200 gr cast 357 hunting load information needed

[rbrtweber85]

I'm new to reloading and thought id work up a hunting load for my 4" gp-100 in .357 mag. I started out with new winchester brass and federal small mag pistol primers. The polwder I'm using is hogdon lil gun. I started my load at 14.0 grs and am now at 18.0 grs. The bullet I'm using is the 200gr lwngc from cast performance.

I shot 20 rounds of it today without any problems without anysigns of over pressure that I can see. Recoil is staring to become very noticable however the round was very accurate at 10 - 70 yards. How much more can I get out of this round? Has anyone ever loaded this round for hunting and what was the recipe? What kind of pressures am I looking at here?


Thanks for any help I can get.

 

[GP100man]

I`ve shot & killed with a 357 a bunch & feel once ya pass 170-180gr. ya lose terminal shock & range from the 357s 4&6" revolvers.

The worst damage to a deer I did with a 140gr gameking bullet , the deer was close though.

The best kill was with a 358429 cast 170 gr. both lungs at a good distance .

Not that your loads won`t work , it just takes a longer barrel with Lil Gun & a 200gr. boolit to get it to perform at it`s best.

I`ll bet your combo is accurate though!

My opinion only .

 

[RugerNo]

You are way out of line on your load. The max load for a 180 grain bullet is 15gr Lil Gun and is at 35,000 psi. There is NO safe way of judging pressures by eyeball, feel or measuring anything out of a handgun. Following reloading data from Hodgdon is where you should be. From 50yrs of loading experience, 12 grains of Lil Gun is about right for a 200 gr bullet in a 357 Mag. A 180 grain bullet is maximum sane weight/velocity compromise in the 357. Leave the 200 grains for 35Rem and the 357 Maximum.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I agree a charge of 18.0gr Lil'Gun under a 200gr bullet is extremely high. I would rethink your whole idea of loading that round with that much powder. I would guess anything over 13.5gr is overpressure and you are loading 18.0gr, be very careful...

 

[rbrtweber85]

I shot 25 more rounds through the gun today. I chronographed them using an alpha master chrony. The rounds averaged a velocity of 1788 fps.

 

[Oceans]

a 173 grain Keith style bullet will give you all the penetration you could ever want from the .357 caliber,with velocities around the 1000fps and up
I had a six inch model 19, and I loaded it with the 173 Keith from Bear tooth bullets, and backed it with 12.7 2400 using the lee dipper, with standard small pistol primers in 38 spec brass. That was one accurate load, it would penetrate very nicely. Now I keep all handgun hunting to about 50 yards with open sights.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I shot 25 more rounds through the gun today. I chronographed them using an alpha master chrony. The rounds averaged a velocity of 1788 fps.

You actually got a 200gr bullet to travel at almost 1800 fps from a 4" barrel. If you value your body parts, eyes and revolver you will drop that charge WAY back Sir. You should consider yourself lucky so far.

I would expect no more than 1400 fps from a 200gr bullet in a .357 Magnum carbine or less than 1200 fps from a 4" barrel. Really, back that charge off a lot!!!

 

[win71]

500 ft./sec running start

With my loads in an 8 3/8" model 27 using 160 gr. cast bullets I'd still need a 500 ft./sec head start to get that kind of velocity.

 

[buck460XVR]

You actually got a 200gr bullet to travel at almost 1800 fps from a 4" barrel. If you value your body parts, eyes and revolver you will drop that charge WAY back Sir. You should consider yourself lucky so far.

I would expect no more than 1400 fps from a 200gr bullet in a .357 Magnum carbine or less than 1200 fps from a 4" barrel. Really, back that charge off a lot!!!

I thought the same thing and am surprised he hasn't had to use a hammer and a dowel to extract the cases. Then I thought since he was new to reloading he may be new to using a chrono too and there was a error there.

rbrtweber85...where did you get your load recipe from?

 

[GP100man]

Probably from a FA. manual !!! The FAs. go way over !!!

Check the forceing cone , Erosion !!!! ????

I will say this for Lil Gun if you`ll stay in published loads , no erosion problems.

I knew you were a little hi on the charge but 1788fps ????

Time to step up in caliber !!!!!