commercial ammunition. A lot of people recommend calling your local PD and asking what they use (usually HST).
While putting down a goblin with handloads is legally surmountable, that doesn't mean it will be free. If you find yourself in a courtroom and the prosecutor decides to jam you up over your ammo selection, yeah you might be able to defend against it, but it will add many thousands to the cost of your defense. Last thing you would want is a bunch of bliss ninnies on a jury thinking that you rolled "cop shredder" bullets.
Admittedly, I haven't seen an actual case of this happening, but as those in the legal profession like to say, "test cases are for other people".
Always carry always.
nice vid doc. I have the exact same gun. its my favorite, I cant really offer any tips ive only shot maybe 1k rounds with it in the 8yrs that ive own it. Wish I had land like that to do my target practice. By me the range fee plus ammo can get expensive.
Targets look like you're doing it right.
Sweet 357 group! I’m working up a load for a 586 for me and my son. I’m struggling with a full power load but like my mid-level Unique load with 158 Speers. Don’t forget to practice alittle 1 handed. You never know when a situation might arise. Been there and I’m glad I knew my handgun.
Nice! I can smell the gun powder from here! 😍 I miss shooting! Not bad for not being used to handguns. 👍👍
you in new york how did you get a pistol thought you could not have them there?
Totally jealous. Stupid laws in the UK on guns. I can go out, get a firearm certificate, and buy a Barrett M82 anti material rifle, and turn a deer into pink mist.
Can I go and buy a .22 handgun, pfft, nope.
how to safely shoot it:
put both of your hands on it, or else it will fuck you up.
One thing I noticed is the placement of your trigger finger , use the tip not the first joint .
I had the 6.5" barrel version of that firearm, when I lived in South Carolina. Pawned it to buy my ungrateful stepson his first car. Miss that gun. That's all I have to say about that.
Great video. What book did you get your loading info from? It looks like your gun likes your first load. I have a 6 inch. My gun loves the 158 grain Aguila soft points. I can shoot the center out of orange dots with it at 20 yards. But I would love to hand load those bullets that your shooting.
You hand load also?? You're the man dude!
As always, an excellent video. The 686 is what I carried when I started as a deputy sheriff 26 years ago. The S&W revolver are great. We shot them at 50 yards in the academy. As far as your mechanics, looks good. Aim, hold, squeeze. Maybe a little more work on the squeeze, but it looks good.
Hickok 45
Is it safe to fire 38 caliber rounds in a 686-4 revolver without any kind of damage
I'm not sure what you're doing where you're looking down the target but it looks like if you're held at the top of the circle you be hitting Dead on
Are you interested in selling that 686 cuz I'm interested in buying
Have you ever shot any 12 gauge shatter disc shells ? I know a guy that had some won't mention any names 😋 hehe the guy shot a tree with one and the chunk of wood that those dang peices took off of it was scary. He don't have any more of them cause he shot them all 😞 😁
i think in anticipation of the higher kick you tent to get a little stiff in the shoulders and wrists and it pulls the barrel a bit lower, going lower to the left mneans you likely tightened the grip on the left hand. breath, relax and shoot
Cool video and nothing to apologize for with your bench rest shooting, good job at 20 yds. One thing I recommend is if you reload your practice ammo, just use .357 cases. You can download them to .38 special velocities, or even lower if you like, and that way you'll avoid the carbon build up in the cylinder that can make .357 extraction harder.
I sold most of my guns when I moved to Costa Rica a few years back, but at one time I had a Taurus model 608 with a ported 4" barrel that was a hoot to shoot. With full power loads it would generate a massive fireball at the muzzle and indoors it would direct the muzzle blast upwards which could be deafening. For wheelguns I also had a Taurus Ultralight .38 special as a pocket gun, a vintage S&W model 27 .357 which had the best trigger I ever owned and was my favorite for steel shoots, and a Ruger Redhawk .44 Mag with a 7.5" barrel. Since I downsized I now just own two pistols, a CZ PCR alloy framed compact 9mm for carry, and a CZ 75B SA 9mm for competition.
Happy shooting!
MRS.O SHARE YOUR PASSION SHOOTING
Hey Eric, I've been watching your repair videos for a while and just now found this one. How about a reloading video sometime or a tour of your reloading set up? I've been casting and reloading for almost 20 years and always interested in seeing how others go about it.
My best advice is shoot shoot and shoot so you can know if it is you or the gun.
most shooting skills are developed over time and practice.
by the way your groups are normal hotter loads make larger groups.
I find my better loads are at the lower end as well
I have a Dan Wesson 357 Magnum and I have shoot at targets at 50 yards and hit bulls eye.
The 686 was my first carry gun as a Deputy back in the 80's. It is a great gun, reliable and accurate. As for your technique, it seems fine to me. I'm a "righty" and hold left thumb under right thumb like you, to get as much "meat" on the grips as I can – just be careful your left thumb stays clear of the cylinder gap, especially when firing hot loads. The more "skin" you have on the grip, the easier it is to control. And I grip just as firmly as I can without losing trigger finger dexterity, squeezing the heels of my palms together tight.
You are doing fine and you will undoubtedly get better with trigger time. Finding out how much better is the fun part. That 686 "Resolver" can handle dry firing just fine. An easy drill you can do at home — I used to (make the gun safe & unload) aim at the screw on a light-switch plate across a living room and dry fire (double-action) until I could hold sights reasonably steady on the screw from a good full second before hammer-drop to a good full second after hammer-drop. That allows you to find the perfect grip firmness and the perfect spot on your index finger that allows the straightest trigger pull. Sort of like riding a bicycle, you will reach a point where you can "feel" a good shot – hard to explain. Once that drill becomes easy, increase speed. When that gets easy, start slow double-taps, etc.
But make no mistake, you are doing fine. Put a 6" circle on a deer, hog or burglar at 10 yards (not 20) — that's accurate enough for "social" work and you are already capable of less than that. If you want to be bulls-eye, 10-ring accurate, you just need some more trigger time and you will get closer and closer until you find your personal "good enough" point.
The gun definitely seemed to like the slower load for stabilizing that particular bullet. When searching for a load for a given gun, I personally tend to gravitate to the heaviest bullet the gun can shoot well and stick with it. Seems to be universally applicable for my needs. But that's just me.
Have fun and good luck!
I liked your video. when I started hand loading a chronograph was my first investment after trying press. I'm curious fps on those loads.
I bought some 140 ftx recently. loaded some hot 38 cases with 6.5 grains of unique. at 6.5 grains it left just enough room for bullet without compressing the load. I got 1025 fps with good accuracy. lighter than magnum rounds, easier on gun and shooter. hotter than plus p. I only shoot em in 357 handguns not J frame.
I'm curious about the ftx expansion. keep up the good work.
You shoot and explain just like a professional. Nice shooting for being new to handguns. I myself have a rugger .44. I like the 7 cylinder .357 I thought of getting one how do you like it so far?
Nice work! Your discipline and methodology provided the input you needed. It isn't unusual for the light load to be the most accurate. I'd stick with it.
You're too hard on yourself, you're a great shot! I'd say you're doing everything right, and that first load of hand loads would be where I stop! Nice group. My only advise, since you mentioned you're looking for advice is: when working up a hand load I load up my first starting load, give it what I think is an adequate crimp, and then I shoot a 4 or 5 just into a backstop leaving one unfired. I then measure that unfired cartridge with calipers to see if it's grown at all. If it has I adjust my crimp die down just a bit until I get no growth, and then I work up different powder charges looking for accuracy. When you need new brass try Starline, I get great brass life from it.
I have a 586 6" barrel, the blued version and had it for 20 years. It's still among my favorite next to my Colt 1911A.
Good for you Eric, keep shooting. Get the kids involved. Its a great sport.