1175 fps for a .357!

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RetLawman590

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Hi,

I just received my Precision One and Fiocchi .357 158gr. Fmj. The ammo appears very nice from the exterior. The Precision might actually look a little nicer, but 1175 fps? I didn't know a .357 traveled that slow. I'm going to be shooting it out of a Henry Carbine. The Fiocchi is listed at 1425fps, which is about average. I'm glad I only bought two boxes of the Precession One. I hope it won't feel anemic like the .38spl. I'll let you know my impressions once I can get to the range. Thx
 

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The manufacturers specs are probably based on a much shorter barrel than your Henry. The specs are probably for a 6” or similar length revolver. Your Henry will give you considerably higher velocities.

I know my loads in my 4” revolver falls about 200-250 FPS less than my 16” Henry 357 carbine. The cylinder gap in a revolver and shorter barrel make quite a difference.
 
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.38SuperMan said:
The manufacturers specs are probably based on a much shorter barrel than your Henry. The specs are probably for a 6” or similar length revolver. Your Henry will give you considerably higher velocities.

I know my loads in my 4” revolver falls about 200-250 FPS less than my 16” Henry 357 carbine. The cylinder gap in a revolver and shorter barrel make quite a difference.
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree, but I think most manufactures rate there .357s FPS out of a 4" or 6" revolver. I would think for anything over 1400fps it is a 6". Ive shot PMS 158gr. JSP out of my Henry and that had some oomph behind it at 1471 fps out of a 6" barrel.
 
RetLaman, I've used a chronograph for many years, and found that actual velocities in my guns may vary significantly from factory advertised figures.

Some chronographed .357 velocities in a couple 4" revolvers in my notes: Federal 158 JSP = 1267 FPS in a S&W revolver, 1220 FPS in a Colt revolver. Blazer Brass 158 JHP = 1338 FPS in a S&W revolver, 1178 FPS in a Colt revolver. So quite a spread in 2 different .357 revolvers. That Blazer Brass is the hottest major manufacturer 158 grain .357 I can recall testing...

Another recent example I encountered was the 9mm Norma PCC "Envy" advertised as 1345 FPS. That ammunition only produced an average of 1180 FPS in a 16" carbine, 1005 FPS in a 4" pistol. Quite a difference from factory advertised figures...
 
Also keep in mind that most manufactures (at least in the past) use non vented barrels which when working with revolver rounds can skew velocities since they omit the cylinder barrel gap.
 
RetLawman590 said:
Hi,

I just received my Precision One and Fiocchi .357 158gr. Fmj. The ammo appears very nice from the exterior. The Precision might actually look a little nicer, but 1175 fps? I didn't know a .357 traveled that slow. I'm going to be shooting it out of a Henry Carbine. The Fiocchi is listed at 1425fps, which is about average. I'm glad I only bought two boxes of the Precession One. I hope it won't feel anemic like the .38spl. I'll let you know my impressions once I can get to the range. Thx
Click to expand...

1175 is about the middle of the range for .357M, from a pistol barrel. You'll get more than that in your carbine, maybe another 200-250 fps. Hornady lists from 1000 to 1400 fps in its reloading data with the 158 grain bullet, out of an 8" Colt Python as a test gun. the Fiocchi will be on the hot end, and there won't be any doubt that it isn't anemic. Even low end .357 loads are a couple hundred fps faster than .38 Spl+P, which top out around 850 fps in a handgun, for a 158 grain bullet.
 
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My every day do everything 357 load shoots a 158gr LSWC 1136 fps. from my 4” revolver. Very accurate and handles every chore ever assigned. Haven’t chronographed it in my rifles but it sure shoots good.

Dan
 
I agree that modern 357 ammo is certainly slower than the stuff of the past and of legend. Piezoelectric pressure testing has seen to that. Probably not a bad thing.

After almost 50 years with the .357, I now keep my cast 158 grain 357 ammo at 1,000 to 1,100 fps (chrono graphed) as tin cans, steel and paper don't know the difference. The loads hold well at 100 to 150 yards in 6" Model 27s and Model 19s if you hold your front sight high above the rear blade.

I will note that my Marlin 24" Model 1894 in 357 can be loaded to 1,800 fps with 158 grain bullets just for giggles.
 
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I can get 1175fps out of my 686 6" with CFE pistol powder.

It is a good accurate load and uses a lot less powder than the slower "Magnum type" powders.

Some times a 90% load is nice to have around.
 
Yup, .357 Magnum velocity.is whatever the manufacturer wants to load it at.

The original 1935 load was a 158 grain swaged lead bullet @ 1550 fps out of a 8-3/8" revolver barrel. The load leaded the barrel badly. The later JHP load was listed @ 1450 fps in an 8" test barrel - about right since jacketed bullets can't be driven as fast as unjacketed, all things being equal. Out of a 4" revolver barrel that would be about 1280-1300 fps.

SAAMI is an association of ammo and gun manufacturers, and the gun makers wanted the .357 toned down so their guns would last longer without repair: to hell with performance. Standard velocity now for SAAMI purposes for the 158 grain bullet is 1220 fps from a 4" vented test barrel. Rare to find a load that even makes the catalog numbers in .357. So you will find a great deal of weak sauce .357 ammo, when you can find it at all these days. This is especially true of the lighter bullet weights - 125 grain for example - as these loads seemed to have the most deleterious effects on the guns.

The Federal American Eagle 158 grain JSP load, however, is a humdinger. In my 4" guns it goes between 1250 and 1280 fps.
 
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It’s mid-range ammo! Still faster than most if not all factory 38 special ammo!
 
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I haven’t purchased a box of 357’s in forty years. I rarely shoot 357’s for my revolvers but do load some for my carbine and then it’s usually on the milder side.

My go to load is at minimum recommended charge of Ramshot Enforcer and I get roughly 1275 FPS out of my 16” Henry. For a few kicks, literally kicks, I loaded near minimum loads with H110 and get roughly 1670 out of the same gun. Both are with jacketed soft points or jacketed hollow points. I don’t think I’ve shot either out of a revolver, just my carbine.

I don’t hunt, just paper punching, so high velocity isn’t as important as smooth feeding in my rifle. Both 38’svand 357’s feed fine but 357’s feed a tad smoother plus its fun to get a little more punch when shooting water jugs. :D
 
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Until inexpensive chronographs came out, you never really knew what you were getting. The original 357 magnum 158 gr lead SWC really went about 1100 fps from a 4 inch barrel and about 1000 fps from a 2.5 inch barrel.

Also, there can be some 200 fps differences between identical revolvers with the same ammo. Best to get your own chrono and see for yourself.

Look up "Why Ballisticians Get Grey."
 
I load two .357 Magnum loads for use in my Ruger Flattops . Both use a 158 grain Keith style bullet and 2400 . One load is a PB HP and normally runs right at 1150 fps out of the 4 5/8" barrel. The other is the same bullet with a GC and enough 2400 that I won't list it here. I have killed many critters from armadillo size up to a 100 pound doe and can't truthfully say that one kills any better than the other . For the paper punching that you will do with FMJ bullets I can't see that it would make any difference at all as long as the ammo is reliable and groups well from your Henry.
 
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The very best accuracy in my Model 19 4" barrel was achived in loads such as LSWC 158gr al 1075 to 1100fps..., not to fast but accurate enough up to 75yds!!!
 
Chrony Variations

My fps varies so much minute by minute, I don't bother much any more. last partly cloudy day I ran some two shot strings, primers, ya know.
158g LSWC GC, f100 std, 11g HS-7
1172,1175 ten mins later 1514,1533,1574,1578

158g LSWC GC, f200 mag, 14.7g IMR 4227
1556, 1559 ten mins later 1142,1149

Different day 158g Hornady JHP WSPM, 11.2g HS-7
1171,1185,1182
New 586 no dash 4"

Is anyone having better luck with the new box chronographs?
 

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pantannojack said:
My fps varies so much minute by minute, I don't bother much any more. last partly cloudy day I ran some two shot strings, primers, ya know.
158g LSWC GC, f100 std, 11g HS-7
1172,1175 ten mins later 1514,1533,1574,1578

158g LSWC GC, f200 mag, 14.7g IMR 4227
1556, 1559 ten mins later 1142,1149

Different day 158g Hornady JHP WSPM, 11.2g HS-7
1171,1185,1182
New 586 no dash 4"

Is anyone having better luck with the new box chronographs?
Click to expand...

All I can say is.............. WOW !!
I have the same unit and never had numbers like that but
my test were days apart and not minutes.

I did have "Err" and bad reads one outting, but it was due to a low battery....
and a new battery solved the problem.

I will get different fps with different crimp pressures on my 38 and 357 loads, though.

As a note, I have also had loads with a 166 ES out shoot/group a load
that had a ES of only 21.........
so, how important is fps in a load ?
 
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