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

[Bula]

MCGunner, thanks. So would 14.8 gr should put me close to 1400? Or maybe a little over? Assuming a tight cylinder gap.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

See note in red italics at the top of the thread. Heavy load warning. Slightly over current published data. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Bula- I think you don't need to mess with it. That indentical load with a 158 speer gold dot in federal or winchester brass, lit by a federal SPM primer will hold right at 1 inch/25 yards in all my 357s.

With a laser cast 158 SWC, I jump the charge to 15.2 grains. Same accuracy result.

Both loads run close to 1500, depending on barrel length.

In fact I have about 5,000 of each of these loads sitting in storage right now. These are my "go to" fast 158 grain 357 loads.

 

[MCgunner]

There is variance in results depending on gun, weather, OAL of the load, etc, etc, etc. You may be OVER 1400 fps especially in a GP100 with the load. Like I said about my old Security Six and it's sort of well known that Rugers tend to shoot fast. Just because I got what I got from my guns on a given day, don't mean your gun is going to duplicate it exactly. I wouldn't sweat 50-100 fps, personally. 14.5 grains of 2400 with my cast bullet seems quite safe. I wouldn't go much hotter than that. Besides, hot loads are hard on K frame sized guns if you put a lot of rounds through 'em. My Blackhawk shrugs off the hot stuff, but I limit the round count with my lesser guns. Even my old Security Six wasn't has strong as that Blackhawk. Oh, I'll fire mags in 'em, just don't go out and burn 200 rounds a session in 'em every week. They're working loads. I usually practice with my .38 loads, put the hot stuff in for carry and hunting.

In general, energy wise, I've found from a 3" barrel I can produce about 500 ft lbs or a little more. From a 4" barrel I can produce 600 ft lbs. From my Blackhawk's 6 1/2" barrel, I figure about 750 for safe all around loads. Lighten the bullet, more velocity, same energy. So, back calculating 600 ft lbs for a 4" gun, I get about 1310 fps velocity from a 158 grain bullet. I would be happy with that and keep the load safe. Ain't worth punishing the gun for another 90 fps in my mind. But, that GP 100 is a strong, strong gun and shouldn't have a problem with a large diet of your load. That's the cool thing about Ruger six guns, built strong. I like to baby my Taurus revolvers a little more. I shoot a lot of magnum stuff out of my Blackhawk and it's still tight as ever.

 

[Bula]

Thanks for the info Gentlemen. My only reason to go to 14.8 and not 14.5 gr is my lee disc powder drop. One size disc down get's me 13.7g (not a lot of luck with adj. charge bar) and that shot good but I wanted closer to 1300-1400 fps. I don't normally go right to HOT with my loads, but I do like mag levels of performance from my mag pistols, as long as they're safe. This 14.8 gr load will only be used in my GP100. I did notice most manuals were about 15.1gr max (for Jacketed stuff) so I felt safe to shoot it from the GP100. I realize now I do need a chrony. Maybe that'll be be my post Xmas gift to myself. Thanks again Gents, sincerely.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

That should run between 14-1450 out of that 4" ruger tube.

 

[wheelgun43]

For 38sp I use 3.5gr of winchester231 with a 148 gr hard cast double end wad cutter.
For 357mag. I use 9gr of Blue dot with a 158 gr hard cast semi wad cutter. I use both of these loads for target and pin shooting. They are accurate and not punishing to the shooter or the gun.
Gene