357 Mag and Berry's Bullets

[RVenick]

Has anyone loaded Berry's Plated Bullets for 357 Magnum? I have some 125g FN Berry's been loading 38spl but would like to load up some 357 mags. I have W231 and Titegroup powders available. My manuals say starting load for 357 125g with W231 is 7.5g for Jacketed and Berry's says to use Jacketed data but, Berry's also says not to exceed 1200 fps and the starting loads are over 1300 fps. On another forum I was told to use 6.5g of the W231 and all would be well just looking for some input. Thanks in advance.

As a footnote I am getting ready to place a order for powder and primers from PV. If anyone can suggest a more suitable powder for the 357 mag with these bullets I can order a pound of it.

 

[Walkalong]

I have pushed some Berrys in downloaded .357 to a bit over 1200 FPS with mixed results. Worked fine in some guns, not in others. It probably depends on throat sizes, cylinder alignment, and roughness of the forcing cone. At least that is my guess.

Unique......unless you really want to get the max from it. If you don't mind the expense, N340 is superb.

 

[RVenick]

I am picking up my New Ruger GP100 SS 6" on Tuesday. Not sure if the longer barrel is good or bad with the plated bullets. I prefer to stay with the ball type powders I use a Lee Pro 1000 and from what I have read the Powder Disks don't play well with the flake type powders.

 

[ReloaderFred]

You can use high end .38 Special loads in .357 Magnum brass and be within the velocity range for the plated bullets. I try to limit the plated bullets to 1,250 fps as the absolute maximum in any caliber, other than rifle calibers, which are more heavily plated than pistol bullets.

I will tell you that the 124 grain Berry's plated bullet at 1,450 fps will go all over the place and "might" damage the upright guide rod on your chronograph when fired with a full charge of Power Pistol in the 357 Sig round.......

Just pick a load that will keep them around 1,200 fps, or under, and they'll do fine.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[unloaded]

I think cast data works better for plated bullets than jacketed. No thicker than the copper is they act more like cast boolits.

peace.
unloaded

 

[showmebob]

I've been using 6.5 gr of Unique for a soft target load. 7gr is the max I've tried. Both seem fine from 2 1/4 sp101. I do not have a chronograph.