Fed. Am Eagle JSP 357....Thoughts?

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Guitarmageddon

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I came across a deal I couldnt pass up on 1000 rnds of this ammo.

Federal American Eagle Ammo 357 Mag 158 Grain Jacketed Soft Point Box

That will be my go to ammo for the next little while until its shot up....probably a month or two :D

Ballistically, whats going on with jacketed soft points? Are they better or worse for the barrel? Good/bad choice for simple target ammo? Anyone have thoughts? Will it foul the barrel quicker/slower than FMJ? Theyre rated at 1240fps, too much for an R8? Sorry if the questions are dumb, I just shoot exclusively 38spl so Im not schooled up on the 357 stuff at this point.
 
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It is not too hot for an N frame .357 and should be fine for target ammo. The jacketed section contacts the bore so no chance of leading. I think it would also be fine for hunting but would probably wouldn't expand properly for defense use.
 
The American Eagle ammo is loaded to moderate .357 Magnum levels and is 100% SAFE in your R8 or any other .357 Magnum chambered gun. The ammo shouldn't be much dirtier than the .38 Special FMJ you are used to firing. No lead touches the barrel, just the copper jacket. Just be sure to scrub the copper fouling out of the bore after each range session. Happy shooting.
 
Whats the technical purpose of a jacketed soft point? how does it differ from full lead or FMJ? Thanks for the responses
 
A friend who bought my Dan Wesson Pistol Pac about 20yrs ago uses that same load with a scoped 8in barrel and has taken several PA whitetail out to probably 75yds. Very accurate and effective , the deer don't go very far.
 
Guitarmageddon said:
Whats the technical purpose of a jacketed soft point? how does it differ from full lead or FMJ? Thanks for the responses
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The copper jacket grips the rifling better at high velocity better than lead. The soft lead core and exposed lead allow expansion upon hitting flesh and bone. Hollow points tend to expand more dramatically and penetrate less.

Properly alloyed and Hard-cast lead bullets do allow high velocity , and can be very accurate , but do not expand.

Soft lead bullets have a tendency to leave heavy lead 'smear' (simply known as leading) in the barrel if driven too fast affecting accuracy.

FMJ make a clean hole with little internal damage.
 
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That load is a great load for 357 lever guns. It is THE most accurate factory load I've found for my Marlin 1894c.

It also shoots very accurately in my six inch model 28.
 
Thanks for all the advice, everyone. On a semi-related note.... Went for my weekly (or one of my 2 or 3 weekly range visits :D ) And had a box of the armscor 357 on the left. I was really apprehensive about buying too much when it was available on midway usa for 20 bucks a box 2 weeks ago...the armscor on the right that I got ahold of a while back was some of the dirtiest stuff Ive shot. So far, the armscor 357 is in contention with pmc e-range for the cleanest shooting ammo Ive used so far.

 
As noted it's mainly a target load and relatively mild for a 357 Magnum. Muzzle velocity listed is 1240 fps for the 158 grain bullet and I've found it to be a rather enjoyable round to shoot in an extended session with my model 620. As for the SJSP bullet featured, I suspect the sole reason for Federal using this specific type was to provide a bullet for indoor range use with the heal of the bullet covered by the jacket. Doing this means a lot less lead vapor for shooters at the firing line. However, with the higher muzzle velocities generated out of a rifle I expect that this will also provide some level of expansion in a hunting application. As for use in Handgun Hunting, out of something like a 6 inch barrel IMO it's a bit borderline and shot placement will be rather critical.

BTW, I would advise that you make sure you save your casings. If you aren't reloading yet I am certain that you'll be able to find someone willing to pay you 6 to 8 cents a case for that brass. Unfortunately right now 357 Magnum brass is darned near unobtainium.
 
scooter123 said:
BTW, I would advise that you make sure you save your casings. If you aren't reloading yet I am certain that you'll be able to find someone willing to pay you 6 to 8 cents a case for that brass. Unfortunately right now 357 Magnum brass is darned near unobtainium.
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What, like this :D

Yea, I really need to get a bucket for the brass Im starting to gather

I knew from the start Id be firing a lot and my logic was, either save it for reloading, or sell the stuff. No sense in a range making more money off me. I really want to get into reloading, but when it comes down to it, I have everything saved to reload/repackage all my stuff.



About 2000 rounds of assorted 38spl saved up, about 100 rounds of 357 so far, and about 300 rounds of 30-06 for the garand set aside as well.

In a month or two Ill have all this federal 357 shot up so that will be available too I guess.

Could I charge closer to 10 cents if I clean it before selling?
 
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I've shot quite a bit of this ammo, in several different revolvers. It has always been good, reliable, accurate ammo for me. In fact, I would even use it for SD, it shoots that good.
 
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