ihmsa forums

I'm new to ihmsa but not new to handgun shooting...I'm cursed by my unwavering devotion to my Dan Wesson wheel guns, I have the 15-2 357 with 2,4,6" barrels, 44 with 8" compensated & 2" barrels, and my last is 445 with 10" compensated shroud......Last year I almost won our local buffalo shoot but I had a stupid mistake causing 2 misses that cost me a win, that was with my 44....my ? is and no time to waste as im heading in to load some for my 445 and our shoot is tomorrow......my ? is any favorite loads for the 445 and or bullet choice any why ya like it. thinking 300 grain sierra or some hardcast 310 keith bullets.....how hard should I push em or should I drop up or down in weight????? any help im greatly thankful for!!!!!!!

Welcome to IHMSA!

No need to hot rod that .445 for silhouette. Normal loads for that cartridge with any bullet weight will be more than enough for the rams. You can certainly load 300 or 310 grain bullets, but they aren't necessary. My favorite load is a 240-250 grain bullet and 35 grains of AA-1680. My most favorite bullet in that range is the 250 grain Sierra FPJ. It has been very accurate in my .44 and .445 guns.

I am also addicted to Dan Wessons. Have all the SuperMags, plus several other normal chamberings in .22, .357 Magnum, and .41 Magnum.

Any of your DWs would be up to the task for silhouettes. The longer barrels offer more sight radius and slight increase in velocity so would probably be the better choices for long range work. The IHMSA rules prohibit ported barrels in the Revolver, Production and Standing classes but the newer Practical Hunter classes allow ported barrels. If laying down using our creedmore position, a leg guard is also required to protect the shooter from side blast from the barrel/cylinder gap. DWs were know to spit more than other brands of revolvers but they were still very accurate. Silhouette shooting really sharpens your long range shooting abilities. Join the crowd and have fun.

Welcome to IHMSA. I have DW in .414 super mag that I bought at the internationals in Ft. Stockton a number of years ago. It looks and shoots good. Recoil is manageable but stiff. Rams go down.