What's your favorite .357 Mag. target load.

Machine Shop Dude said:

One never knows how long this shortage may last and I refuse to waste time or money on play ammo when full power ammo is just as viable.

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Thing is.........many times components for "play" ammo is much less expensive than so called "full power ammo". Swagged lead bullets or home cast as compared to jacketed hunting/SD type bullets. Compare the cost of Unique not only per charge, but per jug to H110/W296 and over several thousand rounds, the cost adds up. While in my dedicated hunting type revolvers, difference in recoil is not a factor, in my snubbies and shorter barrel length revolvers, it can be significant, especially for other shooters. One can load for accuracy in both "play" and "full power ammo". Using downloaded ammo in .357 brass saves one the bother of cleaning a "crud" ring from the chambers after shooting the shorter .38 specials. Like everything else in life, what works and makes perfect sense to one, is sometimes moot to another. Being different is not wrong or foolishness, just different.

I have loaded the same load for years in both 38 & 357. For a 6” GP-100 I load a Lee 158 swc cast from ww sized .358 coated with Lee tumble lube over 5.0 grains of bullseye. 38 out of a S&W mod 67 4” is a Lee 148 wadcutter cast from pure lead with Lee tumble lube over 2.7 grains of bullseye.

The 357 has had just over 4,000 rounds through it with no barrel cleaning and the barrel looks great. The 38 looks the same but only has maybe 500 rounds through it.

brutus51 said:

Speaking of bullets does anyone have a commercial source for lead SWC's with a gas check?

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https://www.montanabulletworks.com/product/357-lyman-358156-155gr-swc-gc-dc/

These are offered only in a completely ridiculous 22 BHN, but the gascheck will cover all manner of sins.

For general target use you can't beat Unique.

Waterboy3313 said:

I would be curious to see your load data.

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Load data depends on powder lot, sometimes its 13.5 grains of 2400 and could go to 15 grains. This is safe data , again magnum loads based on original technical descriptions of the 357 magnum.

In the gp100 I had 125gr xtp with 2400 not exactly a light target load but shot great.flame thrower.Fun fun

Now this s&w model 60 likes 158gr Magnus jhp with blue dot powder loaded down around starting charge would have to check

My favorite target load is 16 grains of Lil Gun under a 158 grain Hornady XTP. At least that is the load with which I get the best accuracy in my gun. But I do not shoot it often. Nor can I shoot it accurately for a long session. But for 1 cylinder full if I have to hit a mark that is the load I want.

What is it exactly you are looking for? Cheapest of the cheap for components? If that's the case I would suggest the load I already posted with titegroup and LCSWC bullets. 38 special with 3.5gr titegroup and LCSWC makes a pretty good accurate target load. I think my best price for a box of 50 came to $7.00 using factory made bullets.

.38 Special said:

I experimented a whole lot with the .38 Special and .357 Magnum in the late 90's. Never found anything I liked better than the old standards.

In the .357 that means 13 grains of 2400 behind Lyman's 158 grain SWC (358156GC) for about 1200 FPS for "Magnum" loads and a 148 grain HBWC (I really like the Hornady version) with 2.7 grains of Bullseye in a .38 case, or three grains in the .357 case.

I pour my own 158 semiwadcutters with wheelweights. They are available from several commercial manufacturers, although all of them of which I am aware make them much too hard. The gascheck, though, should solve most if not all of the problems caused by that.

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I was waiting for someone to bring up the "old" GOLD standards. Excellent. I've been shooting those exact, very accurate loads for 40 years.

My favorite 357 mid-range target load is:

158 SWC (hard cast)
7.0 gr Unique
CCI 500 (or equivalent)
COAL: 1.610"

357 mag out of S&W 686 w/ 4" barrel
Ave Velocity: 1,109 fps

Has been a very accurate, consistent load. Have been using it for a long time (over 30 years). I shoot more of this load than anything else in my 357's.

I only shoot one load in ALL my .357's. My cast 168 gr SWC pushed by 13.5 grs of #2400. Fast and accurate. 3 1/2 bbl=1209 fps, 6" bbl=1256 fps. Cronograph Oehler 35P.

Walkalong said:

You can drive coated 158 Gr SWCs as hard as you want in .357 Mag without gas checks.

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I have never done the cost comparison between soft lead using gas checks and making the lead hard enough to shoot magnum power. Color me curious

Walkalong said:

The 16 BHN coated from SNS are hard enough.

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I was considering this from a home brew scenario I should have been more clear. When casting your own for magnum velosity which way is cheaper

AJC1 said:

I was considering this from a home brew scenario I should have been more clear. When casting your own for magnum velosity which way is cheaper

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Wheel weights are what I use and they are hard enough.