MBC Action 158g 357 and H110 W/GP100

[General Lee]

I am loading up some Missouri Bullet Company action bullets in my GP100 357 magnum using H110 powder. They are the Hi Tek coated bulets. The question I have is has anyone loaded with this bullet/powder combination?

From what I am reading the velocities will be 1500 to 1600 fps. I am slightly worried about this velocity considering the MBC website says they "hear" 1400 fps is a safe velocity for lead bullets. Thoughts? Load data?

 

[Comrade Mike]

I push them, uncoated, with full charges of 2400 and have never had a spot of leading for what it's worth. YMMV

I don't have a chronograph so I can't comment on velocities. They're up there though.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I highly doubt you will achieve those velocities real world out of a 4" barrel revolver. That said, I'm not a fan of H110/ W296 with lead bullets. I may be wrong and the coating may change things. I usually use HS-6 with lead bullets in the .357 Magnum and you can surely use 2400 too.

When you test them with H110 please give us a range report, I'm very interested in your results.

 

[vaalpens]

I highly doubt you will achieve those velocities real world out of a 4" barrel revolver. That said, I'm not a fan of H110/ W296 with lead bullets. I may be wrong and the coating may change things. I usually use HS-6 with lead bullets in the .357 Magnum and you can surely use 2400 too.

When you test them with H110 please give us a range report, I'm very interested in your results.

I will be following this thread since I have just started loading the 158gr MBC coated HiTek bullet in 357 magnum. So far I have been impressed with my CFE Pistol loads at mid-velocities, but need to do a bit more testing. Testing is being done out of a 3" SP101.

If I may ask, what makes HS-6 good with lead bullets and H110 not?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

If I may ask, what makes HS-6 good with lead bullets and H110 not?

I'm no expert but I will give you my opinion, not that it's worth anything.

H110 was developed for loading the 30 Carbine and is a slow powder that I feel is a hot powder that just doesn't work well for me with lead bullets.

HS-6/W540 on the other hand is a shotgun powder and shot shells use lead shot. I don't know why it happens but every cartridges I load with lead bullets using HS-6 I find very accurate loads. It is my middle speed powder.

I mostly use W231/HP-38, W540/HS-6 and W296/H110.

I think I have around 9 or 10 handgun powders on my shelf because I like to try new powders and I have some specialty loads I use a particular powder to load but I always seem to come back to the above three, my powder trinity.

 

[Reefinmike]

Not that particular bullet but I really like shooting the lee 158 TLSWC powder coated with HF red and W296(same as your h110). Actual cast weight is 164gr. I use jhp load data and have worked up to max load(16.7gr I believe) but dropped down to 15.7gr for a nice comfortable load out of my revolver. The extra grain of powder only gave a 50fps increase. This gives me 1342fps from a 6" revolver and 1751fps from a 16" lever. I also like lilgun for something that reminds you what magnum means. Lilgun loads give me an extra 250fps in both guns. I use a 50/50 alloy of ww/dead soft lead for the 296 loads- ~10bhn. I give the lilgun loads the hardest lead I have- just straight wheel weights.

all my loads shoot straight with no signs of leading or bullet failure.

 

[TimSr]

If I may ask, what makes HS-6 good with lead bullets and H110 not?

That is based on the assumption that lead bullets will be loaded at reduced levels.

I've loaded thousands of Missouri Bullet Co. and other 158gr SWC 18BRN uncoated bullets over 17gr of 296/110 for my GP100, and a couple of Security Sixs, with nothing to report other than great news. Specified max (for jacketed) has been reduced over the years, and I did not adjust according.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I guess I will have to revisit W296 in the .357 with 158gr Cast bullets. Thank you for the information guys...

Just a note, I do not down load my .357 Magnum loads when using HS-6. Before they discontinued HS-7/W571 that is what I used with Cast bullets and the velocities were just about what W296 delivers.