I am just getting into reloading 357 magnum. I have read quite a bit of posts about the issues surrounding H110. It appeals to me mostly on velocity as I am in Colorado and to hunt deer our loads must be 500 ft-lbs at 50 yards. I will be loading winchester brass and hornady 125 grain XTP. This is for a 6" 686.

My question is
1. Will the H110 be safe in the 686? I have heard this powder is best suited to handguns with harder steel such as Ruger or Freedom Arms.

2. I have a large amount of AA #9 to use. Can I get a high enough velocity with this powder to meet the energy requirements and still be accurate enough for a hunting load?

Thanks for your help!

Whoever came up with that 500 ft-lb @ 50 yards rule is not a hunter.

If the 125 grain bullet is the only way you can meet that requirement, I would not use the .357. IMO, and that's all it is, heavier bullets are the ticket for game animals, not lighter ones.

edit: You need 1345 fps @ 50 yards with that 125 grain bullet to make 500 ft-lb. An 850 fps .45 Colt will not come close to that energy but will anchor a deer at 100 yards, easily.

I know what you mean. The shortest I have ever had a deer move was 18 inches strait down with 125 grain Cor-Bons at 125 yards. My 270 WSM has even had a few run with no lungs. From what I see with the ballistic program is the 125 grain seems to have the optimum energy at longer ranges. It looks like I can push a 140 or 158 grain to some impressive initial velocities but they appear to drop off quicker.

I lied. I need 550 Ft-Lbs at 50 yards

Then you need a 50 yd velocity of 1408 fps.

That means you will need a muzzle velocity of about 1615 fps. It's do-able. I shoot a lot of 125gr XTPs with H110/W296, my data is:

Ruger GP-100 6"
125gr XTP
21.0gr W296
GM200M magnum primer
1575fps at the muzzle

21.0gr is the minimum load in Hodgdon's reloading center, 22.0 is the maximum. I have tested 21.3gr in the same gun, that gave 1600 fps. About 21.6gr would get the desired velocity in MY gun and be very hot but safe. You would need to work up carefully and use all appropriate precautions.

Keep in mind, the report and muzzle flash with this load is severe. Hearing protection is absolutely required and you will have a visible fireball in broad daylight. Flamecutting has never been an issue in my Ruger, but the only load that could have more potential than this one for flamecutting in 357 is a 110gr bullet. Use with caution in your Smith.

With all the safety stuff out of the way, accuracy and performance with this combo is exceptional. It's like a laser beam out to 100 meters and should take a deer cleanly with proper shot placement. It is truly a "magnum" load for the 357.

If you can get 1620 fps with a 125 gr XTP HP, the 50 yard velocity would be 1422 fps with 561 ft lbs of energy. According to Hornady, you should be able to get that velocity with 18.6 gr of AA#9 (max load), or work up from 15.8 gr (starting load). W296/H110 is 100 fps slower than AA#9 according to Hornady's data.

I can do it with a bunch of SR 4756 out of a 6" barrel, but Hornady used an 8 3/8" barrel for their data and claim 1750 fps for the max load with AA#9.

The BC of the XTP is .151, which can be used in the various ballistics programs to see what the trajectory looks like.

If you go online and read the Colorado regs they add a little phrase "as determined by the manufacturer" after the 550 ft lb @ 50 yds requirement. If you can find a ballistic chart from Buffalo Bore or other "manufacturer" that shows their .357 ammo meets that requirement then I'd say purchase it and use it in your .357 mag. Otherwise you'd be better off with a .41 or .44 mag with ammo from any of the major companies that will meet the requirement and the ballistic data is published.

You can argue in court if you where to be cited, that your handload meets the regulations requirement but how much time and money do you have to waste doing so and you still may not win. Weigh the risks and rewards on using your .357 mag handloads but IF it becomes an issue with the authorities you will spend a whole lot more money than the cost of a factory load or a new pistol even if you win in court and may loose your hunting rights if you lose.

Besides its a good excuse to buy another gun.

Neither of the powders you mention really LIKE lighter bullets, in my experience. They need heavier bullets to burn their best.

I would never use a 125gr bullet, from a handgun to hunt deer sized animals with. Here in Indiana, with our corn fed variety, you are just going to make them critters mad!

Now, from a rifle? Sure. Get the velocity up where it belongs, like 2000 + fps, no problem.

The 158gr @ 1450MV will give you the required ftlbs @ 50 yards and will have more knockdown power at closer ranges. To me, the state you live in is doing their dead level best to make the 357Mag, with MAXIMUM loads, the minimum for hunting with.

Since you live in a state that allows handgun hunting, get a handgun that really throws some lead, 44Mag, 45Colt or one of the bigger ones.

Just my opinion!

p.s. Go here: http://handloads.com/calc/index.html and play around with the velocity/bullet weight/ballistic coef, and see what a different caliber will do for you.

+1 on everything smith crazy said! I just don't think using 125 grain bullets on deer is a good idea regardless of the velocity.

Thanks for the responses everyone. I will argue the 125 grain on deer any day. I have done lots of summer damage control on deer in Kansas with 223 40 grain and 125 grain 357 and both drop them dead in their tracks. I think people truly underestimate what good shot placement can do. I will check in on the heavier bullets.

On thin-skinned animals like deer, I see no problem using 125gr. .357 bullets, although my preference would be a Gold Dot, rather than an XTP. I use nothing but H110/WW296 to load hot .357s. You should be able to do what you want with either H110 or AA#9, but I've had better results with H110.

is shot placement. The "average hunter" isn't going to be able to resist taking the best placed shot ergo, heavier bullets.

My oldest son took a Pennsylvania deer with a Marlin 1894 in 357Mag and a "yellow box" UMC 125gr load. It did drop right in it's tracks but he had the chance to place his shot. Not everyone can wait to take those shots though.

I didn't know we were talking to such a "big game hunter"!

So using heavier bullets with bad shot placement is responsible hunting? I know people that use a 338 for deer and antelope and they aren't any more dead than the ones I've shot with a 243.

It still hasn't answered my question what kind of accuracy you can expect from each load.

Well, let me be clear here leaddy. I'm not advocating poor shot placement BUT like your friends have decided, they are willing to take a gamble once in a while hence the 338 and such.

Be that as it may, your accuracy question. What are you looking for in the way of accuracy? With a 6" barrel, full bore 357Mag loads of 125gr, @ 50 yards, from a rest, I suppose that for some skilled shooters, 2" isn't out of the question.

I can tell you what our oldest son and I did one time just for fun and then you be the judge.

We went to a public shooting range. They had 15 yard, 50 yard, 100 yard and a skeet range. We decided we would scour the skeet range and pick up all of the birds that were nearly whole and set them on the berm @ 100 yards. Now, we were shooting 125gr "yellow box" UMC ammo, offhand, he seemed to like those firebreathers, and I'm not saying we hit clay pigeons @ 100 yards every time BUT, by the time we went home, there weren't any of them left on the berm either.


So, maybe, 2" @ 50 yards isn't too far off.

I don't know who told you the S&W M686 isn't made of "hard Steel" but they are wrong. You might be thinking of .45 Colt "Ruger only loads" using H110/W296 but a .357 Magnum is a .357 Magnum and any SAAMI compliant ammo is safe to shoot in a M686.

I use nothing but H110/W296 for my full power .357 Magnum ammo. I can achieve 2000 fps with a 140gr XTP from a 18.5" Carbine. That will stop any deer, anywhere IMO. Of course you won't get that from a 6" barrel but you will probably get a honest 1500+ fps, even more from a 125gr bullet.

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