I use 4227 for 44mag with winchester wlp's without issue. Somehow I got roped into aquiring a couple 357's so I guess I'll now be reloading for those. I have 3 recent manuals and 2 opt for magnum primers and 1 standard.

Any of u using 4227 in 357 and if so, mag or standard primers?

I use both. 4227 does not need a mag primer, but seems to work better in .357 with them. I figure this is due to the small case capacity of .357and the fact that most legitimate IMR4227 loadings are compressed or nearly compressed. The mag primer gives just a little more "oomph". While I really like IMR4227 in .44 mag, in .357 unless I'm looking for middle of the road loads, I stick with H110/W296. With larger capacity cases like .44 mag and .460 mag, IMR 4227 is my go to.

4227 seems to need all the help it can get for complete burn, more so in .357 than .44. I would recommend the mag primer....load towards the top of the range, tight roll crimp, heavy bullets.

I loaded 200 357 190 grain lead bullets last night. 100 with IMR 4227 with CCI mags and 100 with 2400 and Winchester small p.p. Going to see how they do at 100 yards.

I would not recommend 4227 in the .357 Magnum. It is a much better choice in the .44 Magnum.

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While you can use 4227 in the .357, I guess I would not (can tell you for a fact I do not).

A better choice to consider would be 2400. It is easy to work with, give you wide latitude in loading unlike H110/296 which are top end only powders. You can also use it in your 44, M1 carbine and .22 hornet, .41 mag - - -

Lots of history, lots of loads available.

I use the Winchester LP , the box says for standard and magnum loads. I use them for most powders except H110/296 as all reloading data says to use magnum primers. While I do use 4227 in .44 and have used it in .357 magnum, It would not be my first choice.

I have used quite a bit of 4227 in 357's . Always , always load the max , a magnum primer and a tight crimp with good neck tension to begin with .
I used 2400 for years , then when it went " MIA " , I switched first to Ramshot Enforcer ( AA 4100 is same ) then to Acc #9 . I have never been a fan of H110 / W296 because of the forcing cone erosion problem . IMR 4227 is a single base powder , slower burn rate than H110 and is very easy on the gun and you . I still do a lot of 357 loading using 4227 . In the 357 , HS-6 will get you to within about 100fps of the true magnum powders using a lot less powder , but it does best with a true magnum primer . I don't use current load data though for my HS-6 loads in the 357 or even the 38spl . Years ago we used IMR 4756 , but Hodgdon's saw fit to discontinue it , along with a couple of other good ones .

+1. I use either a mag primer or a small rifle primer. The most accurate loads I have gotten in .357 have been with 4227.

Don

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The only thing I have used 4227 in was .30 Carbine. With standard SR primers. It would not be my choice for .38/.357, probably would be OK in .44 Mag. My favorite for upper-end .357 loads is Herco.

Thanks for all the info!

I get that 4227 is not 1st choice by many. However I love it in 44mag and always have it on hand. I don't plan on shooting a lot of .357, so if it gets the job done, I'm good. Was planning on near or max loads anyway. Sounds like mag primers will be my start.

If I can't get decent results, I may pick up something else. None of my other powders will work for 357mag. .38 yes, but I have no desire to load for that.

4barrel, please keep me posted on your results!

+1 with post #5

4227 gives minor fps in a 357 vs five other "Standard" powders used.
Now if you want to use it in a 6" 357 with a 158gr lead swc bullet
at just 12.0 grs for around 976fps that shoots under and inch....
it is pretty good.
By the way, 5.0grs of Green Dot will reach the same fps and burn cleaner.

Good shooting.

There's not much in the way of powders you can't use in a .357. You can get respectable MVs with Green Dot, Unique, or 231/HP-38. While I normally use Herco, years ago I burned a lot of Unique in fairly hot .357 loadings. In fact if the day ever came that nothing but Unique was available for handgun use, I wouldn't be unhappy.

With my 686 6" with a full load of Unique and a full load of 2400 powder........(158XTP)

at 100 yards there is only 16 ft/lbs difference and a 20fps spread.

On the other hand the IMR4227 powder was 200fps slower than the Unique at the muzzle, so it is used for target loads.

Ed,

I find that hard to believe. Could you please tell me the charge weights used for Unique and 4227? I used 4227 with the 158gr XTP bullet, and there is no comparison to a safe Unique load. Thanks.

Don

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IMR 4227 is quite hard to ignite as far as handgun primers go.I use Mag primers.
I wouldn't use 4227 as my primary choice for such a small case capacity(.357)but still there are a couple of good points about it namely:
A)it is recognised as giving excellent accuracy at acceptable velocity(said acceptable,not very good!).
B)you can't overcharge the small case with 4227
C)not hard on both the shooter and the gun.
Have fun and be safe!
Qc

And....

D) It's single base which makes it less abusive on the gun when it comes to erosion, and less abusive to the shooter in terms of blast. Maybe the latter is subjective, but it seem much less "blasty" to me

Ussr;

The reloading data came from my Speer book, page 372.
The Unique load was the top load.
I very rarely give out load data on the "open" net.........

one needs to work UP his/her own loads for the weapon being used.
Good Day.

The faster twist barrels with a heaver lead bullet is where 4227 comes alive at a longer distance in a 357. At least in mine.

Well, that tells us nothing. My primary reloading manual is the 49th Edition of Lyman's, and the top load for a 158gr jacketed HP is 8.3gr of Unique for 1185fps, while the top 4227 load for the same bullet is 16.1gr for 1249fps. While the velocities will be different from one gun to the next, using similar loads with these powders, there is simply no way that the 4227 load can develop 200fps less velocity than Unique.

Don

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I use 4227 in my handguns and I love it. I get the velocities that I am looking for, plus the added bonus of a tiny orange flash in low light shooting (vs 296/H110 which is a giant blinding white ball).

I can also use it in my 458 socom and 22 hornet (though for that I prefer lil gun).

I do get a few unburnt kernels with 4227, but I have found ways to control that. Here is what I do for both my 357 and 41:

1- Use magnum primers (not required, but helpful).
2- Use dense loads (either using near max or by reducing the internal space).
3- A decent crimp helps too.

I wanted to get 900fps using LSWCHPs in both my 357 (158 gr ball over 12.0gr) and 41mag (215gr ball over 15.0). Both guns are short barrelled, and neither loads meet the published minimums so they are more light mags or special +Ps. Therefore, I choose to reduce the case size and use 38 special and 41 special cases with the loads that I chose. So far I have had great luck and great accuracy.

I think winchester makes primers that can be used in either reg or magnum loads.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

Just an update for anyone interested. I got around to loading up some 158swc's.

I wound up at 16.2grains and a Winchester magnum primer. This gave me ~1340fps and excellent accuracy at 50 yards out of my 6" 686-4.

Winchester Standard primers were @ ~1270fps and grouped substantially larger.

I didn't have any factory swc's, but Federal jsp's ran ~1380fps and grouped slightly larger than the magnum primed 4227 swc's.

Is the 4227 leaving some kernels? Yep. Do I care? Nope. So far, it appears this gun and recipe can outshoot me by a lot.

I've got some Sierra jsp's laying around I'll likely try out next. Although I've been sticking with swc's for hunting.

All in all, a fun day!

I find that in using 4227 in .357 a longer barrel helps. I don't use it in my 6" or less revolvers anymore, but it works much better in an 18" carbine. I don't think it's potential efficiency is realized in a shorter barrel. My experience anyway.

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