Someone please check me.

[Furncliff]

I'm loading .357 magnum for the first time (have only loaded .38spl previously). To be used in a Marlin 1894c. This load is for a 110 gr. JHP made by Sierra and is from the Sierra Manual, using 18.2gr of H 110.

I also loaded some 125g JHP with a 17.5 and 18.0 gr load.

Man this looks stout. After loading only .38 and seeing all that powder going into the case I'm a little spooked.

Sierra's manual shows no loads lighter than this for H 110.

I'm looking for a target load, and these look like hunting loads.

If you'd like to share an accuracy load for the 357 in this rifle, I'm all ears.

Thanks for your help



Tom

 

[ScratchnDent]

They will be stout. H110 is one of those powders that can't be downloaded much at all.

You'd really need to switch to a different powder for milder loads. Something like Unique, HS-6, AA#7, etc.

 

[rcmodel]

According to Hodgdon, 110 bullet + 22.0 grains H-110 is a Starting load giving 2,291 FPS out of a carbine.
23.0 is MAX and gives 2,398 FPS.

With 125 grain bullet's, 21.0 gives 2,205 and a MAX charge 22.0 gives 2,276.

In general, I think you got the wrong powder and the wrong bullets for a lighter target load.
First you can't down-load H-110/W-296 safely, and second, the high-dollar Sierra JHP bullets are over-kill and an unnecessary expense for killing beer cans.

For cheap shooting, I'd look at Unique powder & cast lead 140 or 158 grain RNFP bullets.
I'd also look at Unique or 2400 for the bullets you have.

rc

 

[ChristopherG]

I'm shooting a load similar to yours--the 125 gr load--out of my 1894c. You will definitely feel the difference, but shooting a reasonable number of them is not punishing by any means. Yes, it looks like a lot of powder; it is.

FYI, the best accuracy my carbine has given has been with 158 gr. bullets--specifically the Horndady XTP flat point. Load it over hodgdon's max recommended load of Lil' Gun (after working up safely) and you'll get very near the velocity of those lighter bullets--2,000 fps out of my rifle--with better accuracy, if your gun works like mine.

Most of the time, though, I shoot much more moderate loads. My rifle prefers jacketed bullets to cast if going over 1,000 fps or so, so I use bulk jhp's at about 1200 fps. But that's a .38, and you've loaded those already.