Trying to find a powder for a .357, Henry Big Boy Classic, 20" barrel

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Indy Bob

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I am hoping that a Henry owners might have some answers for me. Many of the load charts listed for .357 are for handguns with 6'' barrels.
I am like a dog, chasing his tail, goin' in circles trying to find just what powder I need. My basic problem is shooting 2 different type bullets. i.e. Hard-Cast Lead flat point SWC, and also the same weight Jacketed SWC flat point bullets!

The Henry rifles "like the 158 gr. bullet" I am told, and I am trying to narrow it down to ONE powder that can be loaded to keep velocity down below 1,150 f.p.s for hard-cast lead bullets in that 20'' barrel to reduce leading problems.
That single powder choice would also have to be loaded hot enough for 100 yard accuracy using the 158 gr jacketed bullets. ??o_O:confused: Maybe not possible?

I have download specs of 5 or 6 powders and I am not sure if I am even close to a good choice because most of those .357 load charts are for 6" to 10'' max. barrel length. (I saw a couple that did list an 18.5'' barrel.)

Any and all suggestions are welcome.
Thanks, Indy Bob
 
IMO either HS-6 or 2400 will do what you need. The Hodgdon load data site supplies .357 Magnum velocity numbers in the rifle section. The only difference is the velocity numbers, not the charge weights.

The only way to really know the velocity generated by a load is to send it over a chronograph.

Just a note, if you buy the same bullet only coated you will virtually eliminate any concerns of leading.

http://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=213&category=5

http://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=333&category=6&secondary=
 
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I use W231 for coated lead, plated and jacketed in my Henry and my revolvers. Just started experimenting with BE86, which seems pretty promising. I don't shoot out to 100 yards but 50 yard accuracy has been very good.
 
I use a 357 mag henry big boy steel for my backup rifle in nra lever action silhouette matches. I use Titegroup powder. I got lots of data for 125 and 158 gr bullets from load/chronograph work. But my data is for a 24 inch and 18.5 inch marlin 1894. I have a friend that shoot the Henry and has load data for it with Titegroup, n320 and h110. My Henry shoots my 24 inch marlin load just as good, so I did not check the numbers. Let me know if want my data.
 
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No powder will be perfect for both. If I could only have one I would try unique or power pistol. It will only be mid range in power for the jacketed bullets though.

To really use the round to its potential get a lb of h110 for the jacketed bullets. Powder is cheap, bullets are expensive, so you might as well get the right thing for what your intending to do.
 
Indy Bob said:
The Henry rifles "like the 158 gr. bullet" I am told, and I am trying to narrow it down to ONE powder that can be loaded to keep velocity down below 1,150 f.p.s for hard-cast lead bullets in that 20'' barrel to reduce leading problems.
Click to expand...
Are you having a leading problem now, or going by what "they said"? While I don't have a 357 combo, I do have a 44 Magnum, rifle and revolver set that I use nearly the same loads in, same powder. I disregard the "book velocities with 6" barrel" and figger that I'm getting higher velocity in my 20" Puma than in my Ruger SBH 7 1/2"or Dan Wesson 8". I tend to load the "slower" powders for my Magnums and have no need to have a different powder for my rifle than what I use in my handguns. I can shoot plain based cast bullets in my guns with very little/no leading because I know my guns' dimensions, sized bullets correctly and use good lube...
 
The Lyman Reloading Handbook has many .357 Magnum loads listed in the Rifle section of the reloading data.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
mdi said:
Are you having a leading problem now, or going by what "they said"? While I don't have a 357 combo, I do have a 44 Magnum, rifle and revolver set that I use nearly the same loads in, same powder. I disregard the "book velocities with 6" barrel" and figger that I'm getting higher velocity in my 20" Puma than in my Ruger SBH 7 1/2"or Dan Wesson 8". I tend to load the "slower" powders for my Magnums and have no need to have a different powder for my rifle than what I use in my handguns. I can shoot plain based cast bullets in my guns with very little/no leading because I know my guns' dimensions, sized bullets correctly and use good lube...
Click to expand...
 
Howdy mdi,
Thanks for your input. About what "They Said" about leading, ... it was in reading on the shooting forums about leading with too hot of a load with cast bullets. I have never shot cast bullets before.
About the Henry ......... IT is on its way. :thumbup::) I sold a custom 22-250 I assembled in 1965 and added some $$$$ and bought the Henry Big Boy Classic. The 22-250 had quite a history to it. Too much to go into here but I will give you a Sierra blog link.
https://sierrabulletsblog.com/2016/06/16/bob-ruders-old-browning-mauser-22-250/

It may sound crazy, but for the last 5 or so years I wanted that Henry. Being 77 on a small fixed income I had to sell a gun...to BUY a gun.
Wife Said!:eek: Anyway the Gun Shop sold it on line and I bought the Henry from them .... IT IS ON the way!!:thumbup::thumbup:
Thanks again to ALL
Indy Bob.
PS Here is my 22-250 I had. I got a lot of satisfaction doing the stock work, the great groups, the refinish 3 years ago, and now it is "lever time".
View attachment 792745View attachment 792745
 

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My choice would be 2400.
It works well as the powder in a full 357 mag
But you can reduce it some to get lower speed rounds too.

Just be careful not to dumb it down too much
 
only one I have found that will do both with reasonable cleanness, and reasonable deviation is Power Pistol, and newer Bluedot. Keeping below 1200 in a 20" means a very light load in 2400/H110 type powders, and that can mean 200fps deviation, just a warning. Definitely a medium powder, and I hear Unique works well, but I had more than one stuck bullet in a 16". Power Pistol seems to load as light as Bullseye well, and near 2400 on the hot side. Also, current production Bluedot is much more consistant at low pressure than it used to be, and may be worth a try. Sorry I know Alliant powders for pistol.
 
SR 4756 is the powder for lite loads cast lead in the 357 mag. 4756 was my go to powder in several cast lead loads until I ran out and they don't make it anymore. Titegroup is my replacement powder now.
 
Indy Bob said:
Howdy mdi,
Thanks for your input. About what "They Said" about leading, ... it was in reading on the shooting forums about leading with too hot of a load with cast bullets. I have never shot cast bullets before.
About the Henry ......... IT is on its way. :thumbup::) I sold a custom 22-250 I assembled in 1965 and added some $$$$ and bought the Henry Big Boy Classic. The 22-250 had quite a history to it. Too much to go into here but I will give you a Sierra blog link.
https://sierrabulletsblog.com/2016/06/16/bob-ruders-old-browning-mauser-22-250/

It may sound crazy, but for the last 5 or so years I wanted that Henry. Being 77 on a small fixed income I had to sell a gun...to BUY a gun.
Wife Said!:eek: Anyway the Gun Shop sold it on line and I bought the Henry from them .... IT IS ON the way!!:thumbup::thumbup:
Thanks again to ALL
Indy Bob.
PS Here is my 22-250 I had. I got a lot of satisfaction doing the stock work, the great groups, the refinish 3 years ago, and now it is "lever time".
View attachment 792745View attachment 792745
Click to expand...

Indy Bob:
If you are buying those cast bullets, know that you can buy Hi-Tek coated cast for about the same as regular lubed, and you'll not have any "leading" issue with coated bullets.
jmo
:D
 
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Interesting read on cast bullets.
As mentioned earlier, next time spend the few extra $ and get the coated ones,
much less hassle and cleaner.

I like HP38 for light to middle loads (got to try WST), BE86 works well in the middle, H110/W296 for the full power stuff.
H110 does want a magnum primer and should not be reduced from the max very much. Only good for one thing full power loads but it does that well.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?resources/cast-bullets.4/
 
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During the powder shortage I bought what I could find. I now have WSF that has worked well for 44 spl. I may try it for a Rossi 92 with a 20" barrel using MBC 180 gr wnfp coated. This bullet has worked well in this gun using Lil gun at 13.7gr it ran at 1670 fps with good accuracy at 50 yrds.
I am curios to see if this bullet will shoot well out of the Rossi at a lower velocity with a faster powder like WSF. I will put it on the list of things to do.
 
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Indy Bob said:
It may sound crazy, but for the last 5 or so years I wanted that Henry. Being 77 on a small fixed income I had to sell a gun...to BUY a gun.
Wife Said!:eek: Anyway th
Click to expand...
It's not crazy, it just is sometimes. I am a levergun lover and have bought a bunch used over the past 12 years. The only new one I bought was a Henry in .22LR. The others are in 30-30, .357 Magnum, 45 Colt and 45-70. The 30-30 and 45-70 are now my main hunting rifles since there are no long shots in the woods of Northeast PA.
 
My Rossi does well with H110 and Bluedot.
I don't have leading issues with MBC bullets at 16-1700 fps.
Universal makes a good clean 357 powder.
 
Tilos said:
Indy Bob:
If you are buying those cast bullets know that you can buy Hi-Tek coated cast for about the same as regular lubed, and you'll not have any "leading" issue with coated bullets.
jmo
:D
Click to expand...
I went back and tried to find "who" mentioned Hi Tech Coated Bullets at the Missouri Bullet Company, and I could not find that reply.
Thanks to "Whoever":D:thumbup:, mentioning them. http://missouribullet.com/

I am going to get one of their sample packs of 100 bullets and see how they do.
AGAIN ......... Thanks to all who chimed in on my posting.:thumbup::)
Indy Bob
 
Indy Bob said:
I went back and tried to find "who" mentioned Hi Tech Coated Bullets at the Missouri Bullet Company, and I could not find that reply.
Thanks to "Whoever":D:thumbup:, mentioning them. http://missouribullet.com/

I am going to get one of their sample packs of 100 bullets and see how they do.
AGAIN ......... Thanks to all who chimed in on my posting.:thumbup::)
Indy Bob
Click to expand...
That was me in post #3 and you're welcome. They are good people to deal with too.

They also offer a 5% discount for THE members. You need the road and you need to put your THE name in the comments section. PM inbound.
 
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