rc109a
Member
Is anyone reloading this round? If so what are your results? How difficult is it? Is there any problems getting brass or bullets? How about resizing the brass?
Reloading 357 Sig
- Thread starter rc109a
- Start date
- Status
ReloaderFred
Member
If you'll do a search, you'll come up with several threads that will answer the questions you asked.
I've been loading this caliber for several years now, and have many thousands of rounds loaded. Once you start treating them like bottle-neck rifle cartridges, they're no more trouble to load than any other caliber. Just use 9mm bullets with a Flat Nose or Hollowpoint design, and stay away from round nose bullets with a long ogive. Also use a powder that fills the case. I particulary like AA #9, since it fills up the case and helps prevent bullet setback.
Hope this helps.
Fred
I've been loading this caliber for several years now, and have many thousands of rounds loaded. Once you start treating them like bottle-neck rifle cartridges, they're no more trouble to load than any other caliber. Just use 9mm bullets with a Flat Nose or Hollowpoint design, and stay away from round nose bullets with a long ogive. Also use a powder that fills the case. I particulary like AA #9, since it fills up the case and helps prevent bullet setback.
Hope this helps.
Fred
sellersm
Member
+1 to what Fred said. Search is your friend!
Also, I size first with a .40S&W die, then process the case normally with the .357sig dies -- no need for case lube, just an extra step.
Also, be aware that the bullets for .357sig technically aren't the same size as 9mm, but there are those that will work. Many vendors make bullets specific to .357sig (montana gold, for example).
I really like Power Pistol for this caliber! AA #9 is very popular as well.
Also, I size first with a .40S&W die, then process the case normally with the .357sig dies -- no need for case lube, just an extra step.
Also, be aware that the bullets for .357sig technically aren't the same size as 9mm, but there are those that will work. Many vendors make bullets specific to .357sig (montana gold, for example).
I really like Power Pistol for this caliber! AA #9 is very popular as well.
rc109a
Member
I guess the real reason for asking is that I have a bunch of this brass and was trying to decide to sell it or trash it. I am just getting a feel if this round is being reloaded enough to warrant sorting through the nickel plated brass. Thanks...
Peter M. Eick
Member
The sig is easy to load. Just lube the brass and use aa9 powder with it. You can't put too much in to speak of and it supports the bullet for setback. I like carbide dies also and get a nice straight shank bullet like the rem 115 JHP's.
I have loaded now over 10,000 sigs and never had a lick of a problem.
I have loaded now over 10,000 sigs and never had a lick of a problem.
hAkron
Member
I just got into reloading 357 Sig and what is being said so far echoes what I've read. This is the way I ended up going, I've only loaded up 50 rounds so far and have not yet ha a chance to take them to the range so take this with a grain of salt. I already load .40 S&W with an RCBS carbide die set, so I picked up a set of Lee 357 Sig dies and a Lee factory crimp die. For powder I'm using Blue dot. Lyman, Hornady, and Speer were all over the place with their starting loads, so I picked something within the range of all of them, can't a the moment recall specifically, but it seems to fill the brass without being compressed (somewhere between 10 and 11gr). Everybody seems to like the Rainier 9mm 124gr flat point. I didn't have any of those on hand but i have some 124gr Berry's HP which have about the same profile as the Rainier, both of which have the same profile as most .40 and 357 Sig factory FMJ rounds that I've seen. The hollow point might even have a slight advantag as the shank s slightly longer to make up for the HP void.
I have a Lyman T Mag ii turret press. First station is the .40 resizer, then the 357 Sig resizer, then the expander and priming action. I have my RCBS case activated powder meter in position 4 (the case activated linkage and the micrometer adjuster screw were excellent upgrades to this setup BTW). I expand only enough to start the bullet and not a bit more, then I seat, last I run it through the factory crimp die. Since I'm doing the .40 sizing befor the 357 sig sizing I do not use case lube. You may chose to lube and only resize in the 357 sig die if that's your preference. My next upgrade for this and probably for all the straight walled pistol calibers I load will probably be the Redding micrometer seating die.
I have a Lyman T Mag ii turret press. First station is the .40 resizer, then the 357 Sig resizer, then the expander and priming action. I have my RCBS case activated powder meter in position 4 (the case activated linkage and the micrometer adjuster screw were excellent upgrades to this setup BTW). I expand only enough to start the bullet and not a bit more, then I seat, last I run it through the factory crimp die. Since I'm doing the .40 sizing befor the 357 sig sizing I do not use case lube. You may chose to lube and only resize in the 357 sig die if that's your preference. My next upgrade for this and probably for all the straight walled pistol calibers I load will probably be the Redding micrometer seating die.
Last edited:
snuffy
Member
Oh yes they are .355 diameter bullets. The 3 5 7sig refers to the attempt to duplicate 125 grain (in a semi-auto), .357 magnum revolver loads in a 4 inch wheel gun.
Same answer to hAkron, forget the . in front of 357 when talking about the 357 sig.
So, maybe I'm nit picking, but I abhor bad terminology and incorrect cartridge designations.
If you want some chepER bullets for the 357 sig, the Hornady 125 HAP bullet works great. It's simply the XTP WITHOUT the internal skiving to make it expand.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=1165152935
YankeeClipper
Member
I called Blazer to see if they had any plans to make the desposiable cases and he infatically told me no. Some one in this thread said not to use 9mm bullets. But no reason why. Blazer told me the same thing but not the why. I won 3000 9mm bullets at an NRA banquet so unless I hear a good reason they will all run down my 357sig barrel.
ReloaderFred
Member
I answered your bullet question in post #2. The reason is that normal round nose 9mm bullets are too long for the 357 Sig. The ogive will be inside the neck of the case and they won't stay in place. If loaded long enough for good neck tension, they won't fit in your magazines and probably will jam into the leade of the chamber. Use flat point or hollow point bullets with good bearing surfaces. And they should be .355" in diameter.
Hope this helps.
Fred
Hope this helps.
Fred
snuffy
Member
Did you check out the link I put in my post?
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...ber=1165152935
If your "free" 9mm bullets look like the HAP bullet, you can use them in your 357 sig. If they are the normal long, sloping round nose 9mm bullet, you can't. Read again what Fred said. You need a TC,(truncated cone), bullet shaped like the HAP or xtp bullet, in order for that short neck to grip the bullet.
hAkron
Member
Thank you for the correction. I didn't realize there was no leading "."
JimKirk
Member
http://www.handguninfo.com/Archive/www.Pete-357.com/357.bullets.htm
http://www.handguninfo.com/Archive/www.Pete-357.com/#Main
The 357 SIG uses .355 bullets, not .357 bullets ... but not all .355 bullets will work....
Normal round nose and some of the other 9mm bullets are smaller than .355(at the point that is needed for the neck to hold on to)... the 357 SIG has one of the shortest necks out there...there is just no where for the case to grab the bullet on the round nose and still fit in a magazine. Most suitable bullets have long straight bodies and very short noses.
Bullet set back is one of the main problems with the SIG round... if that RN 9mm bullet pushes back into the case ...the pressures would be anybody's guess. That is the reason for bullets that will be full caliber at the case neck. This round operates at pretty high pressure already.
Also if the powder fills the case full or is compressed then the bullet will not be as likely to "setback" ...that is why AA # 9 , 800X or any of the other powder that "fills" the case works so well.
I like Hornady .355 124 gr XTP & 125 gr HAP bullets, AA# 9 powder or 800X
Look at the links above for more bullets that will work...
Jimmy K
http://www.handguninfo.com/Archive/www.Pete-357.com/#Main
The 357 SIG uses .355 bullets, not .357 bullets ... but not all .355 bullets will work....
Normal round nose and some of the other 9mm bullets are smaller than .355(at the point that is needed for the neck to hold on to)... the 357 SIG has one of the shortest necks out there...there is just no where for the case to grab the bullet on the round nose and still fit in a magazine. Most suitable bullets have long straight bodies and very short noses.
Bullet set back is one of the main problems with the SIG round... if that RN 9mm bullet pushes back into the case ...the pressures would be anybody's guess. That is the reason for bullets that will be full caliber at the case neck. This round operates at pretty high pressure already.
Also if the powder fills the case full or is compressed then the bullet will not be as likely to "setback" ...that is why AA # 9 , 800X or any of the other powder that "fills" the case works so well.
I like Hornady .355 124 gr XTP & 125 gr HAP bullets, AA# 9 powder or 800X
Look at the links above for more bullets that will work...
Jimmy K
shu
Member
The first bullet I used for 357sig is 125gr Speer #4362; designed for 357sig, but quite expensive. Still the best of the many I have tried, though.
Tried many bullets that, based on their profile, looked promising. None worked, including the Hornady 121gr HAP (which does marvelous well in 9mm, but would not grip reliably in 357sig; seems to work for other folks there, though).
I use RCBS dies. To resolve (in my own mind, at least) the issue of what the 357sig case seats on (case mouth or shoulder) I one day crimped an empty case - and found a nice looking roll crimp.
Now I load Hunters Supply hardcast 125gr bullet, purpose built for the 357sig with a canelure. Inexpensive, secure seating, good velocity and accuracy. Got a Wolf Lake barrel for the G-31 to solve the hexagonal rifling issue.
Tried AA #9, but never liked it much; not sure why. My go-to powder for 357sig had been BlueDot (which also fills the case). Now with Hunters Supply bullets and the setback issue solved, I use Power Pistol.
-shu
Tried many bullets that, based on their profile, looked promising. None worked, including the Hornady 121gr HAP (which does marvelous well in 9mm, but would not grip reliably in 357sig; seems to work for other folks there, though).
I use RCBS dies. To resolve (in my own mind, at least) the issue of what the 357sig case seats on (case mouth or shoulder) I one day crimped an empty case - and found a nice looking roll crimp.
Now I load Hunters Supply hardcast 125gr bullet, purpose built for the 357sig with a canelure. Inexpensive, secure seating, good velocity and accuracy. Got a Wolf Lake barrel for the G-31 to solve the hexagonal rifling issue.
Tried AA #9, but never liked it much; not sure why. My go-to powder for 357sig had been BlueDot (which also fills the case). Now with Hunters Supply bullets and the setback issue solved, I use Power Pistol.
-shu
- Status
