"light" 357 mag loads - suggestions?

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deadear dan

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I like to load light 357 loads rather than shoot with 38 spl brass through my 586 no dash. Hate scrubbing the powder ring in the cylinders. Almost out of trailboss which with 3.2 gr and a 125gr cast swc will give me about 800fps. Any suggestions for light loads in 357?
 
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deadear dan said:
I like to load light 357 loads rather than shoot with 38 spl brass through my 586 no dash. Hate scrubbing the powder ring in the cylinders. Almost out of trailboss which with 3.2 gr and a 125gr cast swc will give me about 800fps. Any suggestions for light loads in 357?
Click to expand...

I think that any load which would work in a 38 Special case would also work in 357 brass, maybe bump it up one or two tenths of a grain, depending on the powder. Check the manuals, they'll have lots of options.
 
I have used 3.3grs of.......
Bull
Red
Green
Trail Boss

and 4.0 - 4.3 grs of the medium powders like w23, for my light .357 and 38 snub nose target loads with the 125gr RN and LFN style bullets, with a medium crimp used.

A Heavy crimp will add fps to the load without needing to add more powder but it will also have an effect on accuracy and POI.

I have also used Universal,SR4756 and IMR4227 but quite a bit more powder is needed with these slower powders in a short barrel.

These were minimum loads worked "DOWN" with my chrony and I do not know if they are safe in a long 6" barrel due to the low fps!!

Check your manuals for starting loads to be on the safe side.
 
Even though I don't have a problem with the dreaded carbon ring, I'll often reload my .357 brass with .38 Special data. The only difference will be the velocities attained will be lower than listed because of the .357's larger case capacity. I have shot a lot of 150 gr DEWC over 3.0 gr. Bullseye for a really mild, accurate load. (BTW; I use the same components but load up to Special +P levels for a SD load).
 
The most accurate load I've ever shot out of my 586 is a Lee 358-158-RF w/ 5.0 gr Unique in 357 brass. It turns the revolver & my hand black, but it's scary accurate. 5.5 gr is a lot cleaner, but the groups open up a bit.

-Klaus
 
If you do try a 158gr lead bullet in your .357..........

A maximum load of Trail Boss in my 6" 686 only hits 788 fps
with a f100 primer and my swc at 1.61" OAL.

A fun load for almost all shooters.
 
thanks folks. The manuals tend to assume that with 357 brass one wants to shoot 357 loads. Just found in "Reloading for Handgunners" to simply bump up your 38spl load by about 10%. However always good to have first hand accounts of chosen loads
 
I've had good results with 700X in light loads in 357 brass but any of
the fast burners should work. I've also never had any problems from
using 38 spl brass in my 357s. A swab of the chambers with CLP after
shooting has been sufficient.
 
.38 loads in .357

I even use swaged HB wadcutters in .357 cases. My wife loves to shoot them out of my 686.

I usually shoot .38s early in the range session, then I had to clean the chambers to shoot .357. I just quit using .38 special cases. Of course the .357 cases were like gold for a while, scarce and expensive.
 
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Unique will work.

Today, it is about finding pistol powder. Generally, the 357 is easy to find a good load for. WW231 is also a good one for moderate loads.

There are a lot of loads out there for cowboy shooting. If you do a search you should be able to get the info you need.
 
Just use max 38sp data, add 1-2/10gr more powder if you like & call it good. Shoot enough, the carbon ring is real. Shoot a lot, hot powder like TG, & pitting of the cyl walls is also real with 38sp in mag chambers.
 
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I load a 158-grain Missouri cast lead semi-wadcutter over 6.0 grains of IMR 4756. It makes for a pleasant, clean burning and accurate load but with that powder no longer being available, I will have to find a replacement once I use what I have on hand. I may go back to 5.0 grain of Clays.

Ed
 
5.7 grains of universal with a 158 cast bullet works well for me. Good accuracy out of my 686.
 
I loaded some 158gr. LSWC's in 38spl brass with 3.5 grains of WST. Very soft shooting and they went right where the sights were aligned. Hodgdon lists 3.7 grains as a max load for 38spl. Probably be good for 357 mag brass.
 
AveragEd said:
I load a 158-grain Missouri cast lead semi-wadcutter over 6.0 grains of IMR 4756. It makes for a pleasant, clean burning and accurate load but with that powder no longer being available, I will have to find a replacement once I use what I have on hand. I may go back to 5.0 grain of Clays.

Ed
Click to expand...
Yeah but Clays isn't being made right now either, maybe not until the end of 2015???
 
I bump up the plus P loads by 15%, but I make sure that is a load shown in the magnum data, as some powders are not linear into the magnum range.

Best,
Rick
 
fredj338 said:
Yeah but Clays isn't being made right now either, maybe not until the end of 2015???
Click to expand...

True Fred, but I have three pounds of SR4756 right now and since I don't use it in anything but revolvers and don't shoot them a lot, that should get me through at least another year. And I have two pounds of Clays so I'm good for now.

A Hodgdon's rep told me that a good replacement for 4756 would be Trailboss - anyone had any experience with it? Specifically, I would like to know how cleanly it burns in target-level loads.

Ed
 
Trailboss a replacement for 4756? That's pretty funny. The two are
hardly used for the same application. There are several Hodgdon
powders I use and like but the few times that I have talked to their
reps on the phone the results have been less than stellar.
 
Trail Boss can replace SR 4756............ I don't think so.

Maximim TB in my 6" 686 puts out 788 fps....
SR 4756 puts out 1200 fps in just a standard loading with a 158gr lead bullet.

Did that Rep. have a temperature over 99.7 degrees ?
 
Could be. I thought the idea was flawed as well but it never hurts to ask in case you're missing something. Of course, he could have been suggesting it based upon my stated application, target-level ammo.

Ed
 
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WST

I use 4.2 grains of WST with a 158 grain copper plated flat point bullet in the .357 brass. Very accurate and pleasant to shoot.
 
ironhead7544 said:
...Today, it is about finding pistol powder.
Click to expand...

Isn't that the truth! These days it is, "Use whatever you can find!" :rolleyes:

I generally don't like fast powders in magnum cases but since I was "forced" in that direction by one of our more opinionated and unrelenting forum members I have to admit I have had exceptional results with AA2. I load it to right at 1000 FPS with a 160 LSWC and it is has shot very well in all of my guns. I use standard primers and a moderate roll-crimp.

Naturally, with AA2 you had better be careful - darned careful. A double-charge of it would probably be a disaster. I think generally I am around 5.7-grs when the chronograph shows 1000 FPS. Check the AA manual - don't take my word for it. :)
 
The larger case capacity....

The difference between the volume of a .38 case and a .357 case is practically nil with low charges of fast powder because the empty volume in either is a LOT greater than the volume of powder. That extra .13" slice does exist in the .357 but it only makes a small difference in pressure/velocity. I make soft .38 level rounds for my wife to shoot out of my 686 which she likes a lot.
 
One thing to try if you have a longer length bullet like the 148 wc or 158 lead bullets..........

Case volume
length of bullet seated in case
bullet travel distance to forcing cone...... etc.

Yes a light bullet should have less recoil but some guns shoot the "Longer" , slow bullets
even better with just a slight increase in recoil.

I use the little 125 lead in my snub J frame and use my 158gr lead in the Magnum cases
that makes everyone happy, around here.

Have fun.
 
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deadear dan said:
I like to load light 357 loads rather than shoot with 38 spl brass through my 586 no dash. Hate scrubbing the powder ring in the cylinders. Almost out of trailboss which with 3.2 gr and a 125gr cast swc will give me about 800fps. Any suggestions for light loads in 357?
Click to expand...

With 125 LSWC, I use 11.0 gr HS-6. It can be lighter I suppose, because you'll know you are shooting a magnum. I use magnum primers. On 158 gr I use 10.0 gr HS-6. I don't have any data, but that's what I use and like well enough. These are Lyman book loads, as I recall.
 
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My 'go to' .357 load is 6 grains of Unique behind any 158 grain bullet. These might be a little snappier than you want, but they are definitely not full power .357 loads either. They average about 950 fps.
 
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