SP101 - 2.25" Barrel - which .357 load?

what ever u shoot best. the faster powders seam better for the short barrels.

In my model 19 snub which is for all practical purposes comparable to the SP101, I use the Buffalo Bore "Outdoorsman" .38 special +p hardcast wadcutter (Keith style) as well as the 140 grain .357 low flash short barrel Barnes XPB round. The latter goes around 1100 ft/s in my testing and is pleasant to shoot. I really like their full-power 180 grain hardcast lead round in .357, but it's too much of a bear in the SP and more suitable for a GP or Blackhawk.

Barnes produces the ''VORTX" line using the 140 xpb and advertises 1175, I'm guessing in a 4" barrel, which would make it comparable or slightly less stout than the BB one.

The 125 grain .357 full power Speer gold dot is quite fiery but arguably also a bit much to be fun in the SP.

Here is that Keith 158 round to the left with the 180 .357 in the middle and a 255 .44 special to the right



Here is the XPB

troy fairweather said:

what ever u shoot best. the faster powders seam better for the short barrels.

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The faster powders for short barrels is a myth. Whatever powder gives the highest velocity in a long barrel will give the maximum velocity in a short barrel.

I echo Tony's comment for both Buffalo Bore rounds.

warnerwh said:

The faster powders for short barrels is a myth. Whatever powder gives the highest velocity in a long barrel will give the maximum velocity in a short barrel.

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The faster powders produce less muzzle flash in short barrels. Slow burning powders will give higher velocity in any barrel but at the cost of tremendous blinding flash and uncontrollablity for follow up shots.

If your going to carry a .357, then load .357. Carry either the federal or Remington brand of the famed 125 great sjhp it still gives you a hell of a whallop, alot of fixed sight revolvers love 158 pills the best if that's the case for you check out the gold dots as stated below but pick setting that you know you can get locally rather than having to order it and pay princely for shipping packages for a box or two.

Barry loyd said:

The faster powders produce less muzzle flash in short barrels. Slow burning powders will give higher velocity in any barrel but at the cost of tremendous blinding flash and uncontrollablity for follow up shots.

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Not if they had a flash suppressant in with the powder, H110 is a flame thrower. I stoke my 2.5" M19 with Buffalo Bore "short barrel low flash" 158gr JHP's 357's. Even out of the short barrel there's not much flash.

Barry loyd said:

The faster powders produce less muzzle flash in short barrels. Slow burning powders will give higher velocity in any barrel but at the cost of tremendous blinding flash and uncontrollablity for follow up shots.

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My bad. I should not have assumed you were referring to velocity. It is a common misconception around here. And you are correct faster powders will cause less flash than 110/296.

Speer 158 gr Gold Dot 357 mag loads have been my go to 357 load for defense for years. They're stout and Gold Dots have a proven track record.

Mine shoots the cheap Remington 125gr jhp 38+p a little low.

But it loves the Underwood 38+p 158gr Kieth style hard casts. They bark pretty good in that little barrel.

I'm going to assume your SP101 has fixed sights. My first step would be finding out which grain weight shot to point of aim.

Then I'd find some HP loads at that grain weight, which expand reliably at the velocities you're likely to see out of that barrel.

I think you'll find 158gr is about where POA and POI meet on your gun (though I may be wrong). And I'd suggest that the boutique 38+p loads will work quite nicely.

WrongHanded said:

I think you'll find 158gr is about where POA and POI meet on your gun (though I may be wrong).

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That's one of the reasons I choose 158 grain bullets also. My SP101 shoots them to point of aim at 20 yards.

Penetration is the other reason.

For lower recoil, a 125 grain load that I would prefer would use the Barnes TAC-XP. Barne's version of it or Buffalo Bore's "Low Flash Short Barrel" version would be low recoil, whereas the regular BB version might not be so light. I would load modest versions of this with a powder like HP38/W231 and higher velocity ones with a powder like Longshot/572.

If you're willing to shoot a hotter load, the 140 grain Barnes XPB will penetrate better. Factory loads are available from Barnes, Federal and Buffalo Bore. The Barnes (Remington) load appears to be about 16 grains of H110/296 (their data shows a little higher maximum, but I can match factory velocity with the same gun/chrono using only 16 grains). I find that load gives too much recoil for the aluminum J frames, but is tolerable in a 24-ounce steel gun. It only shoots soft in a big gun.

140 and 158 grain are actually ideal for low-recoil loads, but you'd want to find a hollowpoint that will work at lower velocities or a non-expanding bullet. The Lehigh "Xtreme Penetrator" looks like a good non-expanding bullet that could provide good penetration even at lower velocities with less recoil. I haven't shot them yet, but they've generated plenty of test results and discussion.

Anything Buffalo bore

Mine shoots poa with my 158gr lnfp cast lead and moderate loads of Unique, or Federal 158 jsp

My general all around load for .357 is the Remington lead 158 Gr semi wadcutter or 158 gr Hollow point.

They hit where I aim. Don’t kill my hand.

My experience has been that the 180 is challenging in the SP101 in terms of blast and recoil.

Nice round though.

Remington & Federal still make a hot 125 gr. jhp. Buffalo Bore will step those loads up by a notch or two. I don't think you will find anything better.