.38/.357 158gr berrys and w293 spm primers data

296? I've never heard of 293.

Is that the only powder you have? You're likely to overdrive the bullets and have terrible accuracy unless you are shooting them from a 2" barrel. And you can't compensate by using less powder. Good components, just not a good combination.

I have never heard of w293, so I'm guessing you mean 231 or 296. 231 would be the best choice. Copper plated bullets can't be pushed as fast as jacketed and you should use very little crimp. The plating is easy to damage. Berry's bullets can be used with lead bullet data or light to mid jacketed data. A starting load for a lead 158 grain bullet would work fine.

Try Hodgdon for load data: http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

W231 would be a much better choice than W296 with those Berry's bullets.

Any one of the medium burn powders will work well with those Berry's bullets including Unique like mentioned above and HS-6, AA#5, Universal, Power Pistol and the like.

I wouldn't recommend 296 with plated bullets. You're just asking for trouble. Plated bullets should not be loaded as fast as 296 is going to launch them and 296 cannot be loaded down to give speeds that those Berry's can handle. You also cannot apply the heavy roll crimp required by 296 for reliable ignition into a plated bullet, you will break through the plating and get leading and poor accuracy. I shoot a lot of 158gr X-treme plated flat points loaded in 357 cases but the slowest powder I use is Universal loaded to around 1100fps out of my 6.5" Blackhawk. Great accuracy but that is about all the speed those bullets can handle, if not pushing it a bit. If I want to step up to heavy hitting loads I'll switch to a jacketed bullet. Save the Berry's for low and mid-range plinking/target loads using faster powders and save the 296 for jacketed barn burners.

First of all, don't reduce 296 to less than the published minimum, it can't be manipulated like many other powders can be to fit your needs with plated bullets. And as for plated bullets, unless the manufacturer has specified they can handle being full house loaded with powder like 296 / H110, you'll need to utilize a different powder.

As for 38 spcl, you absolutely can't use 296 for that cartridge at all, thus no load data is available.

As for a powder that will work for 38 spcl. and .357 mag. using those plated bullets there are numerous others that will work quite well. I use Longshot and HS6 with very good results. And those two powders can be worked with to suit your needs.

GS