Hello all I just aquired a very nice S&W Model 66 no dash early model pistol,with a 4 inch barrel low round count in excellent condition. I bought this gun for ocassional shooting primarily to shoot .38 specials thru it. I do reload but I would also appreciate some advice or listing of your favorite mild or tamed down .357 magnum loadings. I do have a good supply of 158 gr jhp's and also some 158 gr lead semi wadd cutters and also some 140 gr lead semi wadd cutters some 2400 powder and some unique powder. But I can get some different powder that would work better. I need to start reloading again as of late I have been shooting mostly factory loads but that gets too expensive!! I would greatly appreciate any information and like to say thanks in advance!

I'm a new boolit caster even though I've been reloading since the early 90's.

Earlier this year I bought a used Lee .358-140-SWC mold at a gun show. I have settled on 8.3 grains of Accurate No. 5 for it. Slots well between .38 +P and full-house .357.

Accurate too. Here's 24 rounds double-action starting at 7 yards and backing up after each cylinder full doing the last 12 from 10 yards: Scott Johnson's Photos | Facebook

That was with 9 grains. I got a smidge of leading so I backed off to the 8.3. Here's a group of 12 double action from 10 yards with that in this thread: I'm starting to understand the legend of the K-frame.

The only downside is you cannot see the powder on a Lee turret without removing the case from the shellholder. Not being able to eyeball the powder makes me a little uncomofortable. I checked yesterday and a double charge will fit with plenty of room to spare so caution is advised.

Oh went back and re-read your post and saw you have Unique on hand. Tried that too (8 or 8.5 grains can't remember for sure). It was milder and more accurate but just didn't meter as well out of the Lee Auto Disk. Also I'm currently sighted in for the Remington Golden Saber .357 and the No. 5 loading shoots closer to that point of aim.

For a mid range load Unique is a good one. A nice mild load is 6.0 to 6.5 gr of Unique.

Here is a thread on some loads from the search function. Guess there is a gazillion of them. I use mainly HP 38. for all my 38 and 357 target loads.

.38 Spl & .357 Target loads

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

7.5 Grains of Power Pistol under those 158 grain JHP's works quite well.

I second the 6 grain Unique load with the 158 grain lead bullets.

Use that load in a wide range of .357 revolvers. Accurate and pleasant to shoot. More robust than the typical .38 special load. Mild by .357 standards.

Not prone to leading in my experience with cast bullets.

........................

__________________
Andy

Using a hard cast 158gr LSWC bullet my 2 favorite light .357 Magnum rounds are 5.0gr W231 or for something with a little more velocity 7.2gr HS-6.

__________________
Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

I have had great success with 9.0 gr HS6 under a Remington 158gr JHP and standard primers. It is a mid-range load with moderate recoil and great accuracy.

My wife and I both like to shoot, so I load 38 spls with 158 gr. SWCs and 3 gr. Bullseye. She shoots her Victory model, and I my 4" 66 or 15. We shoot paper plates offhand from 21 ft. and I feel sorry for any unwanted intruder that gets ventilated (oh, sure I do). Each gun is kept loaded with 38 Spl. 158 gr. RNL by Federal for home defense. BT

I run 158 grn SWC's over 4.7 grn of Unique with a taper crimp through my 4" 19-4. Works well for me.

I was using Bullseye, but I shoot at an indoor range 90% of the time and it was a little too smokey w/ SWC for me. I got my hands on some Trail Boss and it's not a problem anymore. 3.5g w/ a 158 SWC and I've got a nice, very mild load.

Ive used 13,5 gn 2400 behind a 158 gn bullet for a milder than max .357 load. Good accuracy more umph than a .38 a bit easier on the gun.

For years I loaded 7.0 grains of Unique behind a 158-160grain hard-cast gas-check SWC. It wasn't a 'mild' load exactly, but wasn't too hot either. Now I use 6.5 grains of Universal, a milder load but not by much, and I find I have fewer unburned powder granules jamming up the works than the dirtier Unique.

Like some of the others above I have some standard loads I always make up and keep on hand: 158 grain cast (or plated) bullet with 3.5 grains of Bullseye, or 6 grains of Unique, or 13 grains of 2400

i like 11 grs. of 2400 with 158 lead swc. i get good groups out of my 65

I like 12 grains of 2400 for a light mag load. I plan on trying AA #9 once the weather cools off a little.

I had a 6" M-28 from 1965, sold it long ago and bought the 4" M-66 about in the late 70's. I quit using 2400 as it wouldn't burn well enough to suit me in the 1960's, went to 296/H-110 for heavy loads back then thru the 70 and 80's. Now I use mostly Unique or AA#2(two), 7-7.5 gr for 1100 fps depending on bullet weights, mostly 140-160 gr cast and rarely jacketed bullets. I trust Winchester primers but will use Rem and CCI.

I have access to a Star progressive but load all of my 38/357 the old fashioned way on a single stage press. I must verify all powder charges are correct and eyeball all of them, weigh the first and last one to be sure. I now load all 38 Spl for safe shooting in 38 Spl guns and 357 Mags for all 357 guns. In the early days when I was broke all the time I loaded 38 Spl hot for use in 357 Mag guns and I do not recommend that practice.

For light loads and WC cast bullets, I use a soft alloy of WW or WW and soft scrap sized to snugly fit the cylinder throats. Heavier loads shoot best, less or no leading, with fully hardened from oven heat treated and quenched from 450F. Each gun has its preference for hardnesses and I shoot what it prefers for accuracy. I have a 649-1 that leaves lead fouling in the cylinders and haven't found the solution.

__________________
Bill McGraw
Somewhere south of Chicago

I run 5.5 Gr. Unique with a wheelweight Lyman SWC (#358477) sized .358 in .38 spl. cases, getting about 870 fps out of a 4" S&W barrel. Works for me, not too much for older guns and airweights, more accurate than I am, little leading in smooth barrels.

I have had good luck with Remington 125 gr JHP over 8.4 gr Unique. Sierra book says 1300 fps which is not max(max is 9.3gr for 1400 fps).

I shoot this in a 2 1/2" 19, 7" 686 and a 8 3/8" 27 with great accuracy. I have shot 2" groups at 50 yds with this load in the 27 from a sandbag. The lighter bullet makes this a pleasant round to shoot.

__________________
Corripe Cervisiam

6.0 gr unique and a 158 cast bullet, they shoot great in my guns

__________________
WILL WORK FOR AMMO!

I use 12.2 grains of 2400 and a 158 gr LSWC for a 1Kfps load out of my 65 3" and it shoots to point of aim. It also shoots to point of aim with my SP101 2.25". I dial in my 19 for that load.

The load is accurate, has authority, without muzzle blast and ear splitting report, and comfortable to shoot. Easy on the firearm.

1 general load for all my 357s.

I made a mild 357MAG load to keep from having to scrub out the cylinder after shooting 38SPL. 158gr LSWC over 6.2 gr of Unique. I got the load from the Speer 13 manual.

Not long ago I requested the same information at another forum using 125 jacketed bullets. Fools that do not reload should not be allowed to comment, but alas they do. I wanted a better than 38+p load that was short of go-get-em full house 357 loads, using some of the faster powders. One gentleman did provide the following.
AA-2 5.1-7.2
Bulleye 4.5-6.5
231 4.7-7.1
Currently my area is out of 231 and 296 powders. That being said I settled on 5.0 grains of bullseye, Rainier 125 grain bullets, remington 357 cases and ICC primers. This load has added to my enjoyment of shooting my 4in L frame

I've always had good luck with 5.1g of unique or Universal and a 158g lead. Great accuracy, velocity in the 900's. Good luck

5.0 grains of Unique and a cast lead 158 grain bullet put up in .357 Magnum cases for a great shooting load for that K-Frame .357 Magnum.

Like several posters have noted, six grains of Unique with the 158 grain lead bullet is a favorite of mine. Some may recall I use Unique powder exclusively for .38 Special, .45 ACP, .45 Auto Rim and .45 Colt, usually with lead bullets. I do use W296 in my .357 Magnum loads either jacket or half jacketed bullets. When the W296 is gone, I'll likely not restock. WG

Hi Webley Green;

Unique is the one I reach for for those cartridges along with several other handgun rounds I load. Can't be beat.

I'm new to hand loading myself, been doing it for a month or so now. I too like light-loaded 357's and so far, my best combo with similar supplies to what you have is...

158g Xtreme plated RNFP bullets over 11.5g 2400, CCI 500 (non-magnum) primer in Remington cases. OAL is 1.530". Unfortunately I did not get chrono numbers, but the accuracy out of my 4" GP100 was fantastic! Ten out of twelve went into a 1.5" ragged hole at 25 feet. It is a keeper for me. Nice, light recoil and did I mention that it is accurate?!?!

Very Accurate & comfortable out of my 686

357 Brass
Missouri Bullet Co 148G LDEWC
Win 231 -4.0 G
CCI 500 Small Pistol Primers
1.375 OAL

I use 7.5 grains of Unique under a 158 JHP with a small pistol primer. Accurate and pleasant. Works well outta both my 686s and the 20'' carbine.