.357 plinking ammo

[cHaOs ReX]

So I was able to snag the 2012 gun I wanted already. It's in jail at the moment. A S&W 327 TRR8.

Now I'd like the opinion of the .357 Mag shooters out there on
a. Plinking Ammo - brand, grain and why
b. HD Ammo - brand, grain and why

I am not currently a reloader and I don't see being one in the near future so lets forego that for the moment.

[sephy]

For plinking shoot 38sp. Why? Because it's cheaper than .357, less recoil, and works in a .357. I had pretty good results with PMC Bronze 132gr - picked it up because it was the cheapest. GREAT results with the +P Winchester 125gr personal protection stuff, but once again, that's more expensive than my "plinking" ammo.

My normal plinking .357 loads are Federal or American Eagle, whichever is cheaper. Both are 158gr soft point.

For HD I have two choices: Speer Gold Dots 158gr GDHP or Hornady Critical Defense 125gr FTX. I have shot the Speer and it is very accurate and feels powerful. The reports say it expands well and is a good choice for HD. The Hornady I have not shot yet (so I don't yet really keep it for HD) but it also has favorable reports.

[Sturnovik]

I'd work .38 +P stuff honestly. It so much cheaper and more available. Dont get me wrong, you need to practice your HD loads but in any case +P .38 isnt too far off unless your doing some insane .357 loads.

1) PX1 130 grain +P for HD 38 loads.

as for .357 loads I haven't put any through yet, in my K frame those +P's feel like less than a 9mm......then again I'm not recoil sensitive.

[ckprax]

As the others have said shoot .38spl for plinking, it is cheaper. For defense loads any good HP should do unless it is a woods gun, protection from 4 leg animals, then I would shoot a fast heavy hard cast bullet, something from buffalo bore. Any heavy loads should be a hoot out of the lightweight 327.

I personally use .38+p ammo for HD since the velocity will be similar to .357 (in my gun) and the muzzle flash and report are much less.

[HKMadness]

As the others have said shoot .38spl for plinking, it is cheaper. For defense loads any good HP should do unless it is a woods gun, protection from 4 leg animals, then I would shoot a fast heavy hard cast bullet, something from buffalo bore. Any heavy loads should be a hoot out of the lightweight 327.

I personally use .38+p ammo for HD since the velocity will be similar to .357 (in my gun) and the muzzle flash and report are much less.

This would be best. If you are not going to practice a lot with .357, go with .38+p. You should practice with what you will be using.

[cHaOs ReX]

I originally thought I'd be shooting .38 special most of the time. The guys at the gun shop were warning me about shooting .38 and how it affects the cylinder. So then I thought maybe I don't want to shoot .38. What are your thoughts on that?

[r3dn3ck]

plinking... cheapest lead bullet junk you can find. won't matter.

defense: http://www.google.com/products/catal...ed=0CGAQ8wIwAw or anything from cor-bon, buffalo bore, winchester, hornady, etc.. top quality ammo makers. I tend to like 125gn bullets rather than the 147 or 158's but you may be happier with heavier or lighter bullets. As long as you're using retail new ammo I don't think it'll matter. .357 magnum is quite stout and i don't think I'd argue the point with you if you shot towards me with 1 versus another.

and really, consider reloading. It's ~ 100 bucks for the hardware (lee anniversary kit) and 200 bucks more will get you enough supplies for about 1000 rounds. The savings really stack up and it's stupid easy to do.

[stix213]

Cheapest .38sp you can find basically for plinking. PMC is good stuff for example.

[RedFord150]

I originally thought I'd be shooting .38 special most of the time. The guys at the gun shop were warning me about shooting .38 and how it affects the cylinder. So then I thought maybe I don't want to shoot .38. What are your thoughts on that?

Total Gun Shop BS, as usual.
The only negative to shooting .38 loads in a .357 is the carbon build-up in each chamber. This will prevent the longer .357 cartridges from being easily inserted if the gun is not cleaned regularly. If you only shoot .38 loads, this is not even an issue.
I simply clean the gun after each shooting session and never have a problem. My GP100 is over 20 years old with thousands of .38 loads down the pipe.
For plinking, I will shoot the cheapest .38 reloads I can find. Revolvers never have feeding problems. If you shoot paper at indoor ranges, look for full wadcutters in .38 special.
My HD load is Remington .38 special +P JHP's. I cannot remember if they are 125 grain or 158 grain. I also keep a supply of .357 magnum in similar loads, just in case I have a real SHTF scenario with a bunch of drug crazed 300 pound weightlifters.
I agree the noise and flash of .357 magnum rounds fired indoors in the dark may leave me blind and deaf for a bit. Hopefully, the .38 +P's will allow me to keep shooting.

[The King]

I originally thought I'd be shooting .38 special most of the time. The guys at the gun shop were warning me about shooting .38 and how it affects the cylinder. So then I thought maybe I don't want to shoot .38. What are your thoughts on that?

Shoot your 357s first, then the 38s so the ring around the collar will not cause longer the cartridges to bind. Then clean it every time you shoot it.

[triplestack3]

most of the 357 mag range stuff is federal. pmc isn't bad stuff either.

[wtkaiser]

OP, I would agree with the range folks IN THEORY, but as shown above, it's more a worry than a genuine concern. Yes, if left uncleaned, it could be a problem. It was with mine when I first started shooting .357/.38 and it is the reason I will not shoot anything shorter than .44 mags in my .44. BUT - I reload, so I can choose my level of recoil, too.

The trouble is that I don't think anybody has a factory load that is loaded down. There might be one out there, but most folks are worried about getting the most out of their gun, not less.

My choices? Plinking ammo - .38 SWC. HD ammo? I'd go with a HBWC turned backwards, like that brand that Federal bought and I CAN'T THINK OF THE NAME OF THE BRAND, DAMMIT! IT's a wadcutter with a post in the center and should be ideal for HD. I live in a detached house but I always worry about over penetration, so that's why. Long range shooting? 140-158 JHP/JSP factory loads should keep you amused.

[Budd]

If you shoot much - handloading will reward your pocket book and shooting greatly. The .357 mag round is what got me into handloading - it went all down hill from there.

[Budd]

The trouble is that I don't think anybody has a factory load that is loaded down. There might be one out there, but most folks are worried about getting the most out of their gun, not less.

Black Hills Cowboy Action loads - it is what my daughter(5 at the time) started on in the leveraction. IIRC - 850 FPS from a 6" barrel.

[Kodachrome]

The gun show is a good place for ammo. I buy reloads from "Miwall" and usually some TMJ, not so much lead. You have to make sure its hard enought not to lead up the barrel.
I've always liked the 158 grainers, HD it varies.
And save your brass for when you reload or find someone who does.
I have brass from when I bought my first revolver a 6" Python.
Happy Shooting