Magical powder for 158gr .357 Magnum

[intercooler]

Anyone have some good numbers with 158's in a 4" and under barrel? I have tested a few snappy 125gr offerings but in 158's nothing really great to speak of. Best 125 I tested was 1550 FPS out of the 4" barrel. The 158's best is 1300 FPS. Is their a certain one that works?

 

[Steve C]

My goal has generally been to duplicate factory velocity. I've chrono'd 158gr Remington JHP/JSP bullets sitting on top of 14.0 gr of 2400 lit with a CCI 500 (standard primer) from my 4" S&W 66 at an average of 1,243 fps. Most data sources say you can go heavier by about 1.0 gr which would likely give you the 1,300 fps + but that would be something to work up to. Use standard primers with 2400 as you can see excessive pressure signs at loads below 14.0grs if using mag primers.

 

[1911Tuner]

You can drive yourself 'round the bend worrying over velocity, to which far too much significance is attached, IMO. You can also wreck guns trying to attain more by handloading. You'll also find that the velocity with a given lot of ammunition in one gun will be markedly higher or lower in one gun than in another...even outwardly identical guns. Ruger barrels, for instance, are noted for "shooting faster" than Smith & Wesson's with a given lot of ammunition.

Back in the 80s when the metallic silhouette bug had me, I found that my 7.5-inch Super Blackhawk produced about 30 fps more velocity with my go-to handload than my 8.375-inch Model 29.

 

[buck460XVR]

My magical handgun powders are the ones that give me the best accuracy.

 

[1911Tuner]

[/quote] My magical handgun powders are the ones that give me the best accuracy.[/quote]

This.

More often than not, the best accuracy appears at some point below maximum velocity. More velocity serves mainly to flatten trajectory, but no purpose is served unless the target is hit, and the target...whatever that may be...won't be able to tell the difference between X impact velocity and X+50 fps.

 

[jmr40]

You are already faster than most can get from real guns with 4" barrels. Forget what you read in published ballistics charts. Those numbers come from 8" test barrels. In real guns with shorter barrels the actual velocity is much lower. If you are trying to duplicate what factory loadings say they are getting you won't do it with a 4" barrel.

 

[intercooler]

In Real World what is the range a 158 should be able to achieve out of a 4.20" barrel?

 

[USSR]

In Real World what is the range a 158 should be able to achieve out of a 4.20" barrel?

intercooler,

Why all this obsession with velocity numbers, when you really should be just looking for an accurate, full power load? Try 16.0gr of 4227, it is a full power load and the most accurate one I have found for 158gr Jacketed bullets.

Don

 

[ColtPythonElite]

My magical handgun powders are the ones that give me the best accuracy.

Exactly...I loaded for nearly 2 decades before ever buying a chronograph and now that I have one don't use it to work up loads, especially handgun loads. I let my groups dictate what powder charge to use. After I find a good grouping load, I usually go back and chrono it just to see what she's doing and add the info to my notes.

 

[intercooler]

Because I am shooting factory ammo right now and much of it seems really weak. I don't know where the window of 158's really should be. Something tells me 1100 FPS is kind of on the low side?

 

[1911Tuner]

Because I am shooting factory ammo right now and much of it seems really weak.

It is. The .357 Magnum cartridge was neutered in the 70s, bringing the numbers down quite a bit from the original loading consisting of a 158 grain LSWC at over 1500 fps from an 8.375-inch barrel...and around 1350-1360 from a 4-inch gun. I have a little of that old ammo left, and it's hot. It clocked nearly 1400 from my 4.625-inch Blackhawk.

This was done in response to so many shooters wrecking Smith K-frame .357 revolvers with it.

It's probably been brought down a little more due to the large number of older guns with high round counts and substandard revolvers that are still around. RG even chambered a revolver for .357 Magnum...and those things were shaky enough with standard .38 Special ammo. I wouldn't fire the original .357 loading in an RG on a bet.

 

[Frank V]

Steve C Has a very good load there I'm using the same load, but with the Lyman 358156 HP which came out at 155grs. I'm getting velocitys very close to his & cases just drop o ut of the chambers.

I've always been a big fan of the theory of using a bigger gun if you need more power, (not tax a smaller gun to the limits) whether shotgun, rifle, or handgun. I also believe if you really need more power than say a heavy .44 Mag, you just might need a rifle!
Frank

 

[zxcvbob]

Here's my current favorite loads for .357 Magnum. I haven't chronographed them so I might be fooling myself, but they give good performance AND a lot of loads from a pound of powder:

• 158 grain SWC with 8.0 grains of Herco (max load)
• 148 grain DEWC with 7.0 grains of Herco or WSF (this one is not a max load)

You can load higher using AA#7 or 2400. Power Pistol looks interesting but I haven't tried that one yet. Another powder I want to try for .357 Mag rifle loads is AA-4100.

Blue Dot might be OK with 158+ jacketed bullets, but I never found a load I liked with cast bullets.

 

[RalphS]

1300 fps is the max I get out of a 4 inch barrel with a 158 grain LSWC bullet using H-110. Using AA9, I get 1250 fps.

I wouldn't try to push it any faster.

 

[CSA 357]

my hot jhp load is with 158 jhp or jsp with 2400, i dont know how fast they are and dont realy care as some of the folks have said its all about accuracy to me, i have a 27-2 smith that shoots 158 cast bullets wonderfull at around 1000 fps that what i shoot in it

 

[357 Terms]

I use V.V. N110 with all of my jacketed 357 rounds. (exept plinking)
Once I started using it I stopped trying other powders.
SR prime.

 

[intercooler]

I bought some American Eagle that hit 1328 as an average the other day. Previous testing of the brown box Federal was 1200 so don't know what is different here. Need to test some more to see what happened.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'll never understand the obsession many shooters have with velocity but whatever floats you boat I guess.

If you want to push a 158gr bullet very fast in the .357 Magnum use Lil'Gun. It's probably the best powder for that application.

 

[LawofThirds]

Well....

If you're asking reloading... I would suggest playing around with Vihta Vuori N110 & JHP's. In the right loads, it gives really excellent magnum performance with a minimum of muzzle flash/smoke. Heavy loads burn really really clean. I would suggest following the Lyman or Hornady max loads for JHP. And the accuracy is top notch.

If you're wanting factory... I can't think of anything heavier than the Buffalo bore 158 grain JHP heavy loading. It breaks 1400 fps before you break 5" of barrel. And if you can handle it (it's stout), it's a nicely accurate loading to boot.

 

[PO2Hammer]

Maybe the new Power Pro 300 MP from Alliant is one to try.
http://www.alliantpowder.com/products/powder/power_pro_300.aspx

 

[MCgunner]

I mostly load with 2400, the old stand by for .357. I do have a 180 load I like that uses AA#9. There's lots of others...WW296 is a good one. I don't use it. An old shooting buddy likes the Winchester ball powders, though. AA#9 is a similar slow burn ball powder.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I'm with Arch Angle, use Lil'gun, it is supposed to be fast and extreemly consistent.

 

[foghornl]

I wouldn't fire the original .357 loading in an RG on a bet.

If you ever decide to try that, let me know so I can stand at least 100 Yards behind you

I have touched off some of those old "just this side of thermo-nuclear" .357 loads in my 2003 vintage Sheriff's Model Vaquero, and that had me seriously questioning my sanity.

 

[ljnowell]

I load just about ant 158gr JHP over 14.5gr of 2400.

 

[Coltdriver]

I used to load 2400 for my .357's.

But today you can get gold dot short barrel bullets and the need for driving a bullet to very high speeds is not as important. The bullets are made to perform from a snub nose at under 850 fps.

I have shot hot .357 rounds. You can control them with something like a four pound S&W model 27. But you start getting down in weight and accurate follow up shots are hard to make.

So the question is, what are you trying to do? If you are looking to wear out your revolver you can go past 1300 fps. But you can really put your revolver out of time quickly with loads that hot.