Thinking of reloading 357 what do I need?

[max503]

Back in the day there were a number of gun writers who published reloading books that didn't have any data. They just talked about the world of reloading. Major George C. Nonte was my favorite author. John Wootters was another.
Good stuff there. I highly recommend it. Adds a lot to the hobby.
Check out the book shelf at any gun club. Might be some good reading material lurking there.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

I was thinking and wanted to know if this is everything

a single stage press (either Hornady or Rock Chucker)

Brass (saving all I shoot for now)

Bullets (Hornady FTX or Silvertips)

Gunpowder (not sure what would be best)

Single Stage Press is good enough and that is what I started with and now I am using again. (I used a progressive when I shot Competition.)

Brass; I did the same I save whatever I shot.

Bullets; I am using Hornady XTP for Home Defense and X-Treme Bullets for practice/training loads.

Gunpowder: Alliant BE-86 is a favorite.

 

[white cloud]

There is a lot of good advice here. My only additional advice is that if reloading .357 is something you enjoy then consider stocking up on components and learning to cast bullets.

 

[.38SuperMan]

People suggesting Alliant powders, Bullseye and Unique, must not have gotten the memo that they’re no longer shipping any of their powders and they’re switching over to fulfill other contracts. They’ve not said if there are any plans to ship in the future. So, unless you have a good supply I wouldn’t plan on using it even if you find a pound somewhere.

Alliant products were almost impossible to find during Covid and now what’s on shelves is all there will be. There are plenty of excellent powders that are available and produced and sold by Hodgdon. Pick one of their powders like H110, 296, Enforcer or one of the other Accurate, Winchester or Hodgdon products.

Hodgdon Powder Company – The Brand Thats True

Also Hodgdon prints a very complete magazine format loading manual that comes out each year. It’s current data for recommendedloads for a wide variety of cartridges, powders and bullets. I’ve bought several and each has new data each time it comes out. I think the price is around $15.

There’s nothing wrong with other manuals like the Speere. I probably have a half dozen manuals I’ve used over the decades and still refer to them. The only downside is that manufacturers change the names of their powders occasionally and sometimes change the powders and not the name. Examples of exact equivalent powders, HP38 and 231 are the same, HS6 and 540 are the same, N100NF and N100 are different and data is not interchangeable. These are just a couple of examples but what you find in an old manual might be the same name as a newer powder requiring different amounts of powder. They may not be interchangeable and may be dangerous.

 

[BB57]

ge

A few comments:

Organization is important as it will prevent mistakes. And having a solid mounting for the press is important.

This is a torsion beam bench I installed in the garage when we moved into our present home 10 years ago.

The design is inexpensive as it uses 3 2x4s screwed and glued into a solid beam that clamps the legs on each end between the outer and inner 2x4s. It then ties to a 4th 2x4 screwed to the studs in the wall, via 2’ to 3’ two by fours every 16”. It’s then topped with a sheet of 3/4” plywood or even better two layers of 3/4” plywood.

You don’t have to get fancy, but I added facing to mine as well as a tile surface to keep it easy to clean. I also added over head shelves with a recessed light under the lowest full sized shelf with some smaller shelves for bullets, dies, and various tools.

Brass goes underneath in 5 gallon buckets by cartridge.

I keep my primers with their box throughout the process from loading them into feed to tubes to using them on the press. It ensures you won’t start putting a magnum primer in an already hot load designed for a standard primer or have issues with poor hammer strikes with a rifle primer accidentally being loaded in a revolver load.

The same applies to powder. The only powder can that should ever be on the work surface is the one you are actively using on the press.

I also include the load data for the load currently on the press on a card in the powder hopper. If you get busy and can’t come back to the press for a few days it eliminates any doubt about the load.

A bench doesn’t have to be large and can even be portable and still be very stable.

I used this one for 15 years through a number of permanent changes of station. It’s constructed from a sheet and a half of 3/4” plywood and a few 2x4s to reinforce the base and provide support for the work surface and shelves. Weight of the lumber and the weight of components stored on the shelves provides stability. The work surface is 2 layers of 3/4” ply and is very rigid.

It will fit in a closet.

 

[BB57]

Some discussion has been made about powder but the effects of powder of recoil needs to be considered, as does barrel length.

For example, if I load a self defense load with a 125 gr XTP in a 3” .357 Magnum I need a lot of velocity for reliable expansion, but excessive recoil makes the follow up shots much slower.

That’s where a medium burn rate flake powder like Unique can be very useful. It might give up 50 fps to a slower burning colloidal ball powder like Win 296 / H110 but since the 20-21 grains of ball powder exits the muzzle at about 3 times the muzzle velocity of the bullet the load as a whole will have about 35% more recoil than a load using just 8.5-9.0 grains of Unique.

In a 6” barrel those ball powders make sense as they can boost velocity by 150 fps and while the recoil is heavy, it’s a much heavier 6” revolver that will reduce felt recoil.

Another consideration is that those colloidal ball powders create a lot of partially burned powder grains. In a revolver a grain can find its way under the ejector star and prevent a reload until you drop the rounds you are attempting to load and the brush the offending grain from under the ejector star. That’s not an issue with flake powders.

Unfortunately colloidal ball powders became the standard in the late 1960s for the .357 mag as they do create more velocity, especially in longer barrels (and are really cheap and quick to produce). The excessive recoil, particularly in short barrel .357s is perceived to just indicate more power and velocity to the shooter, because most shooters don’t chronograph their loads and never realize in a short barrel the difference is 50 fps or less and end up with excessive recoil and no real benefit.

 

[BB57]

Be aware that powder varies by lot.

A good way to see this is to look at a load manual that has data for both Win 296 and H110. Hodgdon has said four over a decade they are the same powder, one is just packaged for Winchester. It’s not uncommon to see maximum charge weight differences of .3 to .5 grains. This is direct evidence of the variation between powder lots.

That’s why you never start with a max load (or a minimum load), but rather start in the middle and develop your load from there.

Win 231 and HP38 is another example of the same powder in a different package. There are other examples, such as WW540 and HS6, W760 and H414.

Again, there is lot to lot variation so no two lots of powder are truly interchangeable until you verify the load, even when they have the same label.

In the case of Win 231 and HP38, prior to 2006 when a lot of Win 231 (made by St. Marks) was found to be outside the normal 5% spec, Hodgdon would buy it and sell it as HP38. So same powder made on the same line, but slightly wider specifications. Since 2006 they are both made to the same specification.

 

[USBP SW]

Some folks have brought up a very good point. You do need a solid backbench. I don't know what your skill level is to build it but I steered my friend toward the workbench at Harbor Freight, it is solid wood construction with three drawers and a full length shelf underneath, the last price I remember was about $180. My friend mounts everything on a wooden board that he switches out to accomplish whatever task he chooses. He stores heavy items on the shelf for added stability.

 

[rwsmith]

Good to have...

... a loading block. And you can prime the cases on the press, but I like to use a separate hand primer.

Always double check the cases with a flashlight after charging with powder. Some powders, like Bullseye and Titegroup are easy to double charge and can blow up a gun. SAFETY is PARAMOUNT.

Loading some .38s are good, but I find it better to load everything from mild to wild in .357 cases. No crud ring to brush out after shooting .38s first. You can use the same dies for .38 Special that you use for .357 if you get a spacer ring (A few bucks) to put between the die and the press to raise the dies slightly.

 

[scattershot]

In addition to the press, Powder, primers, and bullets.. weight and type are specified in loading manuals, Hornady Is a good one. You will also need a way to PRECISELY measure your powder charges. Everything else falls under the heading of “nice to have”, and you can paick it up as you go.

Keep in mind that .38 special. Dies will load .357 mag rounds, too, and that it doesn’t take much to punch a hole in a paper target or roll a tin can.

Above all, be safe and have fun.

 

[gwpercle]

Loading Manuals are Most Imprtant ... without them everything else is useless.
Hornady & Speer for jacketed bullets .
Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook for cast , coated and plated data .
Use cast bullet data to load plated lead bullets .
Lyman #51 Reloading Manual has a little jacketed and a little cast bullet data ... but is somewhat limited .
I use all 4 , because no one manual has everything in it and you want to cross reference loads ... for Safety !

Each manual has informational Chapters in them ... before and/or after the Load Data ...
My Best Advice ... Read these Informational Chapters ... you can learn a LOT from them and the pictures ... are worth a thousand words .
Good Luck
Load Safe,
Gary

 

[jb28]

Can't add much to what has already been said and didn't read every post.
I will mention that Winchester doesn't make a standard and mag primer. Their small primers say for both standard and mag loads.
That and It's the powder that dictates the need for magnum primers. If it's harder to ignite, then a mag primer is recommended. You can get "magnum" velocity without the need for magnum primers.
Ie. win 296 takes a mag primer. Aa#9 most say doesn't need one.
Get a manual and read it first is the best advice. Plus lots of forums that have great reloading advice.
Have fun. It's a great hobbie on it's own.

 

[cd228]

Can't add much to what has already been said and didn't read every post.
I will mention that Winchester doesn't make a standard and mag primer. Their small primers say for both standard and mag loads.
That and It's the powder that dictates the need for magnum primers. If it's harder to ignite, then a mag primer is recommended. You can get "magnum" velocity without the need for magnum primers.
Ie. win 296 takes a mag primer. Aa#9 most say doesn't need one.
Get a manual and read it first is the best advice. Plus lots of forums that have great reloading advice.
Have fun. It's a great hobbie on it's own.

Intresting. Looking at the latest Hodgdon manual it's got SPMs for all loads. I know a standard primer with ignite a charge of Win 231 because that's what I use in my .38 loads.

 

[cd228]

... a loading block. And you can prime the cases on the press, but I like to use a separate hand primer.

Always double check the cases with a flashlight after charging with powder. Some powders, like Bullseye and Titegroup are easy to double charge and can blow up a gun. SAFETY is PARAMOUNT.

Loading some .38s are good, but I find it better to load everything from mild to wild in .357 cases. No crud ring to brush out after shooting .38s first. You can use the same dies for .38 Special that you use for .357 if you get a spacer ring (A few bucks) to put between the die and the press to raise the dies slightly.

This is very good advice. I'd also point out that there are .357 loads published that duplicate the more manageable velocities of the .38 target loads.

 

[cd228]

On the safety side:

Eye and ear protection when working with primers. I haven't popped one reloading, but I have read about it. Also make sure the priming tool is pointed away from you.

When starting out, take it slow. Measure twice and cut once, meaning double check your load in two manuals before you load it. While few manuals will have the same case,bullet, primer powder combo, they will generally be close or the same on the powder charge and case overall length (unless there is a significant difference in bullet design).

Double check that you haven't double charged the cartridge prior to eating the bullet by comparing the powder level of a know good single charge to the one you are about to seat.

Visually inspect your brass, look for cracks, stuck reloading media, etc.

Check your primer depths once you seat them. Primers should be level with the base of the cartridge. Too high can cause an issue with cylinder rotation or chamber pressure. Too low can make it sensative or unable to fire. Upside down primers happen sometimes too, those should be discarded IMHO. I know it's tempting to try and pop them out with your resizing die, but the depriming pin looks too much like a firing pin IMHO.

Check your seating depths, too deep might cause too much pressure.

Inspect your crimps. A too light crimp could cause the bullet to jump out of the case and lock up your revolver.

Speaking of which, what are you shooting your reloads through? I would not recomend shooting them through your grandfather's old FBI model 13 heirloom, Because if you blow up the gun, you'll never replace it, unless your grandfather had a spare. I run most of my reloads through a 686-3. The Ruger GP-100 is also good for running reloads through.

Get a bullet puller for when you screw up. BPT get a second one if you break the first.

Make some dummy rounds first. That way you familiarize yourself with the process and you can confirm the measurements of the finish case. If you dummies don't fit in your revolver, you probably did something wrong.

 

[mtgianni]

IME, powders needing magnum primers are AA9, MP 300, WW 296 and H 100. All others can get by with standard.

After you have read the loading manuals, minus the load data, write down what you want to accomplish. Lets say 158 gr jacketed and 158 gr cast bullets at X velocity. Write down from the data section what 5 powders you think will get you to that velocity. There may be more than 5, but check how many grains get you there, what the pressures are when they get to that velocity and the relative burn rate of each powder. They should be close together, if not figure out why. Take the list of powders to your local shop and find out what powder they might have in stock. Do not buy more than a lb until you find out what your loads are doing.

The best thing would be Mr Shelby's way back machine to the 1990's but now is always a better time to start reloading than waiting.

 

[llowry61]

About all the good advice you can get here. Just a couple of things to think about.

I never let anyone else shoot my reloads even though I trust myself and they trust me. Not worth the potential issues that could arise.

When you start out, I would recommend loading one cartridge in the revolver and shooting it and verifying the downrange impact. A squib load can be dangerous. I did this for the first hundred or so reloads I shot.

Knocking a bullet back into the chamber from the forcing cone is less dangerous when additional chambers are not loaded.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Some of the things you need to think about:

How much ammo will you need already loaded?
How much ammo will you need to load in a year?
IS this for hobby shooting or SD/Survival?
How much money do you want to spend?
How much space do want loading to take up? Portability?

Consumables (bullets, powder, & primers) don't take a lot of space, many types of presses do!

I load a batch of 100 38 or 44 Special every year on the most primitive equipment to keep in touch with simplicity. Lyman 310 tool and dies (every thing will run $80++) or Lee Loader (all the equipment for very basic loading) Less than $40. Either system and 500 bullets, primers, & powder and small loading pamphlet will fit in a 50 Cal. ammo can. Total cost for one cartridge about $250 first batch and $150 for each 500 thereafter. (you will need a hammer or club for the Lee Loader, which comes with simple loading data and instructions)

Not fancy, very functional, also slow.

I started with a Lee Loader in 303 British, one pound of powder (IMR 3031) 100 primers, 100 Hornady bullets and 40 used brass cases (and a hammer handle to assemble them). My initial investment was less than 1/2 a day's pay. You can still start for about 1/2 a day's pay!

That was 1979, and I enjoyed it so much I'm still at it, only with much fancier/expensive equipment. I now load 117 cartridges for handguns, rifles, and shotguns.

Ivan

 

[Nevada Ed]

With the price of ammo today,

it is a Great time to load 357 Ammo !!

Have fun and stay safe.

 

[TIMETRIPPER]

I agree with the single stage press startup. You can add a multi stage setup later, but that single stage will always be useful.

Powder scale AND powder measure. A simple beam scale is easy to use and more reliable than most electronic scales. I use a 50+ year old Redding. They don't drift out of calibration like an electronic one and are unaffected by florescence lighting. You will be using it to check powder weights dispensed by your powder measure which, as previously noted, is a volumetric measurement. TBH the most consistent powder measure I own is an inexpensive Lee Perfect powder measure. New ones are around $30. Their one feature I especially like is that the powder reservoir is removable, which makes it very easy to empty out at the end of a reloading session. The bottom opens and closes with a twist. Bought mine used 15 years ago and it's still going strong.

One thing that I encourage you to practice when using a single stage setup is to seat the bullet immediately after loading powder. Take a primed, empty case, load the charge and visually confirm that the charge looks to be at the correct level. Then seat a bullet. Charging a whole loading block of cases and then seating bullets is setting you up for spills and the potential for a double charge. And adds an extra handling step.

I'll second that Harbor Freight work bench. It's solid and a good buy. Their inexpensive rock tumbler, used with stainless steel pins, is another good buy too. Does a good job on case cleaning small batches.

Whatever you decide, have fun, shoot cheap. And above all be safe!

John