NOW I WANT IT TO KNOW!!! WHAT DO YOU LOAD FOR 357 MAG. JACKETED OR LEAD BULLETS?

[Swissman]

Because of some private discussions, it is no longer berable.

So I wanna know: What do you load for your .357 loads? Lead, jacketed bullets, synthetic coated lead, copper-plated lead ???
And if you like to tell: Why you load what you load.

Many thanks.

Swissman

 

[Forrest r]

Lead, lead & more lead.

 

[blujax01]

158 grain Semi-jacketed Hollow Point XTP or Sierra SJHC over 15 grains of Alliant 2400. Why? Because my Highway Patrolman eats it like candy.

My range will not let me shoot cast bullets. Hopefully in a few years I'll be out in the country casting and shooting on my own personal Ponderosa so it won't be an issue.

 

[Iggy]

Lead, I'm cheap.

 

[Swissman]

Lead, I'm cheap.

Iggy, this explains a lot in my private discussion...

Thank you

Swissman

 

[deltazulu334]

Bullet preferred for .357 handloads:

I prefer a home-cast lead bullet for my .357 handloads.
Factory made jacketed bullets were fine before I learned to cast,
but jacketed bullets are expensive to use for target shooting in any kind of quantity.
My favorite .357 cast bullet design is the (justly) famous
Ray Thompson gas check semi-wadcutter design produced by Lyman as the No. 358156.
It weighs about 160 grains when cast from wheel weights and with a gas check seated.
It is capable of fine accuracy.
I have had little need for jacketed .357 bullets ever since.

 

[Rule3]

Lead, I'm cheap.

I am cheap and easy

 

[cylinder]

158gr H&N SWC HS over 8gr of Rex II. I think those are copper plated. Excellent for up to 100m.

 

[mkk41]

Hard-cast lead semi-wadcutters. Plinkin' targets die just as much with a 2 cent lead bullet as with a 20 cent jacketed hollow point.

And I don't get no leading , so don't go there!

 

[TAROMAN]

Lead, lead & more lead.

What he said.

 

[AABEN]

I cast my 38 357 44 45 all in LEE dies 357 45 44 SWC 44 some are round nose. Then run then throw a sizer.This makes them more accurate. I use the LEE lube on all that I cast.

 

[Maximumbob54]

My own cast lead. I can't stamp copper jackets, so I see no reason to buy bullets when I can cast my own!!!

 

[venomballistics]

both cast lead and jacketed.
I tend to like the heavier bullets in lead and the little light weight hot rods jacketed.
most of the 357 is cast lead however.

 

[Skip Sackett]

99.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% of what I shoot in ANY pistol caliber is cast lead BOOLITS and they are cast by ME!

Why? BECAUSE I AM SUPER CHEAP! I get most of my lead free and after about 1000 bullets, I have paid for my moulds.

I have several loads.
One is with a 150gr H&G #50. 3.0gr of Bullseye in either 38spl or 357Mag cases.
358311 160gr LRN with 3.5gr of Bullseye in either case. I have not played with this bullet at 357Mag velocities, um, yet.
H&G #290BB, 160gr LSWC designed by Phil Sharpe. Same load as the 358311 in 38spl and a Speer #8 load for 357Mag that gives me 1280fps from my 6" M586 and 1580fps from my wife's Marlin 1894.

I do have one 357Mag load for the wife's rifle that uses a Hornady 158gr XTP. The load is over published data, but was tested by Brian Pearce from a similar rifle. The powder is Lil' Gun, which is NOT lead friendly, and it drives that bullet to 2016fps out of that 20" barrel.

Now, we haven't taken any game with that load YET, but this year we will, hopefully!

I load for 38spl, 357Mag, 44Mag, 45 ACP & Colt, and in the magnum and Colt, I have rifle loads that develop right at 1800fps from lever action rifles.

Not sure what you are looking for Swissman. Validation? Lead bullets can be driven near to jacketed velocities IF they fit the bore/throats of your firearm.

Just sayin'

 

[m657]

Lead does everything I need in 357 for a lot less expense.

About 32 years ago a shooting buddy introduced me to lead "to see if I liked them".

I had been shooting maximum velocity 357 and 44 magnums, and had discovered the triple miseries: high velocity=lots of recoil, lots of barrel fouling, lots of missed targets.

Lead: moderate velocity, no fouling, lots of hit targets. Incredibly less time cleaning barrel. More fun. Less cost buying cast lead boolits.

So the next 30+ years I never loaded a jacketed slug for ANY pistol caliber.

I prefer cast lead in nearly everything I shoot.

 

[andyo5]

I shoot 158g Hornaday or Remington jacketed hollowpoints and 158g Sierra semi-jacketed flat points. The cost is close to what I would pay for lead bullets, and the gun stays much cleaner with no lead fouling to bother with.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Mostly lead and some hard cast from Cast Performance. I also load jacketed bullets from Nosler and semi-jacketed hollow points from Sierra.

 

[LOBO]

Lead about 95% of the time in .38 sp., .357 mag., .44 mag., .45 acp, .45 auto-rim, .45-70 Govt.

 

[Tennjed]

lead 99.9% of the time

 

[Jellybean]

I choose the best bullet for the task at hand, regardless of cost.

But I do hang out with cheap women. A mans gotta know his priorities.