.357 velocity & Plated bullets?

[Joe A]

Santa brought me some .357 dies and I have a few thousand West Coast 158 gr RN Plated bullets. A couple of my shooting buddies suggested that the plated bullets won't hold up to "magnum velocities". I've never had any problems with the same bullets in .40 and .45 but those obviously fly a little slower.
West Coast said their plating in this caliber should have no problems @ 1200-1300 FPS.

Any one with personal experience shooting West Coast plated .357s? What happens when you drive a plated bullet too fast?

I'll be shooting these out of a 6" barrel.

Thanks!

 

[JohnK]

I haven't used West Coast plated bullets but every other plated I've tried worked great up to about 1,150-1,200 fps. After that groups start looking like bad shotgun patterns. The copper plate over a soft lead core just doesn't handle the stress of higher velocities well at all in my experience.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I'm also nervous about using them with H-110 or W-296 if they do not have a crimping groove. You need a tight crimp with those slow burning powders, so I would stick to faster powders like Unique, Titegroup, etc. if they don't have the cannelure to crimp into.

 

[Nero Steptoe]

West Coast has the thickest plating of any of the popular plated-bullet marketers. What happens when plated bullets are pushed too fast is that the plating strips off, making for terribly inaccurate rounds.

When canneluring plated bullets for hi-vel rounds, it's also pretty easy to cannelure too deeply, causing a separation at the cannelure when the bullets are fired.

 

[bedlamite]

I use 158gr .357 West coast bullets on Blue Dot at a little over 1100 fps from my 3"SP101 with no problems. Nice fireball, too

 

[larryw]

I got an email from West Coast regarding the max velocity that their .429 240gr RNFP can be pushed. They said 1600FPS. I'd venture a guess that 357 bullets are right around that max as well.

 

[Cal4D4]

Ive used those same bullets loaded overr 2400 at about 1400 outta a 6" GP100. Sweet, clean and trouble free.

 

[Joe A]

Thanks for sharing your experiences guys. Sounds like everything should be fine. I've had great luck with the West Coast plated in other calibers. They have been more consistant than other brands I've tried.
I need to pick a powder now and make up some test loads. Please don't hesitate to share more of your favorite recipies for a clean burning, middle-of-the-road magnum load.

Thanksagain!

 

[larryw]

Can't help you with the 357 specifics, but I'm a new big fan of VhitVouri N340 for 44 Mag. I'm loading both hot magnum loads and light plinking loads with the same powder. Super clean burining and meters like a charm.

And just like the 44, V.V. lists Magnum, Special and light "Cowboy" N340 loads for your 357.