What's your favorite .357 Mag. target load.

[brutus51]

I tried some of those plated bullets once but they smelled like burning plastic at the indoor range.
Back during the Obama draught I ran out of Unique, one of my all time favorite powders, had to dip into my stash of shotgun powders, found that Universal meters a little bit better and provides the same performance with less powder, Favorite 44 target load 8.0gr, of Unique versus 7.5 of Universal yields same velocity.
I just know for a fact that if I stumble on a can of BE-86 it will join the others in my locker, I'm so weak.

 

[Waterboy3313]

My favorite 357 target load. Change the hsm to rmr 125gr RNFP plated bullet and the results are equivalent.

 

[Up North]

6.5 g herco and 158 coated swc is awesome in 4 and 6inch barrels. My favorite general target load.. accurate as lighter loads with bullseye and shoots poa with fixed sights

 

[brutus51]

Waterboy3313 I assume your TG stands for titegroup, great powder I love it in 38 Super. 5.2 gr. under a 124gr. JHP is very accurate in my both my 1911's.

 

[Waterboy3313]

Yes the TG is titegroup. Love it or hate it I have found it works great for me and what I use it for.

 

[brutus51]

Seems to burn a lot hotter than Bullseye.

 

[Bob Meyer]

Lee 158 grain SWC gas check cast of linotype over 12.5 grains of 2400. It's pretty much all I shoot in my 357 mags, for hunting, plinking, or target. A six cavity mold makes for quick casting.

 

[CleanDean]

For fear of stating some heresy, I have loaded 148 gr. Wadcutters in .357 cases.

Using WW231 3.9 gr. of powder under either type of 148 gr. DEWC & HBWC
My S&W mod. 19 ... will shoot those powderpuff loads with precise accuracy.

( HBWC shoot the best from my .38 SPL cased loads in my worn S&W mod. 67)

 

[Armored farmer]

7.3 gr of BE 86 with a 158 gr Extreme plated SWC.
8 GR OF Power Pistol 158gr Extreme plated SWC.
14.5 gr of 2400 with Nosler 158gr jacketed soft point.
15 gr of 2400 with Winchester Silver tips HP 145 gr.

Where do you get the silvertips...?

 

[Armored farmer]

6.4gr unique under cast 158gr swc.
These shoot great in all 7 of my .357s .

 

[brutus51]

Lee 158 grain SWC gas check cast of linotype over 12.5 grains of 2400. It's pretty much all I shoot in my 357 mags, for hunting, plinking, or target. A six cavity mold makes for quick casting.

That sounds like a very interesting load. What are you shooting it in?
How fast does it go?
Do you know of any commercial source for that bullet?

 

[Riomouse911]

For fear of stating some heresy, I have loaded 148 gr. Wadcutters in .357 cases.

Using WW231 3.9 gr. of powder under either type of 148 gr. DEWC & HBWC
My S&W mod. 19 ... will shoot those powderpuff loads with precise accuracy.

( HBWC shoot the best from my .38 SPL cased loads in my worn S&W mod. 67)

I bought a bunch of Brazos 148 coated “button top” wad-cutters specifically to load in .357 cases. No heresy in loading them up in my book.

Stay safe

 

[Walkalong]

For fear of stating some heresy, I have loaded 148 gr. Wadcutters in .357 cases.

Me to, but prefer the 158 SWC

 

[Waterboy3313]

158gr swc was my first 38/357 loads. I was buying them locally until one day I was out and the store didn't have any left. If I wouldn't have had an issue buying them locally I would probably never tried anything else. I actually went to that local store last weekend just to see if I could get lucky enough to find some. I wasn't lucky.

It did force me to get out of my little comfort zone. Nothing against any of the bullets I've tried but sometimes a variety is nice. I've never bought a bullet that I didn't have great results with 38/357.

 

[.38 Special]

I experimented a whole lot with the .38 Special and .357 Magnum in the late 90's. Never found anything I liked better than the old standards.

In the .357 that means 13 grains of 2400 behind Lyman's 158 grain SWC (358156GC) for about 1200 FPS for "Magnum" loads and a 148 grain HBWC (I really like the Hornady version) with 2.7 grains of Bullseye in a .38 case, or three grains in the .357 case.

I pour my own 158 semiwadcutters with wheelweights. They are available from several commercial manufacturers, although all of them of which I am aware make them much too hard. The gascheck, though, should solve most if not all of the problems caused by that.

 

[Bill M.]

I load all my loads in .357 cases. I had to buy cases. It was a lot cheaper to buy 1000 .357 cases than it would have been split the order between .357 and .38 cases. So I got wadcutters in .357 cases too. I am not likely to buy a .38 special gun anyway.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Where do you get the silvertips...?

It's new old stock I've had for years. I bought a lot of them in the 1990's when they first came out.
I only have about 300 of them left.
I have another box of bullets around here somewhere, but I've shot a lot of them over the years and this is pretty much what I have left.
They are rather devastating to say the least. I loaded these in the late 90's.

 

[Machine Shop Dude]

I load the 357 mag to its original ballistic design. 8 3/8" barrel 158 grain lead bullet 1580 fps ofer a chrono. I use 2400 and adjust charge until I meet the mark.

If you want a target 357 mag it goes by the name 38 special.

Its silly to down load, if you don't like it or can't handle the recoil use another caliber.

 

[Waterboy3313]

I load the 357 mag to its original ballistic design. 8 3/8" barrel 158 grain lead bullet 1580 fps ofer a chrono. I use 2400 and adjust charge until I meet the mark.

I would be curious to see your load data.

 

[brutus51]

I load the 357 mag to its original ballistic design. 8 3/8" barrel 158 grain lead bullet 1580 fps ofer a chrono. I use 2400 and adjust charge until I meet the mark.
If you want a target 357 mag it goes by the name 38 special.
Its silly to down load, if you don't like it or can't handle the recoil use another caliber.

I can only consider your response as somewhat pathetic. I think you totally missed the "Target Load concept".
I can easily handle the recoil and muzzle blast from 44 magnum and hot .45 Colt rounds and use them in my woods walks, but Target loads were the point of the conversation.

 

[Waterboy3313]

Brutus. When I work up a load for target shooting and that's all I really do. I will start with published load data. I use titegroup for all of my pistols because it does what I want and works for the use I use it for.
I load 10 rounds in .1 gr increments. Throughout the entire published load range from reliable sources (manuals and powder manufacturers websites). With titegroup it's usually 40-50 rounds max. I shoot five rounds per x powder charge at a 3inch target usually at 10 yards for pistol. Each target is designated ahead of time so I know x powder charge cartridge goes with said target marked.

I run the five rounds through each target and compare my group with each target. Then I replace the targets and repeat again. The tightest group wins and that's how I generally start out. I shoot for accuracy the best I can off hand. I don't care if it's the smallest powder charge or the highest I pick the tightest group and go from there.

I don't try to push velocity as hard as I can for x bullet. I simply go for accuracy. Doing this has allowed me to load ammo in multiple calibers that is more accurate than I can shoot. Most of the time I shoot my 357 at 100 and 150 yards plus with great results. Im not exactly the best marksman out there but I have had people stop, watch and ask questions.
Keep it simple, safe and fun and you should be good.

 

[brutus51]

^^ You got the general idea.

 

[Machine Shop Dude]

I can only consider your response as somewhat pathetic. I think you totally missed the "Target Load concept".
I can easily handle the recoil and muzzle blast from 44 magnum and hot .45 Colt rounds and use them in my woods walks, but Target loads were the point of the conversation.

I understood the question in the parameters set. I just thought it was counter productive for "real shooting". I mean with the current cost of components why waste money on loading anything less than top quality full power ammo.

One never knows how long this shortage may last and I refuse to waste time or money on play ammo when full power ammo is just as viable.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

For fear of stating some heresy, I have loaded 148 gr. Wadcutters in .357 cases.

Using WW231 3.9 gr. of powder under either type of 148 gr. DEWC & HBWC
My S&W mod. 19 ... will shoot those powderpuff loads with precise accuracy.

Or you can make them sing. One of my favorites is 148 gr. wadcutter with 6.4 gr. Unique. Alliant 2004 manual shows them at 1,465 fps at 33,800 PSI.

 

[JohnB-40]

I like 4.5 gr of HP-38 under a Penn 158 gr TCBB using Starline brass. It is an accurate,nice to shoot round in my revolver and lever rifle. The down side is you have to careful you don't double charge.