Trying to decide on only one bullet for 357

158 lswc poly coated
What the caliber was designed for

Ya 158 swc gets my vote

My EDC is a 686 .357. I use a 158 gr bullet. I am a firm believer of heavier bullets. Eventually I will have to reconsider my philosophy on this matter as arthritis plays havoc in my shooting hand during practice. In the meantime I adjust my loads to less powder but keep the heavier 158 gr. bullet. Soon I may have to drop to 125gr.

In my opinion the .357 shines with a 158 gr. bullet, great round for hunting, plinking, and SD.

I’m also in the 158 gr group, but not the SWC type……
I prefer the TCFP for feeding purposes in the levers….
I don’t prefer to load 2 types of profile, so I picked the 1 that worked in both…..

If I had to choose just one it would be the noe-360-154-rnfp.

From a casting perspective I like brass the best.

My preference is the Lee 158 lead semi wadcutter that I tumble lube. Over 5.0 grains of bullseye it shoots great in a 6” GP-100 and i only target shoot with it, no hunting. It is self cleaning and I’m almost to 9k down the barrel with not cleaning the barrel and it still just has a grey wash.

I have recently switched to a Missouri Bullet Company 158 grain, coated LSWC. Very happy with the results so far. I am still trying different loads with it but so far I like how it shoots over 6.0 grains of W231.

When I shot revolver with USPSA, I used jacketed 125gr exclusively, although ahead of a lot of Blue Dot! Anymore I load a Lyman 160gr gc over 15.5gr of H110, not max, but behaves like a 357 should!
For plinking loads, Lyman 160gr over 4gr Zip in a 38 Special is really comfortable!

savagelover said:

I'm trying to decide on one cast bullets for 38/357.
Mainly for plinking, target.
Kind of leaning towards the lee 125 gr.
My idea is to just make one bullet and try different powders instead of jumping around with different bullets. Any thoughts on doing this. Thanks.. Johnn

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I used to use 125 grain bullets, the fireballs at the muzzle were impressive, and the muzzle blast annoyed everyone. You push a 125 to max speed, that's what you are going to experience. They do shoot well



I have a large collection of older 38 Special revolvers, most are fixed sight. Older pistols were regulated with 158 grain bullets, and 158 grain bullets shoot just fine in the 38 Special, and in the 357 Magnum. The 158 grain bullet is a well established technology. Muzzle blast is less, hardly any fireballs that I can recall.

Mine are stable out to 50 yards, even at 38 Special velocities.

The .357, when loaded near capacity, is hard on bullets. I generally avoid plain bases, tumble lube designs, and tumble lubing itself. All can be made to work, more-or-less, but I have never been completely happy with the results - and some of the most laughably bad experiences I have ever had in the gun world resulted from their use.

The absolute classic bullet for the application is Lyman's 358156. It's a checked SWC that's been around forever (Skeeter loved the thing) and still is available from Lyman in both standard and HP versions. Higher quality molds are also available from places like NOE. The gas check is an added cost and annoyance - both minor, in my experience - but which add so much functionality and leeway to the bullet that they are well worth it. The bullet itself has two crimp grooves, which make it very versatile. OAL can be adjusted for various actions and cylinders, and of course powder capacity can be adjusted for .38 and .357, anywhere from mild to wild. I was confronted with the OP's question myself, decades ago, and the 358156 became the obvious answer.


<edit> I'm wrong about Lyman offering the HP version. Other mold makers do, and the originals can be modified, but otherwise, you're stuck looking at Ebay and auction houses.

Good choice for cast speeds. Lyman cast book has excellent choices. Some times it's good to just pick one and do lots of practice

savagelover said:

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Some one has been practicing and experimenting. What rifle.

I don't have a huge selection of 38 caliber moulds, but If I had to pick just one bullet, it'd probably be this one, the RCBS 38-150-SWC. I use it in everything from light 38 Special to full bore 357 Magnum.

If deer and black bear hunting was on the ticket, I'd opt for a 180 grain mould in RF.

One of my favorite molds is an RCBS.
In the beginning I was all excited to use home made bullets for hunting. 158 swc and 160 RNFP in one side out the other. In the chest and past the diaphragm. With handgun at 40yds or less. Carbine at 65 yds or less. Switched to 140gr XTP for faster death.

But all this has nothing to do with the OP question.
I'm as windy as the most of you

.38 Special said:

The .357, when loaded near capacity, is hard on bullets. I generally avoid plain bases, tumble lube designs, and tumble lubing itself. All can be made to work, more-or-less, but I have never been completely happy with the results - and some of the most laughably bad experiences I have ever had in the gun world resulted from their use.

The absolute classic bullet for the application is Lyman's 358156. It's a checked SWC that's been around forever (Skeeter loved the thing) and still is available from Lyman in both standard and HP versions. Higher quality molds are also available from places like NOE. The gas check is an added cost and annoyance - both minor, in my experience - but which add so much functionality and leeway to the bullet that they are well worth it. The bullet itself has two crimp grooves, which make it very versatile. OAL can be adjusted for various actions and cylinders, and of course powder capacity can be adjusted for .38 and .357, anywhere from mild to wild. I was confronted with the OP's question myself, decades ago, and the 358156 became the obvious answer.

The Lyman 358156 Bullet - American Handgunner

Savvy handloaders use Ray Thompson’s design — the Lyman 358156 —which incorporated a gas check (GC) for .357 Magnum and .38 Special.

americanhandgunner.com

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Mostly on the money. My Arsenal and Lee gas check bullets only get tumble lube and work great with a full load of H110. Handgun and carbine. Never doubt proper tumble lube.

Show Me said:

Mostly on the money. My Arsenal and Lee gas check bullets only get tumble lube and work great with a full load of H110. Handgun and carbine. Never doubt proper tumble lube.

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Gas checks allow you to get away with all sorts of bad ideas.

.38 Special said:

Gas checks allow you to get away with all sorts of bad ideas.

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You're onto me! A gas check resists base swaging, so you can seat a bullet deeper than your expander goes into the case.

savagelover said:

My idea is to just make one bullet and try different powders instead of jumping around with different bullets. Any thoughts on doing this. Thanks.. Johnn

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I'm pretty much in the "same boat" as you. Because of the rate of twist in a .357 the two choices you have are 148 or 158 grain cast bullets.
I finding out the "your plinking" would be more suited to a 148 grain Lee solid or dimple solid wad cutter,. You don't have to worry about blowing a skirt off a solid WC. Solid WC are also very good self defense bullets too. You can shoot that "puppy" as a .38 special, +P, and even as a .357 mag, so there is an even better group of powders to choose from. So far I have tried HS-6, Bullseye, Red Dot, CFE Pistol, 231, PB, & Pistol Power,. My next choice will be TightGroup. That's quite a line up!

I am a real fan of 140 gr bullets as well. They split the difference between 125 and 158. I like XTPs and Sierra JHPs, but Missouri Bullet has a 140 gr TCFP that I’ve been itching to try as well.

savagelover said:

lee 125 gr

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This 120 gr bullet works in 357 & 9mm handguns. Tumble lube it. Saves alloy too. Best with adjustable sights. Used 158 lswc, plain base for years, still do.

Mr_Flintstone said:

I am a real fan of 140 gr bullets as well. They split the difference between 125 and 158. I like XTPs and Sierra JHPs, but Missouri Bullet has a 140 gr TCFP that I’ve been itching to try as well.

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Full load of 296 makes them a zinger

243winxb, I use a similar Lyman bullet in 9mm, and used it shooting major 357 in USPSA back in the day, but any more than 3 cylinders the, build up on the cylinder would give problems, even with really hard bullets! (Worked great for reloads though!) On the 20+ rd stages I would end up using both hands to rotate the cylinder!

I shoot MBC 158 grain LSWCs almost exclusively in my .357s. Loads with TrailBoss, Unique, and 2400 depending on purpose.