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Thread: .357 load ?

  1. #1
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    Default .357 load ?

    So i've been developing a load for my .357 with unique. Heres the specs. 125 gr zero jhp, cci 500 primer, 9.1 g unique, 1.590 o.a.l. Now my lyman 49th says 9.7 g unique max. @ 41600 c.u.p. with a velocity of 1359 fps. My old speer book says 9.1 g unique max @ 1390 fps. Heres the deal i slowly loaded up to 9.1 and im getting signs of over pressure. My primer is flatening out and the base of my cases are showing some slight expansion to the point where some of them are tough to extract from my cylinder. I cant imagine loading up to 9.7 g of unique. Anybody load up to 9.7G???? I think im going to drop down to like 8.8-8.9g. Im shooting these out of a 6" dan wesson model 15. The sexy porkchop model.

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    Default Re: .357 load ?

    Yea, I'd drop down a bit too. I'm curious tho, why Unique if you're pushing for top end? There are better powders for top end loads in the magnums.

    I like 296 FWIW.

    Dale

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    Default Re: .357 load ?

    In my DW with 6" or 8" I like using 2400. It burns a bit slower than the Unique and has IMO has more of a controlled recoil. I made some Unique and Bullseye loads while experimenting with 125 and 128grn Winchester HP's. 2400 came out with way better grps for me. Just sharing my exp. I also use 2400 for .38's loaded with 125's. Save the Unique for shorter barrels.
    www.Steelvalleycasting.com is your new home for coated bullets and custom ammo.

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    Default Re: .357 load ?

    Quote Originally Posted by DucatiRon View Post
    In my DW with 6" or 8" I like using 2400. It burns a bit slower than the Unique and has IMO has more of a controlled recoil. I made some Unique and Bullseye loads while experimenting with 125 and 128grn Winchester HP's. 2400 came out with way better grps for me. Just sharing my exp. I also use 2400 for .38's loaded with 125's. Save the Unique for shorter barrels.
    Ditto.

    My 357 heavy loads are all 2400. Unique is a considerably faster powder, thus more stress on cases at maximum loads. I do load the Unique in 158 gr SWC 38's, and they work well, even for shorter-barreled pistols.

    I haven't experimented a lot with lighter bullets, but even then, for heavier loads, the slower the powder, the better you will be.

    Flash
    "The life unexamined is not worth living." ....... Socrates

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    Default Re: .357 load ?

    thanks guys. i think I'll go out and get 2400 for my .357 loads.

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    Default Re: .357 load ?

    Quote Originally Posted by okinawanfighter View Post
    thanks guys. i think I'll go out and get 2400 for my .357 loads.
    2400 is just a superb powder for magnum loads at any velocity - regardless of bullet weight.

    Personally, I've found Hogdgon Longshot to be a truly great powder for medium-to-highish velocity .38 Special and .357 Magnum loads. The same could be said for Hogdgon's Herco powder but Herco, while maybe being a bit more versatile, tends to yeild a bit more pressure. Alliant's Power Pistol, also being useful from standard pressure .38 Special charges all the way up to .357 Magnum, also shines very brightly in this area and deserves mentioning.

    Still, if what you really want is for the lighter bullets to get up to those screaming magnum velocities, 2400 will do the job very nicely - it's is a very versatile powder, letting you go virtually from .38 Special loads all the way up.

    Personally, I feel that powders like Winchester 296 (or Hodgdon H110 - same stuff as W296) and Hogdgon's H4227 are not only just as fantastic and able to yield the same velocities as Alliant's 2400 - they do a slightly better job of filling the cases and in producing slightly less chamber pressure.

    For the heavier .357 Magnum bullets - 158gr. and up - I have found that Hogdgon's Lil'Gun powder gives shockingly high velocities with equally shockingly low chamber pressures. Myself, I prefer to shoot 145gr. bullets or heavier in both my .38 Special and (especially) .357 Magnum loads. Lately, for .357 Magnum I predominantly use Titegroup or Red Dot for the 'plinker' loads (though these are usually loaded for other people's benefit) and Lil'Gun for the 'rattle-your-teeth' loads.
    .
    Cogito, ergo armatus sum.
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    Default Re: .357 load ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce View Post
    Lately, for .357 Magnum I predominantly use Titegroup or Red Dot for the 'plinker' loads (though these are usually loaded for other people's benefit) and Lil'Gun for the 'rattle-your-teeth' loads.
    .
    Would you be willing to share your Red Dot recipe? I'd love to be able to leave that on my bench after loading all of my semi-auto plinker ammo (380, 9 & 45) and not have to change over to Unique or Bullseye for my 38 & 357 plinkers.

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    Default Re: .357 load ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mad Scientist View Post
    Would you be willing to share your Red Dot recipe? I'd love to be able to leave that on my bench after loading all of my semi-auto plinker ammo (380, 9 & 45) and not have to change over to Unique or Bullseye for my 38 & 357 plinkers.
    For Red Dot, I only use standard (non-magnum) primers for both my .38 and .357 Magnum loads. My 'plinker' (YMMV) loads for .38 and .357 are:

    148gr. Wadcutter (seat flush):

    .38 Special: 3.0gr.

    .357 Magnum: 3.4gr.

    158gr. Semi-Wadcutter:

    .38 Special: 3.4gr.

    .357 Magnum: 4.6gr.

    These loads are what I use for very mild loads (at least, what I consider very mild). Originally obtained from a variety of legitimate sources (including Lee Modern Reloading and Loadbook USA) and then tweaked by moi - these may or may not reflect any 'official' loads.
    .
    Cogito, ergo armatus sum.
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    Default Re: .357 load ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce View Post
    2400 is just a superb powder for magnum loads at any velocity - regardless of bullet weight.

    Personally, I've found Hogdgon Longshot to be a truly great powder for medium-to-highish velocity .38 Special and .357 Magnum loads. The same could be said for Hogdgon's Herco powder but Herco, while maybe being a bit more versatile, tends to yeild a bit more pressure. Alliant's Power Pistol, also being useful from standard pressure .38 Special charges all the way up to .357 Magnum, also shines very brightly in this area and deserves mentioning.

    Still, if what you really want is for the lighter bullets to get up to those screaming magnum velocities, 2400 will do the job very nicely - it's is a very versatile powder, letting you go virtually from .38 Special loads all the way up.

    Personally, I feel that powders like Winchester 296 (or Hodgdon H110 - same stuff as W296) and Hogdgon's H4227 are not only just as fantastic and able to yield the same velocities as Alliant's 2400 - they do a slightly better job of filling the cases and in producing slightly less chamber pressure.

    For the heavier .357 Magnum bullets - 158gr. and up - I have found that Hogdgon's Lil'Gun powder gives shockingly high velocities with equally shockingly low chamber pressures. Myself, I prefer to shoot 145gr. bullets or heavier in both my .38 Special and (especially) .357 Magnum loads. Lately, for .357 Magnum I predominantly use Titegroup or Red Dot for the 'plinker' loads (though these are usually loaded for other people's benefit) and Lil'Gun for the 'rattle-your-teeth' loads.
    .
    All my experience with 4227 (to be sure, it was back in the days when it was DuPont IMR) left me with a significant quantity of unburnt powder residue in the chambers, all over the gun actually. Have you found it to be so with "Hodgdon's"? Lighter loads produced more residue, and I had to load to "suqish them primers out and make them FLOW!!" levels to diminsh the leftovers much. Otherwise accurate loads, lotsa fun!

    Got any idea what velocities you are getting in the Red Dot loads??

    Flash
    "The life unexamined is not worth living." ....... Socrates

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    Default Re: .357 load ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Flash View Post
    All my experience with 4227 (to be sure, it was back in the days when it was DuPont IMR) left me with a significant quantity of unburnt powder residue in the chambers, all over the gun actually. Have you found it to be so with "Hodgdon's"? Lighter loads produced more residue, and I had to load to "suqish them primers out and make them FLOW!!" levels to diminsh the leftovers much. Otherwise accurate loads, lotsa fun!
    Fun indeed!

    Mostly, I use H4227 with 158gr. bullets and never less than the minimum load from Hogdgon (which is 14.5gr. for 158gr.). I always use Magnum primers with really slow burning powders (like H4227, H110 and Lil'Gun). I've heard and read lots of anecdotal information about 'unburnt' powder and 'poor ignition' when slow powders are loaded too lightly and/or the primers are not Magnum primers - plus reloading manuals that 'warn' not to load under the 'start' loads.

    Edited to include: I have not experienced any unburnt powder or 'residue' from my experiences with H4227; as I said, I follow the suggestions I made above and feel they've saved me from such things. The last time I loaded H4227 the load was 16gr. under a hardcast 158gr. swc - note this is considered the "max" load and is also listed as a "compressed" load. Really, *really* super accurate for me and, as you said - fun!

    Quote Originally Posted by Flash View Post
    Got any idea what velocities you are getting in the Red Dot loads??
    They would only be just guesses. Moreover, different guns (for a variety of reasons) may shoot the exact same cartridge at a different velocity - one example: my Ruger SP101 with the 2.25" bbl. will have a different velocity (potentially over 100fps. different) than my S&W M65 4" bbl. with the exact same load; farther, even my S&W M13 4" bbl. could have a different velocity (with the same load) than my M65.

    Unfortunately, I don't have a chronograph. ...It is on my 'to own' list - once I manage to save enough for a cheap one. Despite assurances I've heard the past few months from the current White House Administration to the contrary, my personal finances have not 'started to rebound' yet.

    My velocity guesstimates for those would be 'in the ballpark' of typical 'commercial' ammunition loaded for 'target' purposes - roughly somewheres near or just below 800fps for the .38 Special loads and in the general neighborhood of mid, possibly high, 900's for the .357 Magnum loads.

    ...On a side note - I *really* wouldn't want to get shot with any of those loads and I imagine that they would very, very likely 'take the fight right out' (if not, then just kill) anyone who got hit by one of them COM.
    .
    Last edited by Bruce; September 26th, 2010 at 12:01 AM.
    Cogito, ergo armatus sum.
    ...Say that to my face.

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