sanity check on .357 loads

[savasyn]

I'm about to try out my first set of .357 Magnum target loads and I'd like to get your thoughts about whether these will be ok.

I'm using 158gr Barry's plated bullets and Winchester Small Pistol primers for all the ones I've made so far. I have loaded up four different versions, three using Hodgdon Universal and one using Hodgdon HP-38.

Why I have questions is that there is no specific load data for these powders with plated bullets, only lead and jacketed(usually the XTP). As I understand it, your are supposed to split the difference between the two to get the proper results with plated bullets.

I have looked at the following load data:

Hodgdon's data center for Universal:


and the Lee book, Modern Reloading which lists the following:
158gr lead - 4.0@891fps as the starting load, 6.2@1247 max 33,400 CUP
158gr XTP - 5.8@1026 as the starting load, 6.3@1133 max 39,300 CUP

The Lyman book does not list 158gr with either of the powders I have.

The three loads I've made so far with Universal are 5.0gr, 5.4gr and 5.8gr. 5.8gr is about 7% down from the max load listed for lead and 8.5% down from the max for XTP. I plan on shooting a few of the 5.0s first, then try the 5.4s before the 5.8s obviously, but I wanted to see if anyone sees any red flags here before I go to the range tomorrow. I'm pretty comfortable with the Universal loads as they fit the data and I have some experience loading .38 Special with it.

--

This will be my first time using HP-38. As I understand, it is the exact same powder as Win231, which seems to have more available data. As I have no experience with it and that the two data sources differ so regarding lead, I'd definitely people's input on this one.

I used the same two sources. From Hodgdon's data center:


Lee's book:
lead - 6.2@1192 starting and 6.7@1275 max 42,500 CUP
XTP - 6.2@1109 starting and 6.9@1220 max 40,000 CUP

As you can see, the Hodgdon site suggests significantly lower charges for lead than Lee does. Not being quite sure where to land with this powder and plated bullets, I started at 6.1gr which is over the max of Hodgdon's lead but below the min of Lee's. Given how low the pressures are listed for Hodgdon, it seems they are being quite conservative, perhaps to keep leading to a minimum.

Do I seem to be in the safe zone with plated bullets at 6.1gr?

Lastly, out of curiosity, what's your preference for .357 Mag between the two powders I've listed? As I understand it, neither of these are ideal for hotter, lighter weight bullets as they burn too fast. What is a slower burning powder that is good for hotter Magnum velocities(with real jacketed bullets, of course)?

Thanks so much!

[freonr22]

http://ammoguide.com/cgi-bin/ai.cgi?sn=fMGioahaCe&catid=37

View Reloading Data for the
.357 Magnum


Never directly use a published charge unless it is specifically marked as a starting load. For all other listings, unless otherwise noted, reduce published charges by 3-5% to produce a starting load for your gun. Then, incrementally work up, being watchful for signs of over pressure. Best accuracy may be realized far below a listed maximum charge. One may not be able to actually reach a full published charge if their gun produces greater pressure than was experienced in the development firearm. Stay alert when reloading - be careful!




View Reloading Data for the
.357 Magnum



Bullet Wt.
(gr) Powder
Type Charge
(gr) Muzzle
Vel. (fps) K.E.
(ft-lbs) Pressure
Barrel
Length (in) Overall
Length (in) 158 Universal
5.8
925
300

3.0
1.580

Load submitted by 'goodshot'.
This load was developed using Berry semi-wadcutter, hollow-point, flat-based bullets.
In terms of power, the developer considers this a light load.
The velocity measurement is by chronograph.
Winchester cases and Winchester Small Pistol primers were used in development.


WEll I cant get it to display in the proper format, but it does say 158 berrys plated with universal and 5.8grs 1.58"oal= 925 fps out of 3" barrel. the site is nice and a calguns sponsor

[savasyn]

Oh interesting, I'd never seen that site before. Based on that, looks like I'm in the ball park for the Universal loadings, if not even on the light side.

Thanks!

[buffybuster]

For Mid-Range Magnum loads: Unique, Herco, PowerPistol, AA7, BlueDot all work well.

For Max-Magnum loads: H110/W296, AA9, H4227, 2400

W231/HP38 are too fast for .357Mag, but you can make decent plinking loads.

[savasyn]

Excellent, thank you!
I'm currently just looking to make safe plinking loads, but do intend to make meatier loads later so thank you for the powder suggestions.

For Mid-Range Magnum loads: Unique, Herco, PowerPistol, AA7, BlueDot all work well.

For Max-Magnum loads: H110/W296, AA9, H4227, 2400

W231/HP38 are too fast for .357Mag, but you can make decent plinking loads.

[savasyn]

Good news, all four of the rounds I made worked without any problems.
While the 6.1grs of HP38 "felt" the best, the 5.4grs of Universal seemed to be the most accurate. At least I shot the best with it, really hard to say shooting offhand and only 16 rounds of each.

I think I'll roll go up to 6.2grs of HP38 to match the starting loads listed above and leave it there then get a different powder for anything hotter.

Btw, my .38s(158gr flat point over 4.4grs of Universal) felt nearly like squibs after any of the four .357s I made. 4.4gr of Universal is supposed to be about max for a .38, but I've shot a lot hotter factory .38s. I really need a chronograph!

[g17owner]

i like unique for my soft lead 158 gr bullets and keep them well under 1000fps. With plated i like to keep things around 1100 fps. i have found that the crimp on plated bullets plays a big part too with revolvers. a nice roll crimp that doesnt cut through the plating works best but you have to experiment and assemble a few then disassemble them and look at the crimp. i like a heavier crimp on my full magnums with jacketed bullets. for big boomers i use 2400 and winchester 296. with the 296 you have less room to play with. i find 2400 a little more forgiving and use it with full magnum 158 gr and above. i like my 296 for 125 gr bullets that scream. for plated i usually just load to cast bullet data and keep it there.

[savasyn]

g17owner,
Great, thanks for the info!
Yeah, I definitely spent some time setting up my crimps so that they hold without cutting the plating. I would imagine that real jackets with cannelures would require a deeper crimp.

I'll see if I can pick up a pound each of the powders you recommend so I can try some faster stuff.

Do you use small pistol magnum primers with your heavy/fast loads?

[10fcp]

H110 and 296 require a mag primer but not sure about any other hot loads. If your going to shoot some full throttle loads maybe look into some regular jacketed bullets. I'm not sure if plated bullets are designed to be pushed real hard, Ive never loaded them in my GP100. Plated bullets cost just as much as jacketed if you shop around.

[savasyn]

I'd definitely only use jacketed bullets for hot loads. I only use plated now because they are cheap and abundant. If I had a line jacketed at the same or similar cost, I'd happily switch them.

H110 and 296 require a mag primer but not sure about any other hot loads. If your going to shoot some full throttle loads maybe look into some regular jacketed bullets. I'm not sure if plated bullets are designed to be pushed real hard, Ive never loaded them in my GP100. Plated bullets cost just as much as jacketed if you shop around.

[g17owner]

Yes Win 296 and Alliant 2400 use mag primers.