Please recommend a hot, yet accurate 357 magnum load

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NoirFan

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Hi all. I’m currently using the Rainier 158gr plated hollow points for my 357 practice heavy loads. I load these with a SPM primer, a top listed charge of HS-6, and slight roll crimp. They are easy to buy in my area and they are clean-shooting for the indoor range (not to mention they look nice) but I am not especially satisfied with their accuracy. I have loaded this bullet up and down the listed range but have never done better than 4” @ 25 yards, rested.

Any recommendations for a high-velocity, yet accurate 357 magnum practice load? I would prefer to stick with HS-6 and stay away from the very slow powders like H110 - tried it, didn’t like the giant fireball and cost inefficiency. These will be shot out of a 4” Ruger Security Six.

Thanks
 
Full power yet accurate load: 14.5 Grs of 2400 under a coated 158 Gr SWC with a standard SP primer.

HS-6 can get you part way to full power, but not quite there. The 2400 load mentioned will not give you a big fireball. It also doesn't take much more powder than HS-6.

If you only want to use HS-6 and the Raniers, just work up to max and find what you like.

I never recommend going over max data, and if you are looking for max/near max velocities, 2400 is a far better choice. 14.5 Grs works with 158 Gr jacketed bullets, coated bullets, or the X-Treme 158 gr SWC.

I am not especially satisfied with their accuracy. I have loaded this bullet up and down the listed range but have never done better than 4” @ 25 yards, rested.
Maybe the Ranier can't handle the pressure or velocity or the Ruger's throats. You may need to try another bullet.
 
HS-6 makes for some good mid range loads. I have had really good loads with VIHT N-110 that are close but nothing beats 296 or 110 for full magnum loads.
 
I have gone to Power Pistol for less than max, but more than mid-range loads in my .357's. 8.0 gr with a 158 gr cast SWC will get you close to 1200 fps, so for half the cost per round of H-110 or W-296, you get within 100 fps of the top loads.
 
I would suggest 13.5grs of 2400 for max for plated bullets, I always got copper fouling with loads hotter than that.
13.5gr of 2400 shoots really well for hotter practice loads and it was always accurate for me in my S&Ws.
 
In .357 and hot, accurate loads, you are probably going to end up using H110/W296 and jacketed bullets. Hornady XTPs are very accurate and are probably the best priced and easiest to find. I have good luck with Nosler 158 JHPs over a charge 15.5-16.5gr of H110/W296 as well.
 
Accurate #9 has been my best powder using Hornady 158 XTP's and Accurate's data on-line. Best for my 6" barreled pistol and Marlin rifle, same loads used in both.
 
I like aa7 for hot .357s. Mixed with nearly any light .38 caliber or 9mm jacketed bullet, aa7 can produce some really strong stuff. 2400 is good but I can never find it anymore.
I like Accurate #7, #9 and 2400 for jacketed bullets, but for plated bullets I've had better results with medium burn pistol powers loaded somewhere between 38 spl and 357 mag.
My best results for plated have been using Xtreme's 158 gr CP FP not the RNFP with 7.5gr of HS-6 and a GM-200 primer. The pound of HS-6 I have is quite old as it is in a cardboard container.
 
Full power yet accurate load: 14.5 Grs of 2400 under a coated 158 Gr SWC with a standard SP primer.
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That is about the best 357mag load recipe I've ever tried. I don't currently used coated bullets, but any lead SWC from the major manufacturers will work.

2400 downloads nicely. I will say that 14.5 grains was a bit much for my carbine. I suspect it pushed the lead too fast and sacrificed some accuracy. I found that 12.5gr was much more accurate in carbines and long barreled pistols. Still plenty hot enough.
 
I just fired a series of 140 gr Sierra JHP over 18.8 gr of H-110 sparked with CCI magnum small pistol primers.

Accuracy was good, but the blast was impressive out of the 4” 686 I was shooting. This is about as much horsepower out of the .357 as I’ll load myself.

Stay safe!
 
7.4 grains of Longshot under a 158 grain copper plated lead bullet (Rainier, Berry's etc.). 1.48" COAL with .38 Special case, but these are mid-Magnum pressure loads for Magnum guns. I get a mean velocity of 980 fps and SD of 8 out of a 2.25" barrel. Very accurate.
 
10.2 gn LongShot under 125 gn plated flat nose Ranier, in a 6" 686, 1.580" OAL => 1375 fps. (always work up to a load like this)
 
Don't forget Unique... that's about all I ever used in .38/.357.
Not "full power" though. Unique is not a good shooting experience for me when loaded heavy. It has a sharp impulse recoil. I found IMR 4227 to be the most user friendly in all my magnums as well as heavy 45 Colts.
 
If you can switch, I'd say ditch the plated in favor of the same weight cast bullet in a BHN 12-14 hardness. As others have said 2400 will get you velocity without the blast of the slower powders. I like Longshot too but fireballs are not uncommon with that powder. My blasting load is 13.2 gr 2400 under a 158 gr RNFP which gives 1205 fps in my 6" and better-than-I-can-shoot accuracy. The higher I went with that charge the less accurate I got, but a lot of people seem to like the higher charges.
 
I like aa7 for hot .357s. Mixed with nearly any light .38 caliber or 9mm jacketed bullet, aa7 can produce some really strong stuff. 2400 is good but I can never find it anymore.
AA#7 is outstanding for me in mid-level loads, but should we really call it "hot", relative to results from slower magnum powders?
 
Not "full power" though. Unique is not a good shooting experience for me when loaded heavy. It has a sharp impulse recoil. I found IMR 4227 to be the most user friendly in all my magnums as well as heavy 45 Colts.

No, that's quite true. In my early days, I took Unique beyond book data in the .41, it was a handful... but no more than a case full of W296. But I do agree... heavy loads with IMR4227 are a lot easier to handle.
 
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