universal clays and 357

[BossHogg]

Looking to order my first bullets for reloading. Speer's .158 LSWC . I found Universal loads for .38 and .38+p but nothing for .357.
Will Universal work for .357 loads? Is the .158 grain lswc an easy bullet to start with? Thanks

 

[Walkalong]

There is some lead .357 data with Universal here at the Hodgdon Reloading Center

Universal and 158 Gr lead will be fine to start.

 

[rcmodel]

Hodgdon lists Universal loads in 10 different bullets.
Get their manual or look on their website for the data.

You can also use Universal data for the .38 Special in .357 cases.
Just bump the starting load up 0.1 or 0.2 to make up for the increased case capacity.

rc

 

[BossHogg]

Hey thanks for the quick replys,great info as always. Now if I can get that crimping thing down , lol.

 

[918v]

Seat and crimp separately. Doing two things at once always results in a halfass product.

 

[bigtony]

I use Universal in both my 38/357 loads. It is my most accurate powder for 357. I seat and crimp at one time with RCBS dies and never have had a bad load with this combo.

 

[Walkalong]

Seat and crimp separately. Doing two things at once always results in a halfass product

Not necessarily.

If you are crimping a lead bullet with a good crimp groove, as most have, or a jacketed bullet with a proper cannelure (not just marks) they can easily be seated and crimped in one step. It just takes a bit more fiddling with two things going on at once.

You can seat and crimp plated bullets with a light taper crimp in one step, but for plated bullets with a heavy taper crimp it must done in two steps. Jacketed bullets with poor cannelures are also better done in two steps, roll or taper.

All that said, I do much of my crimping in a 2nd step after seating.

 

[rcmodel]

I seat & crimp almost everything in one step with RCBS dies.

Haven't noticed any halfass products so far in nearly 50 years.

Maybe you are doing something wrong?

rc

 

[918v]

I'm not doing anything wrong. I found that splitting up seating and crimping results in a better, more consistent round in terms of OAL and crimp. If you are satisfied with your "product", then use it. I'm just offering a tip that will make the OP's life easier.

 

[bluetopper]

My Lee dies seat and crimp in one pull of the lever. I wouldn't know how to separate them if I wanted to.

Universal and the .357 go together quite nicely.

 

[918v]

You can separate them by backing out the die and screwing in the seater stem, then to crimp screw in the die and back out the seater stem.

 

[howlnmad]

Hodgdon shows 3.5 of Universal as a starting load with a trim to length of 1.145 using Win SP, Max load of 4.5 gr. with a Col of 1.475 for the 38 Spl. And 4.0 gr Min with a 1.285 trim to length using a Win SPM with a max load of 6.2 gr.n and a Col of 1.610 for the 357.

 

[dwhite]

<Quote>
Looking to order my first bullets for reloading. Speer's .158 LSWC . I found Universal loads for .38 and .38+p but nothing for .357.
Will Universal work for .357 loads? Is the .158 grain lswc an easy bullet to start with? Thanks
</Quote>

These are pretty soft bullets. Anything over about 850 fps velocity wise and they'll lead your barrel terribly. You may get 950 out of them but that's not been my experience. Use them in the 38 Special only.

For the 357 and magnum velocities you'll need something a good bit harder like an Oregon Trail Laser Cast 158gr LSWC. I can push these over 1300 fps with no leading. Your mileage may vary.

Universal is good stuff in both rounds. It'll give you 1200 fps in the 357. It's nice and clean burning also.

Be careful and have fun!

All the best,
D. White