[lawboy]

I need some recommendations for target loads and powders to use for target level loads using 158-grain Rainier plated bullets and 357 magnum cases, not 38spl cases. I recently acquired a dan wesson revolver and am planning to shoot it at a local indoor range on a weekly basis and don't feel the need to rattle people's ear drums and patience with full power loads. I have done a bit of experimentation with bullseye and Unique, but am hoping for a bulkier powder that will yield better load volume in the the magnum cases while still keeping velocity, blast and noise to target levels. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Lawboy.

[Poodleshooter]

Other than going to black powder,it doesn't get much bulkier than Unique or Universal unless you move up to the real magnum powders and that defeats your purpose.
Titegroup powder was designed to remove the problem that high load volume traditionally handled: powder position sensitivity.
I used it a bit in .357 cases before switching over to range scrounged .38's. I never was successfuly at finding a really accurate .357 target load with lead bullets. Try adding 10% to .38 data to get useful .357 data.

[Master Blaster]

When I relaod .357 mag target loads with a 158LSWC I use 4.5 grains of hodgdon titegroup, I have also used 4.5 gr of W231 with the same bullet in a .357 mag case. YMMV check your reloading manuals.

[Quantrill]

3.0gr of 700X under a .358dia. wadcutter does it for me. Quantrill

[ChristopherG]

With fast-burning powders--like bullseye, 231, clays and titegroup--I've had fine results simply transfering .38 load data into .357 cases. This required ignoring the advice that's occasionally given that 'you should bump up the load by half a grain' or some such; obviously at a load around 4 grains, half a grain is an enormous increase. If you want really top-level bullseye-competition accuracy, you might need to twiddle the loads a bit; but you're shooting a plated bullet, which suggests you just need the gun to shoot better than you do, not le ne plus ultra. Just try your favorite .38 load with a fast powder, and you'll be fine.

If you're worried about powder position, I second the suggestion of Titegroup; though I have had my best results with 231 in this enterprise, in the neighborhood of 4.5 grains under a plated bullet (a bit more for jacketed, a bit less for lead). Standard Federal SP primers.

[PO2Hammer]

When I started loading years ago I checked the bushing charts for which flake powder was the bulkiest. I came up with Green Dot. I was using Bull-X cast bullets and loading for velocities of no more than 1000fps. Loading density appeared to be very good, better than Unique, and acuracy was exellent.
With the fast flake powders, loading density isn't critical in .357 cases, but it does seem to help.
Heavy bullets also help. They stay in the bore longer, line themselves up better in the case, and improve load density.
I did bump up the minimum .38 loads in .357 cases, but just a little.
I got my loads from Lymans load book.
I've got a Freedon Arms model 97-.357 on the way and they don't recomend .38 cases either. Time to get loading again!

[Tony Mig]

Another powder you might want to try is 2400. A max .357 Magnum load behind a 158 gr. LSWC is listed at 15.3 grs. I load mine at 15.0 grs, and this is a very hot load, but extremely accurate out of my 6" GP-100.
When I got my 4" S&W 686, I experimented with reduced loads, and found that backing down to 13.6 grs of 2400 really mellowed the kick and bang, but still offered strong, accurate performance, and with 13.6 grs there's no worries about where the powder is in the case.
Also with the reduced load, you could probably get away with using a standard small pistol primer instead of a magnum primer.....

[Onty]

Folks in my club are using in 357, 158-160 TC SAECO with 5.2 to 5.6 grains of Bullseye with SP magnum primer with excellent results. As a meter of fact, these two loads are used for the testing of any new gun they purchase.
Somewhere I found that one very good load is 3.8 grains of almost any fast burning powder behind 140-158 grains bullet. Last year I purchased few handguns with loading equipment and some loaded ammo, 147 WC with 3.8 grains of Bullseye in 38 Special case, crimped in first crimping groove. This load was 1.25” all day long from 357 Bisley. Don’t have 357 now, but 3.8 grains of some fast powders will be my first load when I get another 357. Regards, Onty.

[DBR]

I suggest you try 4-5grs of Green Dot behind a 148gr wadcutter seated flush with the case mouth and use a heavy crimp over the end of the bullet. I like the Reading Profile crimp die. Green Dot was the least position sensitive powder I tested in 38spl cases and the flush seated wadcutter reduces case volume. Titegroup was almost as insensitive to position as Green Dot but didn't fill the case nearly as well. The heavy crimp gave more consistant velocities. I was using Ranier copper plated BBWC.

[JuniorG]

Any more I use W231 in all my handgun loadings except 44 mag.

[PO2Hammer]

DBR confirmed it. Green dot for light loads. I did go through a lot of reserarch before loading my first and only cartridge, the .357 light load. give it a try.

[WESHOOT2]

Case (I size used cases with a LEE 'U' die), R-P 5 1/2 SPM, Rainier 158g TCJ-FP, 6.0g Universal Clays, OAL 1.557", heavy crimp using Redding Profile Crimp die.

From two GP100's and two Redhawks = accurate.

[lawboy]

Thanks DBR and the rest of you. I got a lb. of GD and loaded 13 rounds using 4.5grs under cci primers in RP cases and under Rainier 158-gr plated flatpoints. I will test them out tomorrow night. I can tell just eyeballing the powderin the cases and and measuring the amount of the bullet that sits below the case mouth that this powder is waaaay ahead of Unique in the load density department!