SuperMan
Member
..there is also the "hype" factor of creative advertising. S&W always advertised super high velocities from their .357 S&W Magnum, .44 Magnum, .41 Magnum, .22 Jet and probably others....they usually kinda forgot to tell their customers these velocities, like 1500 for both the .357 and the .41 Magnums were coming out of solid test barrels or their 8 3/8" guns.
In reloading one has to really read the reloading manuals as "estimates". What was perfectly safe at the time the loading company was working up the load with their gun, their bullet, their case, their primer and their powder was just fine. Just go dumping the same top end combination into your gun is looking for a problem. On the other hand I have loads that I have shot for years that are 10% over book max that show no pressure signs, the cases drop out of the gun and the guns are fine in some cases after thousands of of these dangerous rounds.
Real cheap insurance is a chronograph. They don't cost a lot any more and by reading the pressure signs of your gun as to case head expansion, ease of extraction, primer condition and how the velocity climbs with each increase in powder weight you can get a much better idea on how your combination of components is interfacing with your gun.
I started off loading for the .357 Magnum in 1970. 99% of the loads were a 155 grain Lyman 357156 gas checked bullet with enough AL7 to make 1250 fps from a 4" Model 19. The gun digested 10K rounds, went back to the factory to be tightened and nickeled and shot 10K more before it was sold in 1980. I have not really loaded much .357 since going over to the .38 Super and .41 Magnum but would suggest starting with H110/Winchester 296 (same powder different can) with heavy bullets from a 6" barrel in .357....
Go slow....Bob
In reloading one has to really read the reloading manuals as "estimates". What was perfectly safe at the time the loading company was working up the load with their gun, their bullet, their case, their primer and their powder was just fine. Just go dumping the same top end combination into your gun is looking for a problem. On the other hand I have loads that I have shot for years that are 10% over book max that show no pressure signs, the cases drop out of the gun and the guns are fine in some cases after thousands of of these dangerous rounds.
Real cheap insurance is a chronograph. They don't cost a lot any more and by reading the pressure signs of your gun as to case head expansion, ease of extraction, primer condition and how the velocity climbs with each increase in powder weight you can get a much better idea on how your combination of components is interfacing with your gun.
I started off loading for the .357 Magnum in 1970. 99% of the loads were a 155 grain Lyman 357156 gas checked bullet with enough AL7 to make 1250 fps from a 4" Model 19. The gun digested 10K rounds, went back to the factory to be tightened and nickeled and shot 10K more before it was sold in 1980. I have not really loaded much .357 since going over to the .38 Super and .41 Magnum but would suggest starting with H110/Winchester 296 (same powder different can) with heavy bullets from a 6" barrel in .357....
Go slow....Bob
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