357 mag load for very different revolvers

14.0 grains 2400 and a standard pistol primer.

rc

13.0gr Alliant 2400 Mag primer 158gr cast. Rem Win. Brass

My peet load with a 158gr Missouri Bullet SWC is 14.5gr of 2400

I like 8.0 grains of Herco. If that's not juicy enough, try 11 grains of AA#7.

Get one box of Rem-UMC 125 grain jacketed to shoot (in the 686) every once in a while as a reference load.

In my opinion, I would not shoot a steady diet of Magnum loads in your Model 19. It is a fine old gun and there is no need to stress it any more than necessary. (boy, I never thought I would consider things made in the fifties as old!)

The small size of the Model 19 makes the gun not as robust as the larger framed 357 Magnums.

My early eighties vintage Model 19 has been rebuilt by S&W once after a steady diet of 2000 to 3000 magnum loads. Now a days, I still enjoy shooting it but feed it 38 Special level loads with an occasional, once in a blue moon, cylinder full of magnum loads.

Save the magnum stuff for your 686.

But, it is your pistol to enjoy.

5.6 grains of Unique under a 158 grain cast MBC gets me 1008 fps on average.

One or two more, if you're not married to the 158 grain SWC's (they are a good choice)

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=7659917&postcount=10

I've been liking 13 grains of enforcer for mid-weight .357 slugs. This seems to be a pretty mild load and is reasonably accurate in my Rugers.

I'll second unique. I like 6.0 gr with a 158.

11.2 of 800X. Some complain about metering 800x but I do not find it overly problematic. One should keep in mind that a tenth of a grain up or down has virtually no effect on ballistics with the fluffy stuff. 2400 is hard to beat for stomper loads but for milder magnums 800x is extremely satisfactory. 10 grains of Blue Dot has also made many satisfactory .357 158 grain loads for me but I abandoned it due to the weirdness that can occur at temps below freezing with Bdot.

While I occasionally let my M66 run with the Big Dogs, it usually gets a diet of .38 Special charges under a 158gr LSWC seated a bit deeper in a Magnum case. Less stress on the gun & no carbon ring in the chambers.

The 686 gets the steady Magnum diet. I happen to like the 2400 for 158gr pills.

14.0 to 14.5gr 2400 w/standard pistol primer.
9.2gr HS-6 w/magnum primer under a 158gr LSWC bullet.

Stumper

Please review this link for your 800x loading data .

http://www.imrpowder.com/pdf/IMR_handgun.pdf

8-8.5 grs. is enuff for me .

I'll add another powder to the mix - 5.0 gr of W231 / HP38 with a 158gr cast bullet in .357 cases. The same powder charge works in a 45ACP also.

5.0 of 231 is another great target load. It's about a 38+p level load. I found some swaged SWCHPs that duplicate the FBI load and love that load.

13.5 gr 2400 with 158ge lswc "big fun"

13.5 gr 2400 with 158ge lswc "big fun"

Click to expand...

Thats more like "medium fun." I load them routinely over 14.5, and you could go higher safely.

So how fast are you 2400 users shooting 158 gr LSWC's?

I cast mine from a Lyman 357446 mould ,they drop out at .360" & I size em to 358 .
They spring back to .3585" & lube em with White label`s Carnauba Red lube.

The alloy is isotope contaners 94%lead 3%antimony3% tin ,I add 4oz of babbit to a 20# pot to tuffen the boolit & raise the tin content to 4% for easy casting.

With different powdrs I can go to 1150fps with mid burning powders ( 800x, Herco) to 1250fps with the slow burners (2400, H-110 & IMR4227).

All my swc weither solid or HP have retained no less than 85% of there original weight .

All my moulds are plain based , except 1 in a NOE 360-180.