Need input: .357 Huge Fireball wanted

[adams484]

About 30 years ago I was playing with Blue Dot and light bullets. I can't remember the load, but it resulted in real fireballs. We were camping down in the national forest, and one of our guys was having a bowel problem. He'd gone in the bushes enough and wanted to go into London, the nearest town, for some genuine porcelain and TP. He left camp. About an hour later we heard his little Toyota buzzing as it returned the 4 miles or so on the trail. So I got out the M19 (I know, not the gun to use with hot light bullets) and walked over behind a tree. As he passed I touched one off up in the air. It was a fireball to behold. All the guys in camp were falling down laughing. They said it was the biggest fireball they'd ever seen out of a handgun.

Yeah I was going to mention Blue Dot too. I am a Blue Dot fan for 357 and have seen some spectacular fireballs from it but not in the lighter loads. Usually when I push it a little too far. But with a very light bullet you might not have to push too hard to get what you are after. Have fun and post some pics.

 

[mcshot]

I was disinvited from an indoor range because of the blast, flame and concussion of mid range .357s loaded with PB. Sorry, I no longer recite loads from memory. Good Luck

 

[digits]

slow burning powders

I've always had good luck with slow burning powders; 2400, H110, Accurate #9, Blue Dot, or WW296.
You may want to wear a shooting glove and attach a lanyard so you don't have to look for your derringer.

 

[mesinge2]

Here's my Sec 6:

But to me fireball equals my 44 snubbie!

 

[Gunhacker]

Contact a Gunner's Mate who served on any of the Iowa class battleships.

They used a powder "slightly" slower than 296/H110.

The second photo ought to carry a caption of "How to parallel park a battle wagon" (while simultaneously lobbing the equivalent of nine Volkswagens through the air)

 

[VAdoublegunner]

I thought I used to get pretty good fireballs out of my short barrel 686 and SP101s with Blue Dot handloads. They were impressive.

But I bought a 10" TC Contender barrel in .223 and fired it with factory white box Winchester (it seemed like a good idea at the time). Now *that* was an impressive fireball! I've been trying to top it with 45-70 loads in the 12" barrel.

 

[DWalt]

"BTW, I would NOT advise mixing either powdered aluminum or powdered magnesium into any charge. Because both of these metals burn at extremely high temperatures and the most likely result of this type of experiment would be some rather severe erosion in the barrel."

Aluminum or magnesium powder will not burn until it leaves the barrel and contacts oxygen in the air. That's why the flash occurs, just like a flashbulb.

 

[bmcgilvray]

Blue Dot it is. In spades!

Get a 1978 edition of the Sierra manual. Get a box of Sierra 110 grain JHPs. Work up to the maximum (not mild) listed load for the .357 Magnum with Blue Dot with the 110 grain bullet seated per suggested cartridge overall length. Fire in 4-inch barrel or shorter. Immediately after firing, snuff out the laces in your shoes which have just been ignited by the fire ball.

 

[captsnapshot]

Your bullet with some DGL BP lube, enough Goex FFF black powder to compress about 1/10" under that bullet, a magnum primer, and don't shoot it if your standing on a bed of dry leaves...

I second this, and do not shoot it if you`re in a sawmill either!
You probably do not need a magnum primer either, my BP loads work just fine with regular pistol primers. Large or small. With a BP load it is important to pack the powder with at least a small amount of compression.