Fastest 357mag

[krkeco]

Hi everyone,

Just been reading numbers and finding a lot of interesting things that I can't seem to find Google answers for... Probably because I'm missing something obvious but here it goes:

*ahem* What is the fastest 357mag someone has shot?

I know some carbines/Marlins have shot 2000+fps with some normal sized rounds (~125gr) but has anyone RELOADED something like a 50gr Liberty Defense bullet or a tacxp 95gr like Buffalo Bore uses?

I say reloaded because the liberty defense is really getting my brain confused... their website is showing 2040fps for their 50gr in 9mm +P but only 60fps more (2100fps) for 357mag. Shouldn't a 357 be able to push this a lot more??? Usually it's something closer to a 300fps difference between 9mm and 357.

Wouldn't this hit close to the 556 ballistics out of a carbine with less recoil than the larger grain bullets typically seen in 357?

Other than the sectional density difference, why would this not be good?

 

[Mark_Mark]

Speed is relative to mass & = E
E=MC^2

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

Speed is relative to mass & = E
E=MC^2

Only If we could accelerate a bullet to 983,600,000 ft/s. That would be a heck of a powder to do that.

 

[Mark_Mark]

Only If we could accelerate a bullet to 983,600,000 ft/s. That would be a heck of a powder to do that.

mass can only accelerate to 99.999999% C

OP... we are nerds. To answer your question, it’s relative. I would consider Power Factor as a whole instead of speed or mass of bullet

 

[Mark_Mark]

a bullet mass of 50gn going 2,000fps will yielded a PF of 100. that’s very low

https://www.dillonprecision.com/power-factor-calculator.html

 

[Walkalong]

Y'all be careful out there.

 

[krkeco]

hahaha... Indeed, just need to keep upgrading the powder without blowing up the gun

Mark_Mark, my wondering was if it would be closer to 2400-2500 from a max loaded 357 out of a 6" for 50gr rather than 2100-- which is pretty normal for a handgun-- and possible close to 2700-3000 out of a 357 carbine.

Whenever I read ballisticy things I get the impression that pistols are pistols and rifles are rifles... but 357 is in this limbo (possibly w/ ar-pistols of similar length barrels) especially so with max loads like buffalo bore that go 1700fps with 125grains. If I more than halve the bullet to 50gr do I get 50%+ the velocity? (2400????) Excuse the round math.

 

[krkeco]

I guess I'll have to get into reloading to figure it out myself

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Hodgdons shows a 105gr RAPTOR (no idea who makes that bullet) at 1760 from a 10in barrel. That is the fastest load shown for that round. Lighter may do better and longer barrel may also do better.

However, may not stabilize with the .357 twist rate.

I have found that when I ponder the upper and lower limits of things there is usually a good reason there are not loads in those areas.

 

[forrest r]

Been thinking about this one myself. The wall I'll hit is the slower burning mag powders don't play well with lite bullets in the 357mags. 110gr bullets are about as lite as I can go with 2400, h110 & mp-300 and still get a good burn/high pressure.

Later this year I plan on doing testing with this 110gr "indoor wc" (bullet on right) in a 10" contender bbl. Jacketed 110gr bullets can get up to +/- 2000fps in the 10" contenders. I don't know if the bullet's base/thin bottom drive band can stand up to the extremely high pressure of the full house 357mag loads seeing how it was designed as a parlor bullet.


Anyway with lighter bullets then 110gr you'd be getting into the medium/medium heavy powder burn range. Powders like power pistol, aa#7,800x,longshot,trueblue, bluedot, etc.

 

[derek45]

 

[Mr_Flintstone]

View attachment 1001183

I get similar results from my 20” Henry. I don’t know what charge you use, but I usually do a middle of the road charge from Hodgdon.

 

[WestKentucky]

I have shot 110gr 9mm FMJ bullets in .357 cases loaded hot enough to provide rifle crack and bullets to be very unstable, likely failing mid-flight. This was in a contender that is plenty strong for doing such, and I would never consider it in a revolver. I don’t have a chrono so I have no clue what the velocity was. Easily quantified as ludicrous speed by Dark Helmet. I won’t ever shoot loads like that again unless it’s for the sole purpose of running them over a chrono.

 

[Jonesy814]

The 357 was designed for bullets a lot heavier than 50 grains and that is what it is best at. Try a 158 grain bullet in a 9mm and you would be lucky to hit 1000fps while the 357 is hitting 1300

 

[krkeco]

Very interesting. I guess being a more similar diameter to 7.62x39 it is more similar in ballistics there than 5.56 and prefers that size bullet too. Pretty cool round.

Also: nice avatar Jonesy814.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

When i started to reload. I wanted to send the bullets as fast as possible. Without going over published loads. It didn't take long to figure out speed isn't everything. I slowed down my loads. Accuracy improved,powder went further brass last longer. And my guns didn't get beat up. And my hands and wrist thanked me. Only ''hot'' loads i have are for woods loads. For critter defense.