Less than "Full House" load for .357 Magnum???

[David-K]

Hey Gents,

Looking for some ideas on some .357 Mag loads that aren't total boomers. I'm a big fan of H110/W296, but as we know, those have a fairly tight window and don't do well with less than optimum charges. So, what do some of you use/recommend for something hot, but not that hot.

I'll be using Xtreme 158gr SWC and HP's. I currently have Bullseye, HP38 and AutoComp powders to use. Could these achieve what I'm after?

BTW.....yes, I own 4 different load books and have read them. I'm after what some of YOU have used.

Thanks in advance.

[Hunter57dor]

I love bullseye, its got a pretty good range (especially on the lighter side)

midrange should work out fine for it, and its never had too much flash or BOOM for me.

are these target loads?

[at_liberty]

125 gr lead w/ 11 gr HS-6. No data, but that's what I use and like. For 158 gr bullets, I use 10 gr HS-6. You will know it's a magnum without it having an unpleasant punch to it.

[David-K]

are these target loads?

Yes

[chknlyps2]

Do you have any Lil Gun? I use 16 gr of Lil Gun under an Extreme 158gr RNFP and I love it, hot but not to hot.

[rsrocket1]

For low velocity/low recoil loads, ideally you want a faster powder to build up pressure quickly without driving the bullet too fast. In a world with a big variety of powders, Red Dot, Clays, Promo, Extra Lite, Clay Dot, Titewad, Trail Boss would all be good powders.

But since shotshell/handgun powders are hard to come by, Bullseye would be the best choice of the powders you list. 5 grains would be an ideal load but would drive the 158g bullet pretty fast (about 1000 fps). You can certainly go down to 4, maybe even 3 grains of Bullseye and still get the bullet to exit the barrel at a decent velocity of 6-700 fps which would be very light recoiling, somewhat like a 38 special. The load will be more smokey and if you start getting a very large cloud of smoke with inconsistent velocities, then you know you are below the threshold of consistent ignition and should bump the charge up a bit and stay above that point.

[sghart]

I have tested the following loads in my revolvers.

158gr LSWC 7.0 gr Bullseye avg 1180 fps excellent accuracy, mild recoil, very controllable

158 gr LSWC 7.7 gr HP-38 avg 1018 fps avg accuracy, mild recoil, controllable



YMMV

[bigedp51]

Always remember that Google is your best friend when looking for information.

My friend the 357

http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=30

lite loads in a 357 magnum

https://www.google.com/#q=lite+loads+in+a+357+magnum

[rm1911]

I'll be using Xtreme 158gr SWC and HP's. I currently have Bullseye, HP38 and AutoComp powders to use. Could these achieve what I'm after?

try 5-5.5 grains bullseye. nice mid range load. actually more like a 38 special, will be mild shooting and fun. haven't used hp38 but I think that's the same as win231. forgot the exact load, and haven't used it in many years, but it's similar to bullseye. at least it shoots similarly.

you can bump it up if you want, but no reason to do so. I've been using power pistol lately, 5.8 grains, and it shoots great. bullseye is a bit faster but shoots similarly.

[David-K]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I did do some research on handloads.com and others, but again, was after what some of the folks here thought. Great info and I think I'll get to work on a batch this evening.

[roc_my_tims]

Tag

[The War Wagon]

Yes. It's called ".38 +P"

[anothergunnut]

I use 5.0 grains of Bullseye and a 125 grain lead round nose from Bear Creek. This is a light load that is great for all day shooting and people who are recoil sensitive. I don't like using 38s in my 357 but this achieves the same result. For a midrange load, I use Unique.

[klewan]

Why doesn't anyone look in a reloading manual? A choice between what unknown posters say and a published book with liability if they screw up and list loads that will blow your gun.

[Cowboy T]

I use 5.0 grains of Bullseye and a 125 grain lead round nose from Bear Creek. This is a light load that is great for all day shooting and people who are recoil sensitive. I don't like using 38s in my 357 but this achieves the same result. For a midrange load, I use Unique.

I use a similar charge of Bullseye, but with a 158gr cast boolit. This is much like .38 Spl +P+, so it isn't a hand-snapper, while still having a little more oomph than a .38 Spl +P. This is how I introduce people to .357 Magnum.

The main .357M load I use is with 2400, which I know you didn't list. That load is 13.0gr under the 158gr cast boolit. It's about a "3/4-house" load, stouter than the Bullseye one, but not like a full-blown one with H110/W296 or even the full charge of 2400. It's also a nice shooter.

Both of these loads also shoot great through a .357M levergun with a 16" bbl.

And yes, check your reloading manuals. These loads are in both Modern Reloading (aka the "Book of Lee") and Lyman's 49th.