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Barrel lengh, loads, velocity.


Rolyrock

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Are factory cowboy loads fps and energy listed  on the box tested with handgun or rifle lengh guns? 

If handgun, approx how much improvement in a 20 inch lever gun would you gain with 38 special, 357 mag 158grs LFN. 

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Most Cowboy ammo is loaded with a shotgun or pistol powder - it's cheap and a pound makes a lot of cartridges.   Almost all powders burn more completely and accelerate a bullet for a longer period of time in a rifle barrel.   Our usual findings from chronographing both is that there is 150-200 FPS more velocity in most loads in the rifle than in the revolver.  Each gun is a story of it's own, though, depending upon many variables in how action and barrel are machined.  Very light loads may show less difference between revolver and rifle.    Very hot loads usually show more difference.

 

And, yes, you may never really know what any given factory does to get it's "published velocity."     By convention, rounds considered handgun ammo are tested in handguns.  And same match-up for rifle ammo.   .22 ammo is almost always tested in rifles, except for target ammo for pistols which is tested in, amazingly, pistols.  :lol:

 

Good luck, GJ

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Garrison Joe, 

I appreciate the quality of your answer, above.  I have been monitoring this website recently.  I will be moving to Colorado from the East Coast.  I wonder if you have any thoughts on something that Interests me.  I realize that a competition lever action will prioritize the rapid firing of low power handgun loads.  Is there any way to rationalize weapons purchase expenses by buying pistols, or a 1911 (wild bunch); and even perhaps the shotgun, which would be usable both for cowboy action shooting and for hunting, or home defense?

Also, would the “typical” SASS/CAS folks be OK with my shooting a “mixed bag” of weapons, for instance partially standard and partially Wild Bunch? I realize that might mess up scoring, and there is no such thing as typical.  Please understand that I don’t have any interest in “winning” or beating anyone else. I would only be interested in time and accuracy as a measure of self-defense proficiency, or proficiency in snap-shooting running deer or elk.

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PL -

 

There's MUCH similarity between Cowboy matches and WB matches.  I use same rifle (73 in .45 Colt) and could use same shotgun (Win 97 clone) for both.  

But there's no regular categories in either of those two matches that allow a "wild mix" like a revolver plus a 1911 for a Cowboy match.   Or a double-barrel shotgun in WB matches.   Some clubs will let you mix and match, but that's on an individual club basis, and usually a that's a small club that needs participants.

 

SASS is a recreational game much more than a training ground for self defense.  Can you gain some valuable skills in SASS?  Sure.  But I would not press real hard to convert SASS clubs over into a run-n-gun, one more IPSC or Speed Steel game.   I'd go shoot those as they stand if you want to be proficient in self defense.

 

So, generally you are talking about stretching SASS things quite a bit, and that makes some  folks uncomfortable about just what changes are coming.

 

I use the philosophy of "buy the firearms you want to shoot and find a way to shoot them."   Or "find a game that is interesting, and gear up to compete in that."    Most here at least appreciate the second approach.

 

Good luck with your relocation, GJ

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PL, I shoot some of the modern action shooting sports that GJ mentioned.  You can shoot a 1911 in both IDPA and WB.  There have been some good deals recently on entry-level 1911s.  If you are interested in improving defensive skills I'd try IDPA.  It emphasizes shooting from behind cover and shooting while moving.  In many scenarios you can make up a bad shot without penalty.  BTW, a pump shotgun like used in WB is an incredible self-defense weapon when loaded with buckshot.

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I deer hunt with my CAS rifles and my left side pistol. I got them in .44 mag to serve both purposes. I did get a .357 73 just for cowboy though I did that later.

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