Hottest Factory .357 Loads?

[HMMurdock]

I own a Ruger GP-100 .357 Magnum. I'll be spending a lot of time in the woods and I'm looking for the hottest factory loads to be used on any 'manimals' that require my defending myself. Recoil not being an issue and the thick frame of the GP-100 being noted, what is the most powerful .357 load for the woods I can get? Any suggestions?

 

[VA27]

I like the 158gr in GoldDot, Remington or Federal. I like the 180gr Federal CastCore. I have not tried the BuffaloBore 180, but I bet it would be good.

 

[Feanaro]

Buffalo Bore and Double Tap Ammo load some righteously heavy stuff.

Both load a 180 grain pill that gets 1300 fps out of a 4" tube.

 

[kashton]

you have to take into account the ft lbs. Check out wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.357_Magnum

lower grain has the fastest velocity = highest energy

 

[Hutch]

For PD against 2-legged predators, I think the Federal 125gr JHP (stock number 357B) is the hottest. I chrono'd that at 2000fps out of a 10" Contendoer and over 1600fps out of a 6" M28. It'd probably be fine for feral dogs or such, but if bear or boar are the threat, then I'd get some of the afore-mentioned 180gr ammo from Buffalo Bore.

 

[Ethereal]

+1 for the Buffalo Bore

Seriously it'll make your Ruger spit hot fire.

 

[mavracer]

+1 doubletap same performance as BB cheaper

 

[ArchAngelCD]

DoubleTap is hot as hell...

 

[HMMurdock]

DoubleTap or Buffalo Bore... any other suggestions? I gotta research DoubleTap's website....

These companies provide the same alternatives when applied to .44 Magnum, too, I'd assume?

 

[Baron357]

Cor-Bon also has pretty hot .357

 

[CSA 357]

can you roll your own? if so then the sky is the limit, work up a load for YOUR gun, i like 158 jsp in my mod 27s, my 66-1 loves them too, find what your gun shoots well csa

 

[ArchAngelCD]

HMMurdock,
As said above, DoubleTap are as hot as Buffalo Bore but at half the price.
Yes, their .44 Magnum rounds are hot too, just as all of the ammo produced but DoubleTap. http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/index.php?cPath=21

 

[Eightball]

Roll your own, but make sure to look in older reloading manuals where SAAMI sets "maximum" loads, not lawyers (check the old vs. new--pressures and powders haven't changed, publishers just don't want to get sued, heard that straight from Olin).

Or custom order some Cor-Bon to suit your firearms charachteristics.

 

[Jim March]

Excuse me.

Powders HAVE changed...some, anyways. And a lot of old data was developed with inadequate pressure testing systems.

It's not all about the lawyers.

 

[Geister]

If your concern is with four-legged critters, I wouldn't use anything too hot. For an animal under 100 pounds a hot round is going to pass right through him without dumping a lot of energy.

Anything within 500 to 600 ft/lbs of ME should work for your purposes.