Is it worth reloading 357 magnum?

If you are wanting hunting ammo that will get the job done in 357 mag, it probably will cost more to reload if you are not reloading that caliber right now.
But if you want to tune the round to your gun & try to make it super accurate it will pay to reload.
 
I get 7 or 8 reloads out of my Starline brass, 8 lbs of 2400 was $245 not to many months ago. Primers 7 cents and 158gr coated semi wadcutters 12 cents a piece. Yes I save quite a bit for the volume I shoot. 158gr JSP for any hunting rounds. If I was going to shoot a couple a boxes a year I would not mess with it.
 
JDeere said:
I get 7 or 8 reloads out of my Starline brass, 8 lbs of 2400 was $245 not to many months ago. Primers 7 cents and 158gr coated semi wadcutters 12 cents a piece. Yes I save quite a bit for the volume I shoot. 158gr JSP for any hunting rounds. If I was going to shoot a couple a boxes a year I would not mess with it.
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Powder Valley wants $339 today for 2400 + hazmat & tax. :oops:
Thanks for the tally on your Starline. I'm working on my first 500 of them in .357. And am loading with 110 gn XTP bullets for targets. I have a lot of fun reloading .357 & 38 special.

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Spacer for switch between 38 & 357. Less die adjusting.
Puts me in the ball park.
Redding #10129. I use 3.
Accurate Arms & Ammo.
 

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I can't imagine NOT reloading for 357 magnum


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If for revolver and the every now and then hunt, I would just buy some quality hunting loads in 158XTP flavor.

If hunting with a cabine I would reload my own ammo. Nothing quite like the difference a full charge of W296 or Lil'Gun makes in a carbine hunting load vs factory ammo.
 
Honestly it sounds like you don't really want to load 357. The same argument could be used for any caliber. Just because your dad isn't shooting it much now does not mean he won't in the future.
 
One of the best hunting bullets for the .357 ever made: the Speer 160gr Solid Point.
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Yes the jacket would separate if you hit bone - including ribs - but it separates completely and in one piece. The bullet is swaged lead and soft enough to expand nicely even in soft tissue. Speer has always recommended these for high velocity .357 loads - this at a time when the Ideal manuals listed both high power and moderate .357 magnum loads.

I would suggest to all that there are and have always been moderate and high power loads for .357Magnum. Both loads use “hunting bullets” made from cast. Just going out and buying high power hunting jacketed or soft lead plinking ammo are not the only options.
 
AJC1 said:
I load 357 by the pile and it absolutely is worth it. I don't use h110/296 so I can't help there... #9 or 2400 is where I get down or shooters world heavy pistol.
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I don't shoot full loads often but my deer load for my GP100 is a 180gr XTP pushed with 2400. It chrono'd at 1150fps. I've taken 5 whitetails with it and only had one go very far. I only caught one lung on that one.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
I would suggest to all that there are and have always been moderate and high power loads for .357Magnum. Both loads use “hunting bullets” made from cast. Just going out and buying high power hunting jacketed or soft lead plinking ammo are not the only options.
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I have a near top end load with H-110 and a mild target load with W231, both using 158gr semi-jacketed soft points.

That's one of the benefits of loading your own, make what you want that has the power/recoil/accuracy you are looking for.

OP, I think your dad will enjoy hunting with rounds his son made!

chris
 
Man I wish 300 AAC was a thing when I was 11. I feel like a kid with it now though lol

I have a python, a 686, and a Dan Wesson, plus SAA revolvers, and a Win 1873 in 357. I enjoy loading it, and can make exactly what I want, including lighter loads, and skip the .38 crud rings in my cylinders.

I have some extra dies for different 38/357 loads, like an expander for wadcutters that is a modified Lee universal case expander. I forget the vendor that sells it, I think it is NOE, a mould maker.

Using H110 and N110 primarily, same for 30 carbine. I've also used both for 300 AAC but have settled on IMR 4227 for subs.
 
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H110 is great. 19.5gr in 300blk is one hole groups out of a no-name radical firearms AR upper. Surprisingly it metered perfectly without leakage for the 357. Probably due to the flaring of the case neck. For 300blk I weigh each cartridge by hand
 
Good thread with lots of good information. .357 mag is one of my favorite cartridges to load. I shoot far more 158 grain SWCs than anything (mostly from Missouri Bullet) with three different powders: Trail Boss for plinkers and introducing new shooters, Unique for mid-range power, and 2400 for full house loads. My .357s have never seen .38 Special brass as I can replicate .38 loads in .357 brass. I do the same thing with .44 magnum, although I do have a couple of .44 Spl revolvers that need to be loaded accordingly.

Sounds to me like you need to get your own GP100!
 
Legionnaire said:
Good thread with lots of good information. .357 mag is one of my favorite cartridges to load. I shoot far more 158 grain SWCs than anything (mostly from Missouri Bullet) with three different powders: Trail Boss for plinkers and introducing new shooters, Unique for mid-range power, and 2400 for full house loads. My .357s have never seen .38 Special brass as I can replicate .38 loads in .357 brass. I do the same thing with .44 magnum, although I do have a couple of .44 Spl revolvers that need to be loaded accordingly.

Sounds to me like you need to get your own GP100!
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Trying to convince my dad that he doesn’t need his and I can take it off his hands 😂

Oh I don’t know if I clarified: I went with 158gr sierra FNSP for him. His gun likes 158s in 38spcl and between this thread and other research it keeps coming back to that bullet style for hunting
 
Mstafford88 said:
Trying to convince my dad that he doesn’t need his and I can take it off his hands 😂

Oh I don’t know if I clarified: I went with 158gr sierra FNSP for him. His gun likes 158s in 38spcl and between this thread and other research it keeps coming back to that bullet style for hunting
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Good choice!
The 3-5-7 is so versatile people tend to take it for granted. All of my revolvers have a long menu of recipes they prefer, others they tolerate but almost none of my loads that work in one are a flop in all the rest.
Variety being the spice of life it’s hard to imagine not having at least one .357Magnum revolver.
Well, two really: a long barrel and a mid barrel.
But it’s nice to have both SA and DASA as well - in short and long barrels, of course.
And a carbine. Maybe a rifle….
 
The wife has a rossi lever gun in 357, and I like using it around the farm sometimes. For those occasions, I load some by-God thumper rounds; 158 grain Speer JSP over a max load of 2400. They make quick work of just about anything that walks in front of them under 75 yards. I darn sure don't shoot them in my handguns though!

Mac
 
OK, have not read every post in this thread, so if mentioned before, please forgive me. I'm in the camp that says if you have a powder burner of any kind............pistol, rifle or shotgun......then be able to reload for it. You may not do it, but at least ought to have the ability to if you want or need to. For limited use like what the OP mentions, factory is what most would do.......but what happens when the shelves are bare? And stay that way? Once you get to that point, it's too late. No gun should ever go cold for lack of means.
 
MacAR said:
The wife has a rossi lever gun in 357, and I like using it around the farm sometimes. For those occasions, I load some by-God thumper rounds; 158 grain Speer JSP over a max load of 2400. They make quick work of just about anything that walks in front of them under 75 yards. I darn sure don't shoot them in my handguns though!

Mac
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Me: “hey shoot like 1 or 2 in the cylinder unless you see the final, good crimp (was still getting the dies set perfectly). They are safe, just get the feel of the recoil before filling a cylinder with the good crimped bullets”

My dad: “um, are these safe? Is it over the max? Is it too powerful? *insert worried remarks here*”

Me: “you wanted a hot hunting load….”

FYI the load was 16.5gr H110 about .2 below absolute max so as to stay within specs for any possible deviation in throwing with the Lee dropper
 
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Final update: perfect grouping at 25yds. Well inside a 6” plate at 25. Knocking those out for him now. He did mention that a few didn’t want to drop into the cylinder very easily so I’ll keep an eye on that but all looks good so far! Thank y’all so much for everything and I’m keeping track of who I owe deer jerkey to!
 
Mstafford88 said:
Final update: perfect grouping at 25yds. Well inside a 6” plate at 25. Knocking those out for him now. He did mention that a few didn’t want to drop into the cylinder very easily so I’ll keep an eye on that but all looks good so far! Thank y’all so much for everything and I’m keeping track of who I owe deer jerkey to!
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Sounds like a little bulging. A good fitting seating stem or a two step expander, fix you right up. You want to watch heads explode start asking about the Lee fcd.
 
AJC1 said:
Sounds like a little bulging. A good fitting seating stem or a two step expander, fix you right up. You want to watch heads explode start asking about the Lee fcd.
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Yea I figured it’s because of a little too much flare when charging the powder. I backed that off and adjusted for a good heavy crimp and they look great and no bulge now. Should be perfect from here on out. The integrated factory crimp in the seating die is perfect for what I want
 
Mstafford88 said:
Final update: perfect grouping at 25yds. Well inside a 6” plate at 25. Knocking those out for him now. He did mention that a few didn’t want to drop into the cylinder very easily so I’ll keep an eye on that but all looks good so far! Thank y’all so much for everything and I’m keeping track of who I owe deer jerkey to!
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Excellent!
 
It’s been probably a decade since I loaded a .357 case, but I still know exactly what to do for a hot hand load that’s a sensational deer smacker. It is over current book loads, but max on some old books. I will say that the report is more rifle crack than the standard instant tinnitus ringing pressure wave that a factory .357 load gives. I would not want to chase whitetail with anything less. 357 was my 3rd round to reload too, and I still have probably 2500 that I loaded in the early 20teens
 
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