[Bezoar]

What is the proper way to select ammunition for a Taurus revolver? Do you use the bullet weight or the muzzle velocity printed in the Taurus manual?

for example the listed load for 45 colt is 255 grain bullet with a velocity of 900 fps. If i wanted a larger bullet is it allowable/safe to? And whata bout a 180 grain bullet in a 357?

 

[Steelheart]

First off, welcome to the forum. ;D

As long as the load is standard pressure (with the exception of 38 special as I believe all current revolvers are rated for +P) you should be good to go. If the load has exceptions or recommendations they should be listed on the box and/or on the website. I know Buffalo Bore has some listed for a few of their loads.

As you wander around the forum you will notice that this has been discussed for various guns and calibers.

This is assuming that the gun is in safe working condition. If you have any questions as far as a guns safety consult a qualified gunsmith.

Steelheart

 

[NativeTexan]

Stay well away from the "Ruger/Contender only" loads which will be rated +P by the manufacturer. This are loads by such as Buffalo Bore, made only for the very strong Ruger Blackhawks or TC contenders and even guns like the Smith and Wesson N framed "Mountain Gun" aren't strong enough to handle them. They could cause a small frame Taurus to go kaboom!

One of the better self defense .45 Colt loads and one that the Taurus is plenty safe with is the Winchester 225 grain silver tip load. It is well within the pressure limits of any .45 Colt handgun and will be VERY effective as a self defense round.

http://www.gamaliel.com/cart/product.php?productid=658

It is not the bullet weight or the velocity that matters, though advertised velocity with a given weight bullet can be an indicator of pressure. But, it's the MAXIMUM SAAMI WORKING PRESSURE of the load that is the important factor in whether you should use it or not. In .45 colt, if it's marked as +P, that means the pressure limit is way too high for your gun and you should avoid chambering it. If you do fire it, I hope you have a good major medical coverage.

The Speer No. 11 reloading manual lists working pressures of standard .45 colt loads at 15,900 CUP (copper units pressure) and +P Ruger only loads at 25,000 CUP. That is a big difference in a case with a case head this large. Standard pressure velocities in the Speer manual are listed at around 900 fps max from a 5 1/2" barrel for a 250 grain bullet, 950-1000 fps for a 225 grain bullet. This is PLENTY enough for self defense work! Compare this to +P loads listed from a 7.5" Blackhawk of up around 1200-1300 fps for a 225 grain bullet, 1250 for a 250 grain bullet. And, IMHO, the Speer +P loads are mild. Typical 300 grain bullet velocities are around 1150 fps from a 4 5/8" Blackhawk and over 1200 fps from a 7" Contender in my experience. Buffalo Bore lists their 300 grain +P IIRC at about 1200 fps. These loads are intended for big game hunting or bear and other toothy critter protection, not self defense. They are up there with the .44 magnum in power and pressure and recoil. Actually, pressure is lower than .44 though performance is equal, but the larger case head of the .45 limits its pressure limit. Even if your gun could safely handle them, AND I STRESS IT CANNOT, it would be too much load for self defense. The Winchester standard pressure silver tip is going to rock you back pretty hard, has more power than a typical .44 special. You don't need more.

 

[Qwiks draw]

Recommend starting a personnel library to keep info like this available for you to scan from time to time. Gun Digest has a book out called " Cartridges of the World", By Frank Barnes and one other person as editor. This has most of the info you need. Since it has every cartridge ever developed,stats on all these, and a history as well as what uses the cartridges have. It's an easy read though a little biased in some areas.

The book even explains ballistics well enough for any layman to understand. Frank Barnes writes in any easy to understand manor.

This is not gospel. There are exceptions to some of the printed data, but this is a good starting point.

Barnes and Noble or any bookshop should be able to get it for you if not already in the shooting section or sporting section.

Gun Digest does have a web site that you can order on. They have a very successful line of informative books.

Massad Ayoob's book they have called " The Complete Book of Combat Handgunnery", comes out yearly, and any year is a good source for shooting and what you have asked for here.

Most .357 magnum loads have a bullet weight of between 110 grains and 158 grains for all around work. Same for .38 Specials. Each bullet weight has a use for only certain parameters of use.

110 grain through 145 grains in both .357 mag. and . 38 Special, are for defense and practice mainly.+P 110 gr. to 158 gr. JHPs can be used for defense in .38 Special. 158grains and heavier in .357 mag are mainly for hunting, but can be used when extra penetration is needed or for defense in a pinch. 158 grain bullets in .38 Special are for defense, practice, and for small game hunting if used right. This is not gospel, but a general guide for use. Depends on what purpose the bullet and cartridge are going to be used for.

Police and tactical journals that come out annually or several times a year will also have additional info on cartridge uses as well as hunter magazines and books. Loading manuals also have some useful info on this as well. Their livelyhood depends on them to know such things. There are also many opinons and subjective material on the net and in print. So weigh carefully any info you glean from any source and check against what others say or print. Guess what I am saying is to verify all claims and ask for a source or sources to check the statements given out with. Your life and others are on the line. Just because it may sound good or possible does not always mean things are that way.

 

[Bezoar]

Thanks for the reading recommendations here folks. Since I have never seen ammunition with the load pressure listed on it, should I just use the recommended limits from Taurus?

Buffalo Bore has a nice 357 loading, 180 grain inside the Taurus limit of 1450fps, would this be safe to use?

 

[NativeTexan]

The Buffalo Bore .357 180 grain loads are hot and I wouldn't feed a medium frame gun with a heavy diet of 'em, but it'll handle 'em. It's the .45 Colt Buffalo Bore that is way to high pressure for a normal .45 Colt gun like the small frame Taurus. Those loads will be listed as +P meaning they exceed the SAAMI standard pressure. There should be a +P somewhere on the box.

A Taurus revolver in .357 will handle any loads any .357 caliber gun will handle. However, K frame Smiths and medium frame Taurus and other revolvers will wear excessively if fed a steady diet of hot loads. The hot 125 grain stuff is supposed to be the worst for forcing cone errosion and top strap cutting. But, normal use, I feed my M66s probably 75 percent .38 special and the balance a fairly hot 158 grain handload. I'm sure those guns will last me my lifetime, such as it is, and who ever gets 'em after than will have a heck of a time wearing 'em out if they stay on that regimen.

 

[Bezoar]

Thank you guys, I needed the help getting off the "magnum mindset" as it were. At the moment Im leaning towards black hills ammo.
And as my local ammo seller(walmart) seems to have an ideology of not selling ammo ill be staying with black hills when the time finally comes to me.