Which Powder: Low recoil .357 load

Status
Not open for further replies.
Titegroup was (is?) touted as not being position sensitive when it came out, but when it comes to losing velocity when away from the powder like in this application it was average in my testing. WST and Competition did much better. Titegroup didn't seem to care as far as being burning clean or accuracy were concerned, but did loose velocity like most powders.

Lots of Titegroup fans out there though. I would happily give mine away.

If you point the muzzle up each time before firing and don't let it point down again before firing, it doesn't matter.
 
I use a lot of W231/HP-38 and it works well with lower pressure .357 Magnum loads, especially with lead bullets. When I step it up I go to HS-6.

There are many good choices these days so for the most port there are no bad choices.
 
Bullseye shoots well, but is not what I would call clean.
Universal or HP38(W231) make nice low to midrange loads and both are cleaner IMO.

For light loads I would trust Walkalongs recommendation.

Haven't tried it yet but some people have gotten good results with Alliants new Sport Pistol, might be worth a try.
BE86 works well for medium heavy to heavy not quite full powder magnum loads.
BE86 is sort of Unique/Power Pistol like burn speed wise, It meters better than Unique and is not flashy like PP,

If you like coated lead bullets give the 140gr MBC zingers a try, they are a nice compromise between 125s and 158s.
MBC has them in BHN 12 softer and BHN 18 harder, BHN 12 shoot better for me in all the low to medum loads.
Calling low powder about .38 special power level, meduium is ,38 +P or a bit hotter heavy is stout but not full power H110 load
For the meduim heavy loads it was a close call but the 18s were maybe a little better in my pistol.

The 18s can be driven to Full powder mags vels if you want to.
 
Last edited:
For 357 mag. mild I will ditto the W-231 recommendation for LSWC I also have used Bullseye and Accurate #5 with good results. I did try some mild 357 mag loads with HS-6 and was very impressed with results.
 
RealGun said:
Not my understanding or experience.. The inertia of a heavier bullet will be noticable.
Click to expand...
Newtons law being what it is, that would make sense. But, there is still some debate about "felt recoil".

my perception has been that the lighter ones tend to have more snap to them.
Just my opinion, and it could very well be in the way that I load them.
 
ArchAngelCD said:
I use a lot of W231/HP-38 and it works well with lower pressure .357 Magnum loads, especially with lead bullets. When I step it up I go to HS-6.

There are many good choices these days so for the most port there are no bad choices.
Click to expand...
*Off topic of OP* I don't believe I have tried HS-6 in 357 yet. I really like it for high end 9. It may give me the excuse to get an 8 lb. jug. :)
 
Last edited:
Another vote for WST. I use 4.1gr behind a 158gr LSWC. These are of course what I call mouse fart loads, very soft, 725fps out of 6" Python. These are very light loads and it burns cleaner than any other powder at low pressure.
 
kcofohio said:
I don't believe I have tried HS-6 in 357 yet. I really like it for high end 9. It may give me the excuse to get an 8 lb. jug. :)
Click to expand...
Unless in a big gun, larger than my GP100, I can't deal with 10.0 gr HS-6 with 158 bullets. It bruises my hand or forces me to wear a glove. Quite a jolt. My latest 9.4 gr load is much better and good for the GP100 or SW686.
 
Of the powders I have tried, Clays and BE86 are a couple of the best when it comes to case position sensitivity. Clays would be for lower end loads, BE86 can work up to about 150fps less than full magnum velocity.
 
Making up your own reduced velocity loads is DANGEROUS in a way that many people don't realize. IMO much MORE dangerous than overloading beyond the recommendation in the manual. "Slower" powder IS NOT the answer, it's more complicated than you'd think. Before taking 'advice' from contributors, do some own research and perhaps call some powder or bullet manufacturers to double check -- they are almost always willing to help.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiAkse88JPYAhVB74MKHa5dBcIQFghGMAM&url=http://benchrest.com/archive/index.php/t-73597.html?s=c3fa63587d0349f467c7e4a1e77cc8e3&usg=AOvVaw1GAAZgC6QKsgJNa1L7J8Mj
 
The dangers of loading low-recoil rounds in straight-walled pistol cartridges are not the same as the dangers in loading reduced power bottleneck rounds.

You are correct, though, Sofie007, that slower powder is not the answer.
 
I have a can of TiteGroup, I've been trying to burn it up in .38SPC and .44SPC loads. Not my favorite powder, but it might work well given the OP's requirements. I would normally recommend Unique, but as someone already mentioned, it's not the cleanest in low-power loads, even with a 158grn bullet in the .38. WST is a good recommendation... I've used it in .45ACP loads and it's probably the cleanest burning powder I've ever used. WST isn't for top-end loads, so it sounds like a little round peg for the OP's little round (.357") hole.
 
Sofie007 said:
Making up your own reduced velocity loads is DANGEROUS in a way that many people don't realize. IMO much MORE dangerous than overloading beyond the recommendation in the manual. "Slower" powder IS NOT the answer, it's more complicated than you'd think. Before taking 'advice' from contributors, do some own research and perhaps call some powder or bullet manufacturers to double check -- they are almost always willing to help.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiAkse88JPYAhVB74MKHa5dBcIQFghGMAM&url=http://benchrest.com/archive/index.php/t-73597.html?s=c3fa63587d0349f467c7e4a1e77cc8e3&usg=AOvVaw1GAAZgC6QKsgJNa1L7J8Mj
Click to expand...
Other than a need to listen for a squib, what "danger" are you alluding to? Reduced load data does not usually include "slow", i.e. magnum powders. What I know is that there are a few powders that are shown in common sources for both 38+p and 357 Magnum and that there is a gap between them in powder weights that can be tried for a reduced 357 load. Going outside the data beyond that is not something I would try or recommend for the common Joe Reloader. Other than that, magazine articles by trusted authors, careful about proofreading the data offered, form some other alternatives with chrono and target results. All the same applies to 44 Special/44 Magnum and to a lesser extent 32 H&R Magnum/327 Federal Magnum.
 
RealGun said:
Unless in a big gun, larger than my GP100, I can't deal with 10.0 gr HS-6 with 158 bullets. It bruises my hand or forces me to wear a glove. Quite a jolt.
Click to expand...
Same for N340, accuracy was great, but recoil is sharp compared to 2400, even with 2400 is moving the same 158 gr bullet a bit faster.
 
Ironicaintit said:
Newtons law being what it is, that would make sense. But, there is still some debate about "felt recoil".

my perception has been that the lighter ones tend to have more snap to them.
Just my opinion, and it could very well be in the way that I load them.
Click to expand...

Same here, since I pair lighter bullets with lighter loads, trying to tailor something for the smaller frame guns, especially 38 Special platforms pretending to be 357 Magnums.
 
Sofie007 said:
Making up your own reduced velocity loads is DANGEROUS in a way that many people don't realize. IMO much MORE dangerous than overloading beyond the recommendation in the manual.
Click to expand...
I can't agree with that. Intentionally overloading a caliber is more dangerous than using known techniques for reduced loads and carefully working them up. Millions, if not billions, of reduced loads have been reloaded and shot over the years.

Labs have never been able to reproduce the phenomenon known as SEE. More likely double and triple charges.
 
Sofie007 said:
Making up your own reduced velocity loads is DANGEROUS in a way that many people don't realize. IMO much MORE dangerous than overloading beyond the recommendation in the manual. "Slower" powder IS NOT the answer, it's more complicated than you'd think. Before taking 'advice' from contributors, do some own research and perhaps call some powder or bullet manufacturers to double check -- they are almost always willing to help.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiAkse88JPYAhVB74MKHa5dBcIQFghGMAM&url=http://benchrest.com/archive/index.php/t-73597.html?s=c3fa63587d0349f467c7e4a1e77cc8e3&usg=AOvVaw1GAAZgC6QKsgJNa1L7J8Mj
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if this was directed at me, but I'll address it anyway.

Thank you for your concern. My intention was not originally to create a load below the starting powder weights I have data for, just to keep toward the lower end of the range. I'm primarily using the Lyman guide. I do realize that there is data available for some of the same powders and projectile in both .38 and .357. And that as has been mentioned, it maybe be possible to load .357 cases in the range between. But this was not really my goal.

My wife can handle the .357 loads I make with 2400, but does not enjoy them. As I know it's not particularly clean, and seems dirtier the lower it is loaded, I just wanted a powder with a clean consistent burn at the low end of the data. Not to go below the printed data.
 
What I load for my wife in her Security Six is a 158 gr. JHP on top of 7.0 grs. of Unique. It does about 950 FPS from the 4" BBL. and is quite mild but a step up from .38 SPL +P.
 
Like I said above, W231/HP-38 will do what you are looking for. Hodgdon has data for Cast bullets which you can use for the coated bullets you're loading. They list a charge range of 3.4gr to 5.0gr with a 158gr cast bullet. The 3.4gr load is hardly a .38 Special @ only 12,600 CUP and the 5.0gr load generates 23,900 CUP which is a low pressure .357 Magnum. A charge of 4.5gr or there abouts should produce around 1,000 fps and be a good starting point for your wife IMO.

Always check data you get from strangers on the Internet for yourself because mistakes can and will happen when transposing numbers.

Good luck, please keep us updated on your progress.
 
RealGun said:
and to a lesser extent 32 H&R Magnum/327 Federal Magnum.
Click to expand...
I load .32 Mag at light .32 Long levels as well as full power .32 Mag levels.
WrongHanded said:
But this was not really my goal.
Click to expand...
Well, then my suggestion was not in line with that, as the WST/Competition loads I use would not be in any .357 data. It does match .38 Spl data.
 
With your 158SWC 4.8g Bullseye, about 900 fps or 6g Unique for 1030 fps. A lighter bullet will reduce recoil
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

D
  • Locked
Low end .357 load
Replies
20
Views
2K
340PD
3
ssyoumans
  • Locked
158gr LSWC for SP101 (low leading load)
Replies
18
Views
1K
_N4Z_
_N4Z_
WrongHanded
  • Locked
Differences in Recoil but Same Bullet Weight
2 3 4
Replies
87
Views
3K
WrongHanded
WrongHanded
M
  • Locked
.357 load info
Replies
8
Views
795
ArchAngelCD
ArchAngelCD
ssyoumans
  • Locked
Loading 38 Special +P
Replies
22
Views
2K
Clark
Clark
Back
Top