What is your personal favorite .357 mag load?

[adagna]

I am going to be getting back into reloading, and probably will pick up something else to compare to my Unique that I have been exclusively using for the last 15 years or so.

So what is your favorite powder, primer, bullet combo recipe?

 

[OKFC05]

Unique can't make a true magnum load.
Try H110/296 for full-house magnums. Data on Hodgdon website.

 

[VAdoublegunner]

It depends on the purpose.

In just about any handgun in that chambering, a Rem 140gr JHP and a just under max load of Blue Dot has proven to be very effective and accurate for me. Nothing wrong with Hornady 158 XTPs and WW296 either, but it is more difficult to download WW296.

For a carbine I like a Hornady 180 XTP and a max load of Lil'Gun. Lil'Gun does not work so well in short barrels, and prefers heavy for caliber bullets, but will give some very impressive ballistics in a 357 carbine, rivaling or exceeding the 30-30 as a game round. As an HD/PD carbine I imagine it would be devastatingly effective.

 

[johngalt]

Lately I've been using 14.0 gr 2400 under a 160 gr LSWC for full power stuff. For mid-level loads I use 5.0 gr Unique under the same LSWC. My target load is 2.8 gr Bullseye under a 148 gr HBWC, all in .357 brass.

 

[bmcgilvray]

I too only utilize .357 Magnum brass for all my loads.

15.0 grains of 2400 beneath a cast lead 158 grain SWC is my favorite .357 Magnum load. This powder charge also happens to work well with 158 grain jacketed bullets in my Model 27.

17.0 grains of H 110 and a 158 grain jacketed bullet makes another good full power load.

A target load of 5.0 grains of Unique and a 158 grain lead SWC has seen most use in the past couple of years.

 

[recurve]

I have killed 2 deer and 2 hogs with a load of 13.5 grains of H110 and 158 gr. xtp. The deer with a S&W 66. The hogs with a Marlin rifle.


JIM

 

[Wayne M]

158gr Penn TC or SWC over 12.5gr AA#9. Runs an honest 1250fps in 6" and is superbly accurate. Next would be any 158gr JHP over the same powder charge for the same velocity range. These are the best combos I've found to date.

 

[Forester]

14 grains of 2400 under a 158 grain TVB LSWC.

 

[nitesite]

14 grains of 2400 under a 158 grain TVB LSWC.

Yep, that's the same for me, with a Fed 100 primer. I like shooting a load that is nearly identical to what fellows did sixty years ago.

 

[imashooter2]

10.5 grains of Alliant 2400 under a SAECO #353 180 grain RNFP, Federal Small Pistol primer, Remington brass.

 

[Landric]

I am currently enjoying 13 grains of 2400 with a Keith 358429 170 grain SWC. Its not full power, but its not weak either. I'm still working on a good 200 grain load. I started with 9.5 grains of 2400, but that was pretty weak, and I hesitate to call it a magnum load, even though it was in magnum brass.

 

[canoe on the yukon]

In 357 mag brass.....

Speer 125 gr JHP......21.0 gr of W296 w/mag primer


or

17.5 gr of 2400 w/standard primer


........................................................................................................


Speer 158 gr JHP......16.5 gr of W296 w/mag primer

or

..............................15.0 gr of 2400 w/standard primer


*****Whenever using bullets of different brands,drop down and work back up,different bullets will yield different pressure/velocity with the same charge even though the same type and weight.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

A 173 grain 358429 over 14 grains of 2400.

 

[pps]

Yep, that's the same for me, with a Fed 100 primer. I like shooting a load that is nearly identical to what fellows did sixty years ago.

+1

And the 185gr Beartooth LBT over 15.8gr of h110 for 1200fps of bone smaking delight isn't to bad either.

 

[LazarusLong]

12.5-13 grains of 2400 under a ~175 grain LSWC in a .38 case.

 

[tops]

158 gr. SWC with 15 grs. 2400 will do over 1400 in a 6 in. barrel. Been shooting it since 1965. Larry

 

[smith57]

180 gr WFN-GC Cast Performance bullet over 9.5 gr Blue Dot gives 1245 fps from my 4" bbl 686-3. This is my winter woods load.

 

[michael thornton]

158 jhp over 14.8 2400, my book shows this at max, my plinker load is 158 cast swc over 6.0 unique shoot great in my 4 inch 27-2 mike

 

[Hook686]

I like 13.6 grains of 2400 with mag primers and a 158 grain SJSP bullet. As a bonus, I do not worry about my powder dispenser acting quirky and dropping up to +/- .5 grains of 2400, as 14.1 grains of 2400 is still well below maximum load, at least according to Alliant.

 

[buck460XVR]

For plinkin' with both the 6'' 686 and the 20'' carbine, I like 7.4 grns. of Unique under a Remmie SJHP using a standard small pistol primer.

For hunting with the 686 I like 15.5 grains of H110/W296 under a 158 Hornady XTP-FP or Speer JSP with a small magnum pistol primer. The carbine prefers 16.5 grns. of IMR4227 and a small pistol primer under either of the same bullets