Favorite ammo for your modern .357 magnum?

[wellthought1]

My favorite ammunition for my 686 4" .357 magnum is Hornady American Gunner 125 grain JHP/XTP. VERY accurate and hard hitting.

Muzzle Velocity: 1,500 Feet Per Second
Muzzle Energy: 624 Foot Pounds

[Winch]

Anything that is on sale and plated. I played lead makes a mess of my blued 586.

[bigwheelzip]

.357s are like a utility tool to me. I like the wide range of ammo, depending on use, but by far use 158gr FMJ the most.

[wellthought1]

I also like 158 grain JSP for penetration. Specifically, the Federal American Eagle 158 grain JSP.

Muzzle Velocity: 1,240 Feet Per Second
Muzzle Energy: 539 Foot Pounds

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

[hotshot357]

I reload mine. I've been loading a 158 gr. LRNFP hi-tek coated bullet with 6.6 grs. of CFE pistol powder. That combo they say will get 1320 fps.

[lrrifleman]

I used to load the old Speer 146gr half jacketed SWCHP for my 27, but that is long discontinued. Now I cast and load a Lyman 155gr SWCGC for virtually all of my 357 Magnum needs.

[JayFramer]

357B.

‘taint nuh fahner” (there isn’t any finer).

Or, as the “urban youthz” call it, the “tray fliddy slevlen bravo”.

[jbtrucker]

Range ammo any .38 spl 130-158 gr FMJ on sale, Georgia Arms 158gr .357 SWC and Remington 125 gr .38spl +p SJHP

[BB57]

The only .357 Magnum factory ammo I buy is Federal's 158 gr JSP in either their Champion or American Eagle boxes.

It'll give me 2 MOA five shot groups at 100 yards in my Model 92 rifle and short rifles and it works just fine in my K and L frame revolvers.

I handload 125 gr XTPs for my .357 Magnum revolvers. I use 8.5 grains of Unique in my K frames and 9.0 grains in my L frames. With a 2.5" barrel they'll deliver 1250 fps and 1300 fps respectively - on par with a full load of Win 296 / H110 in the same barrel length, but with a lot less recoil.

[Valmet]

I don’t ccw mine or hunt with it but I’ve always liked plain old Remington 158-gr HTP. I shoot it well and it’s a classic load IMO.

[sigp220.45]

145 grain Silvertips. Oldie but goodie.

[LoboGunLeather]

Knowing that I will not win the popularity award with this reply, here goes:

+P .38 Special, preferably 158LSWC-HP.

If I must shoot magnum ammunition it is of my own making, loaded well below maximum levels (typically 158 cast SWC over 7.0 grains Unique, which has proven itself very capable of taking deer-sized critters at handgun range very reliably without excessive muzzle blast or recoil).

I don't recall purchasing .357 magnum ammo since about 1976. I don't miss the madness and my revolvers continue performing perfectly well for any reasonable applications.

YMMV

[ContinentalOp]

It's been a while since I've had a .357, but my favorite range round was the WWB 110gr SJHP. Easy to shoot with low recoil, but still made a heckuva fireball out the muzzle.

For carry use, I usually used Buffalo Bore's standard pressure 158gr LSWCHP in .38 Special. I've also carried Speer's GDHP, in the .38 Special short-barrel +P version and the .357 Magnum short-barrel version, but most of the time it was the BB FBI load.

I always wanted to try the Winchester 145gr Silvertip JHP, but could never find it when I had a .357. Since selling it, I've seen it on sale a few times. Typical.

[ArchAngelCD]

I reload but when I did buy ammo my choices for the .357 Magnum were 145gr Winchester Silvertips and 158gr Speer GDHP ammo.

For blasting at the range, whatever was on sale of cost the least that day.

[Nevada Ed]

The old NE, 3D 110 JHP ammo was very accurate in my old 6" M19.

Todays Hornady 125 JHP does well in my 6" 686 L frame as well
as the JSP/HP bullets of all the makers.

The 158 swc lead bullet is my most accurate for reloading with several speeds and powders.

Even better after a trip back to S&W for a work order on the cylinder.

[The_Truth]

158gr +p SJHP from Underwood in my Model 13 3"

[IAhunter]

145 grain Silvertips for carry for me. Plinking, hunting, and practice ammo are my hand loads using a variety of different bullets depending upon the purpose.

[nicky4968]

I like the Hornady swaged 158 grn lswchp over 5.8 grains of Unique.

No idea as to velocity. Model 19 2 1/2”.

[biku324]

Federal American Eagle 158 grain JSP or any JSP or JHP 158 grain component bullet loaded with 13.0 grains of 2400 or the identical velocity 16.2 grains of Lil Gun.

[BC38]

My handloads. Generally 158gr SWC or RNFP cast lead or plated. Mild to wild, depending on my mood...