357 Berry's bullets with N340?

[Centella]

Hey friends, happy Monday.

I have a question here about handloading 357 magnum rounds with Berry's bullets. I have had great results handloading 38 specials with N340 powder and Precision Delta's .38 bullets. Now I want to move on to the big stuff, 357 magnum.
According to Vihtavuori's online data, the N340 powder can be used with Berry's 357 158 gr FP bullets. However, these are not cannelured, which at this point is important to me for proper crimp. The cannelured version, Berry's 357 158 gr FP TP, has a thick plate that might affect the load data. However, loading data specifically for this bullet is not available from Vihtavuori.
So my question is, can the starting data for these bullets be used interchangeably?

Thanks!

 

[AJC1]

Hey friends, happy Monday.

I have a question here about handloading 357 magnum rounds with Berry's bullets. I have had great results handloading 38 specials with N340 powder and Precision Delta's .38 bullets. Now I want to move on to the big stuff, 357 magnum.
According to Vihtavuori's online data, the N340 powder can be used with Berry's 357 158 gr FP bullets. However, these are not cannelured, which at this point is important to me for proper crimp. The cannelured version, Berry's 357 158 gr FP TP, has a thick plate that might affect the load data. However, loading data specifically for this bullet is not available from Vihtavuori.
So my question is, can the starting data for these bullets be used interchangeably?

Thanks!

If I were to pick a random round number 1000fps seems as good as any other. Bullet pull is not effected by crimp and I crimp because I use tube magazines in lever guns. Maybe a more important factor is gun weight

 

[Walkalong]

I doubt the heavier plate would affect pressures a whole lot, but that's just one more reason we start low.

Use a taper crimp.

A nice "medium" taper crimp on an X-Treme 200 Gr in .44 Spl.



A "heavy" (And I mean heavy) taper crimp on a 125 Gr Powerbond.


Crimp doesn't seem to hurt it.

 

[joneb]

I have cheap digital calipers in my range bag. When testing loads I often check for bullets jumping the crimp in the cylinder, or for bullet set back in a tubular mag.

 

[Palladan44]

I personally wouldn't use those particular bullets for anything other than target velocity loads, but in the 357 cases, just fine.
I learned this by trial and making the mistake of pushing plated bullets too fast.

You're not thinking on trying to get maximum velocity, aka. Unleashing the full power of the 357 with these bullets, are you?
I've tried that, with very
poor results. Key-holing, extremely poor accuracy, and the little hot chunks of plating hitting my cheeks as I fire. Copper fouling was bad. I was unimpressed. Would have been much better off with hard-cast.

The thick-plated bullets are a little better for magnum velocity, but not a whole lot more.
Thin plated ones I'd keep to 950fps or less.
Thick Plated ones maybe 1,200fps.
Both with taper crimp only enough to remove belling so they drop in the cylinders, and no more.
Good luck!

 

[joneb]

. I have had great results handloading 38 specials with N340 powder and Precision Delta's .38 bullets

I have had very good results with vv n-340 for 38 spl with Xtreme 158gr plated fp with a poor excuse for a cannelure, I taper crimp these loads. I have not worked up loads for that bullet for .357 mag. with n-340, but I have loaded them with Accurate #5 with great results. My #5 charge for 357 mag with these plated bullets was between 38spl and 357 mag. data, say around 7.8gr. They shoot pretty good.

 

[Centella]

I personally wouldn't use those particular bullets for anything other than target velocity loads, but in the 357 cases, just fine.
I learned this by trial and making the mistake of pushing plated bullets too fast.

You're not thinking on trying to get maximum velocity, aka. Unleashing the full power of the 357 with these bullets, are you?
I've tried that, with very
poor results. Key-holing, extremely poor accuracy, and the little hot chunks of plating hitting my cheeks as I fire. Copper fouling was bad. I was unimpressed. Would have been much better off with hard-cast.

The thick-plated bullets are a little better for magnum velocity, but not a whole lot more.
Thin plated ones I'd keep to 950fps or less.
Thick Plated ones maybe 1,200fps.
Both with taper crimp only enough to remove belling so they drop in the cylinders, and no more.
Good luck!

Hey, thanks for the advice. Yeah, I'm only interested in range velocity for these loads. Basically I just wanna go to the range and feel a stronger kick than that of 38sp. I'm only going for basic loads for now, until I get more experience as a handloader.