Using 125gr Berry's HP for 357mag?

[psychephylax]

I have a bunch of 125gr Berry's hollow point bullets I use for .38 special reloading but I want to get my feet wet loading 357 Mag and was wondering if anyone has tried using Berry's bullets for mild 357 magnum loads. I know they say the plating can separate from the bullet at magnum velocities......

I'm thinking of using Unique/AA#7/Clays/W231 as my powder (whichever one has a recipe)...

 

[OKFC05]

FAQ: How fast can I shoot these bullets?
Velocities depend on the caliber, but as a rule of thumb, we recommend you don't shoot our plated bullets over 1200 feet-per-second. Our 44's actually shoot best around 1150 fps. 45's are generally good at 850-900 fps. Our bullets are not recommended for magnum velocities.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Berry's Manufacturing

 

[psychephylax]

that's great but doesn't answer my question....has anyone TRIED Berry's in .357 mag at lower velocities and can share their experience?

 

[Rule3]

If you stay at the lower limits, you can load 357 Mags, they will not be true Magnums but as you state you are starting out on them, it might be a good place to start

The Hodgdon website lists a 125gr lead using W231. start at the low and work up. Most plated bullets are fine in the midrange of FMJ data. I have their plated bullets and have not used this load but would.

125 GR. CAST LRNFP Winchester 231 .358" 1.580" 4.6 1052 13,800 CUP 5.5 1185 18,800 CUP


Cartridge Loads - Hodgdon Reloading Data Center - data.hodgdon.com

 

[il Padrino]

If you stay at the lower limits, you can load 357 Mags, they will not be true Magnums but as you state you are starting out on them, it might be a good place to start

The Hodgdon website lists a 125gr lead using W231. start at the low and work up. Most plated bullets are fine in the midrange of lead data. I have their plated bullets and have not used this load but would.

125 GR. CAST LRNFP Winchester 231 .358" 1.580" 4.6 1052 13,800 CUP 5.5 1185 18,800 CUP

I've been loading Berry's 125gr plated flat points, using Win 231 right at the mid point of the above Hodgdon data for 125 gr cast lrnfp. They shot cleaner than lead although not as potent as a magnum load are perfect/accurate for target shooting and plinking.


Cartridge Loads - Hodgdon Reloading Data Center - data.hodgdon.com

 

[My Eye!]

I've been using Berry's 125 gr. flat points with 7.7 gr. Bullseye in my 686. I've gone through about a thousand of them and love the load. It groups at 1.25 inches from the bag at 25 yards, shoots real flat out to 100, and seems to get there in a hurry. I've got the progressive set up for crankin them out, and will be burning them for awhile. Jim

 

[psychephylax]

thanks, this is for a 686 with a 4" barrel so I will give it a shot with some W231 and Bullseye (I do have an 8lb jug of Bullseye I haven't cracked open yet)

 

[My Eye!]

thanks, this is for a 686 with a 4" barrel so I will give it a shot with some W231 and Bullseye (I do have an 8lb jug of Bullseye I haven't cracked open yet)

If my 8 lb. jug of Bullseye hadn't been opened yet I'd be a happier man than I am right now. Mine's almost empty. I guess an eight pound jug is good for about eight or nine thousand rounds of very accurate, medium power rounds of 357 ammo; or many more 38 Special.

The two books I've got that show the most loads with it are Speer #11, and Lyman 47th. When ya get to thumbing through them, you get to wondering why you would buy any other powder. You can do just about anything with it (within reason).

I haven't seen Berry's 125 gr. hollow-points, and didn't know they existed. I'd be interested in knowing if they are as accurate as the flat points, and if they expand at the 1200 fps velocity that we should be shooting them at.

Happy shooting, and enjoy your Bullseye ya lucky dog. Jim

 

[Nathan Forrest]

Rainer plated 125 gr flat point 6.2 gr Unique chrono'd at 934 f/s

 

[gboling]

Plated bullets can peel

If my 8 lb. jug of Bullseye hadn't been opened yet I'd be a happier man than I am right now. Mine's almost empty. I guess an eight pound jug is good for about eight or nine thousand rounds of very accurate, medium power rounds of 357 ammo; or many more 38 Special.

The two books I've got that show the most loads with it are Speer #11, and Lyman 47th. When ya get to thumbing through them, you get to wondering why you would buy any other powder. You can do just about anything with it (within reason).

I haven't seen Berry's 125 gr. hollow-points, and didn't know they existed. I'd be interested in knowing if they are as accurate as the flat points, and if they expand at the 1200 fps velocity that we should be shooting them at.

Happy shooting, and enjoy your Bullseye ya lucky dog. Jim

It has been my experience with plated bullets that the crimp required for magnum loads will cut the jacket and permit the jacked to peel off and build up in the forcing cone. They seem to work fine in all but Magnum loads.

 

[My Eye!]

It has been my experience with plated bullets that the crimp required for magnum loads will cut the jacket and permit the jacked to peel off and build up in the forcing cone. They seem to work fine in all but Magnum loads.

Hmmmm. I guess my load could be considered magnum, at about 1200 fps. I haven't noticed this problem, nor have I had any problem with "crimp jump". I'll keep my eyes open for it however. Jim

 

[TSQUARED]

I have a bunch of 125gr Berry's hollow point bullets I use for .38 special reloading but I want to get my feet wet loading 357 Mag and was wondering if anyone has tried using Berry's bullets for mild 357 magnum loads. I know they say the plating can separate from the bullet at magnum velocities......

I'm thinking of using Unique/AA#7/Clays/W231 as my powder (whichever one has a recipe)...

I have used the 125 gr. Berry's HP in 357 Magnum cases with 4.8 to 5.5 gr. American Selct and Federal 100 primers for velocities of 900 to 1050 fps. The powder burns clean and the loads are mild in terms of recoil but generate enough noise so that fellow shooters believe they are full power loads (that is a purely accidental discovery). I started at 10% over the max charge for a 125 gr. JSP in 38 Special cases (4.3 gr. American Select) and worked up to the 5.5 gr. load. I use the 4.8 gr. load for all my shooting.

 

[muleheaded]

Hi ~

Sorry in advance for my poor spelling, not much of a computer guy. Too old school for my own good.

I am a reloading instructor for Cabela's and maybe I can help.

Berry's and Rainer are just very thinly plated cast type bullets. The thin layer of copper helps to reduce the fouling and will only reduce the resistance of the bullet traveling thru the barrel slightly. They are ment to be loaded using regular cast bullet loads. The plateing will reduce the drag just a bit so the velocity will drop very slightly. Remember, the less resistance the bullet gives the more powder/gas it takes to create the pressure. The difference between cast and plated bullets are so small, load these using standard cast bullets loads. There will not be enough changes in speed and accuacey to be of any notice. This is also how Berry's recommends loading these.

The plating will not hold up to Mag loads at higher speeds but with pistol, the more accurate loads are usually at slower, lower loads anyway.

Hope this will help instill more comfidence went picking a load for you.

 

[Rule3]

Hi ~

Sorry in advance for my poor spelling, not much of a computer guy. Too old school for my own good.

I am a reloading instructor for Cabela's and maybe I can help.

Berry's and Rainer are just very thinly plated cast type bullets. The thin layer of copper helps to reduce the fouling and will only reduce the resistance of the bullet traveling thru the barrel slightly. They are ment to be loaded using regular cast bullet loads. The plateing will reduce the drag just a bit so the velocity will drop very slightly. Remember, the less resistance the bullet gives the more powder/gas it takes to create the pressure. The difference between cast and plated bullets are so small, load these using standard cast bullets loads. There will not be enough changes in speed and accuacey to be of any notice. This is also how Berry's recommends loading these.

The plating will not hold up to Mag loads at higher speeds but with pistol, the more accurate loads are usually at slower, lower loads anyway.

Hope this will help instill more comfidence went picking a load for you.

Welcome to the Club!

 

[Skip Sackett]

Hi ~

Sorry in advance for my poor spelling, not much of a computer guy. Too old school for my own good.

Well, let me see if I can help. While this is a gun forum and the reloading section of that, it may just be a place where all of us can learn something, even if it isn't about guns!

(p.s. Welcome to the forum!)

At the top of the box for quick posting there is a button with a "check mark" by an "ABC". You can get a spell check right there.

If you click on the "Go Advanced" button a new user interface will pop up. In the upper right corner there is a button with a "check mark" by an "ABC". After typing your message, just click that and you will get a spell check window that comes up.

There are other ways too.
#1: Do an Internet search for IE Spell. It is a free add on to Internet Explorer. It can help with corrections as you type.

#2: Do an Internet search for IEPro7. It has the same features as mentioned above. It is a free ware as well. (This is what I use.)

#3: Do an Internet search for Mozilla. Mozilla has a built in spell checker. It is a free ware too and takes the place of Internet Explorer.

Many ways to get there from here. If you need any help getting these things installed, give me a bump on the private messenger function on the forum.

Glad to help if I can.

 

[WVfishguy]

I've reloaded hundreds of .357 caliber Berry Bullets, both 125 grain flat point and 158 HP.

I push these plated bullets at about 1,000 fps (Using a F-1 Shooting Chrony) with 7.3 gr. of Herco using .38 special cases in 4" .357 magnum revolvers. I use standard small pistol primers - NOT magnum primers.

I like this load because it is extremely clean. I used Unique for many years (like everyone else), but I switched to Herco because it is so much cleaner.

Here's the rub: I use a Lee turret press. If I do not use a 4 die set when reloading plated bullets, I have trouble unloading the fired cases. The use of the fourth die, the optional crimping die, eliminated the problem of hard to eject empties.

One more thing about Berry Bullets: I've noticed a huge variation in FPS with plated bullets, up to 100 fps difference between rounds. I don't see this much variation with jacketed of lead bullets.

I'm going to post this as a new thread, because I have not seen where anyone else has mentioned these things.

 

[buckshotshorty]

I posted this in another thread. My resonse from Berry's on an inquiry about load data:

''All of our standard caliber copper plated pistol bullets share only two limitations - which are:

NO velocities over 1200 FPS and for revolver bullets NO heavy roll crimps.

45 Acp data for FMJ bullets works very well with our bullets and Recent Speer Manuals have good data for their copper plated ( TMJ & GD-HP ) bullets and in many cases that data will apply to our bullets - following the above limitations.

Good Shooting,

Bud Watson
Berrys Mfg Inc"


pb

 

[eddie h]

berrys

I have shoot 1000"s of berrye bullets in 357 some 158 and 125 and never had a problem the 158 were set at 1050 to 1100 fps,,only problem now is thier price wow they are proud of them now..

 

[psychephylax]

Old thread but I figured I'll update it....

I finally got a chance to load up some .357 Magnum with 125 gr Berry's HP bullets. I wound up making a trial batch of 5 grain W231 set to an OAL that's on OCD1's post....

I was kind of surprised at how they turned out...Pretty accurate (I need a little more practice but I did get 13 out of 18 on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper from 50 feet), loud but not obnoxious and no heavy recoil/push into your hand like I had with Federal 357 mag ammo I had previously bought.

I'd say the load is probably about a .38 special +P or a little bit higher. The plating didn't separate...and looking at the Hodgdon load data on their website, I'd say they only go at about 1050 fps.

I want to pick up some 2400 next...

 

[AzShooter]

I've not had any luck with Berry Bullets. I ordered 1000 .357 125 grainers and they were all missized. 400 came in at .355 about 250 at .356 and the remainder .3657 to .357.

Never could get them to group. When I called to tell them about it I was told I just didn't know how to mike my bullets. Had they told mem to send them back for an exchange things may have been different but when a company treats me like that I can no longer recommend their products.

I finally gave them to another shooter. Told him the problem but he didn't care. He just wants something to go down range and is not interested with accuracy.