light .357 mag loads

[terry_tr6]

i like shooting .38spl loads through my 686 but hate scrubbingthe cylinder after each session so i can chamber .357. i was looming i to using .357 brass but loading as if it was 38spl and press the bullet in to 38spl length. but i found i had someClays powder and found a post of someone loading.357 putting 3.4 grains behind 158 lswc and getting good accuracy.

anyone else having similar loads with clays or unique they like?

 

[colt_saa]

Since the 70s, I have been loading 5.5 grains of Unique behind a hard cast 158 grain SWC into 357 Magnum cases

 

[Nevada Ed]

My slowest 158 Lwc loads came with Bullseye at 755fps and
Trail Boss at 788fps that had good accuracy out of a 6" barrel 686
with a long .357 case.

5.7 grs of Unique on 2/28/2010 ..... had a poor patten where
the same amount with Red Dot cut the group in half.
Try Unique at 6.0 grs if you want a light load (cci 500) per my notes.

Never tried Clays in a 38/357...... sorry.
Universal Clays at 6.5 out of my 6" did..... 1156fps.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

Hodgdons indeed has a Clays load using a 158gr LSWC and 3.2gr (@ 867 fps) to 4.6gr (@ 1,079 fps) with a normal (for 357 Magnum) OAL of 1.610".

No need to load short, unusual need to scrub, etc. Plenty of room to experiment quite inexpensively.

I guess you'll need to find out where your 686 is most accurate by the tried 'n' true, trial & error method (just like every other load?)...

Cheers!

 

[glenwolde]

Hodgdons indeed has a Clays load using a 158gr LSWC and 3.2gr (@ 867 fps) to 4.6gr (@ 1,079 fps) with a normal (for 357 Magnum) OAL of 1.610".

No need to load short, unusual need to scrub, etc. Plenty of room to experiment quite inexpensively.

I guess you'll need to find out where your 686 is most accurate by the tried 'n' true, trial & error method (just like every other load?)...

Cheers!

Whooop there it is!

Reloading Data Center | Hodgdon

 

[cowboy4evr]

When I wanted a light , target load using 357 cases and 158 gr cast bullet I found that 5.0 grs of Red Dot was both accurate , clean shooting and a great , light recoil target load .
I have quite a bit of a now discontinued powder , " IMR 7625 " . I found that 5.5 grs using 158 gr was another ideal light target load . These loads are great for starting someone to shooting 357 magnum loads instead of 38 special . Regards Paul

 

[SS336]

I like 6.0gr of Unique with a 158gr SWC for just fun at the range shooting. Easy to shoot and accurate in my .357mag revolvers.
It might work well for you too.

 

[kenjen]

11grs. of 2400 is as lite as I go with a 158gr LSW. easy on the gun and the person shooting it.

 

[AlHunt]

but i found i had someClays powder and found a post of someone loading.357 putting 3.4 grains behind 158 lswc and getting good accuracy.

Of course, you'll remember to always check things like this against data published in reliable manuals or manufacturers websites.

Looks like Hogdon says this is ok.

 

[Nevada Ed]

11grs. of 2400 is as lite as I go with a 158gr LSW. easy on the gun and the person shooting it.

5/9/2013
Mag-Tec 158 LRN ...... cci500
11.4 gr 2400 ........... 1039 fps
6" S&W 686 ......... OAL 1.66"
10 yards c/o chrony work up ........... 5 @ 1.25"

Options;
HS-6 ... 9.5 grs
CFEp ... 6.6

 

[Maurice H]

i like shooting .38spl loads through my 686 but hate scrubbingthe cylinder after each session so i can chamber .357.

What's the pull-down on your 38 loads and how many 38 rnds until you have a 357 problem?
I do the usual cleaning with solvent/brush/patches and haven't seen carbon rings resisting 357 cases.

 

[cowboy4evr]

I talked to a lady that worked in a gun shop in Az . She had bought a Colt Trooper , marked on the barrel for 357 caliber , didn't say which model . Anyway she couldn't chamber a 357 round . She could chamber a 38 special . The previous owner had been a competition shooter and only used 38 special rounds and never cleaned the cylinder . She took it to a local gun smith . He soaked the cylinder in Kroil for 2 days , then used a bronze bore brush to clean the cylinder . After that no problem using 357 rounds . That's the worse case of " crud ring " I have ever heard of . Regards Paul

 

[ike1518]

For the same reason I load light 357 magnum rounds with HP38. Some powders can be reduced better than others and HP38 has published data on the Hodgdon website for light 357 loads with 158 SWC. Been shooting them for years and they work very well.

 

[SLT223]

I’ve used 3.8 to 4.0 gr of Clays behind 158s in 357 brass. If you run plated or coated, you will only have to wipe down the gun after a couple hundred rounds. These are some clean and accurate loads. Same deal with 5 to 6 grains of clays under 200Gr RN in 44 Mag brass.

 

[terry_tr6]

0.5 grain sure made a difference. i started at 3.6 clays, then 4.0 and finally 4.5. the 3.6 and 4.0 were pretty close in size and nothing to write home about. made a second batch at 4.5g of clays and did some 150 coated brazos bullets and some regular lead. the brazo were jut a bit better than the plain lead.

 

[Biggfoot44]

* For Me * , most of my
357s shot well enough with .38 cases , I kept by chambers brushed , and I had access to lots of .38 range brass .

I will observe no need to seat deep to .38spl COL , just use the crimp groove as intended .

 

[sourdough44]

I’m in the middle of 38 spcl & light 357 loading now, 125-130 grain bullets. The 38 spcl is with Win-231/HP-38, 5.5-5.6 grains. These are plated HP bullets.

My 357 loads are with 130 grain hp bullets. I loaded at the very low end with H Universal.

 

[gwpercle]

Unique powder doesn't work well at super light loads ... I tried for years but the truth is it needs a certain amount of pressure to burn completely and cleanly ... get below that pressure and you get incomplete burn and the term " It's a dirty powder" gets tagged on it .

With 148 grain WC (or 150 grain SWC ), in 357 magnum cases , don't go below 4.5 grains (going lower is below it's required pressur limit)
You can go up to 7.0 grains in 357 magnum .
7.0 grains may be heavier than what you want ... start off with some test loads at 5.5 grs , 5.75 grs. and 6.0 grs and see how they work .

My pet load , in 357 mag. brass or +P 38 special brass is 5.5 grs. Unique with a cast 148 gr. WC or lately a 160 gr. WC (Lyman #358432) .

I have no info on Clays ... I have shied away from using it because there are several powders sold as Clays :
Clays
Sporting Clays
Universal Clays
Clay Dot
With this many powders with the word Clay in the name ...it's hard to figure out who's talking about what . I'm too old to try keeping all the clays straight when so many other powders with a single name are out there .
Bullseye ...no confusion and a great "Light Load" Powder !
Gary

 

[jculloden]

3.5gr. VV 320 pushing Zero 158gr LSWCHP with Federal SR Match primers
Excellent

 

[STORMINORMAN]

I’m in the middle of 38 spcl & light 357 loading now, 125-130 grain bullets. The 38 spcl is with Win-231/HP-38, 5.5-5.6 grains. These are plated HP bullets.

My 357 loads are with 130 grain hp bullets. I loaded at the very low end with H Universal.

IMHO 5.5-5.6gr WIN231 might be in 357 Magnum range (pressure wise) with a plated 130gr bullet: what are you shooting these from?

Jus' askin'...?

Cheers!