Powder Valley wants $339 today for 2400 + hazmat & tax.I get 7 or 8 reloads out of my Starline brass, 8 lbs of 2400 was $245 not to many months ago. Primers 7 cents and 158gr coated semi wadcutters 12 cents a piece. Yes I save quite a bit for the volume I shoot. 158gr JSP for any hunting rounds. If I was going to shoot a couple a boxes a year I would not mess with it.
I don't shoot full loads often but my deer load for my GP100 is a 180gr XTP pushed with 2400. It chrono'd at 1150fps. I've taken 5 whitetails with it and only had one go very far. I only caught one lung on that one.I load 357 by the pile and it absolutely is worth it. I don't use h110/296 so I can't help there... #9 or 2400 is where I get down or shooters world heavy pistol.
I have a near top end load with H-110 and a mild target load with W231, both using 158gr semi-jacketed soft points.I would suggest to all that there are and have always been moderate and high power loads for .357Magnum. Both loads use “hunting bullets” made from cast. Just going out and buying high power hunting jacketed or soft lead plinking ammo are not the only options.
Trying to convince my dad that he doesn’t need his and I can take it off his handsGood thread with lots of good information. .357 mag is one of my favorite cartridges to load. I shoot far more 158 grain SWCs than anything (mostly from Missouri Bullet) with three different powders: Trail Boss for plinkers and introducing new shooters, Unique for mid-range power, and 2400 for full house loads. My .357s have never seen .38 Special brass as I can replicate .38 loads in .357 brass. I do the same thing with .44 magnum, although I do have a couple of .44 Spl revolvers that need to be loaded accordingly.
Sounds to me like you need to get your own GP100!
Good choice!Trying to convince my dad that he doesn’t need his and I can take it off his hands
Oh I don’t know if I clarified: I went with 158gr sierra FNSP for him. His gun likes 158s in 38spcl and between this thread and other research it keeps coming back to that bullet style for hunting
Me: “hey shoot like 1 or 2 in the cylinder unless you see the final, good crimp (was still getting the dies set perfectly). They are safe, just get the feel of the recoil before filling a cylinder with the good crimped bullets”The wife has a rossi lever gun in 357, and I like using it around the farm sometimes. For those occasions, I load some by-God thumper rounds; 158 grain Speer JSP over a max load of 2400. They make quick work of just about anything that walks in front of them under 75 yards. I darn sure don't shoot them in my handguns though!
Mac
Sounds like a little bulging. A good fitting seating stem or a two step expander, fix you right up. You want to watch heads explode start asking about the Lee fcd.Final update: perfect grouping at 25yds. Well inside a 6” plate at 25. Knocking those out for him now. He did mention that a few didn’t want to drop into the cylinder very easily so I’ll keep an eye on that but all looks good so far! Thank y’all so much for everything and I’m keeping track of who I owe deer jerkey to!
Yea I figured it’s because of a little too much flare when charging the powder. I backed that off and adjusted for a good heavy crimp and they look great and no bulge now. Should be perfect from here on out. The integrated factory crimp in the seating die is perfect for what I wantSounds like a little bulging. A good fitting seating stem or a two step expander, fix you right up. You want to watch heads explode start asking about the Lee fcd.
Excellent!Final update: perfect grouping at 25yds. Well inside a 6” plate at 25. Knocking those out for him now. He did mention that a few didn’t want to drop into the cylinder very easily so I’ll keep an eye on that but all looks good so far! Thank y’all so much for everything and I’m keeping track of who I owe deer jerkey to!