Bought Ruger GP100 .357 WILEY CLAPP edition

[doddg]

To ease your pain Doddg, I will bring you an LCR .357 with a great trigger and take that “Junk” GP100 off your hands.

I still love the Ruger GP100 Wiley Clapp: the weight, the grip size and the smooth trigger.
Next time I'll get out the .357 rounds as God intended for the gun, since that helped the last time, if memory serves.

 

[doddg]

Able to make it back to the range this evening.
Used some Blazer 158 grain and it did much better.
I wanted to use some .357 magnum rounds but found out that I need to buy another box, since I don't order it in quantity.

Took it out to 30' instead of 20' and it did better.
Both were shot on a rest, so the ammo was the X-factor: lesson learned.
I suspect that some .357 rounds will do even better.
I do really love the D/A trigger on this gun.

 

[WebSnyper]

Been a while since I was into revolvers, but I believe (at least in theory) that the magnum rounds should be more accurate as the bullet should not have to make the same jump that it does with the shorter 38 special, etc. Others will be along I'm sure to advise more on this. That said, there could be other factors (flinch when not shooting off a rest, etc) that the magnum rounds could not show that improvement in a specific shooter's hands.

 

[doddg]

Been a while since I was into revolvers, but I believe (at least in theory) that the magnum rounds should be more accurate as the bullet should not have to make the same jump that it does with the shorter 38 special, etc. Others will be along I'm sure to advise more on this. That said, there could be other factors (flinch when not shooting off a rest, etc) that the magnum rounds could not show that improvement in a specific shooter's hands.

Your comments are are entirely consistent with what others have said.
just like there was a huge difference using a different brand of.38 spl. ammo shooting worlds better at twice the distance, using .357 load would bring it in tighter.
my research evidenced that this revolver loses little when using the .38 rd.

 

[Bosshoss]

Every Revolver is different but in my years of shooting them and gunsmithing them I have never seen case length make enough difference to say that one case length is better than another, for accuracy anyway.
One of my 627's shoots 38 short colt(same length as a 9MM) just as accurate as 38 special and 38 loads in 357 cases.
Most bulleye or Bianchi shooters use 38 special even if gun is 357. Some shorten the cylinders and set the barrels back but I have never heard them say it made much difference.

 

[doddg]

Every Revolver is different but in my years of shooting them and gunsmithing them I have never seen case length make enough difference to say that one case length is better than another, for accuracy anyway.
One of my 627's shoots 38 short colt(same length as a 9MM) just as accurate as 38 special and 38 loads in 357 cases.
Most bulleye or Bianchi shooters use 38 special even if gun is 357. Some shorten the cylinders and set the barrels back but I have never heard them say it made much difference.

Now that is interesting! I was under the impression from my reading that shooting .38 sp. in a .357 was a compromise.
Now I won't feel so guilty.

I have even thought that I should buy a .38 sp. revolver to replace my Ruger GP100 Wiley Clapp editions if I'm not going to shoot .357 out of it since I could get a 64-8 SW for around $300 - $400 easily enough, but I would lose that sweet trigger.
I have had three S/W .38 sp revolvers: $275, $300 & $400. All were S/W.
But, I am hard pressed to give up my GP100 Wiley Clapp edition with the upgraded trigger since it costs $780 at a LGS that I have bought new from b/c of less mark-up than most places.
I am on the prowl right now for a SW 4" (or longer) .38 sp for $370, but I won't buy sight unseen again, since I've had good ones for less than that.
I must have a 6 rd, but a 7 rd would be heaven (8 rd would be out of this world).
But, to get one, it would cost what I have in the Wiley Clapp, unless I get a service duty gun.

Ruger Wiley Clapp GP100 1753
PRODUCT CODE : 736676017539
$778.99
Mfg Item #: 1753
GP100 WILEY CLAPP 357 3 MATTE 1753 NOVAK SIGHTS
Action double single action
Barrel 3"
Finish Matte Blue
Sights Novak Brass Bead Front
Caliber 357 Magnum | 38 Special
Capacity 6

 

[WebSnyper]

Every Revolver is different but in my years of shooting them and gunsmithing them I have never seen case length make enough difference to say that one case length is better than another, for accuracy anyway.
One of my 627's shoots 38 short colt(same length as a 9MM) just as accurate as 38 special and 38 loads in 357 cases.
Most bulleye or Bianchi shooters use 38 special even if gun is 357. Some shorten the cylinders and set the barrels back but I have never heard them say it made much difference.

Good to know from the horse's (or should I say hoss's) mouth, and from whom I know has the experience to say for sure.

It had always been one of those things that was talked/written about, but I never put it to the test when I was into wheel guns.

That said, I'm sure I developed a bit of a flinch lighting off those 125 grain federal jhp rounds in my little SP101 back when I had it, so even if it were true, I probably would have never seen the positive results. One of the few guns I have sold off that I wish I had back. They were much tamer in the Ruger GP100 6" that I had.

 

[mcapo]

I suspect (?) that the "accuracy" differences to which the OP refers and the related internet babble is really differences in POI/POA due to velocity differences and/or people making a leap by applying long range rifle characteristics (i.e. distance to lands) to typical pistol distances? Who knows.....

I've never seen any differences in accuracy but I am no pro only POI differences.

Whatever BossHoss says is correct.

Just my $.02.

Bottom line remains that the answer to any pistol cartridge question is alway 357 magnum....

 

[WebSnyper]

Whatever BossHoss says is correct.

Bottom line remains that the answer to any pistol cartridge question is alway 357 magnum....

Quoted for truth on both parts...

 

[700 LTR 223]

Most bullseye or Bianchi shooters use 38 special even if gun is 357. Some shorten the cylinders and set the barrels back but I have never heard them say it made much difference.

Back when I used to shoot in the Muncie pistol league many of the shooters used 38 Specials in 357 revolvers with excellent target scores. I used a Smith 686 and model 66 with 38 Special 148 wadcutters.