montess85
Member
What is the most powerful factory loads I can buy for my GP100....I dont reload so I want to know what the most potent round I could buy would be.....I'm talking energy wise....
Hottest Factory 357 Loads
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Deltaboy1984
Member
Some old early 1970's Super Vels!
351 WINCHESTER
Member
+1 on the old Super Vels.
Daniel1120
Member
I have only tried the readily available over the counter stuff. Brands I have tried were all 125 gr, they included: federal american eagle, fiocchi, pmc, gold dots, federal 357b, winchester, remington, and magtech. All of those except the gold dots and federal 357b were just standard range ammo. Of them all I would without a doubt say the PMC produced the most flash and recoil. However I only shoot factory ammo to salvage the brass to reload. Of course none of these can rival my handloads.
floridaboy
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The real question is, what do you want to shoot? If your goal is merely maximum recoil, Buffalo Bore or equal might your daisy. From there, it depends on your intended target. Home defense loads will be different from deer hunting loads. Ect...
The Lone Haranguer
Member
The 125-grain full power loads (e.g., Remington R357M1) will give you lots of flash and bang.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
Even though Buffalo Bore, DoubleTap and a few other SD ammo companies make fairly hot ammo if you want the hottest you need to buy from a hunting ammo company like The Grizzly Cartridge Company. There are others out there too like The Garrett Cartridge Company but unfortunately they don't load for the .357 Magnum. That's too bad because they make some hot .44 Magnum ammo!!!
European manufactured ammo (Fiocchi & S&B) is quite hot too because they use CIP pressure limits instead of SAAMI limits, the CIP limits are higher.
Of course, this is just my opinion. I could be wrong....
European manufactured ammo (Fiocchi & S&B) is quite hot too because they use CIP pressure limits instead of SAAMI limits, the CIP limits are higher.
Of course, this is just my opinion. I could be wrong....
earlthegoat2
Member
Yeah, old Super Vels. 357 Mag +Ps.
The main reason Smith K Frame 357s couldnt hold up.
The main reason Smith K Frame 357s couldnt hold up.
earlthegoat2
Member
I know 357 Mag +P does not exist but that is the only way to describe Super Vels
rswartsell
Member
Fiocchi certainly has some impressive performance figures on their website. I do not have experience with them, the "hottest" I have used would be Buffalo Bore. I do see web accounts of people measuring the Fiocchi over a chronograph and getting significantly less velocity than advertised. The velocities observed being more in line with premium American offerings. I don't see what platform Fiocchi used to get their results, possibly from lever carbines?
rswartsell
Member
+1 for kludge
The Remington 125's are pretty stout. Great performance, and I am not a real Remington ammo fan anymore. Black Hills should be mentioned too.
Getting away from "hottest" and substituting "most effective" Speer Gold Dot enters the picture.
The Remington 125's are pretty stout. Great performance, and I am not a real Remington ammo fan anymore. Black Hills should be mentioned too.
Getting away from "hottest" and substituting "most effective" Speer Gold Dot enters the picture.
montess85
Member
I was just wondering what the most powerful load would be....By that I mean the most energy I can get out of one bullet...
rswartsell
Member
Uncle Albert says E=mc2
Meaning energy = (mass x velocity squared) or velocity is by far the heaviest weighted component in the equation. At the same velocities heavier bullets produce more energy. With the same weight bullets increased velocity produces way more energy.
So typically the highest net energy figures are the result of somewhat lighter bullets at higher velocities. This is because the limiting factor is the maximum pressure needed to propel whatever weight at whatever speed.
So these discussions rapidly evolve into a comparison of who is achieving the greatest velocity with a bullet within a calibers practical ranges without blowing out the cylinder wall. Regardless of who makes them if you are seeking the highest energy yield it is likely to be with a 125 gr or even 110 gr bullet.
Effectiveness is a more complicated proposition that may or may not be directly related to energy. To put it simply, once achieved the energy must be efficiently transferred to the target.
Meaning energy = (mass x velocity squared) or velocity is by far the heaviest weighted component in the equation. At the same velocities heavier bullets produce more energy. With the same weight bullets increased velocity produces way more energy.
So typically the highest net energy figures are the result of somewhat lighter bullets at higher velocities. This is because the limiting factor is the maximum pressure needed to propel whatever weight at whatever speed.
So these discussions rapidly evolve into a comparison of who is achieving the greatest velocity with a bullet within a calibers practical ranges without blowing out the cylinder wall. Regardless of who makes them if you are seeking the highest energy yield it is likely to be with a 125 gr or even 110 gr bullet.
Effectiveness is a more complicated proposition that may or may not be directly related to energy. To put it simply, once achieved the energy must be efficiently transferred to the target.
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John Wayne
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125 gr. @ 1425 isn't that hot. Double Tap and Buffalo Bore both have loads that are faster than that with 158 grain bullets out of 4" barrels. Their 125 gr. loads are close to 1700 fps, IIRC.
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