357 magnum defensive ammo

[IrishFritz]

Don't forget us lead bullet guys.There are a lot of good design lead bullets out there superb for game and self defense. A load I carried for years was a 148 grain hollow based wad cutter loaded backwards with stiff load of Red Dot in 38 special and a stiff load of Unique in 357. Over penetration was not an issue and recoil was controllable.

 

[CJH]

You fine people are making me buy a bunch of silver tips to see if I've been missing out lol

 

[329]

Any cast or partially jacketed .357 ammo of normal 158 gr. weight should do anything that's needs doing wth this cartridge. Extensive testing in jello or other substances means little except to obsessive hard core YouTubers or aspiring gunfighters.

If you shoot it well, it's accurate in your gun, point of impact vs. point of aim is where it should be, and recovery from recoil is acceptable to you, that's your best ammo. All the superfluous stuff isn't important. But you'll have to try several ammos. Takes time and the ammo isn't free, but you'll learn a lot more than the gunfighters and YouTubers and improve your shooting skills in the process, something the aforementioned others seldom have much interest in.

Exactly! Thank you, I will keep my 158 jhp.

 

[BabaBlueJay]

You fine people are making me buy a bunch of silver tips to see if I've been missing out lol

I tested them and they are phenomenal it's come down to them or Black Hills which I'll be testing soon

 

[Rpg]

They'll all do just fine.

I'd prefer the heaviest projectile.

 

[Pointblank2U]

I just took delivery of 6 boxes of this from Midway. I plan to carry it in my 686 Plus 3" and 2"

Barnes TAC-XPD .357 Magnum short barrel test - YouTube

 

[Bald1]

None of the above. Why would anyone carry less than 454 Casull out on the mean streets? Preferably a 7 1/2" barrel.

 

[BillyMagg]

absolutely agree

I'm a big fan of the Winchester 145gr Silvertip .357 Magnum ammo.

In 2 of my revolvers it's extremely accurate especially a M640. The bullet may be old but IMO still very effective. Unfortunately Winchester doesn't run them regularly, sometimes over 2 years in between runs. I still have 4 boxes of 50 but that's not a lot. Last time I bought them they were $50 or $52 cor a 50 round box.

I'm surprised you didn't include Speer GDHP ammo, it's a good round.

Yep, the Silvertips in 38 Super, 357 Magnum, and 44 Magnum are always outstanding, and always surprisingly accurate,, buy em when you can... and I think I've actually shot some 44 Specials as well,, expensive, but worth it.

 

[IAM Rand]

The one thing I have seen plenty of is people saying that they have tested the bullets. Who did they shoot? Just sayin. They claim to have tested them so I would like to know who they shot and how long did that person last before they expired?

Accuracy is one thing, actual testing is something else. Oh, I am sure that there are people that have shot Jell-O and said that they are wonderful bullets but, really folks, how do you know how well a bullets works until you have tried it on someone or something.

PS. I am not recomending that someone does this and if you do you are on your own

 

[rockquarry]

Just this morning I was shooting some .357 handloads through a M28 4" Highway Patrolman. I use the original .357 Magnum bullet, the H&G #51 developed by Phil Sharpe. It's a 160 grain cast plainbase SWC loaded with 12 grs. #2400. Muzzle velocity is probably 1100 fps in the 4" gun. It's accurate, recoil is very tolerable (more so than the hotter factory stuff), and it will likely do anything hotter .357 loads will do, but I don't have much need for shooting through bullet proof vests or cars like some.

The #51 is more useful than the #358429 or #358439 because you don't have to crimp it using a make-do method because of bullet length. Accuracy of the #51 will equal either of the Lyman designs.

I seldom shoot factory ammo, but if any company produced a factory .357 load like mine, I think it would be a great and useful .357 load. I realize Buffalo Bore and maybe others make .38 Special loads to approximately those specs, but I don't know if anyone downloads .357.

 

[rwsmith]

Well, besides Paul Harrell......

.... Lucky Gunner does a good job of testing also.

BTW: While we are talking about self defense, I don't think that the FBI requirement for 12"-18" of penetration in gelatin is the same as that required for personal defense, so I try to use ammo that works at the lower end of the spectrum.

 

[smithra_66]

I like bullet weight. Give me the heaviest with the best sectional density.

the 357 mag is plenty powerful enough in normal pressure levels too. No need for super duper "+p" or any of that.

 

[BabaBlueJay]

Let the games begin

My two finalists are the Winchester Silvertip 145 grain and Black Hills JHP 125 grain. Only one that has not been tested is black hills which arrived today. Going to test the first dry day and pick a winner as usual I'll post the expansion test pictures and put it through the same accuracy and recoil tests as the others.

 

[BabaBlueJay]

Double post my bad

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Aim Surplus actually has the 145gr Winchester Silvertip ammo in stock right now.
19.95 cor a 20 round box, that is the same price from about 4 years ago and even before that. Like I said, the 50 round box was either $50 or $52, not sure which means the price for the 20 round box is the same as back then. I still have over 200 rounds so I didn't order any. That might be a mistake on my part and I just might change my mind.

 

[Model19man]

Aim Surplus actually has the 145gr Winchester Silvertip ammo in stock right now.
: 19.95 costs for a 20 round box, that is the same price from about 4 years ago and even before that. Like I said, the 50 round box was either $50 or $52, not sure which means the price for the 20 round box is the same as back then. I still have over 200 rounds so I didn't order any. That might be a mistake on my part and I just might change my mind.

Seems like a decent deal: AimSurplus, LLC

 

[BabaBlueJay]

Aim Surplus actually has the 145gr Winchester Silvertip ammo in stock right now.
19.95 cor a 20 round box, that is the same price from about 4 years ago and even before that. Like I said, the 50 round box was either $50 or $52, not sure which means the price for the 20 round box is the same as back then. I still have over 200 rounds so I didn't order any. That might be a mistake on my part and I just might change my mind.

I might order a stash of this there. I'm going to do my due diligence and test the Black Hills Tomorrow or Saturday but then I'll buy whichever wins in decent quantity

 

[BabaBlueJay]

Just this morning I was shooting some .357 handloads through a M28 4" Highway Patrolman. I use the original .357 Magnum bullet, the H&G #51 developed by Phil Sharpe. It's a 160 grain cast plainbase SWC loaded with 12 grs. #2400. Muzzle velocity is probably 1100 fps in the 4" gun. It's accurate, recoil is very tolerable (more so than the hotter factory stuff), and it will likely do anything hotter .357 loads will do, but I don't have much need for shooting through bullet proof vests or cars like some.

The #51 is more useful than the #358429 or #358439 because you don't have to crimp it using a make-do method because of bullet length. Accuracy of the #51 will equal either of the Lyman designs.

I seldom shoot factory ammo, but if any company produced a factory .357 load like mine, I think it would be a great and useful .357 load. I realize Buffalo Bore and maybe others make .38 Special loads to approximately those specs, but I don't know if anyone downloads .357.

Thats an interesting concept. So you make 357 purposefully weaker? I have a single stage maybe I'll try and make a load like that, if only just to try it out.

 

[Chuck Edwards]

I've standardized on the R-P 158-grain SJHPs. On the rare occasion that I carry a .357, it's in a 681-2 that's regulated for 158s or in a 28-2 that's zeroed for them. The guns are great shooters, but at 71 carrying and shooting those bricks isn't as much fun as it used to be. They do get some use as woods guns.

When I carry a revolver, it's usually my 3" M10-7 with the R-P version of the FBI load.

 

[rockquarry]

Thats an interesting concept. So you make 357 purposefully weaker? I have a single stage maybe I'll try and make a load like that, if only just to try it out.

Reasonable power is fine and I doubt the hotter loads will do any more than mine except in the minds of the gunfighting fantasizers. Accuracy seems to be of secondary importance to many nowadays, but, for me, it's the most important consideration for the loads I shoot, whether they are my handloads or factory ammo. I also like reduced recoil and blast as I may shoot fifty rounds or more of my described handload on one trip to the range.