Very light 357mag loads with bullseye?

[Walter W.]

I would like to know if anyone has experience using a really light load with Bullseye powder in 357mag? I am somewhat new to reloading and the lowest I've seen in reloading manuals is 4.2gr for a 158gr SWC. Has anyone had sucess with less than 4.2gr? It's a 4" barrel if that makes any difference.

Thanx.

 

[GooseGestapo]

You can basically use any of the .38spl recipes. Only in really-really light loads (even exceptionally light by .38spl standards) would you likely have a squib stick in the barrel.

The danger with reduced loads is that you can easily get a squib and then perhaps a double charge. This can be disastrous. Also with really light loads it can be difficult or impossible to know if the bullet really left the gun without "looking", so benifits may not be outweighed by the potentialy problems. If you do have a squib stick and you shoot another round behind it, YOU WILL KNOW IT IMMEDIATELY...... RECOIL IS ABOUT 3-5X MORE AND GUN WILL LIKELY BE DAMAGED. (ASK ME HOW I KNOW..............!) I've "shot out" some squibs when a major match was on the line and a single "string" blown will totally ruin a whole weeks match. (and entry fee's in $$$.00) All but once, I only 'buldged" bull "target" barrels. However, in the "once" I split the forcing cone and "locked up" the gun...... still blew the match. On the other occasions I later replaced the barrels even though they would ususally still give match grade accuracy. (.38 wadcutters in a revolver are quite forgiving if the throat and crown are still intact). A pre-cut and prepped Barnett or Clark barrel was only $65-$85 and only took 3-4hrs to drill, tap and fit to the frame. Hence the temptation to "shoot out" the bad round. But, I highly discourage anyone else from attempting to..............

To duplicate the "standard" Bullseye load of 2.7gr with a 148gr wadcutter in the .38, you'll want to bump it up to 2.8-3.0 to get equal velocity from the magnum case.

The small "potential" increase in accuracy between using a .357 case in a .357 chamber rather than a .38 case isn't worth the effort. I've shot NRA national records, one that still stands shooting .38's in a .357 chamber...... It's more about fit of the bullet to the throat in the chamber and the quality of the cut in the barrel throat, rifling, muzzle crown, ect. ect.ect........................

Also, there are substantially greater variations in the thickness of brass, (mouth, walls, and base/web) with the magnum brass than with .38spl brass.

So, I still shoot/use .38's in my .357's when it's a ".38" load that I'm shooting.

Hence, a .357 case will have a .357 load in it............For use in my various handguns and rifles that aren't dedicated to competition shooting.

 

[pinkymingeo]

I always use 357 cases in 357 revolvers. Since I'm rolling my own, it's just as easy as using 38 brass and I don't get so much buildup in the cylinder. My plinking load is 3.2 bullseye behind a 158lswc for about 680fps in a 4" revolver. I could go lower, but it's an accurate load, fun to shoot, and has just enough recoil to let you know you're not throwing rocks.

 

[zxcvbob]

If you haven't bought the powder yet, I recommend Red Dot instead of Bullseye for light loads. It's bulky and a lot easier to see in the cases.

My most accurate target load (in a .38) is 4 grains of Red Dot with Berry's copper-plated 125 grain hollow point bullet. I shoot these better than even 148 grain wadcutters.

 

[aakoksal]

Reduced loads

I never heard it happen in real life, but there is a myth that you may get very high pressures and even rapture the cylinder with reduced loads, as flash hole of the primer will most probably be above the top line of settled powder in the case (which is in horizontal position while shooting) and burning primer particles will ignite whole poweder at once... As all powder will get ignited at once, presure increase will not be gradual but sudden...

Just like previous reader suggested, I recommend the use of a slower burning powder with a density on the low side. That way your powder.

I think it would be a bigger risk for rifle rounds compared to pistol rounds, but it may be a good idea to keep it in your mind...