158 gr. JSP over 6.8 grains of Bullseye, with a non-magnum primer. I'll start at 6.1 grains. I'm not an expert reloader, and my manuals don't cover this bullet / powder combo, so I'm going off some other reloading manual excerpts found online. There are several examples that all list almost exactly the same, so I think its prolly safe, but what do you guys think? Thanks for any advice!

158 gr. JSP over 6.8 grains of Bullseye, with a non-magnum primer. I'll start at 6.1 grains. I'm not an expert reloader, and my manuals don't cover this bullet / powder combo, so I'm going off some other reloading manual excerpts found online. There are several examples that all list almost exactly the same, so I think its prolly safe, but what do you guys think? Thanks for any advice!

In the Lee Second Edition of Modern Reloading, I found the following data:

158 grain Jacketed Bullet-

Starting Load- 6.3 grains (1169 fps)
Maximum Load- 6.8 grains (1250 fps)

Minimum OAL- 1.580"

Pressure- 33100 PSI

YMMV

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195th Session FBINA

You can get in trouble with Bullseye about as fast as you can with a redhead. It is a great powder for light loads, but there are a lot better ones for the heavy stuff. It is very fast and pressures can go very high very fast.

Thanks for the advice. I just happened to have a bottle of it on hand and no light bullets. I guess I'll just wait till tomorrow and go buy some light bullets or slower burning powder. Thanks again!

Having found the same data (6.8 gr. of BE and 158 gr. JSP) in a couple of sources (Handloads.com, Gun-Guides Reloading Guides, M.D. Smith, Lee, etc.) I recently tried what you are looking at - 6.1 grains - but with magnum primer (CCI 550 and Federal 200). Very mild recoil in a 4" 686, and seemed about average for a light load in a Ruger 2" SP101. Sorry, but I didn't shoot enough to test for accuracy - I was just looking for a relatively mild and inexpensive load for .357 (What could beat 6+ grains of Bullseye!).

That's kinda what I was thinking, thadeth. Cheap powder and a very small charge amount. That could yield about 1600 rounds per pound. But cost isn't really an issue, its more availability in the Memphis area. I think I can find a slower powder locally though, if I look hard enough. Any recommendations/favorites? I've used alot of H110. I like it because it seems very clean but it doesn't stretch very far.

Do you want medium or full power magnums? Unique works well for light and medium loads and I like 2400 for magnums.

Same here !!!

Stay with the 158 grain bullets. Noise with the light bullets is more than I can take.

Try Unique or Blue Dot for heavy charges with the 158s.

2400 also works nice.

Max velocity with H110 or 296 is the same as 2400 but most reloading manuals only give you one load for H110 and 290. You cannot play with the data.

Try some W231 for the light to medium loads.

110 and 296 will give you better velocity than 2400 with heavy boolits.

Lil gun is supposed to be even better, but I've never tried it.

For your light to medium loads...Bullseye is fine...
I agree that 2400, Lil Gun, Blue Dot, 296, or H 110 will do better in the warmer loads.

Unique works very well as a med-warm load for me.

Bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"

For your light to medium loads...Bullseye is fine...as is 231 which is my "go to" powder in many low to med loads in several calibers.

I agree that 2400, Lil Gun, Blue Dot, 296, or H 110 will do better in the warmer loads.

Blue Dot seems to always give me "issues" unless I run it up pretty warm with a firm crimp...I get unburnt powder issues.

Unique works very well as a med-warm load for me.

Bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"

My go to load in 38 is also 231. Per the old Lyman cast bullet handbook, 4.9 Gr. 231 behind a 158 gr. cast LSWC = 906 fps. and from my 6" 686 does chronograph that. The book indicates is the "potentially" most accurate load. It will shoot into 1.5" at 25 yards in my gun. Not a plus P but on the top end of 38's.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I use 6.1gr of Bullseye with std sm primers with hard cast 158gr LSWC, in a 2.75" Ruger Sec Six it's been a very accurate load.
I like Be's flexibility in low to medium +, pressures.

Right now I'm trying out one of Skeeter Skelton's loads, 6.0 grains of Unique behind a 170 grain cast SWC (Lyman # 358429). Will be shooting it out of Skeeter's favorite gun, a Smith 27 (mine's a 27-2) with a 5-inch barrel. I will let you know how it works out as soon as I can trudge through the snow to my range. (Bench has about 2 foot of snow on it)

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Vaya con Dios

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I ended up loading a batch of 158 JSP's with 10.0 grains of Blue Dot and WSP primers. I'll post a report on results tomorrow night.

"You can get in trouble with Bullseye about as fast as you can with a redhead. It is a great powder for light loads, but there are a lot better ones for the heavy stuff. It is very fast and pressures can go very high very fast."

+1 Very good advice!

LilGun really comes alive when driving HEAVY for caliber bullets! 180-200gr. 357 mag.
250-265gr. 41 mag. 250-325gr. 44 mag. etc.
I'm not aware of another powder that can reach the same velocities with equal or less pressure when using heavy bullets. I love LilGun! if you are loading light bullets you can find better powders if velocity is your goal W296, H110 etc.

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173-358429
13.5-2400

I just loaded my first 357magnums with H110. Is it normal dat the cases are nearly filled with 15,0 grains of H110 ? This is the minimum load according the Hodgdon's handbook.
There's just enough space left for seating the bullet. Bullets are privi's 158 grains FMS (full metal Spitz). I got an OAL of 1,588.

I'd love to see a picture of that bullet unloaded and loaded. Also let us know how it shoots and where you got them. I've never seen a FMS and I'm always open to playing with new stuff.

If you are after medium loads (1000-1200fps) then go with Unique, especially with lead bullets. If you want full loads, you need truly slow powders like 2400 and 296. Messing around with Bullseye for heavier loads just makes me nervous. It is not intended for that use and can get you into a world of hurt very quickly from things you may not anticipate, such as minute amounts of bullet set back to due recoil, double charges, untrimmed cases that extend into the restricted throat of the chamber just a tad, etc. It is for light loads. Period. End of story. Stay safe.

Blue Dot also puts on one hell of a flame show.

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John

I love shooting Blue Dot at our night matches. Flame almost hits the close targets and it sure gets everyone's attention

I rarely load .357 anymore, use .38 load of 5.5 of Unique under 158gr swc. Have used up to 6.0grs with no problems but I shoot a Ruger Security Six. Would probably back this off in a lighter Smith(no flame intended). It is very accurate.

Well I finally got to shoot some of my 158 gr. JSP's over 10.0 grains of Blu Dot. Yeah, they put out some impressive muzzle flash and wasn't very consistently accurate. I was actually shooting better groups at 25 yards with my Kimber 1911. So, in summary, fun to shoot but not the most accurate load, for sure. Hmm...now I need to try some lighter stuff, I guess.

Oh, to Franske: yeah, I remember when I loaded H110 there was just barely enough room left to seat the bullet. Your OAL sound VERY close to the absolute maximum. I measured the cylinder on my M327 and its only 1.580 or so. Have you tried your loads in a revolver?

I would be inclined to look into a cast lead bullet. They aren't quite as hard on your gun and they usually will develope more velocity than a comparable jacketed bullet will.

According to this data, you can get more velocity with the minimum load of SR 4756 than you get with a maximum load of H110/W296 and almost as much as a maximum load of 2400.

I'll try to make some photo's of the bullets. They looked great: the copper bulletpoints in the silvery nickeled cases.
And in used my first cartridges yesterday, with 15,0 -15,1 and 15,2 grains of H110, wich is the same as 296.
With 15,2 grains I got a group of 1,5 inch .
And it was a magificent firework: sound- and lihtshow. Everybody knew I was there...

Sorry folks. Photo is finally made, but I cannot get in my posting...