Lead Flat Nose Gas Check, Hard Cast

Funny thing about revolvers. I've a tight 3" Ruger GP-100 .357...we're talking .035 cylinder gap...that cranks out 200 grain HC LFNGC bullets at a tic over 1200 fps. A good friend has the 4" version that's as tight as, well, let's just say that it keeps out mice and most twigs, that sort of stuff, and he averages 1170 fps or so with the same round.

For my money, a 200 grainer kicking hell at that rate of travel is serious enough persuasion for anything black bear sized and under, and it's one of the reasons I, and lots of other folks, enjoy tinkering with the .357 magnum. From 110 grains to 200, from kick ass magnum loads designed for toothsome critters, to nasty hollowpoints made for 2-legged vermin, to cowboy-style .38 Specials, the weapon is one helluva gun for all seasons.

By the way, Cor-Bon recently retired an old Ruger GP-100 that they'd used for years in the testing of their hi-velocity cartridges. 200,000 rounds and the only maintenance being an occasional spring change. That's what one can expect from taking meticulous care of a good gun, as one of my crazy brothers has put maybe 2/3 that number of booms through his 4 incher. Forcing cone is in great shape, cylinder remains in perfect time, and no topstrap cutting at all.

And he loads his own. 'Nuff said.