Nobody loads a 140 JHP 357 mag load anymore?

[revolvergeek]

I was just looking at Remington and Federal's websites and neither one seems to list a 140 jhp 357 mag load! I really like the Federal and was thinking about switching to it as my main carry load, but it seems like that option is out. Am I missing something?

Danny

 

[Ringer]

Corbon has a 140 gr JHP. And of course there is the popular 145 gr Winchester Silvertip HP.

 

[Marshall]

I've never used the CorBons but that Sivertip of Winchesters is a great load!I probably use them more than any other 357.

 

[caz223]

Another reason to take up reloading.

 

[xring]

My preferred carry load is the Federal 140 gr. HP. My dealer stocks them. I guess I'd better stock up if they've quit offering them.

 

[P95Carry]

An particular reason for the 140 favoritism?

I have some Corbon 140's but when I can, prefer heavies - I am a traditionalist and like 158's best!

 

[foghornl]

Closest I have found is the Winchester 145-Gr Silvertip HP

Load # X357SHP

 

[P. Plainsman]

Hornady also sells a 140 gr .357 JHP round loaded with their XTP bullet. I bought some a couple of months ago. Struck me as good ammo.

UPDATE: Hornady's web site lists it as #90552, "357 Mag. 140 gr. JHP/XTP" and gives these ballistics from an 8" barrel:

Muzzle: 1350 fps/566 ft/lb
50 yards: 1208 fps/454 ft/lb
100 yards: 1100 fps/376 ft/lb

Reckon that'll do.

 

[revolvergeek]

Thanks for the info guys. I had forgotten about Corbon. The Hornady load might be worth looking into also. From a 3 or 4 inch barrel that should still be going somewhere around 1200 fps I would guess. I need to get some and shoot it over a friend's chrono.

The 140 jhp Federal and Remington that I have shot in the past both seem to be a nice balance between penetration/energy/recoil and not quite as hard on my j and k frames as the 124 jhps. I bought a couple boxes of the Remington 140s on close out from a local dealer a year or so back for $11 per 50. I should have bought a case of it!

The Silvertip is a good load, but I never got started shooting it much because it was (is?) much more expensive in this area. When I worked at Sports Unlimited years ago we would sell 357 Silvertips for $26 for 50 when the Remingtons ran $17 for 50. The Silvertips that I shot back then also had a lot of muzzle flash, and since I spend a lot of time out at night that was another reason to go with something else.

Thanks,
Danny

 

[JB in SC]

Another that may not be available yet is the Speer Gold Dot 135 grain offering. The .38 Special +P version looks very promising.

 

[DillHarris]

I don't think the Hornady's will be any cheaper than the Silvertips. I load the Hornady up myself and really like it though.

 

[caz223]

Yeah, the XTPs can't be beat, but if you're looking for bulk bullets, midway has the remington 140 SJHP for cheap.
Just the bullets, not loaded ammo.

 

[KONY]

Another vote for Silvertips ... the box I am currently shooting does not seem flashy ... just a good satisfying boom.

 

[P. Plainsman]

I like the 145 gr Silvertips too -- and actually, I find them conspicuously low in muzzle flash. When I shot 'em side by side against the useful ".357 Lite" Rem 125 gr Golden Saber JHP, the Rems proved quite a bit brighter, with a white "pop" like a flashbulb.

 

[revolvergeek]

Ok, sounds like I need to get a box of Silvertips to check out. The last box that I shot of them was going on 6 or 7 years ago, and I reckon that I should try them out instead of just ignoring them based on old data.

 

[10shooter]

I load the Remington 140 SJHP with 19.0gr of H-110 and get 1350 fps out of a 4" GP-100. This is only slightly slower than what I get with the 125gr loads. The length of the .357mag allows mid weight bullets to compete in speed with the lighter bullets. For carry I perfer the 145gr Silvertip. The light weights have too much flash, the heavier weights for me are loosing that speed needed for explosive expansion. 140-145gr seems perfect.

 

[DHart]

Win 145 gr. Silvertips are excellent indeed... and I like Speers 158 gr. Gold Dot as well. Personally, the 145 is about as light as I will go in this caliber. I want the penetration to be assured and if I can get expansion as well, so much the better. The lighter weights are less assured to penetrate sufficiently through limbs, layers of heavy clothing, layers of fat and muscle and then get deep to vitals. The lighter weights can be harder on the gun as well.

 

[revolvergeek]

Thanks for feedback guys. It looks like 145 Silvertips are going to be the solution for the time being. I found a store here in town that had 5 boxes on closeout for $19 each. Now I just have to get to the range and send a few of them downline. These should be very ugly out of my 16 inch Rossi 92!

 

[DHart]

revolvergeek... be aware that from the 16" barrel, velocity will be much higher than the bullet was designed for and they will likely overexpand and quite possibly underpenetrate greatly... a bad scenario for hunting and probably for defense as well. Although I wouldn't volunteer to stand in front of one of those myself!

 

[revolvergeek]

Thanks for the advice DHart, but I am well aware of that. That is one of the things that I particularly like about the 16 inch .357 lever actions (I have two and also two 20 inch .44 mags). The 16 inch .357s are mainly used as house guns, and basically never for hunting, so I am not too worried if it reduces penetration some compared to out of a normal barrel length. If I take them out travelling with me (they fit perfectly into the bat compartment of a Mizuno softball bag, making them very discrete to carry in the car or in and out of hotels) I normally load them with Federal 158 jhps, but I am thinking of trying some Gold Dots in it. The Buffalo Bore 170 JHPs look very interesting also...

 

[DHart]

revolvergeek... cool. Glad you're aware of that. They would be effective loads on varmints from the 16" tube, but I'd want something like the 158 gr. Gold Dot or a little heavier for defense use with the trapper. BTW, I LOVE Winchester and Marlin trappers... got a number of them!