Pot Luck .357 brass… suggestion?

Walkalong said:
I would also trim them after that, but many don't.
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When you don’t trim you get this:
IMG_2141.jpeg
Bottom is PMC and top is WW-Super. Notice the difference in the crimp? The PMC have fewer firings and are about 4 thousandths longer. The WW is old brass, lots of heavy loads, and has shrunk a little as a result. This is a fairly light load - 12gr of Unique - and I’m going to be shooting it out of a Ruger Super Blackhawk (7-1/2”) so I’m not worried about pull; it’s just crimped enough for a little bit more time for pressure to build. Experience says the crimp is not entirely necessary but it will help a little with accuracy.

If you’re worried about pulling under recoil, definitely trim to length!
 
A mid range 357 is like a 38+P+ load.

I would test some of the primers and then I'd load with them for plinking ammo, marking them.
 
Bazoo said:
A mid range 357 is like a 38+P+ load.

I would test some of the primers and then I'd load with them for plinking ammo, marking them.
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that’s very Impressive! I have a good bit of H110 & SPPM that I’ll going to load it with.

158 Plated Berry bullet: Load suggests?

as for the primed cases…. will test a few, and load some plinking paper punch round
 
Mark_Mark said:
that’s very Impressive! I have a good bit of H110 & SPPM that I’ll going to load it with.

158 Plated Berry bullet: Load suggests?

as for the primed cases…. will test a few, and load some plinking paper punch round
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I've never messed with plated bullets.

I doubt H110 will do so well there. I've read about people using it for 25,000psi 44 special loads, but not for the same pressure 357 loads.

I do have a great load using W296 in full bore 357 magnum though; cases trimmed 1.280, CCI 550, 16.8 grains W296 under an RCBS 38-150-SWC, cast from wheel weights with 2%Sn, lubed with White Label 50/50. It's clover leaf accurate in the guns I've tried it in, and with the GP100 I had that leaded with every other load regardless, it shot clean. I looked through my notes and didn't recite this recipe from memory, I verified it just for you!
 
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Mark_Mark said:
Here a odd one. Was at my local honey hole and they had .357 brass for sale. They were selling it for $10 a pound. bought the bucket of 7# and get home to sorting

800~ total

but 225 was primed and flared. Would you guy load these? or should I test them. Nickel cases, no corrosion, looks find. But what to do?

then I find 8 loaded .357 Wadcutters the type you seat all the way down can crimp over. Same head stamp of Super-X … pull or shoot?

View attachment 1179335View attachment 1179336View attachment 1179337View attachment 1179338
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I as a person would not touch any thing you bought< Ron.
 
Other than H-110, which like a thoroughbred horse only does well when running at the higher velocity levels, what other handgun powders do you have?

With plated bullets, the plating is just a thin layer of copper alloy over an unlubricated lead bullet. So, running them at max speeds is a great way to strip the plating off and lead your barrel something fierce.

IMHO, H-110 isn’t a great powder for plated loads because it gets pressure-spiky at lower power levels that plated bullets prefer. If you can find any Unique (or a similar versatile powder like AA#5, HP-38, Universal, etc.), a 158 gr plated SWC or RNHP over 6.2 gr Unique is a great load. More oomph than .38’s without beating you or your guns up at max levels. :D

I load quite a bit of plated and coated bullets every year, as most of my handgun shooting is indoors and these bullets aren’t as smoky as lead/lube bullet loads.

IMG_3442.jpeg

Remember two things when loading plated or coated bullets; The first thing is the case mouth flare needs to be a bit more than you flare for jacketed bullets. Too little flare and you will catch the plating (or coating) on the case mouth and peel it off.

Second thing; the plating will be cut if you apply a gorilla roll crimp. A light roll crimp (or a good taper crimp) will hold bullets in place just fine. I learned this the hard way when I first started loading plated bullets. I maxi-crimped plated wadcutter loads and the plating on the bullet noses was separating from the bullets in flight (The extra little holes and pieces of copper plating stuck in my targets confirmed my oopsie.)

Good luck!

Stay safe.
 
Riomouse911 said:
Other than H-110, which like a thoroughbred horse only does well when running at the higher velocity levels, what other handgun powders do you have?

With plated bullets, the plating is just a thin layer of copper alloy over an unlubricated lead bullet. So, running them at max speeds is a great way to strip the plating off and lead your barrel something fierce.

IMHO, H-110 isn’t a great powder for plated loads because it gets pressure-spiky at lower power levels that plated bullets prefer. If you can find any Unique (or a similar versatile powder like AA#5, HP-38, Universal, etc.), a 158 gr plated SWC or RNHP over 6.2 gr Unique is a great load. More oomph than .38’s without beating you or your guns up at max levels. :D

I load quite a bit of plated and coated bullets every year, as most of my handgun shooting is indoors and these bullets aren’t as smoky as lead/lube bullet loads.

View attachment 1179835

Remember two things when loading plated or coated bullets; The first thing is the case mouth flare needs to be a bit more than you flare for jacketed bullets. Too little flare and you will catch the plating (or coating) on the case mouth and peel it off.

Second thing; the plating will be cut if you apply a gorilla roll crimp. A light roll crimp (or a good taper crimp) will hold bullets in place just fine. I learned this the hard way when I first started loading plated bullets. I maxi-crimped plated wadcutter loads and the plating on the bullet noses was separating from the bullets in flight (The extra little holes and pieces of copper plating stuck in my targets confirmed my oopsie.)

Good luck!

Stay safe.
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on hand that I’m trying to burn up.

HS6, Lil-Gun, Universal, AutoComp.

and Pyrodex P
 
Riomouse911 said:
a 158 gr plated SWC or RNHP over 6.2 gr Unique is a great load.
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AJC1 said:
Universal will be the one in that group. It's also the fastest. I don't think lil gun is any better for your task than 296/110.
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I agree in all these points. I don't know how many rounds of 357 I've fired with a 158-160 gr projectile and 6 gr of Universal.
Mostly cast in my case, as I shoot few plated bullets - except sometimes in 9mm.
 
Mark_Mark said:
but 225 was primed and flared. Would you guy load these? or should I test them. Nickel cases, no corrosion, looks find. But what to do?
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I woud load them up. Not knowing whether they were standard or magnum primers, I would not use H110 and I would give them the old bullet push against the bench edge to be sure they were not expanded and flared too much. But I am too cheap to discard the primers and too lazy to size and flare cases I don't have to.

I would size the shot load cases without a decapping pin to salvage those primers.

You can pop a couple to be sure they are good, but why wouldn't they be?

Once those are plinked up, I would trim everything to the same length for uniform crimp in full loads.
 
Hooda Thunkit said:
I agree in all these points. I don't know how many rounds of 357 I've fired with a 158-160 gr projectile and 6 gr of Universal.
Mostly cast in my case, as I shoot few plated bullets - except sometimes in 9mm.
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how fast was that 158 with 6 grain of Universal?
 
AJC1 said:
They did the same thing in 327 mag and 454. Unfortunately 45c has been around so long, some have chambers that will fit a 454 and I don't want to be that guy.
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I got 6 - 45c from another pot luck buy. 6 had rim without the groove and won’t fit in my Lee Shell Holder.
 
Mark_Mark said:
what the max do they send 158 FMJ or HP bullets out of .357 ?
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I’ve found my Chrony readings are pretty much useless for other people. I’m shooting at or below sea level in dense, moist air. The southeast region my loads will probably be kinda close for anyone shooting the same brand and model guns but, anyone in the desert mountains region trying my loads is going to be confused why my barrels run so slow.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
I’ve found my Chrony readings are pretty much useless for other people. I’m shooting at or below sea level in dense, moist air. The southeast region my loads will probably be kinda close for anyone shooting the same brand and model guns but, anyone in the desert mountains region trying my loads is going to be confused why my barrels run so slow.
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love these new emoji’s!
 
Mark_Mark said:
SLOW!!! but world work to break in the old brass
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Relatively slow, for a 357 Mag. But you will never mistake them for a 38 Spl, and they can be shot by the dozen without beating up the shooter.

If you want full-house Magnum rounds, then Universal isn't the powder to use. You won't get to 1350 fps with it, at least safely.

30 years ago I was all about the Sturm Und Drang when firing the Magnum revolvers. Now, not so much. A cylinder or 2 of the fire-breathing loads is enough.
I can shoot bunches of the lighter loads in one day, without regretting it the next several days.
 
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