SP101 Range Report

[DanielC]

SP101_Sized.jpg

I finally made it to the range with my new SP101 2.25" .357 Mag last night (I can't believe it took almost a month!) and I can't say enough good things about this gun! Felt great and functioned flawlessly! Accurate enough at 20ft to keep the holes within a 10" circle. 38spl +P+ Hydra-Shoks in 147gr were a breeze, .357Mag Hydra-Shoks in 158gr were a handful! I gotta admit they stung a little, so I think it'll be wearing Hogue grips in the very near future. The best part of the evening is that it was the first time my fiance has ever fired a gun, and now she has the bug too! Overall, a great evening! Thank you to everyone who recommended the SP101 while I was shopping around. You sure didn't steer me wrong!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[UCBearcat]

SP101_Sized.jpg

I finally made it to the range with my new SP101 2.25" .357 Mag last night (I can't believe it took almost a month!) and I can't say enough good things about this gun! Felt great and functioned flawlessly! Accurate enough at 20ft to keep the holes within a 10" circle. 38spl +P+ Hydra-Shoks in 147gr were a breeze, .357Mag Hydra-Shoks in 158gr were a handful! I gotta admit they stung a little, so I think it'll be wearing Hogue grips in the very near future. The best part of the evening is that it was the first time my fiance has ever fired a gun, and now she has the bug too! Overall, a great evening! Thank you to everyone who recommended the SP101 while I was shopping around. You sure didn't steer me wrong!

Sounds like a great purchase!

[RockStrongo]

Awesome. I took a friend target shooting for the first time last week, and he really enjoyed my SP101 the most out of 5 or 6 handguns he shot. I think he is sold on a GP100 at this point.

Enjoy it!

[Haywood]

Before you change grips try 125 grain 357. I find it a little better for recoil. Beside that, 125G JHP is the best S.D. ammo for 357.

[mr surveyor]

The simple solution is to shoot the lighter loads at the range, and carry the hotter loads. Under stress (so I've heard.... no personal experience) you will not even notice the "sting" of the recoil, nor experience any major poa/poi differences at self defensive shooting distances.

[ScaryWoody]

I find that my accuracy suffers when I use other than the 158gr. bullets. I must have one of those SP101's where the sights are set for that particular bullet weight.

[yz9890]

echo some of the above. I think at the ranges you'd be effective with a snub, a heavy load like that is unnecessary. a lighter 357 or 38 will more manageable and still devastating to any target.

I love the SP101's.

[DanielC]

Yeah, chances are I'll likely carry with the .38 +P+. I was mostly curious what the heavy .357's felt like, and it's good to know that if I decide I prefer carrying the bigger load, the SP101 can handle it.

[WD54241]

That is a fine looking wheelie, I've been looking at saving up for one. Congrats.

[Chief1297]

Love mine...congrats!!

[FLSlim]

It is a nice gun and built to last. Congrats. Hogue grips will help a bit. For my 3" model, I carry Speer 135 gr short barrel and have no complaints (except cost and availability).

[mr surveyor]

I carry .357 mag 140 gr Hornady XTP's, but can't afford to shoot a steady diet of them. In a year and a half I shot right at a thousand rounds through my SP101 (with factory grip), but only a little more than a hundred factory rounds, with the rest being my reloads. I started reloading just to feed my SP101, and now I can't stop reloading (unless all my brass is full). I load fairly light charged 158 gr lead rnfp's for shooting pleasure that fairly well mimic 38 +p rounds, and a hotter load with Hornady 140 gr jshp's that are close to my factory carry loads. In the SP101 I've found the .38 +p loads feel about the same as light .38 spl target loads in a S&W Airweight, and .357 mag loads (pick your bullet weight) in the SP101 are pretty equal in feel to the Airweight with .38 +p's.


surv

[Elk Hunter]

nice gun

[DustyBottoms]

Yes! Another SP101 convert!

[Diddle]

You made an excellent purchase!