.357 Special...

[Mr_Flintstone]

How many of you load .357 Magnum brass loaded to .38 Special velocities? I’ve taken to calling mine .357 Specials. My favorite is 140 grain XTPs loaded with 12.4 grains of IMR-4227. They run great in my Model 19 and are dead on in my Henry Big Boy.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

I have long been loading 357 Mag down to 950 - 1000fps for casual shooting. I use 158gr or 180gr home cast lead projectiles. It makes for pleasant shooting.
For anything less powerful, I have 38 Spl revolvers.

I've never understood, nor joined in with the relatively current practice of using light bullets in 357 Mag.

 

[Random 8]

Yes, but only out of convenience. I have a mixed box of .38/.357 range brass. I load the same .38 load of unique in both cases under a 158 cast. My Henry Single doesn't know the difference until the pins get way out there. I usually just load .38s on the warm side when I want specials

 

[gonoles_1980]

According the the Speer manual, I load 158 grain LSWC I'm loading the max load for a 38spl +P in my 357 cases. Never realized it until I just looked it up. I use 4.5 gr of HP-38, I just worked up a 357 load to get a load I'm comfortable with in my 357 subbie.

 

[mcb]

I have 10x or more 38 Special than 357 Mag. I rarely use 357 Mag for anything.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I also like to load .357 light at times. For when I don't want/need the power/recoil and it also saves me from having the .38 ring in the .357 to scrub out later.

 

[.308 Norma]

Probably 98% of my "357 Magnum" loads are actually +P or +P+ 38 Special loads in 357 Magnum cases. 5.9 to 6.0grs of Unique under a cast 158gr gas-checked SWC-HP in a 357 Magnum case works well in my 357 Magnum revolvers.
According to the charts in my load manuals, 6.0grs of Unique under a cast 158gr bullet should give me 1,100 to 1,200fps. But I've chronographed it, and it's more like 1,000 to 1,050fps from my revolvers. Regardless, that's plenty for everything I can imagine myself using a 357 Magnum for, and it doesn't make my 72 year-old tendonitis elbow scold me for a week after a dozen rounds. I have a Ruger 45 Colt that I can load with "Ruger Only" loads for that!

 

[cfullgraf]

I use 357 Magnum cases in 357 Magnum guns and 38
Special in 38 Special guns.

I do not care much to shoot full power 357 Magnum loads any more, the last I loaded were around year 2000. Currently, I load 158 grain SWC to about 950-1000 fps from a 4” barrel revolver.

It is a nice, accurate load and satisfies my 357 Mag needs. I guess they are at or a bit above 38 Special +P loads.

Virtually all my 38 Special loads are wadcutters and shot only in 38 Special revolvers. I do load a few higher power loads for practice in my j-frames.

 

[WestKentucky]

On lead, yes. On frangible, yes. On jacketed, not quite nuclear, but it’s energetic. The reason though is because of my guns. My .357s until recently were all way overbuilt tanks that could handle proof load after proof load. My buntline is a 44 mag capable frame and the only difference between 44 and 357 is the drill bit used to bore the holes in the cylinder, and the barrel is the same as well, just 357 rather than 44, so everything is an extra 36 thousandths thick in all directions so it’s quite solid. My contender is just a beast because that’s what contenders are. Now I have a Rhino and it will not get the spicy loads my big guns get. The cylinder is certainly strong enough, but it’s not getting tested by me, especially since it’s a 2” and cranking power up just makes noise and fireball. My 38s are just range toys so I don’t worry much about pushing those, and I load the exact same way whether it be 357 or 38 cases.

 

[Blue68f100]

All my light 357 mag loads are near min if not below 38 spl starting loads. Just easy to plink and have fun with. I normally use WST

 

[Riomouse911]

I’ll load 6.5 gr Unique under a 158 gr coated SWC or plated SWC or “target hollow point” as my fun .357 load.

I’ll bump it up to 6.9 gr Unique on occasion, but those have a bit more recoil.

These are loaded up from my fun .38 Spl. load for the same bullets, which is 4.2 gr unique.

Stay safe.

 

[joneb]

I load Extreme 158gr plated FP for 357 mag with around 8 gr of Accurate #5

 

[pairof44sp]

I use 357 Magnum cases in 357 Magnum guns and 38
Special in 38 Special guns.

I do not care much to shoot full power 357 Magnum loads any more, the last I loaded were around year 2000. Currently, I load 158 grain SWC to about 950-1000 fps from a 4” barrel revolver.

It is a nice, accurate load and satisfies my 357 Mag needs. I guess they are at or a bit above 38 Special +P loads.

Virtually all my 38 Special loads are wadcutters and shot only in 38 Special revolvers. I do load a few higher power loads for practice in my j-frames.

Standard pressure wadcutters in a j-frame is the just-right thing for carry for so many reasons, it seems like to me. Yet 100 percent of the people I know (minus one close friend) seem to think it's the dumbest or weirdest possible choice.

 

[Ru4real]

I only have 38 special brass, never have bought 357 ammo or cases. My preference is for either 158gr SWC or 146 DEWC at about 800 to 900 fps.

I also upload 38 special cases to 357 magnum velocities by being selective with my bullets (ie no tapered cones) and then seating my bullets at 357 OAL dimensions. This method prevents chambering a hot load in my S&W Airweight. I upload for trajectory, accuracy and bullet stabilization for 100 to 125 yard shooting with my S&W 586. I don’t recommend this practice to others, I’m just being honest here. My uploaded 38 Special will chamber in my 1937 Colt Officers Model, which has oversized chamber throats, for example, and could unzip the gun if fired.

Either bullet at velocities mentioned above will punch clean through a deer. You know what won’t usually punch through a deer? A 140 grain XTP at 1500 fps from a 357. Go figure!

 

[Ru4real]

I use 357 Magnum cases in 357 Magnum guns and 38
Special in 38 Special guns.

This makes more sense and is smarter than doing what I do. But in my defense, growing up poor is a lifelong illness.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

Either bullet at velocities mentioned above will punch clean through a deer. You know what won’t usually punch through a deer? A 140 grain XTP at 1500 fps from a 357. Go figure!

There's 2 ways to look at this.

First, if the 140 gr XTP won't punch through, that means it's expended all it's energy in the target. Some consider that to be the thing to do.

But, if the bullet DOES punch through, there are 2 holes. More holes equals more leakage. More leakage equals easier tracking, if that is necessary.
Not only that, 2 holes means damage all the way through.

Me, I want to see all the way through the target, if possible. That doesn't mean I want 8000 fps, and the bullet traveling to the next county after going through 3 deer, a pig, a grain silo and a bridge abutment. Given the choice, I prefer holes on both sides.

 

[Ru4real]

Me, I want to see all the way through the target, if possible.

Agree.

Handgun hunting is more similar to archery than it is to rifle hunting. It’s all about two drain holes. Energy may be a thing with a 7mm Mag, but it’s not a thing in handgun hunting.

Back on topic, I like calling it the 357 Special, name fits.

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

You know what won’t usually punch through a deer? A 140 grain XTP at 1500 fps from a 357. Go figure!

Not all hand loads are for the sole purpose of killing deer; but if I wanted to, I could push those same bullets to 2000 FPS. If that doesn’t punch through a deer, it’ll do a heck of a lot of damage where it does go.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

How many of you load .357 Magnum brass loaded to .38 Special velocities?

I confess I do not. I don't want to get used to shooting 38special loads out of my .357 Magnum revolvers because I don't like the transgression to full power loads when I need to use them.
I have always used midrange .357 mag loads for practice and full power for my other needs and the midrange loads to me feel about right.

If I had an aluminum J-frame .357 mag revolver, I'm sure I would feel differently about this. But you couldn't give me one of those.

But, of my 5) .357 magnums, my GP100 4" is the smallest one I have, so my midrange magnum loads don't bother me at all for practice.

And when I jump to full power loads, it's not that much of a jump and I'm more than comfortable with them when I shoot them and can shoot them accurately.

 

[mdi]

Long story short; BTDT hundreds of times (thousands?). 38 Special data in 357 Magnum brass right out of the manual...

 

[Dudedog]

I prefer to use .357 brass for everything in my .357s, light loads are about .38 Special power, medium a bit more than .38 Special +P,
easier to just deal with one size case.

You can use shims but doing it all in .357 cases saves me from having to readjust my dies.

 

[buck460XVR]

While I have downloaded .357 to .38 special velocities, it's generally for the grandkids. Then I use an appropriate powder for doing so. IMHO, while IMR4227 can be downloaded, it performs very poorly when downloaded, especially to the levels you use in a .357 case. I use a lot of IMR4227 and have found it prefers heavy bullets and a full case of powder for best performance. Your 140 grainer over 12.4 would seem to be a very dirty and odds are not as accurate as using a more appropriate faster powder. IMR4227 is also one of the most expensive handgun powders and generally needs a hearty change even when used for powder puff loads. My suggestion would be for you to try a faster, more appropriate powder for your ".357 specials". I think you'd enjoy them even more.

 

[nofendertom]

Don't shoot max .357 loads anymore---158gr LSWC and 6gr of Unique for all my .357 shooting.

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

While I have downloaded .357 to .38 special velocities, it's generally for the grandkids. Then I use an appropriate powder for doing so. IMHO, while IMR4227 can be downloaded, it performs very poorly when downloaded, especially to the levels you use in a .357 case. I use a lot of IMR4227 and have found it prefers heavy bullets and a full case of powder for best performance. Your 140 grainer over 12.4 would seem to be a very dirty and odds are not as accurate as using a more appropriate faster powder. IMR4227 is also one of the most expensive handgun powders and generally needs a hearty change even when used for powder puff loads. My suggestion would be for you to try a faster, more appropriate powder for your ".357 specials". I think you'd enjoy them even more.

While they are a little dirty in my revolver, they are very accurate, and not any dirtier than some other powders like Unique (which I like a lot as well). I wouldn’t go any lower in bullet weight though. In the long rifle barrel, I get a complete burn, and quarter sized groups at 50 yards from a bench rest with factory semi-buckhorn sights.

 

[Speedo66]

I prefer to use .357 brass for everything in my .357s, light loads are about .38 Special power, medium a bit more than .38 Special +P,
easier to just deal with one size case.

You can use shims but doing it all in .357 cases saves me from having to readjust my dies.

Same, easier to deal with just one type of case, no dies to adjust, no carbon ring. I don't buy or reload .38 Spl. at all.

That's the appeal to me of the .357, anything from light target loads to real thumpers in the same case and the same gun. And they work fine and pick up extra velocity in my Rossi 92 carbine.