Post your favorite .38SPL & .357MAG Loads.

[IDriveB5]

CAUTION: The following THREAD and posts may include loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.
Would like to put together a little bit of a database of .38SPL and .357MAG loads.

Here's what I'd like you to do:
Post your favorite recipes for these two calibers (and 38+P), with the necessary info(Caliber, Bullet, Powder(type & charge wt.), OAL, use/load purpose(please be sur to note if this is a heavy/max load), Primer, . I'll start with an example:

.38SPL___148gr LHBWC___3.1gr___WW231____CCI 500____OAL:1.18"___Light Target


Please note, before telling me to "go buy a manual"
I have a Lee and Lyman manual...


Thanks for your input thus far.

 

[The Bushmaster]

No need to rewrite the manual or are you starting a manual for print. Otherwise. go buy a manual. It's safer by far.

 

[IDriveB5]

I have a Lee and Lyman manual...
In my manuals, they list a minimum and maximum charge. Most people find a load somewhere in between thats shoots pretty nice, and might be helpful for others to use these loads that people have come up with when developing thier own loads. . Not asking people to just list crap out of their manuals.
Example: the Lee manual lists 2.9-3.1gr of WW231for .38spl 148gr LHBWC
Thanks for your input.

 

[lee n. field]

3.7 grains of Bullseye behind a 158 grain lead semiwadcutter.

Slightly into P+ range, according to Lyman's 47th edition. Accurate in my gun.

Yeah, get a manual if you don't already have one.

 

[Steve C]

These are the loads I keep going back to over the years. Make sure to check all loads against puplished data.

For the .38 spl

6.0 grs Unique, 125gr Remington Golden Saber (current favorite)

4.5 grs of W231 or 5.0 grs of Unique, 158gr Lead Speer bullet (LSWC, LRN, LSWCHP)

For the .357 mag.

13.8 grs Blue Dot, 125gr any brand bullet.

14.0 grs of 2400, 158gr JHP/JSP using a standard pistol primer only

6.0 grs of Unique, 158gr SWC commercial cast

 

[revolverman357]

38special
6.3gr Unique 158gr SWC hard cast- standard or magnum primer.

.357 magnum
14.5gr 2400 158gr SWC HC or JHP- standard primer.
10.0gr Blue Dot 158gr SWC HC- standard primer.
Some may not like my use of standard primers in a magnum load, but they work well for me.

 

[IDriveB5]

Anyone have load data for 125gr lead or plated using Unique (.38SPL or .357MAG)?

Couldnt find anything online or in Lee#2

 

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

Lyman reloading manual... Is that still paperback? :banghead:

OK, the Lee manual is good, but I'd advise buying the manual for the bullet manufacture of what you'll be reloading for. Having said that, I am well aware that Rainier Bullets doesn't publish a reloading manual. But most bullet manufactures do have some sort of reloading data available. Personally, I use the Lee, the Sierra set, and Speer, and Lyman, and...

These are by far better than any of the powder manufactures reloading manuals.

For plated bullets, I pretty much load them to lead cast specs. You can push them a bit harder than that, but don't expect to be able to push them as you can jacketed bullets.

One pet plinking load for a 125gn LSWC I used to pour was 5.1gn's of Unique that yeilded 1100fps through a 6" barrel. -Was a rather hard bullet.

One of my favorite 'warm' loads is Speer 158gn JHP pushed by 13.2gns of AA#9. Or (15.5gns of W296 for the same 1250fps out the 8" barrel of my Dan Wesson.) Good enough for Pepsi can's at 80yds.

-Steve

 

[katonk]

148gr WC w/ 3.5 gr's Bullseye

 

[The-Fly]

my 38spl load

125 FMJ or plated, 4.8gr of W231 or HP-38, winchester primer. Does about 950fps out of my 6" 686. Not quite a max load (my load manual shows 5.1gr is max, with 5.4gr being a +p load). Out of my cannon, it doesn't recoil much at all, but shorter/lighter guns it will probably be a bit more stout.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Same loads as revolverman357 actually as far as general useage stuff goes, with one addition:

Warning the following load is above current published maximums. Use with caution ONLY in large frame guns.

A 158 grain HCSWC in front of 15.2 grains of 2400, winchester, starline, or federal brass, magnum primer.

If you use this load, start low and work up slow!

 

[ilbob]

148gr WC w/ 3.5 gr's Bullseye

I use 3 grains of Bullseye for this bullet. It is just enough to reliably cycle my model 52. I know other model 52 shooters go as low as 2.8 grains, but I had cycling issues when I went that low.

 

[Bula]

Can anyone provide an estimated chrony figure for the 14.5 g 2400 and 158 JHP load mentioned above. I've just purchased a 4" GP100 and was curious about that load. I've loaded up to a 13.5 gr load of 2400 (for a 6" Taurus m66) but wanted something with a little more power to run thru the Ruger's heavier frame. I'm still burning up what's left of that 13.5 gr loaded ammo. I want a general field purpose, High FPS load for 158 JHP or JSP.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Bula: Out of a 4" tube, that load should be knocking on 1300's door.

 

[Clark]

I like Hodgdon's loads for 357mag with 158 gr H110 or LIL'GUN.




Hodgdon load guide says 22 gr. maximum for H110 125 gr.
I did not trust it.
I was just starting handloading.
So I mounted the revolver to a board and got behind a concrete wall and pulled a trigger string.
The revolver got loose and came recoiling over the wall, over my head, and went way past me

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

3.5 grains of bullseye under a 158gr rnfp. My general plinking load.

 

[IDriveB5]

Cool, this is the kind of thing i was looking for.



Does anyone have load data for 125gr lead or plated using Unique (.38SPL and .357MAG)?

 

[jad0110]

IDriveB5,

Perhaps this manual would contain what you are looking for:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=786060

Nice post by the way, its always nice to have one more thing to cross reference.

 

[db_tanker]

out of a 2.5" snubbie...

it seems rather strange but 3.2 gr. of 231, WSP primers, and dang near any brass. Either a 125 gr. conical flat point or a 160 gr. LSWC...both are very reasonable on recoil and very economical...accuracy is there, as well.


D

 

[Eagle103]

For my .357 I like to keep it simple.
9 grains of either Unique or Power Pistol for general shooting.
6.5 grains Power Pistol for plinking.
I use the CCI 500 primers and 125g Remington SJHP bullets for these loads.
I bought the Power Pistol to see if it burned any cleaner than the Unique. I can't say I can tell any difference and the metering and shooting seem to be about the same.

For some real fun I load up 21g of H110 with a 550 primer and same bullet. Hang on.

 

[cobra1414]

for 357 hot loads I like to go 14.5g bluedot with a 125g jhp. (significantly higher than most manuals state, but it is listed on the alliant website, and hot damn, pressure is ok and its a real zinger out of 6" barrel!)

for light stuff I go with 5.8g unique and 158g swc

not real big on H110 in a 357, just doesn't seem to have quite the same "oomf" as bluedot for a max load

N110 however, is an absolute pleasure for a full-house 357, only problem is paying an extra $8/lb extra over the price of bluedot

 

[Brian Williams]

I like a good bit of Lil' Gun 18 gr and a 165 LSWCGC in a Marlin 1894c. That and a load of 6.5 gr of 231 and a 158gr LSWC and a S&W 13 or 65



CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

 

[Bula]

I just Loaded up some 14.8 gr 2400 with Win JHP for my new gp100. I like that load. Shot great, felt good and strong, no primer flow, no blown out primers and the cases came out really easily. I could probably inch this one up to max 15.1 gr but i'm close enough and it shoots fine. I know that Ruger is strong but I don't think 100 fps in either direction is gonna make much difference.

 

[MCgunner]

.38 special

2.6 grains bullseye behind a Lee cast 148 grain wadcutter.

5.0 grains unique behind a Lee cast 158 plain base SWC (mild +P) Great warm practice load for my .357 DA guns.

Light rifle .38 load (for my Rossi 92 carbine)

105 grain cast Lee SWC/2.3 grains Bullseye. -- This load exits at 900 fps from a 20" barrel and approximates .22LR from that gun. It's accurate and would be excellent for squirrel hunting, though I've not done any small game hunting with the gun. I've shot one deer with it using my .357 158SWC load. I also find the load accurate to shoot in my Taurus M85, though it hits low. It's a fun ultra light load in that gun, though, and will do about anything a .22 will do. I have an elevation wire in my front sight for this load.



.357 Magnum

The following loads are very hot and should be approached with caution.

14.5 grains 2400 behind a 158 grain gas checked Lee SWC. This is my most fired .357 load since I cast the bullets. I've killed deer with it, too. It's a good hunting and outdoor load.

17.0 grains 2400 behind a Speer 140 grain JHP. This load is VERY accurate in every gun I've fired it in.

The following load I restrict to my Ruger Blackhawk. It exhibits occasional stickiness on extraction and I don't wanna abuse lesser guns with it. I developed it for the Backhawk as a hunting load. It is very accurate and flat shooting and produces about 785 ft lbs from my Blackhawk. I read about it in a magazine. It didn't give quite the performance the magazine claimed, but turned out to be so accurate and flat shooting I loaded up a box just for outdoor carry/hunting. It shoots the same sight setting as my 158 grain load, but hits dead on at 100 yards, only 2" high at 50. The 158 grain load is on at 25 and 50, but 8" low at 100.

14.5 Grains AA#9 / 180 grain Hornady XTP

ALL LOADS USE WINCHESTER STANDARD SMALL PISTOL PRIMERS!

 

[MCgunner]

Can anyone provide an estimated chrony figure for the 14.5 g 2400 and 158 JHP load mentioned above.

Sure, my most fired load. I've fired these results over the years with it.

3" barrel Taurus M66 -- 1198fps/504 fpe

6.5" Ruger Blackhawk -- 1520 fps/769 fpe

I never fired it in one of my 4" guns over the chrony, but I'd say about 1300-1350 would be right in the ball park. I did shoot it in my old 4" security six, but that gun shot everything really fast compared to any other 4" gun I've ever used. It put that 158 grain load out at 1452 fps! I shoulda kept that gun...:banghead: That's what I traded for my Blackhawk, though. I wouldn't have the Blackhawk if I'd kept the security six. I console myself with that thought.