357/38spl question

[Jeffery8mm]

I know you can fire a 38spl round in a 357 round for reduced recoil loads. My question is this......... Is it safe to reload 357 cases with 38spl data. I have a Ruger Security Six 357 mag, and dont really want to fire 38spl cases in it.
Thanks
Jeff

 

[The Bushmaster]

No...Pick the lowest powder charge using 125 or lighter grain bullet for a .357 magnum loading.

 

[evan price]

You are not going to hurt a .357 shooting ammo loaded to .38 specs in it.
My favorite plinking load is 3.5 grains of tightgroup under a 158-grain lead semi-wadcutter.

 

[Canuck-IL]

It's fine to do - a lot of Bullseye shooters use light 38Spc loads in 357 cases so as to avoid the 38 rings in the cylinder. My preference is 3.0 BE behind a 148 WC.
/Bryan

 

[zxcvbob]

question is this......... Is it safe to reload 357 cases with 38spl data.

Yes. You'll probably want to just take the .38 Special data from the *maximum* column instead of working up from the minimum. In fact, if you pick a powder where there's both .38SPL data and .357MAG data available, you can load it anywhere in between to make your own rediced .357 loads. Maybe start with the .357's minimum data and work backwards towards the .38 data until you find a load that is both accurate and fun to shoot.

 

[jcwit]

Just a tip here regarding the carbon ring shooting 38's ina 357. I kept getting the infernal ring and tried just about every kind of gun cleaner I had with mixed results, non of themreal good though. Finally tried Gum-Out spray carb and injector cleaner; end of problem, cleaned the cylinders right up and quick too. I did use a patch wrapped around a bronze brush' worked great.

 

[joneb]

I have loaded .357mag cases with upper end .38spl data though below min. .357 mag. start charges with great results using fast to medium burn powders and small pistol primers.

 

[GP100man]

chore boy copper pot scrubbers wrapped around a brush will make short work of it too !!!
i use 3.5gr of clays under a homecast 158gr. rnfp

GP100man

 

[alucard0822]

Keep in mind, if a 357 case is loaded identically to a 38 case, the 357 will produce a lower velocity, due to the lower pressure from the larger case volume. For really light loads you are best off with a wadcutter, it sits in the case deeper, and takes up some of that volume to help burn the powder more efficiently. 3gr of bullseye under a 148gr oregon trail DEWC with a light crimp and WSP primer feels like a 22, and cuts clean holes straight through the 10 ring in my 4" 686 or 5 1/2" vaquero and chronos around 750-800fps.

 

[Doug b]

I agree with The Bushmaster on this one.You can get by swapping data here in most instances but not all.Read Speer's warning on half jacket bullets for one.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I don't know why everyone is telling you to load at the high end of the .38 Special chart in a .357 Magnum case. The difference in case volume is so slight there is almost no difference in velocity or pressure when you use the same charge in both.

I load a 148gr DEWC bullet with either 3.5gr W231 or 2.5gr Clays with a lot of success in both a .38 Special and .357 Magnum case. IMO you can use your favorite recipe for a .38 Special target load in a .357 case and see how accurate it is. The only warning I would give is, if you load VERY light for the .38 Special (like 600 fps) then I would bump the charge a bit but most shooters don't go that low.

As always, I can be wrong and so can any data you get on the Internet. Always research any data obtained from the Internet for yourself. Use the data I provided above at your own risk, I assume no liability either actual or implied.

 

[Walkalong]

Yes and no. It can get you in trouble in some instances. Like Doug b said. Check out Speer's warning on it. But, mostly you will be OK as long as you don't go too low.

I routinely shoot .38 Spl. loads in .357 brass, but I use a tad more than a .38 load in them, more like .38+P, and some of my .357 loads are more like a midrange .357 load.

 

[CZ57]

Yes and no II. The internal combustion area of the .38 Special is 90% of the .357 Magnum. If you want your .38 loads to perform the same way when you load them into a .357 Magnum case, increase .38 chargeweight by 10% so that pressure will be near equivelant in the .357 case. The loads will still be less than a .357 start charge.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

For a light and cheap load in .357 cases, use data for the 148-grain wadcutter bullet for the .357.

To give an example, the "starting load" for that bullet is .38 Special is usually given as 2.7 grains of Bullseye, but in .357 cases, it is usually around 3.5 grains -- with about 50 fps more velocity.

 

[joneb]

http://www.alliantpowder.com/reload...gtypeid=1&weight=148&shellid=1015&bulletid=26
Myself I would use small pistol primers and up the charge a bit. I think with the right powders .357 Mag. can safely be loaded to .38spl pressures, but Magnum primers may work better ?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

There is no reason to use a Magnum primer if you are using the powder you usually load in a .38 Special. Magnum primers are used for hard to ignite powders such as H110/W296 and sometimes HS-6. Just because you are using as Magnum case doesn't mean you are required to use a Magnum primer.

 

[Jeffery8mm]

Wow. Thanks for all the info. I believe the poster who mentioned the +P 38 spl load may have something there. I like the idea of the lighter loads for the357 plinking time. Also, I assume the same is true in regards to 44 Spl loads in a 44 mag?
Thanks to ALL
Jeff

 

[CZ57]

Very similar. It might be worth considering a powder ideally suited to low charge weights as well. There are several like Tite-Group and AA#2, just to mention a couple.