.357 sig loads

[Jenrick]

Well I'm back to a normal work schedule (well as normal as it gets), so back to the reloading bench. I'm looking for some loads in .357 sig to try out, these will be fired in a P226. Mainly looking for a good cheap plinking round that's still got some snap to it (no sense doing all my practice with powder puff rounds). Clean would be nice to, but having access to a parts washer means it's not a major issue

Thanks,

-Jenrick

 

[snuffy]

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=616998

That takes care of the bullets. The HAP <Hornady Action Pistol), is simply an XTP without internal skiving to initiate expansion. DON'T buy any round nose 9mm bullets, their long pointy profile will not give that short neck anywhere to crimp into.

Now for powder, power pistol works real well. AA#9 is also good, followed by Alliant blu-dot.

The 357 sig is not a cheap round to load. It takes special bullets, and more expensive powders. I do have a lead boolit mold for mine, that works quite well. But that's another show..............

 

[threefeathers]

I just loaded 200 of these and will do another 200 today.
Mixed brass, I set upright and give a light spray.
I use my RSBS Pro 2000 and it loads these rounds perfectly.
I purchased 1K rounds of 357 Sig from Montana Gold in 135 grain.
I've used 800X, Unique, and Blue Dot with equal effect.
But I got a deal on 8 lbs of 800X so here it is.

9 grains of 800X. (Steve's reloading pages gives 10 grains as the max)
125 grain Montana Gold bullet.
Standard WW Primer
TAPER CRIMP with Redding T Crimp.

Shoot, collect brass repeat process.

 

[Jenrick]

Do you guys prefer the .355 or the .356 bullets? Any pro's or con's to one or the other?

How does lead shoot in .357sig? I'm guessing with the higher pressure it's going to lead quiet a bit, and I might as well just shoot jacketed?

-Jenrick

 

[ReloaderFred]

I shoot either plated or jacketed bullets through my two 357 Sig handguns. I use Accurate #9 for almost all my loads, since it meters so well and gives me the accuracy I want.

One of my pistols prefers 115 grain bullets and the other prefers 124 grain bullets of .355" diameter for accuracy. You've got to use either flat point or hollow point bullets, since the overall length of this round is so short. The short neck of the case requires a firm grip and crimp.

I've loaded some lead bullets, but the plated and jacketed seem more suited to this particular caliber, and give better results. I don't load this caliber down, since it's designed to be a "performance" round for the semiauto handgun.

I like AA #9 because it fills up the case completely and doesn't allow any bullet setback. This is a high pressure pistol round, and you don't want it getting any higher by setting the bullet back during chambering.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Jenrick]

Thanks for the tip on the #9 filling the case, was going to be my next question.

-Jenrick

 

[~z]

Any of you .357 Sig shooters need any brass? I have about 500-1000 rounds of once fired I stumbled across while cleaning up the gun room. PM me if you are interested.
~z

 

[shorin]

Not trying to hijack, but I'm hoping you guys can provide some insight. I'm just starting in reloading, and things have been going pretty well. Have developed loads in 40 S&W and 223. I just started playing with 357 Sig, and ran into a problem...

I'm using Berry's 9mm 124gr HP bullets, TJ Conevera's once-fired brass, and CCI small-pistol primers. I'm using Power Pistol, as that's what I'm using in 40, and plan in using in 9mm down the road. It feeds fine, and no over-pressure signs. According to the Sierra manual, 7.5 grains (max load) should yield 1250 fps. I'm getting 1229 fps out of my Glock 23 w/ a Lone Wolf 357 Sig Barrel, so I'm pretty much there.

Then I chrono'd a Winchester 125 grain target load. I got an average of 1338 fps. The Tim Taylor in me is kicking in and I want more power... Should I start pushing up the powder a little, or should I switch powder? You mentioned AA#9.... The Sierra book shows it's max as 12 grains getting 1250 fps, so it's about the same as Power Pistol. AA#7 w/ 10.5 grains gives 1300 fps by the book. I'm going to need even more than that to match the Winchester load... Suggestions?

 

[ReloaderFred]

The Sierra load is below what Accurate Arms recommends, and what I shoot. I'm using the Berry's 124 grain bullets, both HP and FP, in the 357 Sig. I don't usually post load data, but in this case I'll make an exception and quote Accurate Arms and recommend 13 grains of AA #9 with the 124 grain bullet, per their manual.

This load is very accurate in my XD, and shoots well in my Witness in this caliber, though the Witness prefers 115 grain bullets for the best accuracy. This is also with Berry's bullets, using the 115 grain FP and 13.5 grains of AA #9.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[shorin]

May have to switch to AA#9 then... I think I may have to call Alliant about Power Pistol loads and see what they say too.... Thanks guys.

Danny

 

[shorin]

Looked on the Alliant website, and they list 8.6 grains of Power Pistol as the max load. The Sierra book must be really conservative some times... My other loads looked fine...

Alliant also specify the load using a Federal 100 primer. I'm using the CCI 500 primers. Should I switch to the Federal, or is that probably just what they had around to test with? I think I'll be OK, but I want a second opinion.

Danny

 

[snuffy]

Danny, I routinely use 8.0 grains of power pistol and the 125 hap bullet in my 357 sigs in my KKM bbl. I can't find my chronograph data for it, but I vaguely remember it being close to 1300 fps.

As for the ? posed earlier, I have the lee 125 truncated cone tumble lube lead boolit mold. I use it with an alloy that's real close to Lyman's #2, or wheel weights. Lubed with lee liquid alox, I get little or no leading. And also excellent accuracy, on the order of the hap bullets.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=340779

Powder used is blue dot, 10.0 grains,(10.6 is max for 125 jacketed). This makes for an extremely cheap load, and the 6 cavity mold makes a lot of boolits real quick!