SP 101 and Federal 180 Grain .357 Magnum Ammo

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Loyalist Dave

Loyalist Dave

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So,
I bought a box of Federal brand, .357 magnum, JHP's 180 grain, and tried them in my SP 101.

They shot very well, but to be honest, :eek: OUCH. OK so they were a bit "stout" which I expected, but surprised me a bit too. So I satisfied my curiosity and the idea of, "Hey if 158 grain is a great bullet weight for .38+P ammo, and is better in a .357 Magnum, then 180 grain must be even better?" Not sure of how much advantage they give me compared to a 158 grain SD load, but I will use them in my lever action Winchester '73 repro for deer and hogs, that's for sure. ;)

So what do you folks like in a 5-shot .357 Magnum for SD ammo OR do you prefer .38+P? My local police department carried Winchester .38 +P lead HP's until they switched to semi-auto's in the late 1990's.

LD
 
With the factory grips magnum loads are unpleasant in the SP-101.
I have a cheap Hogue grip and a Crimson Trace grip on a couple 101's and they are both very manageable with magnum loads.
I have the three and four inch models.
 
My SP101 with a 2.25 barrel is relatively new to me, so far I only have about 100 rounds of .38 and 25 rounds of .357 through it. But that's enough to gauge that I'll probably keep .38 +p in it for self defense.

My 1st shot is about the same between the 2 rounds, but follow up shots are a heck of a lot faster, and more accurate, with .38 sp.
 
It's been a while since I owned an SP101, but I do remember the recoil being pretty stout with .357 loads. I still carried it with .357, but a short barrel doesn't get the best out of the magnum rounds. Some say the recoil, muzzle blast, and flash isn't worth it, considering the reduced velocity. 180gr .357, even in a short barrel, does seem like it might have over-penetration issues.

One thought would be to see which grain weight gives you the closest point of impact to point of aim. Another is to consider SD ammo designed for short barrels, such as those offered by Speer. And there are some pretty hot .38 +p loads (if you decide you go that route) available from the "boutique" manufactures that somewhat bridge the gap between the average commercial .38+p and average .357 mag SD loads. Buffalo Bore, Underwood, and Double Tap are all worth looking into.

But as to my personal preference, I'd carry .357 in an SP101. Just not 180gr.
 
I have owned a 3" SP101 in 357 for nearly 10 years now. I have shot a lot of different factory loads through it.

I find 125 grain JHPs, even pretty hot loads, to be pretty easy shooting, and I'm confident they would stop what ever I'm trying to stop in my neck of the woods. However, I have largely gotten away from shooting lite for caliber bullets in most cases. So those 125s are starting to get shot more often rather than stashed away for a rainy day.

When I carry my SP101 in an urban environment, I tend to stoke it with Speer 135 gr 38 +P ammo. It has some good test results in gel and is loaded warm enough to be effective, without limiting follow up shot times.

When I feel a little more thump is preferable, I tend to load it with 158 gr .357 mags of some flavor. I do tend to like Hornady ammo because it is typically accurate stuff, but honestly it is not always loaded as warmly as I prefer.

I choose the Speer 158 gr Gold Dot load as my carry cartridge. It is loaded pretty warmly, and when it hits a reactive target, it seems to impact with more force than with other brands. I also choose a 158 grain bullet because my interactions here on THR with hand and reloaders seems to indicate through chrono data that in a short barreled gun, heavier bullets tend to lose less velocity. The reason being that the heavier bullet weight holds more inertia, and allows for a higher pressure spike before the bullet leaves the case. The increase is rather small of course, but when shooting a short barreled gun, I want all the velocity I can muster to help ensure expansion. MCGunner has always been a proponent of this and has loaded and tested a lot of 357 loads. I trust his advice. He is not the only one that has made this assertion, and when I see folks I consider reputable, who do their own testing, I listen. While I am a reloader too, I have only just begun, and have not yet experimented with 357.

For a fixed site, short barrel 357 magnum, I like to be consistent, so I know where the gun hits. Those are the two loads I've chosen, and the 158 gr bullets, of any loading, tend to hit POA for me.

180 grain loads are thumpers, and I really have no desire to shoot them in a gun that small. If I want that heavy of a load, I carry my 686+, or when I get a decent carry holster, my Sig P220 in 10mm. 180 gr loads are very comfortable to shoot in that gun.

Good luck. Sorry I don't have actual data to support the assertion about heavy bullets and short barrels. You may want to look up MCGunner and invite him to participate in this discussion.
 
OUCH!! 180 gr loads are usually a hunting load, and they work well for short range deer-hog sized critters from longer barreled handguns and carbines. I'll shoot them though an 8" Dan Wesson and a Rossi carbine and found them to be stout, but controllable.

Many of the bullets in this weight are fairly tough so they hold together to punch through bone or gristle plate (hogs) and reach the animals vitals. I have no idea if they will expand very well at the lower velocities, but I'm sure someone has a gel test video they can share.

I also can't imagine the short barrel SP 101 burned the powder very well, as in my experience most of these loads use slower powders to push the heavy bullets to the desired velocities for expansion, so I bet the fireball was impressive.

The other guys gave good suggestions on loads. I personally use .38+p 110 gr critical defense loads in my short barreled revolvers (642, Cobra,49,sp101, etc) because I found them easier to control for follow up shots. Obviously this is just me and my opinion based on my experiences, and I won't ever say that another guys choice won't work for them.

Good luck, and stay safe!
 
I'm thinking about putting the grips that came with my SP101 .357 Mag.back on it.I like the look of the wood grips but it is a little ruffer shooting it. 16832019_1259762137435859_1030376314400467343_n_zpsuj6rjwbl.jpg
 
Loyalist Dave said:
So,
I bought a box of Federal brand, .357 magnum, JHP's 180 grain, and tried them in my SP 101.

They shot very well, but to be honest, :eek: OUCH. OK so they were a bit "stout" which I expected, but surprised me a bit too. So I satisfied my curiosity and the idea of, "Hey if 158 grain is a great bullet weight for .38+P ammo, and is better in a .357 Magnum, then 180 grain must be even better?" Not sure of how much advantage they give me compared to a 158 grain SD load, but I will use them in my lever action Winchester '73 repro for deer and hogs, that's for sure. ;)

So what do you folks like in a 5-shot .357 Magnum for SD ammo OR do you prefer .38+P? My local police department carried Winchester .38 +P lead HP's until they switched to semi-auto's in the late 1990's.

LD
Click to expand...

Being from the "old school" [ when we ALL carried a wheel gun ].

I recall that THE BEST one shot stops were recorded with 125 grain H.P.'s. .357 magnums

I have shot 110 and 125's from my SP w a 3" barrel.

I find them pretty easy to use and hit with in combat distances [ 0 to 7 yards ]..

Yes,I have shot many +P rounds through them,and it is in house with 125 grain +P's now.

But when outside ,especially in the woods,I use the mag load of 125 gr.

NOW if you want pain,try shooting the 2 ULTRA light S&W's that I have in .357 ----- model 340 & 360.

VERY unpleasant,but it could be done IF that were the only rounds I had.
 
I sold my SP 101. Just didnt like it. No matter the grip it was not comfortable

For 40 years my go to revolver has been a 4 in Ruger police service six with 125 graim magnums. It was issued to me new and I was allowed to buy it when I retired.

Berween that and my 1911, bring it on bad guy.
 
That ring of fire in my avatar is a friends SP101 firing some of my 125 gr loads over Winchester 296. Here's the uncropped version. While not particularly pleasant to shoot I still like to pull the trigger on it, the action has been slicked up and it has a stellar DA pull.
firering_1.jpg
 
I wonder how those Federal 180's compare to Buffalo Bore 180 hard cast out of a Carbine, velocity wise? Buffalo Bore's supposedly will punch through deer, wonder if the Federal's expand and continue through?
 
My EDC revolver Spring/summer is a Performance Center 640 Pro Series 2-1/8" in .357 Magnum. For daily carry around the property, I typically carry Buffalo Bore 158 grain Keith SWC .38 Special +P "Outdoorsman" loads which comes close to duplicating the old .38/.44 load from the 1930's. But...I do carry a moonclip in my vest pocket filled with Grizzly or Buffalo Bore 180 grain hard cast RNFP-GC for bears and hogs when I think I'll possibly encounter one.

IMG_0005.JPG
I replaced the factory grips with Pachmayr Diamond Pro grips which make heavy Magnums do-able in this 23 ounce revolver. The lower left moonclipped load are the 180 grain heavy Magnums.

I carry these heavy 180 grain Magnums in my GP100 Match Champion when ridge walking.
 
I carry 180s in my 4.2 SP as an outdoor gun, with oversized Hogue wood.
Recoil is quite tolerable, but there's no reason to carry such a heavy load in any .357 for defense against people threats.
Denis
 
My CCW bobbed hammer SP101 shoots exactly to POA with Buffalo Bore .357 Magnum 158gr JHC (jacketed hollow cone) round, so that's what I shoot & carry in it. No .38 Special.

Shot-to-shot recovery is slow, as you might expect, but felt recoil isn't punishing with the OEM Santoprene grips, certainly less so than with commercial 125gr .357 Magnum rounds. Haven't shot any of the 180gr stuff.
 
Any idea what the 180's chrono at from a 2.25" sp101? I have a few boxes of the Rem 180 but never considered running them through a snub. They didn't feel particular hot from my gp100.
 
I find heavy bullets to be punishing from my 2.25 inch sp101. I much prefer a 125 grain magnum round such as the Golden Saber. Even better yet is a +p 38.
 
In a snubnose .357, I use Remington .357 125gn Golden Sabers. I can shoot them from a 640 or K6 without suffering, and the heavier SP101 is no trouble at all. The tests at Lucky Gunner show it achieving 18.7" penetration in gel, with an expansion of .62", from a 2" barrel. That's plenty good enough for me. If I'm carrying a revolver, that's what's in it.
 
Last edited:
I prefer 125gr bullets in .357 magnum. IMO 180gr. bullet is pushing the limit.
 
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