reloading 357 sig

The first thing you should do is go to the handloading section here and read the sticky that starts out "For the new reloader". It's about equipment and such.
Not trying to be a d*** but it's very well done and can answer most of your questions.
As to what dies I prefer, for handgun, I like Lee. I like their locknuts better than the little brass allen screws on the RCBS ones. And they're about half the price.

Welcome to THR and to loading by the way.

Forster CoAx press
RCBS Dies
Hornady XTP and Gold Dots Bullets
AA# 9, probably the best powder for the 357 SIG
HS6( W540)
800X, meters like cornflakes(unfrosted)

Jimmy K

I've used Lee, RCBS, and Hornady dies and they all work well. I prefer Lee for their price/performance, but like Hornady just a bit more for consistency of seating the bullets.

There are lots of powder/bullet combinations that you'll find as you begin to read and research loading manuals and online sources. I've been using Power Pistol or Universal Clays with either 115 or 124 gr flat point bullets depending on availabiltity.

Station setup will be based on the type of press you have. I'll second Arkansas Paul's comment to read up on things a bit more and then come back with some more specific questions.

Keep us posted!

Dillon 550 press and Dillon dies. I use Accurate (AA#9) powder as it almost fills the case so it's pretty much impossible to overcharge and it also helps to keep the bullet from being set back in the case. Other good powders are Red Dot and Blue Dot but AA 9 is my favorite. I also use Montana Gold bullets designed for the sig, you can use any 9mm bullets as long as it is .355 but I prefer one thats specifically sized for the round due to the pressures involved.

You'll have to use a bullet that is either a Flat Point or Hollow Point. Any bullet that is near the NATO profile won't allow for the OAL of the 357 Sig round. Also, don't try to use Remington Golden Sabre bullets, as the bearing surface will be inside the case, and not inside the short neck, when seated to the proper length.

My two favorite powders for 357 Sig are Accurate #9 and Power Pistol, with AA-9 being the one I use the most.

Hope this helps.

Fred

+1 what Fred said. Check out Montana Gold, they have .357 sig specific bullets for about $.08 apiece.

Here's a link I found helpful: http://www.realguns.com/loads/357sig.htm

There's some older posts here that talk about the pro/cons of steel vs. carbide dies.

Some folks use a carbide 40s&w sizing die, then a 357 sig sizing die to avoid having to lubricate the brass.

Based on how well they work on 7.62x25, I recommend the Lee factory crimp die (with collet crimper) and Hornady seating dies.

If a single stage press will meet your volume needs, the co-ax is great. If not, the LNL AP is a great progressive press (especially if you want to use the 40s&w & 357 sig sizing dies in one pass).

Andy

Power Pistol or AA#7 should be the top powders, and maybe 800X but it might be too bulky. Lyman's manual says they couldn't find any cast bullet loads that worked because the neck was so short it didn't provide enough neck tension.

If you need to lube the cases, Kiwi Mink Oil works good and it's cheap and readily available. I also like Dillon Spray Case Lube.

Dillon 650XL
Dillon .357 Sig Carbide Dies
Dillon spray lube
Power Pistol Powder
115 and 125 grain hollow points
Speer nickel plated brass

That's the lee TL356-124-TC bullet cast by me. Lubed with LLA,(lee liquid alox), they shoot just fine. The case neck has plenty of grip on the bullet, but jut to make sure, I crimped using the Lee factory crimp,(collet type). These were loaded on my dillon XL-650, using Hornady dies and FA spray case lube. Seating and crimping were done separately.

I also load jacketed with the same set-up, using the Hornady 125 hap bullet. Makes for a snappy, accurate round.

Do some searches as this has been heavily discussed before.

My rules are Dillon carbide die. AA9 is the only powder I use because it supports the bullet. Get a bullet with a straight shank and go to town loading. I load a lot of 115 rem JHP's with AA9 and have a blast with it.

I'd like to reload for the .357 sig. My experience so far is limited to reloading for .380 and .45 ACP I have been reading that a lot of reloaders use the .40 S&W sizing die and then a .357Sig sizing die for the neck. Is this still practical or recommended for a single stage low volume press?

I also wanted to ask about the Lee Factory Crimp die. Is the one Lee makes the collet type for the .357 Sig? Is potential setback the reason it's important to give this type of bullet a good crimp? Is a cannelure mandatory on .357 Sig bullets even if jacketed?

As I mentioned, I'm considering low volume work on a single stage RCBS Rock Chucker and any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

OB, your stated procedure works just fine. But the only reason to use it is to avoid the lubing the brass. That's what I do, then tumble the loaded ammo to remove the lube. For your RC, you could wipe each case off, or tumble the sized cases to remove the lube. If you already have the 40 die set, then it's simply a double operation to first size with the carbide 40 dies, then size the neck with the 357 dies.

Yes, the Lee FCD is a collet type crimper. It'll do a fine job of putting a solid crimp on the bullets. BUT It won't substitute for good bullet grip with good neck tension. Also as noted above, the right bullet.

""BUT It won't substitute for good bullet grip with good neck tension. Also as noted above, the right bullet.""

Thanks Snuffy I'm clear on the sizing and lube now, but I'm still a bit foggy on something... if jacketed bullets are used...then a cannelure is a must?

They aren't a must, but they certainly help. I add a cannelure to my bullets. It makes me feel better about it, if nothing else. In about 12,000 rounds, I've yet to have a bullet set back, so I'll keep adding my cannelure to the bullets that don't come with them.

It also helps to use a powder that will be compressed when the bullet is seated. I prefer Accurate Arms #9 for most of my loading in this caliber.

Hope this helps.

Fred

Orange Boy, I'm just a wee bit ahead o'you. I began loading 45ACP, then 380ACP and then in the last 6 months, 357SIG. I use the carbide 40 S&W to size the case before using the 357SIG dies to finish it off. All my dies are Lee and work just fine. I use an RCBS Uniflow to charge the primed cases. The Lee Pro Auto Disk setup doesn't like AA#9. (It works great for the HP-38 and Bullseye that I use for the 45 and 380's though.) As mentioned, the Montana Gold Bullet Co. makes nice 357SIG bullets. You can also go to Midway and read the reviews on 9mm rounds that work great for 357SIG casings. I load Remington Golden Sabers in my other 2 calibers but Remington doesn't make a Golden Saber for 357SIG. Ah, such is life. BTW: Brassmanbrass.com is a great place to purchase once-fired 357SIG and 380ACP casings. The shipping is included in the cost and it's US Priority Mail.

357SIG - It's a heater. I really love the round.

ReloaderFred said:

I add a cannelure to my bullets. It makes me feel better about it, if nothing else. In about 12,000 rounds, I've yet to have a bullet set back, so I'll keep adding my cannelure to the bullets that don't come with them.

Click to expand...

Fred, what crimp die are you using? I got my cannelure tool and my Lee FCD (collet) doesn't taper enough to utilize the crimp. I have to use the crimp/seater die that came with the Lee set in order to get the crimp into the cannelure.

RB98SS,

I use two sets of dies for loading 357 Sig. I have the Dillon Carbide set (don't waste your money) and the Redding set. For crimping, I use the Dillon crimping die, just because it works, but so does the Redding die. I have the Lee Factory Crimp die, but I don't use it, preferring a regular roll crimp.

As I've mentioned in other posts, there are actually two datum points for the .357 Sig, which is contrary to most published information on the caliber. The case mouth is the one most often mentioned, but there is also the shoulder. I've set up my dies to index on the actual shoulder of the case and it's worked really well and allows for a firm roll crimp. I've never had a bullet set back with this method and functioning in my two 357 Sig pistols has been flawless.

Hope this helps.

Fred