Light 158 gr loads for .357 magnum? Bullseye?

[45Badger]

I just started loading for .38 Special and .357 magnum. Have a nice load going for 148 gr wadcutter in the .38 Special.

Now I want something smooth and mellow for the .357. I've got a lot of brass, a pile of 158 gr LSWC and 158gr JHP. I've got a good bit of Bullseye, and would prefer to stick with that (or 231).

Also, can I use regular small pistol primers (got a ton) instead of the magnum small pistol primers (got none) with these loads?


Thanks all!

 

[matt9052]

The alliant website lists 6.8 max for 158 JHP and 6.5 max for SWC. They are listed with federl mag Primers, but some Primers are hotter. I would say it is brand of primers you are using.

 

[Fox]

straight out of the Speer manual and I have used this load myself with much luck, however, if you drop the load too much, very very dirty. Yes, you need Magnum Primers for this load.

Speer 158 grain TMJ, GDHP, JHP, or JSP
They list speer cases, I use winchester, I find the listed loads a little hotter than they say in these cases.

HS-6 powder 8.7 grains - 9.7 grains
Start with 8.7 and work up

CCI magnum small pistol primer

Crimp the **** out of it.

 

[WildeKurt]

Me too

I was going to work up a batch myself. Planned on using the same primers as 38 special (Winchester small pistol), 158 JHP and start at the low end with Unique (these are all stuff I have on hand). I figured something like 6 - 6.5 grains. I did 38 special loads with the same bullets and they were too poopy (but no worse than some factory loads). I figure with a light magnum load behind them, they'll be a nice shoot.

 

[byf43]

I've loaded a quite mild .357 mag load using Hornady's 158 gr JHP.

7.2 gr of Unique
Win small pistol primer (NOT magnum primer!)
Winchester or Federal brass (I trim to 1.280" 'trim to' length. You only need to trim every 3rd or 4th loading, however!)
Hornady 158 gr. JHP
Very mild crimp. (You don't need a lot with this load!)

Out of my S&W mdl 19 w/ 4" barrel, this load will shoot the X and 10 ring out at 25 yds WHEN I do my part.

This load is comparable to a .38 spec. load, only in a magnum case.
It is Verrrrrrrrry mild.

 

[joneb]

I had mixed results loading .357 mag 158gr plated RNFP and lead RNFP using W-231 and Unique, by mixed I mean inconstant detonation when using Small Pistol Primers. On the other hand I have had good results with Trail Boss and lead bullets with SPP and Bullseye with plated bullet using SPP.

 

[Fox]

byf, that load sounds safe, and is comparable with mine, exept he has all that stuff . I find the HS-6 meters well, thats why i prefer it.

 

[sansone]

matt9052 hit the nail right on the head.. the poster wants to use bullseye(which is a very fast burner by the way)

 

[45Badger]

The alliant website lists 6.8 max for 158 JHP and 6.5 max for SWC. They are listed with federl mag Primers, but some Primers are hotter. I would say it is brand of primers you are using.

Can I use Winchester SPP with this load? Those are max loads you listed. Is

Is a safe to start at 5.8 and 5.5 gr for those and work up from there? Seems like a lot of Bullseye to me. My .38 special loads use less tha 3 gr to move a projectile that's only 10 gr lighter.

Thanks for all the replies!

 

[nitesite]

I just finished doing the same thing...

... only with Titegroup because it is less sensitive about powder position within the larger volume cases when using low charge weights. Titegroup fall somewhere in between Bullseye and 231 on the burn rate chart.

I wanted to find an accurate ".357 Magnum Lite" load that chrono'd around 900-fps using the Remington 158-gr LSWC bullet in .357 magnum cases. It's really more like a .38-Spl +P+ than a .357.

Hodgdon's load data starts at 4.5 gr for a velocity of 1028-fps thru a 10" barrel!!!!!!

Since I was going to start slow and work up, and since I didn't have a 10" revolver, I thought I'd start with the suggested 4.5 grains of Titegroup and see how velocity and accuracy came together.

Chrono data is from my starting load of 4.5-gr Titegroup in .357 cases with a Remington 158-gr LSWC, standard primers, using a Lee FCD with half a turn. Surprisingly it was almost exactly the velocity I wanted to achieve.

AV = 895 Elev 669'
ES = 36 Temp 70
SD = 14 Distance 10'



Even better yet, the accuracy at 15-yards from a rest was quite acceptable if you don't count the flyer (heck, go ahead and count the flyer)



It's a real pussycat load, one I can shoot all day long.

 

[fecmech]

Badger--I load 4.2 of Bullseye or 4.9 of 231 behind 158gr rn cast out of my K-38. These are listed as max press. loads(not + P, those are .3 grs higher) for the .38 spl in the Lyman cast bullet manual. It is THE most accurate load out of my K-38 with 6 shot groups averaging less than 2"@50 yds benched running right at 900 fps out of a 6" bbl. It might be a good place to start looking with your swc's.

 

[joneb]

Titegroup fall somewhere in between Bullseye and 231 on the burn rate chart.

I don't put much faith in "burn rate charts", but they do give you a ball park idea.

 

[JoeHatley]

In .357 mag with a 158 grain cast SWC, you can go as low as 2.7 grains Bullseye for 645 fps.

I use 5 grains for just over 900 fps. Quite accurate.

Joe

 

[cherryriver]

4.5gr of Trail Boss with a Berry's 158gr and Winchester SPM primers has given me a little under 800fps in a four-incher.
I did try running a max book load of 6.0gr Bullseye and got about 1080fps in the same gun.
I do know that if I put 7.2gr of Unique behind that Berry's, my chrono shows 1100fps. This also seems to be very accurate in my Colt .357.
Since this makes major in USPSA, it is useful.
I, too was looking for the 900fps load and still am not there yet. I don't think Trail Boss allows that much by the book, but using plated (my lead days are over) is not so clear with the official data I've seen.
Hate the smell, but it does fill the long case nicely.
Bill

 

[tbtrout]

I am another who has used Trail Boss with good results for >38 spec, .357 Mag, and .44 Mag. Great powder.

 

[joneb]

More jibberish,
I have had great results with 140gr Rainier plated flat points with 8.5grs of AA#5 and WSP for .357 mag.
I've tried 158 LRNFP with 4.5gr of Trail Boss and Small Pistol primers also with great results for .357 mag, but this load is more like a .38 spl load.
I've tried 158gr LRNFP with Bullseye and WSP with not so good results, my charges were 5.0, 5.5, and 5.8gr. The 5.0 was the most accurate and least smoky, all of these loads were fired from a 4" vented barrel.

 

[mike_in_md]

I've been loading 148 full wad cutters for both 38 and 357 loads using Winchester primers. My loads are 2.7 gr bullseye for 38 and 2.8 gr bullseye for 357. This load has worked well for me.

 

[Walkalong]

700X also works well for reduced loads in big cases. Does not seem position sensitive.

 

[tasco 74]

i use bullseye exclusively to reload .38 spls and .357 magnums loads...... the old standby 3 gr of bullseye in a .38 spl case works well for me..... when i go to .357 mag cases i up the weight to 3.2grs. bullseye and get a very pleasant and accurate in my model 27 load....... i go full magnum loads with 6.2 grs of bullseye and a standard primer in a .357 mag case...... i do use 150 gr swcs but the 158 gr slugs will work the same...... with the 6.2 loads i get a chonographed velocity of just over 1200 fps with is in the right measure for the .357 magnum........ i do use all the different loading recipes for just a guiudeline to try an keep me out of too much trouble... the more data you look at the more you kinda know what to load.......

 

[Tom609]

Like tasco 74 and mike_in_md, I've been using 2.8 - 3.2 Bullseye in .38 / .357 with very good results. Very accurate and doesn't beat me or the gun up. I use CCI small pistol primers (not magnums).

 

[lawboy]

6.0 of unique. magnum brass. 158-168 grain bullet. standard primer.
you will be good to go.

 

[byf43]

45Badger wrote:

Now I want something smooth and mellow for the .357. I've got a lot of brass, a pile of 158 gr LSWC and 158gr JHP. I've got a good bit of Bullseye, and would prefer to stick with that (or 231).

After my reply, Fox wrote:

byf, that load sounds safe, and is comparable with mine, exept he has all that stuff . I find the HS-6 meters well, thats why i prefer it.

Huh???????? I thought that 45Badger was asking for the load data.

Nowhere in this thread can I see where "he has all that stuff."

I see where he is asking for a mild load, and where 'he' prefers to stay with Bullseye or 231.

My load is a known safe, reliable, accurate, MILD load in the .357 case.


I'm confused.

 

[Charshooter]

For light easy to shoot and cheap to load. I use Bullseye in my 38 special brass loads are 2.8 gr to 3.2 grains and for the 357 I use Unique @ 7 grains. The main reason is that in my revolver the Unique gives me better accuracy. I have records of using Bullseye in the 357 case at just a tad bit more powder @ 3.3 to 3.5 grains Standard primer with SWC bullet

 

[Sunray]

"...instead of the magnum small pistol primers..." You don't need 'em for Bullseye. Or for any other powder used in the .357. Unless your manual says to use 'em for a particular powder. They burn a bit hotter for a slightly longer time and are used to light hard to ignite powders.