Want to use less powder than minimum on my .357 mag

[Walkalong]

Use .38 Spl loads and have at it. If you start way low, just make sure the bullets exit every time. If you don't want to worry about that, then use mid-range .38 Spl loads and up.

I have tried many light loads in .357 brass. Some medium speed powders don't do so well because they are fairly position sensitive and/or don't burn well in big cases at low pressure levels, but almost any fast powder will be OK. The slow powders shouldn't be used at all for this.

I have shot a lot of X-Treme 158 Gr SWCs at around 800 FPS in .357 brass. Very low recoil/blast, accurate, and fun. It is the bullet I have settled on for this application. Most any 158 Gr lead bullet will work great as well.

 

[Potatohead]

powder position problem? http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=607180

Wow, that link was worth it just to see the extent of detail that Walkalong keeps in his log. Looking back on some of my entries and their lack of detail the other day, Im starting to keep more now also..

 

[Haxby]

As suggested in post #6.
With a lswc, seat the bullet deep enough to crimp over the front shoulder, and you have 38 special case capacity.

 

[John C]

The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, 4th edition, lists light .357 loads on page 258. They show a 150 gr lead bullet over 4.6 gr of Bullseye (starting load) moving at 772 fps. 4.8 grs Bullseye (starting load) under a 155 gr lead bullet moves at 828 fps. These would seem to be good starting points.