Load advice for .357 Mag 110gr Hornady XTP

[BracketRacer_57]

I am relatively new to reloading and have mostly loaded .38/.357 light target rounds (about 4000 so far). I'm ready to delve into some true .357 magnum level loads and would like to use the 110 grain Hornady XTPs that I have on hand. The powders I have available are:

- W296/H110
- HS6
- BE86
- 700X
- Bullseye

I have looked through my reloading books and at the online resources but would like to get recommendations/advice on a good powder and charge weight for a 4" revolver. I will be using CCI 550 SPM primers. Thanks.

 

[Mark in GA]

Forget the H110 and 296. The 110's are too light for it to work correctly. I would look to HS-6 and BE86 out of what you have. I stick 125 gr and up personly in the 357.

Thanks,
Mark in GA

 

[BracketRacer_57]

Mark in GA - thanks for the reply. The research I have done on this bullet over the last month showed this was more appropriate for a rifle round than revolver but I thought I would ask the question to get some clarification from those with more experience such as you. Thanks.

 

[mavracer]

H110/WW296 with 110s will erode your forcing cone. I'd stay with midrange loads with 110s. If you really want to get into magnum level loads go with 158s or even 180s

 

[Jim Watson]

I have not used such a light bullet, either, but will point out that the Cheapmart .357 loaded with 110 grain bullets to save on lead actually have lower muzzle velocity than premium 125s. It is possible to select powder and get extreme high velocity but it is kind of a stunt.

Hodgdon does show H110 data. Otherwise, I would try a starting load of HS6 and see how they go.

 

[BracketRacer_57]

mavracer - I didn't realize that the forcing cone could be damaged. Thanks for sharing that. I received the 110 XTPs from Hornady's LNL rebate and have been looking at them sitting on the bench for the past 4 months! Just thought it was time to move them downrange!

 

[BracketRacer_57]

Jim Watson - Thank you - I'm definitely not looking to blaze new territory. Just looking to use up what I have on hand safely.

 

[witchhunter]

Many years ago, I shot a gang of 110 hp's through mine with H110. Then I heard the 125's were better. I will say that the 110's will turn a jackrabbit inside out!

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Which revolver are you intending to shoot that ammo from?

For the most part W296/H110 is a lot of horsepower for such a light bullet but like said above, there is safe data for them. If you're shooting a S&W L frame revolver (M686) no forcing cone damage will occur from shooting hot 110gr bullets in the .357 Magnum. That said, I'm not a fan of such light bullets in the .357 but they would probably make a good .38 Special +P round.

Of the powders you listed I would use HS-6 for those 110gr bullet in both the .357 Magnum and .38 Special +P loads. I also recommend using a Magnum primer with HS-6 in either cartridge, it just works better...

 

[BracketRacer_57]

ArchAngelCD - The revolver is, in fact, a S&W 686. After considering the advise of the other responses, a better path is probably to acquire bullets more suited to a magnum revolver. Can you recommend a .38 Special +P load for the 110s? I will be using CCI 550 SPM primers. Thanks.

 

[mavracer]

You don't need to go down to 38 levels just go for 1100-1200 fps with HS6 and you'll be fine.

no forcing cone damage will occur from shooting hot 110gr bullets in the .357 Magnum.

Oh It'll happen, erosion by it's very nature isn't something you'll see after one round or even 50 but you shoot enough hot H110/WW296 110 or 125gr loads you'll trash any gun here's a GP100 that was trashed by WW296 and 125s.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

ArchAngelCD - The revolver is, in fact, a S&W 686. After considering the advise of the other responses, a better path is probably to acquire bullets more suited to a magnum revolver. Can you recommend a .38 Special +P load for the 110s? I will be using CCI 550 SPM primers. Thanks.

I remember when I loaded such a light bullet like the 110gr XTP. I usually use a 140gr XTP for the .38 Special +P. With HS-6 Hodgdon says there is no load range for a .38 Special +P. They list a charge of 8.4gr HS-6 with a 110gr XTP with no reduction. I see no reason not to reduce the charge weights since the standard pressure .38 Special data for a 110gr XTP using HS-6 is 7.0gr to 7.8gr.

If I were working up a .38 Special +P load using a 110gr XTP bullet and HS-6 I would start @7.8gr and work up to 8.4gr looking for the most accurate load.

Just a note, my .38 Special +P load using a 140gr XTP and HS-6 is 7.2gr but that is .2gr higher than the current Hodgdon data but was published and safe to shoot for over 20 years now. The Hodgdon data stops @7.0gr with a 140gr JHP bullet.

 

[BracketRacer_57]

Thank you. And thanks for the recommendation on load development.

 

[BracketRacer_57]

mavracer - Wow! Can you provide more details on what lead to that erosion? How many rounds? Was this a test gun or did someone notice an issue with performance/accuracy and then investigate? Thanks.

 

[mavracer]

If that's the same one, there was a thread about it either here or TFL. IIRC it was a few thousand rounds and it was an individual.

 

[gamestalker]

I don't load a bunch of 110 gr. jacketed for .357 mag. these days, but there was a time when i did, and I almost always used H110 or 296. I still load and shoot some 110 and 125's, just not as often as I once did. Velocities and even accuracy are always very good though.

However, there are some important things to consider when going for full tilt magnum loads using H110/296 with 110 gr. jacketed bullets from the .357 mag..

Make sure the firearm you run them in is able to withstand full tilt pressures. In other words, don't run them from an ultra light CC revolver, or one that is made of light weight alloys, it will shake then half to death, and it will be a very uncomfortable shooting experience, due to lots if recoil.

And always use a magnum primer, other wise you'll experience some very inconsistent velocities, the result of poor ignition.

H110/296 perform horribly when the charge is reduced to below published minimum, those powders perform at their best when worked up to maximum. As a matter of fact, most if not all the published data currently available for this powder warn of reducing below minimum, those that do not state no more than a 3% reduction is safe. So use the data as it is published, no reduction is necessary, and will only cause undesired performance or worse yet, bullets getting stuck in the barre due to poor ignition/burn.

Make sure you utilize a very firm roll crimp right over the bottom 1/3 of the canelure, other wise the bullets will literally get pulled out of the case mouth from extreme inertia as they rotate into battery, This often results in powder spilling out of the cases, ask me how I know. The other issue is that the burn will be inconsistent, thus producing inconsistent velocities.

I've been using H110/296 nearly exclusively for all my magnum wheel gun cartridges for better than 3 decades, To say I love it, would be an understatement of great proportion. Those two powders, which are the same exact powder, are exclusively magnum powders, and are strictly for magnum applications. I can't seem to say enough good thing about those 2 powders, they are the top dogs, literally.

BTW, I use 23.0 grs. under a 110 gr. XTP.

GS

 

[gamestalker]

I wasn't sure which cartridge the OP was referencing, so I though I would provide some +P 38 spcl. recommendations in addition to the .357 mag. I provided.

So for full tilt 38 spcl., +P in other words, Longshot and HS6 perform very well for me. As +P 38 spcl. goes though, I prefer Longshot slightly more, and almost exclusively my go to powder for this cartridge, and a couple other cartridges as well..

I just loaded another batch of 38 spcl +p 110 gr. XTP's the other day. I use a worked up maximum charge of Longshot and a CCI-500's, excellent velocities, and very accurate. Some years back I once ran out of CCI-500's half way through my loading session, so I decided to substitute with CCI-550's instead. When I shot them over the chrony I didn't see a noticeable difference in pressure signs, velocities, or accuracy from either of the revolvers, a 4" Taurus 608, and a 2.5" S&W 66-5.

With 110 gr. XTP's, velocity was around 1300 fps from the 4" Taurus, and right around 1200 fps from the 2.5" barrel. BTW, I got 1050's fps with 158 gr. XTP's and Longshot from the 2.5" barrel.

I won't post the current Longshot powder charge I run now days, other than to say it is a worked up maximum charge.

GS

 

[BracketRacer_57]

gamestalker - Thank you. I only have 100ea of the 110gr XTPs and when these are used up, I will be looking for a more appropriate bullet weight for magnum target loads. Thanks for sharing your load info!

 

[41 Mag]

As mentioned with the little 110's go with the mid range data and powders to suit.

I worked up some of the 296 loads years ago for my GP-100 and it only took a handfull before the top strap was notched and cone was scorched a bit. I had the cone fixed but the strap still carries the reminder. Luckily I was paying attention when cleaning and when I noticed the change I immediately stopped that business. My forcing cone was nowhere near as bad as pictured, but none the less it was needing attention.

Those particular bullets really do a good job in the velocity range listed there in the above post using HS-6. I dropped my loads down to the 38 Spl range and used the remainder of the bullets for clearing out rouge coons which were tearing up my deer feeder motors. They worked perfectly even at ranges of around 20' most of the time they never exited a body shot unless it was a small coon.

 

[Magnum Shooter]

I worked up some of the 296 loads years ago for my GP-100 and it only took a handfull before the top strap was notched and cone was scorched a bit.

You would need to cut almost ½ way through the top strap on a GP 100 before it was as thin as the top stap of a S&W

 

[Torian]

H110/WW296 with 110s will erode your forcing cone. I'd stay with midrange loads with 110s. If you really want to get into magnum level loads go with 158s or even 180s

Honestly, I have the early signs of erosion from 125 grainers on my 627 PC. Agree on the 158s or higher.