I've come to like HP-38 and 125gr.Hollow points for my Model-66 and Model-10 both with 4"barrels.They have been very accurate and clean burning.I loaded some 158gr.only once but like the feel of the 125gr better.I always load in the middle range to keep safe with my powder and never close to the never exceed Max myself.I tested on the low end and worked my loads up mid-range at first.The.357's out of the Model-66 are fairly mild and pleasant to shoot.This picture was taken at the perfect fraction of a second to see the fire from a .357 round a couple months back a my favorite desert shooting spot in Nevada.

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For .38?

--2.8 gr Bullseye, 158-gr LSWC
--2.5 gr WST, 148-gr L-DEWC

EDIT -- 2.5gr WST, I have no idea why I was thinking 3.0.

Try TRAIL BOSS. Recoil will be reduced. It's a great powder.

I like Bullseye and Unique loads. Very reliable and clean.

To keep it simple I buy Xtreme's 158gr. SWC or MCB 158gr. coated SWC for 38spl/357mag. Soft loads for the wife and daughter - WST. Regular 38 loads - W231/HP-38. For mid range and up it's now CFE-P.
For 44 it's the same companies but at 240gr. \
If I'm feeling it 2400 for when I want to punish myself.

Used a bunch of Blue Dot

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Some assembly required..

For hot loads I've been using H110 and Accurate #9 for 357 and 44 Mag. For midrange loads I've been using Longshot and CFE-P for them.

And my standard bullet for 44 is the coated 240 grain SWC from either Bayou or MBC. For 357 I've been loading 140 grain MBC Zingers, 158 grain Bayou SWC and 180 grain MBC Strikers, all Hi-Tek coated. For powder puff loads I've been using HP-38 and a little 700-X and Accurate #2.

.357 Mag : 158gr hard cast SWC's w/ 16.5 gr of H110

460 S&W Mag : Hornady 300 gr XTP Mag w/ 38 gr of H110

158 SWC over 4.7 Unique or 5grns in bigger or 357 mag.

I use a lot of WST for the lower pressure rounds , 38spl, 45acp . I use WSF for all my midrange loads in 357 , 41,44 magnums . Blue dot gets a lot of use in 45 Colt and 41 , 44 magnum . It gives me all the power I want or need in the larger calibers . Blue dot is supposedly temperature sensitive . When it's that cold I find something else to do . If I want a full magnum powder , Ramshot Enforcer / Accurate Arms 4100 works well . I changed to those when Alliant 2400 become non existent . But if only one powder ---WSF would be my one choice . Many will say " Unique " . I personally have never been one to follow the crowd .
Bullet weights ? for 38spl / 357 mag - 158gr and the Keith 173gr swc . 41 mag--220 gr Keith swc, 44 mag-245gr Keith swc , 45 Colt- 255 Keith swc or the Lee 255 RNFP. I cast all these myself . The 38/357 bullet used most is the Lyman design 358156 w/o gas chk and then the Keith swc .

Trail boss with 90 to 95% fill, magnum primers and 125 plated hp for 357s.

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Foster Positivity.

For some odd reason my J frame snub and K & L frame 6" do not
like w231 powder in reduced or maximum 38 or 357 loads,
except a few with the 125gr JHP bullet..... even though I just bought a new pound of it?

Trail Boss, Bullseye and Red Dot have taken over in the lead
bullet target loads in my testing.
CFE, Unique and HS-6 are my go to powders for medium to
medium target loads with lead and jacket bullets.

Blue Dot, SR4756 and 2400 take top shelf for my full loads in
all my revolvers.

I shoot six types of lead bullets and eight types of jacket bullets
and if I had to choose a single powder for lead and the jacket
bullets to do all my work I would choose..........
Red Dot and Unique.

I use the following for .38 range loads both pushing a 158 grain plated semi-wadcutter: 3.2 grains of Bullseye and 3.3 grains of HP38. I prefer the HP38 load because it's cleaner and lighter in recoil. All of my center fire revolvers are either .38 or .357 and I shoot the same loads at the range in both.

.38 Spl - 160 358446/5.5 Unique or 6.0 AA#5
.38-44 HV - 170 358429/13.0 2400
.44Spl - 200 RNFP/8.0 PP or 250 429421/7.5 Unique
.45 AR - 230 R-P FMJ/7.5 Unique

Larry

.357 125gr XTP 10.6GR Accurate #5. In L Frame
.38 Spl 158gr LSWC or LRN 4.5gr W 231
125gr Magnum loads have been known to cause forcing cone cracks in K frame S&W revolvers so a 158gr Magnum loading might be wiser. In that case I would choose a 2400 loading with that bullet weight. A#9 , H110 or 4227 also work well.
Jim

.38spl:154 cast swc over 3.8 Titegroup(900FPS) or
135gr cast rfn over3.5gr Promo(823FPS)
.357Mag;166 swc +gc over 15.3gr H110(1300FPS);ok in large frames(N=L) but a little heavy for K frames
Qc

.38 spl: 158 gr plated over 3.5 gr W231
.357: same 158gr plated over 13.5 gr 2400
S&W 686 and Rossi 92. Who doesn't love a lever gun?

My absolute favorite powder and bullet for revolvers, if I had to pick just one of each it would be a fairly stiff charge of American Select powder behind 148gr button nosed wadcutters.
And I've tried them all.

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Where we go one, we go all

Revolvers?
9mm 135, 38 mid 160, 38 Special 160, 38 +P160, 44 Special180/240, 44 Magnum 240, 45 AR 200.
Yeah, a bunch. I compete in a number of different games.
Powders?
Bullseye, N310 and Power Pistol are my present holy trinity.
But testing always continues..

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

135gr and unique or power pistol

For almost 45 years I have used Skeeter Skelton's suggest hand loads they work well and have never failed to get the the job done.
Here is the link found on the forum.
Handgun Loads

I'll admit, I don't like a lot of flash and blast. I've also found that too many rounds downrange with a stiffer recoil gets me started in a Push Flinch. So my absolute favorite load for a 357 Magnum revolver is a 140 grain Hornady XTP loaded to about 1100 fps with Accurate #7. This give me enough "pop" to get my attention but it's enjoyable for 50 or 100 rounds downrange and very accurate. I've also found that the Accurate handgun powder meter wonderfully so they are very easy to use.

BTW, for rifle it's a 158 grain XTP over 14.8 grains of H110, another powder that meters wonderfully. It's also good for 1 MOA or a bit less and 1615 fps out of my 20 inch 1892 Winchester with a rear tang sight. I'll also note this load is rather nice out of my 6 inch Dan Wesson 15-2 but iron sights at 50 yards with this combination really taxes my abilities. I've tried it out of my 4 inch 620 but IMO there is just too much flash and blast for me out of a 4 inch barrel.

BTW, for those into punishing loads try 22 grains of H110 under a 125 grain XTP with a 4 inch barrel. The blast will make anyone within 30 feet jump and the muzzle flash will extend about 20 feet downrange with a B/C cylinder blast ring about 4 feet in diameter. I call this the Holy Muzzle Flash Batman All I Can See Is Stars And My Ears Are Ringing load, or the HMFBAICSISAMEAR load. Haven't tried it at night but the thought is tempting. It's also a load that had one of the RO's at an indoor range I use asking me to stop shooting because all the flinching at the firing line was making him nervous. It's actually a load that is at least as loud as the 500 Magnum.

...Unique.... Have used it in everything from .22 Jet to .500 S&W....

As to favorite bullet weight for a certain caliber, too hard to answer that one as different guns in the same caliber like different bullet weights...but they all like Unique.

Bob

My most common loadings are:

158 cast SWC in the .38 spl., .357 mag.
200 cast SWC in the .45 acp.
240 cast in the .44 spl., .44 mag.

Red Dot and Win-231 for most target / field loads.

Win-296 and 2400 for magnum loadings.

Larry

My favorite, 158 gr Plated SWC with 3.6 gr of TrailBoss. Low recoil and makes me want to shoot more!

Win 231/HP-38 with 148 grain DEWC's in .38 special. I load them to around 800 FPS. The 158 grain weight hits too high for me in my fixed sight guns.

One of my favs in 357 is the duplicate of your HMFBAICSISAMEAR load. I use WW296 and a Rem Golden Sabre 125 JHP. Very tight, accurate grouping off a Ransom rest at 50 yds with a SW 686 6". Fun is shooting this load out of my SW 686+ 3". Don't shoot a lot of these, but they are fun.

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Steve
The Lounge Rant Master

These take very different loads. For the Airweight for practice a max load is 4 gr. HP38 with a 125 grain bullet. That's about all I can handle in that one....

When I get my new grips in for my mod 36 same load but 4.4 gr HP38 will be a comfortable max. Since I only use these for SD, I don't shoot much of anything 'weaker.

The 686 has a much bigger 'favorite' range of loads from target .38s to a max of 16 grains of 2400. I don't shoot many more of those nowadays and `12.5 gr of 2400 is comfortable. My defense load for in the house a +P+ .38 loading with 158 gr XTPs.s

Since the years of shortages I've had the opportunity to use a lot of difference powders. HP 38 I really like. Bulleye or Titegroup for target loads. I've gotten to like Red Dot, though it's position on various powder burn rate charts puzzle me a bit. I just use the loads in the book and not worry whether it's well below or well above Bullseye. Power Pistol gives my highest .38 velocities for SD loads. Unique is still my go to medium powder but I find that Acc #7 has some special qualities that work well in some loads.

I have other, but these are the most used.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Couldn't put it any better. These are my go-to's.
Dave
SWCA #2778

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mr mom
Fire Chief, Retired

My own cast/powder coated 105gn swc over 3.4gn titegroup. Love these little plinkers...accurate with enough power to knock 6 inch plates down on the plate rack. Loading these for about $3.50/box.

I use Bullseye The most but sometimes use Unique & I use 2400 for Magnum Level Loads,Bullets: In 38 158 grains I use More of,9mm I am partial to 124gr & .44's it's 240gr

32 long I frame is 2.5 gr of Red Dot and the Lee 90 gr swc.
38 J frame is 160 gr wfn and 3.8 gr AA2
38 K frames is a 150-160 gr swc with 5 gr Unique
K-38 is 3 gr Bullseye and a wc
Sadly the only 357's revolvers in the house are a DW 15 and Ruger BH.

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Front sight and squeeze

With Bullseye 2.8 - 3.2 grs with 158 gr. bullets. With HBWC the standard 2.8 grs Bullseye. With Red Dot 3.2 - 3.5 grs. does well with 158 gr. bullets. Works well in my K frames. :-)

For target shooting in 38's, 44's & 45's it's BE.
For medium loads, it's Unique.
For full power house loads in any Magnum, it's 2400 or Blue Dot. Lot's cooler then 296/H110.
Now in the 500 Magnum it's a whole different thing....

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

Thanks for this! Skeeter Skelton was THE gun guru when I got into handgun reloading. Took me years to realize that there was another powder besides Unique and I used it in .38s, .357s. .44 Spl. and .44 mag loads.

A friend has a book of his compiled articles and stories. No other gun writer even comes close to his wit and humour.

I've come to really like AA#9 pushing 200 and 240gr XTP's for my m29-2 and 629-6 respectively.

H110 and a 240gr XTP MAG for the 460.

AA#9 pushing 140 and 158gr XTP for 357.

Still playing with 38spl, mostly using Unique and Power Pistol pushing 110 and 125gr XTP's. 38spl is mostly a fun plinker for me where the others are my hunting pieces, so I've focused on developing my loads for those a little more intently than I have with the 38spl.

I like 8.5gr of W231 under a 240gr Xtreme RNFP out of my 6.5" 629-4. It's a fun and moderate target load that's very accurate out of my revolver.

For my S&W 500

Hornady 300gr FTX with 47grains of 300MP

OR ..Hornaday 500gr XTP with 33graims of IMR 4227

Or...Hornady 500gr XTP with 30grains of ACC #9

Holy cow that's a heavy charge for a 357!

After I had to replace the barrel on my 66, I only load 158gr in magnum anymore.

I can't remember how, but somewhere, I have acquired several hundred Hornady 158 gr. SWC and SWCHP bullets. Their #9 loading manual recommends a max of 5.0 gr. Unique in 357 Maggie for its swaged 158 gr. SWC and SWCHP bullets...that's a slightly warm .38 Spl load. "Loads" of fun to shoot, I betcha!

Previously, I have used 5.5 gr. Unique with cast 150 and 158 gr. swc,(860 fps/4" barrel) with complete satisfaction, except for some hard cast commercial bullets that lead extremely! I've gotten rid of most...one by one, downrange.

I have several hundred Berry's 125 gr. plated, and some 125 JHPs of various manufacture, and am going to have to try Trail Boss, and maybe HP38 or Power Pistol "just to see." Does it never end?

My standard load in .38 spl for decades has been a 158 gr cast SWC with 4.0gr W231 and that's what I mostly shoot, though lately I've been shooting more 125 cast LRN with 4.0 gr of 700X. The bullets are a bit cheaper and I'm trying to use up some of the 700X I bought during the Great Powder Shortage. With the 125 gr LRN it turned out to be very accurate.

I load some powder puff .41 Magnum loads with Trail Boss and a 215 gr cast SWC. Super fun, super accurate.

Well, right now it's green dot. I was gifted 8#s of it! Now starts the quest for load data!
SEMPER PARATUS

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NRA Life Member
CPO

After reading about damage from .357 magnum loads using 125gr.bullets in K-frame revolvers,I'm now going to use 158gr. from now on.Sometimes your favorite powder is hard to find,there are some great suggestions from different powders that you guys are using that could be helpful in the future.Thanks for the replies and sharing your powder/bullet knowledge.
I will use my 125gr.bullets to make 38 specials only.

per post #38;

Yep, that load is even more than the load in the Speer "Atomic" #8 manual.