Recommend some .357 ammo?

[JimWest]

Just picked up a 4" barrel .357 and looking for best light target loads in WC or semi WC. Any brands better? Most non-fouling?

[wild_weasel]

For fun I reload all my own 357 Magnum ammo. It is interesting that 357 Mag costs twice that of 38 Special if you buy it, yet I can reload them for the same cost. For the past few years I have been buying the Remington 100 round bulk boxes of 125gr JHP at Wal-Mart for serious practice and reloading the empties with 158gr LSWC and 6gr of Unique. While I have used Power Pistol to reload 357 Mag and 45 ACP it is not as versatile as Unique. For hot loads in a revolver I also use a lot of 2400 with standard small pistol primers. H110 is worth a look if you have a rifle in 357 Mag.

[JimWest]

For now I just need to line up some off the shelf ammo. Reloading will be explored for sure, but later. Maybe just use some .38 instead of .357 for target?

[wild_weasel]

Shooting 38 Special in a 357 Mag really gunks up the chamber throughts. I'd go for the bulk 125gr Remington 357 Mag if you can find it.

[Bad Caselaw]

I quit factory LWC in .357 long ago.

CCI3542 CCI 357 MAG 158GR JHP BLAZER ALUMINUM CASED

These are very good rounds for ~ $20/50.




Caselaw

[CalNRA]

Shooting 38 Special in a 357 Mag really gunks up the chamber throughts.

It's only a problem if you use 357 rounds after many hundreds of rounds of dirty 38 ammo, that's what copper brushes are for.

I'd go for the bulk 125gr Remington 357 Mag if you can find it.

I lol'ed.

[DBADRAT]

Definitely 38 specials are less expensive that 357 and are easier on the hand, wrist and pocket book, but it always fun to drop in the mag load and pull that trigger.

[MrOrange]

For now I just need to line up some off the shelf ammo. Reloading will be explored for sure, but later. Maybe just use some .38 instead of .357 for target?

For a .38 target load (and defensive load for the recoil-sensitive)(like Jim Cirillo) you can't go wrong with a 148 gr wadcutter, hollow-base or solid. One from any US loader/reloader will be as good as any, but I can't vouch for imports. I suspect they might be a lot dirtier.

Same for reloads: I can't begin to imagine how many tons of Bullseye has been burned, 2.7 gr at a time, behind 148 gr HBWCs. I know I accounted for a pound or two.

[Fishslayer]

Just picked up a 4" barrel .357 and looking for best light target loads in WC or semi WC. Any brands better? Most non-fouling?

Probably .38 Special would be your best bet, though most commercial .357 Magnum is rather mild. You'll want to scrub your chambers after shooting .38s though. The shorter case leaves a ring that will bind up the cases next time you shoot magnums.

If you reload you can load light target rounds in .357 cases. That's what I do.