New handloader w/686 4 "

[DLang]

I have a 686 in 357 4" barrel. I am just beginning to reload. I have a few friends that load but no pistol shooters. I normally shoot less than 100 rds per month but winter tends to increase that. I have watched a fair amount of reloading but not much hands on.

I have a Lyman #49, Lee Loader, Ohaus beam scale and accessories.
I want to load a good medium target round that gives me a chance at good groups at the range and won't foul the barrel more than necessary.

I have not yet purchased any components but have a bucket full of brass mostly Winchester.

Where to buy bullets/powder/primer? Which to buy? I have tons of load data but thought some of your practical experience would help me start "down the road" a little. What say You ?

 

[robertrwalsh]

Buying local is handy if you can find stuff. There is a steep hazmat charge on shipping powder and unless you buy a fair amount of it you end up behind the curve. I used to buy a lot of powder from Powder Valley but the availability for any pistol powder is minimal and spotty. You have to be on the ball to get it. Also gun shows are starting to get better quantities of reloading supplies now. In California, which tends to run high, gun show prices are about $29 per pound on powder and $30-35 per thousand for primers. I have not found any noticeable difference between brands of pistol primers. Bullets are very easy right now. I often buy from Dillon Precision, Berry's and Missouri Bulllet. Shipping prices are, again, and issue. Buying local, even at a slightly higher price,often makes more sense. Have fun, be careful, enjoy.

 

[Shooter Magaven]

I started reloading when i got a 4" 686 too. Only about a year now, but in my experience, Powder will be your biggest variable. Once you find some that will work well for .357 then you can find a load for it.
I think Tightgroup is available at Recob's.
But find some local and then get the rest of the componants I.e primers (mag or std depending on powder) bullet weight, lead or jacketed, hard cast or soft, gas check or not could all be narowed down once you find an availible powder. Buying powder last will get you all frustrated and narrow your choices on what you can use successfully.

Good luck, you will get hooked, and im sure it wont be you last revolver either

 

[Old 44 Guy]

I have a 686 & load for it. Mainly I use 2400 but other powders work as well. CCI primers have always been my favorite but may not be available often.

 

[Nevada Ed]

"and won't foul the barrel more than necessary. "

Lead and copper will both "Fowl" the barrel ....
it just depends on the barrel to bullet fit and the fps involved.

Many say to "Slug" your barrel for best results and accuracy.
I have never bothered and just wing it. Solvent and a bore brush will fix things at the end of the day.

The little 110 and 125gr can have minimum recoil and fowling
if kept at light target speeds .........
Over the years I have found the 140 xtp bullet to be quite accurate in my 686 with recoil that is very manageable.

I have shot the 158gr lead in a .357 case from 788 fps to 1320 fps and the 158gr Jacket bullet from 1080 to 1340 fps over the years.
This is a matter of taste.................
and maybe a matter of what you are able to find in these times.
It is all good. You have to start some where, just relax and enjoy the ride.

Stay safe.

 

[rwsmith]

Easy components to start with....

Soft swaged lead wadcutters or semi wadcutters are great for target loads. These typically come in 148/158 grains. Speer and Hornady are two big manufacturers. There are other small manufacturers that may be cheaper.

Cast wadcutters or semi-wadcutters - Casting outfits like Missouri, Bayou and several others are a cost effective way to go.

Jacketed bullets are expensive, but are easy to reload and you can load whopper rounds. The heavier bullets work best with .357, I use a 140 gr bullet right now that is fairly light (but they were AVAILABLE) but 158 is very popular and even heavier if you want.

Plated bullets - lead bullets with a thin layer of copper as an alternate to jacketed. Cleaner than cast, but you can't push them too high and accuracy sort of depends on what kind of job the manufacturer does. Some people post good results, others not so good.

Hard cast bullets - These are a great alternative to jacketed. Not real expensive but fast lead bullets can be a bit problematic for leading in the barrel which has to be removed. Typically these have a large lube groove where a waxy lube is applied. Don't shoot 'em w/o lube

Coated bullets - This is the latest and I think the greatest thing but I haven't had enough experience to judge. I got some to try out but haven't been to the range yet.

Target rounds are best with a fast burning powder like Bullseye and good with a medium burning powder like Unique.

Medium to warm loads, Unique or another medium burning powder

Hot loads, Magnum powder like 2400, Blue Dot or Accurate #9

2400 is GREAT, easy to use but dirty for hot ones

H110 and Winchester 296 are for the hottest, but they are tricky to use and touchy.

Be sure you have primers to match your powder. Standard or Magnum.

I hope you have a reloading manual with a good 'how to' section. Read, study and absorb. You'll be needing the knowledge as you load different types of cartridges.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I have a 686 in 357 4" barrel. I am just beginning to reload... I want to load a good medium target round that gives me a chance at good groups at the range and won't foul the barrel more than necessary.

What dash model 686 do you have? The later ones have the EDM rifling & seem to be more picky about cast lead bullets, vs the old broached rifling. I've been trying to find a combination for my 686-6, with a 5" bbl, that doesn't lead the bbl. I think once my 357 cast bullets are used up I'll switch to coated or plated for it & my moderately loaded range fodder. Every gun's different but you might want to start off using something's that's more hassle-free. Just a thought.

.

 

[Goblin]

My favorite 357 load is a 158 gr hard cast lead bullet over 6.5 gr of 231. It gives about 1100 fps in my 6" guns, so it's not a true magnum, but a lot heavier than a special. It's been accurate for me, and any standard primer seems to work well. I use Meister bullets and I'm happy with them.

For an accurate special, try 2.7 -3.0 of Bullseye with a Speer 148 gr hollow-base wadcutter, but only in 38 special brass. 2.7 gr is considered a standard, but I get less leading with 3.0, you have to have enough pressure to expand the base or hot gas will blow by the bullet taking lead with it. Above 3.0 there's a risk of separation of the bullet above the hollow base, leaving part of the bullet in the barrel, so don't load these bullets hot.

 

[DLang]

BlueDot 37- I have a 686-6 Talo

 

[ironhead7544]

Plenty of info on the 357 Magnum loads on the net.

For a general practice load I use a 158 gr lead pushed about 1000 FPS.

To remove leading easily, wrap some material from a Chore Boy all copper scouring pad around a brush for a tight fit in the bore.

 

[DLang]

Correction: I have put 4" barrel all over this post and my Talo 686-6 has 3" barrel. We will call it CRS.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

BlueDot 37- I have a 686-6 Talo

Mine is a Talo also. The LGS had all three Talos in-stock when I got mine, 3", 5", & 7". Unfluted cylinder & "watermelon seed" grips.

I just ordered (500) plated Xtreme 158gr SWC bullets for mine. (They are currently only charging $5/flat rate for shipping.) I'll water down the last cast bullets I've got & slowly use them up in between these. Zero makes a good copper jacketed bullet, that's reasonably priced ($30/qty.250). I grabbed some of those at the gun show.

.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I have a Lyman #49, Lee Loader, Ohaus beam scale and accessories. I want to load a good medium target round that gives me a chance at good groups at the range and won't foul the barrel more than necessary.

Just a note on the Lee Loader, these days there are better choices for right around the same money. The Lee loader is very tedious and using a hammer to load .357 Magnum cases gets old fast.

Might I suggest a very basic Lee Single Stage press for $23.99 which is ~$4 less than the Lee Classic Loader.
https://fsreloading.com/lee-precision-reloader-press-90045.html

And a set of Lee 38/357 dies for only $25.89 and those dies can be used on any press in the future.
https://fsreloading.com/lee-precision-carbide-3-die-set-.38-special-90510.html

I'm not saying this because it's faster, even though it is, I'm saying this because it's much easier to load ammo on a press and the ammo will be made better.

Welcome to reloading!

 

[Nevada Ed]

+1;

A single stage will put out "Quality Ammo" and be a lot easier on the body and put out 4x or more in the number of loads
per hour.

"Cheap" is not always the BEST........................

 

[george_lehr]

DLang,
You're just starting out, so you probably can't quite follow someone when they throw out names like Bullseye, Titegroup, Red Dot, etc. Consult your manuals and on line reloading data sources (like Hodgdon/IMR, Alliant, etc.) and make a list of powders you think you'd use for reloading for your gun (list the manufacturer and the powder designation) and keep it handy. For medium loads, look at reloading data for cast bullets. I use 148 grain lead wad cutters for my .38 specials and my .357 magnums, loaded a little heavier than some do at 3.5 grains of Bullseye. They make beautifully punched holes in targets. My other standard load uses the 158 grain lead semi-wadcutter.
I used to get along just fine with only Bullseye, Unique and 2400 until I couldn't find them available. I needed that list to recognize and buy usable powders when I found them available.
George

 

[bigsteve113]

General target/plinking I like: 158 gr LSWC/5.0 Unique (.38 cases)
For general field load mid-range: 158 gr LSWC/7.0 Unique (.357 cases)

 

[buck460XVR]

I always suggest to new reloaders to start with a good quality jacketed bullet for revolvers, because they are the easiest to have success at. They do not need to be fit to the bore/throats, are easy to crimp and are less finicky about flare. I also suggest they use a powder that fills the case so double charges or even differences in charge rates are easy to see. Save the cast bullets using fast powders and their miniscule charge rates for later on when you are comfortable with your skill and equipment. If you are looking to duplicate factory .357s you can't beat H110/W296 and a Speer/Hornady 158 JHP over 15 gr of H110/W296 and a magnum primer. Make sure you can see the crimp roll into the cannelure when adjusting for crimp.

 

[DLang]

Thanks guys! I have a pound of Unique and 250 DEWC. I hope to get my bench set up over the holidays. I will load 38 first and then do some 357 later. I received my single stage press and 4 die set today and looking forward to getting started. I realized the Lee loader was ot the best but just wanted to keep one in my "possibles" bag.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Let us know how the DEWC work in your 686.

.

 

[rwsmith]

Nice thing about a 686.....

You can load from .38 target to full power .357s and everything in between. I've been telling people to make a list of desired components in order of preference and buy the item closest to the top when they become available. Fast powders are generally for target loads, slow powders for full power and medium burning powder for...well...medium loads.

Alliant - Any of the 'Dot' powders, Bullseye, Unique or 2400

Accurate - #2, 5, 7 or 9

Hodgdon - Titegroup, HP-38, HS-6, Universal, Long Shot, Hi Skore 700X, Trail Boss

Win- 231

All of the above are typical powders. There are some in the really slow powder for magnum loads such as Win 296 and H110 but they are less versatile than the others.