Though I own, load for and shoot auto loader's, down deep I have an unquenchable thirst for magnum wheel guns, and the .357 mag. is no exception. There is just something special about the roaring barrel of a magnum revolver loaded up to the teeth.
I load an assortment of bullets and for the .357 mag. I like to grab a box of 110 gr. XTP and I've used Gold Dots for short barreled guns too though Speer doesn't recomend loading them to those velocities due to bullet deformation. I load them with 24 grs. of H110 or 296 and the velocities out of even my snub nosed model 66-5 is horendous. I clocked them through my chrony at a little under 1800 fps. Out of the longer barreled revolver's it's up from that almost another 100 fps. Often times I'll carry those loads as my SD ammunition with a couple of speed loader's with 125's and the other with 158's, also loaded to the teeth.
I load some hotties for the AL's too, but it just doesn't feel the same as when your holding a revolver in your hand discharging near 2000 fps rounds with SAMMI estimated chamber pressures running 40,000 psi and much higher. I shot one of our giant jack rabbits, again, but I had a good center mass hit at about 100 yds. with one of those 110's and it litterally blew that jack appart. He flipped through the air and over end with his guts streaming every where, really cool. Now I know what Speer was refering to as bullet deformation, ha! ha!
I load an assortment of bullets and for the .357 mag. I like to grab a box of 110 gr. XTP and I've used Gold Dots for short barreled guns too though Speer doesn't recomend loading them to those velocities due to bullet deformation. I load them with 24 grs. of H110 or 296 and the velocities out of even my snub nosed model 66-5 is horendous. I clocked them through my chrony at a little under 1800 fps. Out of the longer barreled revolver's it's up from that almost another 100 fps. Often times I'll carry those loads as my SD ammunition with a couple of speed loader's with 125's and the other with 158's, also loaded to the teeth.
I load some hotties for the AL's too, but it just doesn't feel the same as when your holding a revolver in your hand discharging near 2000 fps rounds with SAMMI estimated chamber pressures running 40,000 psi and much higher. I shot one of our giant jack rabbits, again, but I had a good center mass hit at about 100 yds. with one of those 110's and it litterally blew that jack appart. He flipped through the air and over end with his guts streaming every where, really cool. Now I know what Speer was refering to as bullet deformation, ha! ha!