.357 Magnum Loads

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Range trash is the only type ill dig through..... almost nothing to surprise you there....

Went to the public range in Ocala National Forest bright and early one chill morning and saw raccoons digging through the range trash. I never did figure out what they were after. Prolly some coffee-clutch boutique brass. You know how them raccoons are...

These days with used needles, dirty diapers and who knows what else in every public, outside trash can, I don't chance digging through anything I don't know what's in there.

 

[Mike L.]

13.5 of 2400 under a 158 SWC is my favorite general .357 load. I bump it up some for JHP's. I always use standard primers and magnum cases.

 

[AJC1]

Went to the public range in Ocala National Forest bright and early one chill morning and saw raccoons digging through the range trash. I never did figure out what they were after. Prolly some coffee-clutch boutique brass. You know how them raccoons are...

These days with used needles, dirty diapers and who knows what else in every public, outside trash can, I don't chance digging through anything I don't know what's in there.

I only dig in the indoor private range....

 

[joneb]

I also, till i loaded Accurate No. 9 powder. I need to try a standard primer with No 9.

I load for a .357 magnum Ruger Security Six with a 2.75" barrel, the 158gr Hornady xtp or fp does well for me with 13.6-13.8gr of #9 with standard small pistol primers in this firearm.
I were concerned about ignition in very cold temperatures I might would work up a load with magnum small primers.

 

[emb]

I load for a Colt King Cobra. I load 14 grns of 2400 under a 158 grn SWC Missouri Cast Bullet. I load 12.8 grns of 2400 under a 158 grn Hornady XTP. I use Fed SPM primers on both. Both loads are very accurate. I've never chronoed it. Most of my brass of all types is from our range. Folks sweep their brass and put it in the brass bucket. If you don't mind getting your hands dirty, it's all yours.

 

[allisd17]

I got the chrono out to the range today. The loads using W-296 averaged 1330 fps. The 2400 rounds were 1230 fps. Next time I will use 14.5g of 2400. Also keeping my eye out locally for some Accurate #9.....

 

[allisd17]

. Most of my brass of all types is from our range. Folks sweep their brass and put it in the brass bucket. If you don't mind getting your hands dirty, it's all yours.

You are fortunate; I've never belonged to a club where the members are tidy like that.

 

[DMW1116]

Anybody tried 125 grain cast bullets over HS-6 powder for 357 Magnum? I posted about that combo for 38 Special but it seems in my load manuals HS-6 powder and 125 grain cast bullets is more common in magnum loads.

 

[Vandikar1]

I'm running 158 Sierra HP's out of my little Kimber K6S (snubby 2" barrel). I started running up a load (or should I say, running down a load) using Alliant 2400 with Remington small magnum primers. my suggest load was 14.8 grain. As I'm using magnum primers I dropped it to 14 grain.

Big Fireball out the front but accurate as hell.

Dropped it back to 13.7 grains. still big fireball out the front.

I had been using bullseye with good results except the barrel and cylinder were getting pretty hot. (probably as all the powder was being used propelling the bullet.)

Any suggestions on how low I should take the load to reduce the pyrotechnics? I dont want to drop so low that accuracy becomes an issue and clearly squib isn't on the horizon.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

I'm running 158 Sierra HP's out of my little Kimber K6S (snubby 2" barrel). I started running up a load (or should I say, running down a load) using Alliant 2400 with Remington small magnum primers. my suggest load was 14.8 grain. As I'm using magnum primers I dropped it to 14 grain.

Big Fireball out the front but accurate as hell.

Dropped it back to 13.7 grains. still big fireball out the front.

I had been using bullseye with good results except the barrel and cylinder were getting pretty hot. (probably as all the powder was being used propelling the bullet.)

Any suggestions on how low I should take the load to reduce the pyrotechnics? I dont want to drop so low that accuracy becomes an issue and clearly squib isn't on the horizon.

Smaller fireball out of that short barrel usually means a faster powder.

Faster powder also usually means lower velocity.

Will it change accuracy? Dunno. Try it and see.

 

[Walkalong]

That should be a good load. Skeeter Skelton used 13.5 grains 2400 with 158's in 38 Special brass. God knows what pressures he had, all Skeeter had were gross indications of pressure to warn him, and he said his load was safe in his handguns. I copied that load with 158 Lead bullets in 357 brass, and it works great. I think you, bumping it up by half a grain, with a JHP, is all to the better.

Agreed, bumping it from 14.0 to 14.5 Grs with a 158 Gr XTP settled down and worked better for me as well .

.357 Mag cases of course

 

[Dudedog]

gfl 357

Were the flash holes centered?
I have had issues with other GFL brass having way off center flash holes.