"Managed Recoil" ammo for 3" SP-101 in .357?

The Subject gun is my Home protection gun.

Many years ago, I bought it, then got into handloading, as I found .38 Special too wimpy and full magnums were nuts. (flames, too much recoil) .38 +P level with heavier bullets was about perfect.

I started handloading "light magnums"; to have the full length magnum case and a bit more accuracy than I could get from 38 special loads.

Now, I want to get back into handloading for this and my Redhawk (44 Mag) but primers seem to not be available.

That brings me to the question: what "managed recoil" factory ammo are you guys shooting. I did a quick search at Midway and found that only one load is made, and it is an exotic defense load that costs $2/round.

I'm wondering what else is out there and where to get it.

 

Any 38 +P would be sufficient for HD at close range and not blow your eardrums out,
Yes I know it is a 357 but IMHO it is to much inside .

Look at the BB offerings if you want 357

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=146

 

Pretty much all factory SD ammo is going to be expensive, and may be hard to find.
I load my own defensive loads.
But, if you want factory this is good stuff.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=108
Don't let the 38+p fool ya, this is some hot stuff.

 

I agree, that's why I'm looking at lighter .357 loads. Something that's not going to etch the cavities. 38 +P power level is fine with me.

Where are you getting primers?

I'm sure it's the right power level, but I don't want to etch the cylinder cavities at the 38 level. It's damn hard to clean off. I wish I'd bought this gun in 38 +P...

 

I've been well stocked on primers for a few years now.
They're still available, just stupid expensive.

How many of the 38's do you plan to shoot?
A couple cylinders to check POA/POI shouldn't be a problem with cylinder "etching".
At $2 a round it's pretty expensive.
You can always use 357 brass, load it down close to the factory 38.
Practice with your loads, keep your HD revolver loaded with the $$ stuff.

 

It’s crazy right now. Unless it’s range fodder it’s rare to see anything but exotic 20 round boxes at high prices. I remember that Remington used to make a “Medium” .357 Round for exactly the reasons you mentioned. The only thing I can say is to research the manufacturers websites advertised numbers as some manufactures load lighter than others. YouTube videos are plentiful where you can see actual chronograph results and ballistic tests. I am sure there is something out there that is loaded mild just because. PRVI Parizan is known for loading light in some application and this may be the case of where you may want that.

 

I just looked at Midway again. No large pistol primers of any type are in stock, and they are near $1 ea. if they do come in stock.

Part of me is having government conspiracy theories.

Could just be that since they're in short supply, they prefer to put them in their own brand of cartridges and cut off supply to us handloaders.

 

You'll need small pistol.
Natchez has them in stock, but like I said....$$
https://www.natchezss.com/reloading/primers.html

 

They come and go! Sign up for notification from all you favorite supply companies. You will still have to be quick, don’t forget hazmat and shipping. I was able to get all set up a few months ago. I just kept my shopping basket full, followed sales and put in an order that spread the costs out. I think they were $79/K at the time limit 2. So I bought 2K both small and large, some powder, bullets and a few other things to spread it out. They will nickel and dime you for small orders. Just keep checking.

 

look at the velocities listed. IMHO you're more likely to find a lead wad cutter more in line with the recoil you're looking for. that isn't going to do what a hollow point does, but - it is a flat ended hot chunk of lead, that isn't going to be a nice time to get hit with. fmj is fine and I sometimes carry that as it is my practice ammo, but - if I was doing what you are doing and planning on reloading for it, I'd just scan the listed velocites and look for a lead projectile, prefereably one with a flat end. maybe you'll get lucky and find a semi-wad cutter hollow point. I load .38 Special at regular velocites, and my preference is semi-wad cutter hollow points.

 

You and everyone else. Many of us that have gone thru these types of components shortages in the recent past have learned to stock up when we can find them and conserve them when we cannot. If we need to pay for factory ammo to shoot without depleting our supply, then so be it. As has been said, SD ammo is going to be expensive. Ammo that deviates from standard velocities/loadings will be harder to find and more expensive. Just how it is. If one wants to shoot and does not have stuff on hand to shoot, they will have to pay the Piper. Just how it is. Kinda like hoping to find $2 a gallon of gas at the moment.

 

Federal HST Micro 130gr 38+P is what I used to carry in my 2.25" SP101. Very manageable recoil and great expansion (.73") from Lucky gunners ballistic testing. In LG test all five expanded. Penetration was 13" as I recall.

 

First off shooting 38s won't "etch" the chambers in your gun. Not for many, many thousands of rounds anyway. What you will get is some carbon build up in the front of the cylinder. And thats easy to remove. I used to shoot falling plate matches and would shoot several hundred 38s through my GP-100 at a time. When I got home I would spray the chambers with a light coat of WD-40 and let that soak for around half an hour and then I just brushed out the chambers with a bronze brush. Any light oil will do the same thing.

I also like mid range 357 loads and load my own. My favorite is 6.6grs of Unique powder with a 158gr lead SWC bullet in a 357 case. Those get around 1100fps from a 4" gun. Still more powerful than any +P 38 but less than a full power 357 load. There are several powders that will do the same thing if you can't find Unique. These reproduce the original 38/44 loading that lead to the 357 magnum round.

I also like that same load with a 140gr jacketed bullet in a 357 case.

 

Watered down 357 loads include;

Remington 357 #RTP357M7 110 gr. SJHP
Remington 357 #HD357MA 125 gr. brass jacketed hollow point

Winchester 357 #Q4204 110 gr. JHP
Winchester 357 #S357MPDB 125 gr. JHP Defender
Winchester 357 #WC3571 125 gr. Winclean BEB

 

I like the middle of the road loading for the 357 when using for self defense. The Remington Golden Saber 125 gr. is my favorite with the Winchester 140 gr, Silvertip as a back up. Underwood has a +P 38 spec load that is almost as "hot" as the Golden Saber, but the last time I checked prices, I could buy the Remington load cheaper. Several companies load a 110 gr. 357 load that is pretty mild. There is some criticism of the 110 load for not penetrating that well. I have seen a raccoon shot with that load and had a pretty nasty exit wound.

fxvr5 made a post while I was gathering my thoughts, if I had read it first I would not have made my entry. His post contains all relevant information.

 

Don't worry too much about shooting 38's out of a 357. I do it a lot, with NP. Just clean out the cylinders a bit after each range visit.

 

You can effectively make light 357 loads in 38 special brass. Use the star load of a 357 data and reduce it by 10 % That is the max load for your 38 special +P plus, if you want to all it that, Do this at you own peril Use medium to slow powders, not fast stuff.

I personally do not see any sense in doing this. Just make things simple ans shoot 38+P

Here is an article by the infamous BrianPierce.

 

I have a 3 inch 357mag.
Factory 357 ammo is usually too hot the gun jumps a lot and the recoil stings with out wearing work gloves.
38spl and 38spl+p too weak.
So my 357 load uaes a fluffly lower to medium density powder (no, its not trailboss) between 38spl+p about 1gr over the max and about 1gr less than the start load for 357mag.
I load them in 38spl brass and that's why you don't shoot other people's reloads.
I did that for safety, that load fills a 357 case a little less than half way, but it fills a 38spl case up about 2/3 so if I were to double charge one on accident the 38 case overflows with powder.

 

Remington golden saber 125gr .357 is "light" magnum load. I think it would be just over 1100fps in your 3" barrel, so roughly equivalent to a lot of 9mm loads. I don't remember comparing it against anything specifically in our 2" sp101 but it wasn't the most painful round ever fired through that gun. I often carry the Remington 38 +p version in a snubby. It's spicy in a Ruger LCR but wouldn't be a bad choice in the heavier sp101. If you decide to use the shorter .38 special cases I think the aforementioned Buffalo Bore heavy .38 loads would be a good choice too.

 

Thousands of .38spl rounds thru my Mod 28---clean the residue out--- no etching.
If a .38spl etches a .357mag cylinder. wouldn't it also etch a .38spl cylinder?

 

With 357 cases I load a powder common to 357 minimum and 38 +P and use the powder weight halfway between the two loads.

 

Yes, but it doesn't matter if the .38 Special cylinder is etched there, because .357 Magnum cases will never be used in that cylinder. ;-)

I'm finding that I can't get the residue out. There's always a black ring. I've even chucked a cleaning brush in my drill to help, but I cannot get it out.

 

Are your guns stainless or blued?

 

I had shot a few matches with 38 Long Colt in my 38 Special. After reading this thread I tried soaking the chambers for 15 minutes with swabs of Slip2000 and then wire brushing for a pretty good result. Slip2000 is not kind to bronze brushes, so the chambers were well wiped before brushing.

 

For my SP101 I was lucky enough to catch a close out at Midway that was Winchester 95gr. Silver Tip hollow points. These bullets in 357 brass make a great defense load. Since the bullets are light for caliber the recoil is quite manageable. The muzzle flash is similar to a space shuttle lift off but that could be a great deterrent if bad guys think they are being shot at by a 155 mm field piece.