SP101 357 magnum what's the right bullet weight

Since 125 Grain was stated to be the# 1 stopper, that is what I shoot out of all my 357 guns. They all hit close enough to point of aim that if I put them where they belong they should do the job.

Haywood said:

Since 125 Grain was stated to be the# 1 stopper, that is what I shoot out of all my 357 guns. They all hit close enough to point of aim that if I put them where they belong they should do the job.

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Bingo. It doesn't really matter what they used at the factory. Go with whatever defensive load you like. I also prefer 125 gr loads for my .357s.

Easy8 said:

I carry the 2.4 everyday use plus p's works great stays on target. You should try hayesleather.cm for a good owb love mine

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This is a good point. 357 may not be for everyone. I would not feel under powered carrying The modern 38+P loads such as Corbon, Gold Dot, HST, Etc.

Ruger uses a 158 grain bullet for test firing and accuracy at the factory, which has been the standard pretty much for years with manufacturers. I have had and carried SP101's for years, and each has preferred the heavier grain weights. Of these I found the PMC 150 grain Starfire HP to be the best as far as accuracy and recoil management. Other 158 grain rounds from Speer, Federal and Remington performed equally well but with more noticeable recoil.

As a follow up to my initial reply, I called Ruger a few minutes ago to confirm something that I had not discussed originally. I was pretty certain that the actual rifling design they use on the SP101 and the GP100 had been developed around the 158 grain loads. Ruger confirmed that is correct. Thus they will inherently shoot 158 grainers with a little more accuracy that any other weight. Lastly, Ruger uses American Eagle 158 grain 357 Magnum loads at their factory to test for function and confirm accuracy. Hope this helps.....