.357 load for accuracy practice

Blue Dot 9.5 to 10.7

The 10.7 is from a Hercules Manual, so the information is a bit dated. I think I stayed around 10.0 grains of Blue Dot, which might be on the upper end of moderate. 10.7 was shown in the Hercules Manual to be 1490 f/s; so a bit hotter than moderate; almost up there with H110.

HS-6 9.5 grains

This 9.5 grains is from a Hodgdon Manual cirra 2008. Listed velocity is 1375 f/s so also a little more than a moderate load.

Hope this helps.

HS-6 or Power Pistol would probably be my choice of what you listed.

Do your accuracy testing Single-Action, while shooting off sandbags on a bench rest.

Not a lot of us are good enough to stand on our hind legs and tell the difference between one good load and another good load.

rc

For a magnum load I would go with Enforcer. I tried BD in 357 mag with mixed results. My favorites For 357 mag. AA#9,#7 and 2400.
For loads that are between 357 mag and 38spl+p Power pistol and HS-6 would be my choice. Maybe Titegroup for a short barrel.

Of the powders you listed you can get real magnum performance from HS-6, Enforcer, Power Pistol and Blue Dot. Like suggested above my choices would be HS-6 and Power Pistol. I have never used Enforcer but it is a full power magnum powder. There are those who swear by Blue Dot for the .357 Magnum but I have never used it for that application. If you do use Blue Dot be sure to use current load data because Alliant a few years back changed all their Blue Dot .357 Magnum load data because of pressure spike problems. (IIRC)

Give 9.0gr to 9.2gr HS-6 a try with a 158gr jacketed bullet. Start lower and work up of course.
Hodgdon lists a range of 8.0gr to 9.5gr HS-6 under a 158gr Hornady XTP bullet.

The Alliant site has load data for Power Pistol and Blue Dot. http://alliantpowder.com/reloaders/default.aspx

The Ramshot site has load data for Enforcer. http://www.ramshot.com/load-data/
Note, the load data on the Ramshot site is a combined source for all Ramshot and Accurate powders, both under Western Powders...

Additional magnum handgun powders are 2400, Power Pro 300-MP, AA#9, 4100, W296/H110, Lil'Gun, IMR4227 and probably a few others I missed...

Going to pay close attention to this thread for when I start loading up for the Colt Python. Did I miss somewhere where someone answered the part on which primers he was to use standard or magnum?

Kuyong_Chuin said:

Going to pay close attention to this thread for when I start loading up for the Colt Python. Did I miss somewhere where someone answered the part on which primers he was to use standard or magnum?

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Magnum primers are only needed for hard to ignite ball powders like W296/H110, HS-6 and HS-7. Most current load manuals and data sources will show a magnum primer with anything that's named magnum but I'm not sure why. Just because the word magnum is in the name of the cartridge doesn't automatically denote the need for a magnum primer. Powders like 2400 are known to perform better with a standard primer over a magnum primer. Also, why in the world would you need a magnum primers with powders like HP-38, PB, Titegroup and Universal yet that's what Hodgdon calls for in their .357 Magnum load data. Those same powders when used in a .38 Special are on the Hodgdon site with standard primers.

I would start off with the BD and HS loads, and refer to the Alliant page for the BD warning.

Blue Dot® should NOT be used in the 357 Magnum load using the 125 grain projectile (Blue Dot® recipes with heavier bullet weights as specified in Alliant Powders Reloading Guide are acceptable for use).

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In their load data the suggested charge for a 158gr is 10.2 grs and the top end load, and should be reduced by 10% and worked up.

One other thing on your rest. If you have an old boot you can cut a good lenght of the side out of, or similar type piece of leather or possibly heavy material, put it over the top of your rest to avoid the possibility of the gas from the cylinder gap cutting your bag. It usually doesn't happen with only a couple of shots, but it can wear through with repeated use. Some bags have the leather on top some just nylon, and the nylon ones has split on me.

I DO shoot plenty over mine though, so just thought I would throw it out there. It also helps keep some of the powder fouling from accumulating as well.

You shouldn't have an overly hard time hitting an accurate load. When you start to crimp give them a good roll but don't get carried away. It should only take enough to hold the bullets in place which is usually just the lip rolled over the cannalure. You might try out a couple of different ones to see if it helps or not. Just don't get carried away and think you have to swedge the lip of the case into the side of the bullet for best performance. I shoot much heavier charges and bullets in bigger calibers than your looking at, with just a small roll crimp, just enough to hold the bullets from moving under recoil. Most of them shoot 1" or so at 25yds standing and pretty darned close to that at 50 rested.

Good luck.

Well there you go, my memory lied to me, I didn't remember correctly after all!
Thanks for clearing up the Blue Dot info "41 Mag"...

To test for accuracy first you need to be able to shoot accurately. For most of us upping our perceived accuracy for a handgun automatically means shooting from seated with the aid of a wrist rest.

Now I seldom shoot from a wrist rest so I found that when I try shooting that way that I don't get my groups to size up any better than I get when carefully free style shooting. This taught me that rested shooting is a skill as much as any other style and that it requires practice and maintenance to reach and then stay on top of the game.

So I'd suggest that the first thing you do is work on getting accurate while shooting from a rest. Or figure out some way to get a Ransom rest or possibly cobble up a similar clamp in system to allow holding the gun so it can shoot the exact same way every time.

14-15 grains of 2400 (depending on bullet) works for full load magnums for me.

also somewhere in the 10 grains (going from memory) of blue dot has worked good too.

HS-6 and Unique for reduced loads for me.

For full house magnum loads H1110/296 is the top performer, hands down. But IMR4227, 2400, PowerPro300MP, Power Pistol, and Blue Dot will all provide a good stout load as well. However, Blue Dot and Power Pistol won't provide you with 100%, but they will get you pretty darn close.

I haven't yet tried PP300MP, but I have been told by those who have that it is certainly a full house magnum powder. But for no B.S. magnum only loads, there is really no other powder that accomplishes this better than H110/296, as this is it's exclusive purpose, and can't be effectively reduced to less than published start.

GS

gamestalker said:

For full house magnum loads H1110/296 is the top performer, hands down. But IMR4227, 2400, PowerPro300MP, Power Pistol, and Blue Dot will all provide a good stout load as well. However, Blue Dot and Power Pistol won't provide you with 100%, but they will get you pretty darn close.

I haven't yet tried PP300MP, but I have been told by those who have that it is certainly a full house magnum powder. But for no B.S. magnum only loads, there is really no other powder that accomplishes this better than H110/296, as this is it's exclusive purpose, and can't be effectively reduced to less than published start.

GS

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I have used 300-MP in both 357 and 44 mag, and yes, it can produce full house magnum velocities. It can be safely loaded down and does not need a magnum primer, so it might be a better choice for a new magnum reloader than H110.

What BCRider put down is for the most part pretty accurate. It took me a while to get my head around handguns but once I did it still took a while to learn what was me and what was the gun when it came to finding accurate loads.

Being just a poorboy and not having the money to spend on fancy rests and different inserts for each revolver or semi auto I wanted to work with didn't help either. My Pop was a pretty smart fellow though and he ask me why I didn't make up a rest that would work for them both. He drew it out on paper and I gave him that deer in the headlight look as it was so simple.

I took a piece of 1 x 8 x 10" long pine and I notched it about 1/4" deep across the middle . Then I measured the height of the level barrel with the grip resting on a pad and used this as the bottom of a V notch. I think the tips were about 1 1/2" taller on each side. I cut it to lenght and screwed it into the groove I cut in the other board and put a piece of leather tacked into the notch.

I used that for quite a few years and it worked great for both revolvers and semi auto's, as it allowed me to rest the barrels in the bottom of the groove and hold everything very secure, as well as being able to put it right back where it was on the shot before.

I use one of the adjustable types now with a leather pad on the top. I still however cover it with a piece of leather I cut out of an old boot just to keep the cylinder blast and carbon from messing it up.

As cheesy as the wooden one sounds it lasted for close to 20years before I managed to break it by running it over with my 4 wheeler. Just goes to show you need to make sure things that are bungy corded down stay that way.

I like Power Pistol from that list. It meters well for me, and has a nice, bright muzzle flash, so you feel like you've really accomplished something!

I'm not really good enough to be sure (maybe I just get lucky more often), but the only powder that I've seen to give special accuracy in my .357 is 4227. I'm probably deluded, but I'll be buying another pound the next time I get the chance. If you find a bottle, this advice is worth what you paid for it. Drawbacks are that it needs a magnum primer, and it uses a heavy charge so you'll spend a bit more on powder. Also, it smells a bit like cat's pee, but that could earn you a little extra elbow room at the range.

I load a few different loads for various .357 guns. Some high end deer getters, but most very low power plinkers. Those are a 120gr LRN cast bullet over 4gr of 231. Very very light on noise and recoil. Put this load together for a 8yr old learning pistol control in a 4" taurus66 it works well in lever guns and contender as well. I load this in both 38spl and .357 mag cases with no noticeable difference.

Of the powders you listed only Enforcer is going to give full magnum velocities, although a few will come close. Enforcer should be loaded with magnum primers.

I have only used 231. 4.5gr with 158gr lead bullet. Pleasant to shoot.