W .231 any good for .357 Mag?

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salemsm

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I am new to reloading and did quite a bit of research on trying to find a powder with a good load range for .38 spl. I have a backorder of a 4lb jug of Winchester 231. With that said and the long wait times for powders, what are everyone's advice on using 231 for .357 loads? What are my best options?
 
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The one thing I have against W231 and Bullseye for 357 cases is that you use such a small amount, it becomes position sensitive and will effect shot-to-shot placement.

Using a wadcutter (double ended) helps take up some of the space.
 
I've used it successfully in .38 specials fired in .357 firearms.

better powders around for .357 mag loads...
 
I've Found It To Be Excellent With 125 Grain Hard Cast Flat Points. I Use 6.5 Grains, Very Accurate And Fairly Mild. Haven't ranThem Over My Chronograph Yet. 7.6 Grains With 125 Grain Sierra Jsp Was Very Good Also. Clean, Not A Huge Muzzle Flash/Blast. I Like It A Lot For target Loads. Good Luck.
 
Yes it is very good for light to medium 357 Mag loads.
Click to expand...

This actually is sort of an oxymoron. W231 is not suitable for magnum loads but is a good propellant for constructing low to midrange loads in .357 magnum cases. Propellants such as 2400, AA#9, H110 and W296 are good propellants for .357 magnum handloads.

:):)

Bruce
 
Whether W231 is suitable for a magnum load or not is open to debate. It all depends what a shooter defines as "magnum" and what the loader intends to achieve with a given load.

Question: Can a max W231/HP38 load in a .357 Mag drive a given projectile substantially faster than the max load of W231/HP38 in a .38SPC?

Answer: Absolutely.

38 SPC +P with 158 Grain projectile with max load of W231 = 807 ft/s

.357 Mag with 158 Grain projectile with max load of W231 = 1220 ft/s

This is far more than just a "hot" 38 SPC load.

Question: Are there propellants that will drive a given projectile even faster in the 357 Mag than W231/HP38?

Answer: Absolutely.

They would both be "magnum" loads because neither can be safely fired in a .38SPC and they will all drive a given weight of bullet substantially faster than the maximum velocity achieved in a .38 SPC chambered firearm. Far beyond .38 SPC +P velocities regardless of the powder utilized.

Agreed that W231/HP38 is not best for achieving the absolute maximum velocity capable from a .357 mag, if that is indeed the goal of the loader. If the loader is not seeking maximum velocity then W231/HP38 (among others) is a better propellant to use.
 
AzRedleg said:
Whether W231 is suitable for a magnum load or not is open to debate.
Click to expand...


While it is true that whether or not W231 is suitable for reloading using a .357 mag case is not really open for debate, calling any load using a .357 case and W231 a legitimate "magnum" load certainly is. One reason many reloading manuals do not even list W231 in published .357 mag load recipes.
 
Load a few with 231 and load a few with 2400 then you tell me. good luck be safe
 
The Speer .357 Short Barrel 135gr factory load can be duplicated in a handload with WIN231/HP38 powder.

Maybe the "magnum police" need to call Speer and straighten them out that they can't call their factory load a .357?
 
buck460XVR said:
While it is true that whether or not W231 is suitable for reloading using a .357 mag case is not really open for debate, calling any load using a .357 case and W231 a legitimate "magnum" load certainly is. One reason many reloading manuals do not even list W231 in published .357 mag load recipes.
Click to expand...

I have been suitably chastised by the "magnum police."

From now on I will only call my .357 magnum loads "magnum" if I load them with the absolute maximum charge of H110/W296 to drive the projectile at the absolute maximum velocity no matter the projectile I am firing, the pistol it will be fired in, or the intended usage of the cartridge. I guess anything less than full tilt just isn't "magnum" enough.

To think that for the past 25 years I've had it all wrong. All this time I've been loading illegitimate "magnum" rounds. The horror! Oh well, back to the drawing board.
 
I have 2400 and w296 for magnum loads and trail boss for pure plinkers.

I stopped using the faster powders in the bigger cases like 357mag and 44mag as they seemed like the wrong recipe for what I was going for.
 
W231 is a fine powder for 357 magnum loads. Will it give top velocity
compared to the slower burning powders? No, but that wasn't the
question. 8.2 grs under a Sierra 125 gr JHC = 1285 fps, 6.4 grs under
a TV 158 gr cast SWC = 1115 fps in my 4" S&W md 28. No, these are
not top 357 mag velocities but in a 4" barrel revolver they are a long
way from 38 spl level whether you choose to call them magnum or not.
 
AzRedleg said:
I have been suitably chastised by the "magnum police."

From now on I will only call my .357 magnum loads "magnum" if I load them with the absolute maximum charge of H110/W296 to drive the projectile at the absolute maximum velocity no matter the projectile I am firing, the pistol it will be fired in, or the intended usage of the cartridge. I guess anything less than full tilt just isn't "magnum" enough.

To think that for the past 25 years I've had it all wrong. All this time I've been loading illegitimate "magnum" rounds. The horror! Oh well, back to the drawing board.
Click to expand...


Wow.......did I hit a nerve? I never said your loads were not legitimate, I only stated that whether or not loads with 231 in .357 cases were legitimate "magnum" loads was open for debate. I never opened that debate, you did.
 
Like the discussion regarding what constitutes a magnum load! What fun! That said try w-231 vs. 2400. Listen to both and feel the recoil. Also look for the flash -best at night. The 2400 gives a deep throated boom and a recoil that will knock your socks off - if that's what you want. Personally I'm getting bit old for all that fun - but once in a while...
 
Not to contaminate anyone's cornflakes, but I have been under the belief that 'magnum' refers to the case, regardless of how one loads it.
OK. 231 has worked well for me in .357 mag.,
.44 mag., .41 mag, and .45 ACP.
296 seems to be a useful choice in the heavier loads in magnum cases.
 
but I have been under the belief that 'magnum' refers to the case
Click to expand...

I was umder the impression that the size of the container was meant only for champagne bottles. Now, if anybody wants to call 800 fps loads using 158 grain bullets made up in .357 cases magnum loads, they are welcome to. For me, a magnum revolver load must reach or be really close to 1.300 fps out of a 6" barrel to be classified as a magnum load. Lesser concoctions are merely loads which can be fired in a magnum. Now, with heavier than "standard" bullets coming into play, the water has been muddied up some but anyway, I think it can be determined where I'm coming from.

Bruce
 
W231 and a 125 Speer GDHP work wonders in my wife's 3" S&W Pro. I tried many powders over the chrono and in darkness. W231 gave us the best velocity, extreme spread and standard deviation with the least muzzle/chamber flash. It was a lot easier picking up the second target quickly with the laser spot at 7 yards because our night vision was not greatly affected. Choose a slow powder for highest velocity and muzzle flash and not great ES & SD spreads in the short barrels.
 
Last edited:
I've never used 231 in the .357 Magnum case and probably won't, but if you have the powder and published load data from a reputable (powder or bullet company) source, it's certainly worth trying.
 
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