[CZ223]

I have been loading the speer Gold Dot with good results but, I want a less expensive alternative. If you guys have used the Rainier bullets and or the Berry's bullet please let me know and please be as specific as possible as to style weight and diameter. Please don't tell me about National bullet's, they owe me $130.:cuss: If you have any experience with other bullets such as bulk Winchester, Remington etc. I would love to hear it. As for powder I am very happy with AA#9 and Bluedot, but am willing to listen to other suggestions. My gun is a Glock 32 FWIW.

[fineredmist]

I would recommend that you use copper jacketed bullets and not the copper plated variety. The velocities you get from that .357 Sig are a bit on the high side for cast or plated bullets and you may lead the bore very quickly. Any of the major brand jacketed round nose should give you good service. As with all things in custom loading you may have to experment with different bullets to get the best load but that is what makes this so interesting.

[CZ223]

I guess I should have been a little more specific. I, and the others who have reloaded for this cartridge know that it is very finicky as to which bullets will and will not work. The overall cartridge length mandates a bullet that has a specific profile, one with a relatively short nose. A lot of bullets that are perfectly well suited to the 9mm will not work. The Remington Golden Sabers absolutely will not work. Anyone wanna buy 1000 Golden Sabers?:evil: I know that many people have used Berry's bullets with much success but I am not sure exactly which one. I believe that Rainier has a bullet that will work but, again, which one? Anyone had any good experience with any of the major bulk brands like Winchester?

[BSlacker]

Check out Berrys 124gr HP or FP in 9mm. They have a long bearing surface so they resist set back very well. I have run them as high as 1325fps no problem. I am using a Lee FCD for crimp. :)

[Walkalong]

Anyone wanna buy 1000 Golden Sabers?
If the price is right. My nine likes em.:)

[357SIG]

Montana Gold Bullet makes 125 gr. 357 SIG FMJ bullets. Cost + S&H was a little over $80 for 1000 and arrived at my door in a week. They are great bullets, IMO.

These are the cheapest I've found so far.

https://secure3.mooseweb.com/montanagoldbullet.com/images/320x200/357SIG-FMJ-125.jpg
https://secure3.mooseweb.com/montanagoldbullet.com/pricelist.tpl

[357SIG]

Forgot to tell you that I load with 7.8 grains of Power Pistol w/ a 1.135" COL. It feels like I'm shooting Speer Lawman ammo, which feels a little hotter than S&B, WIN, etc. to me. I don't know the velocity figures.

[snuffy]

I settled on the Hornady HAP,(Hornady Action Pistol), bullet in 125 grain for my KKM after market BBL for my M-22 Glock.
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=812048

These shoot very well for me. They are the XTP HP bullet with a slightly different profile, but no enterior skiving to promote expansion. So it's a strictly target bullet.

It's hard to say, but the 124's in the FP and HP from Berry's should work;
http://www.berrysmfg.com/categories/11-0.php

Their plating is said to be thicker than the Rainer's.


X-Treme bullet,(formerly west coats), have the thickest plating, they are also double struck,(sized after plating). They don't show pics of their boolits, but the 124 FP should work.

http://www.xtremebullets.com/plated.htm

[ReloaderFred]

I've loaded about 13,000 rounds of Berry's 124 gr. Flat Points and Hollow Points in 357 Sig. I load these with 13 grains of AA9 for my Springfield XD and Witness. This is an extremely accurate load in both my pistols.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[CZ223]

I'm glad you answered my post. I have seen you talk about reloading for the Sig before and, although I couldn't remember your name, I was hoping you would respond. I noticed that you mentioned using both the Berrys HP and FP. Which do you like better and, do the HPs expand? If the accuracy is about the same I will probably go with the HP. Do you chronograph your loads and, if so, what kind of velocities are you getting from 13 grains of AA#9? I am currently loading 12.5 with the speer Gold Dot. Have you used Rainier bullets or any others that you would recomend? Thanks guys and keep the info coming.

[ReloaderFred]

CZ223,

Yes, I've chronographed both the Berry's 115 grain flatpoint and the Berry's 124 grain HP and FP bullets with AA9. These were from the 4" barrel of my Springfield XD at 52 degrees, using my Pact Professional Chronograph:

115 gr. plated flatpoint & 13.5 gr. AA9 = 1281.2 fps avg., with an SD of 20.5

124 gr. Plated FP & 13.0 gr. AA9 = 1237.6 fps avg., with an SD of 12.9

124 gr. Plated HP & 13.0 gr. AA9 = 1206.9 fps avg., with an SD of 5.9

124 gr. Speer Gold Dot & 13.0 gr. AA9 = 1216.8 fps avg., with an SD of 8.1

The shorter barrel of the XD produces less velocity, but these loads were very, very accurate, with the 124's taking a slight edge in accuracy. These are also honest velocities, not someone's hyped "guestimate".

I've never loaded the Rainier's in the 357 Sig, but I have loaded Hornady XTP's, but haven't chronographed them.

I drove the plated bullets at 1357 fps with Power Pistol, but they tumbled badly and nearly wrecked my chronograph screens, so adhere to Berry's suggestion to keep the velocity around 1250 fps and below. For faster velocities, you'll need a heavier jacket to hold the rifling.

Hope this helps.

Fred

PS: This will be my last post for a little over a week. I'll be on the road.