357 Magnum Unique load 158 Gran bullet

[mookiie]

Does anyone have a good load for the 357 Magnum? I am using 158 grn bullets cast from a 50/50 mixture of lead and Linotype. Any help would be appreciated.

[Airman Basic]

I've noticed that several handbooks don't list Unique loads for 357. Don't know why. I favor 7.5 grains with my 150 grain RCBS semi-wadcutter.

[mookiie]

Do you use magnum or regular primers for that load? Thanks for the reply!

[detox]

Alliant recommends CCI Small Pistol primers (non magnum) in their online reloading data. I get lower velocity spread using standard primers also.

[knifemaker]

You will have no problem getting a good burn with standard primers with 7.5 gr. of Unique. I never use magnum primers with handgun loads using Unique and have gotten excellant accuracy and consistant velocity between shots.

[mookiie]

I thought so - I use Unique for my jacketed 357 bullets and I use standard primers for that. Thanks for the replies fellas!

[detox]

The believe Unique has the perfect burning rate for 158gr cast boolits in 357 magnum (under 1000fps). Bullseye is a little too fast and 2400 is a little too slow.

[HATCH]

UNIQUE 7.3 MEASURED 1216 fps standard dev is 9
Its a great load and very accurate.
Keep in mind that this was using a specific lot of powder and your data may be different.

[wistlepig1]

My standard 357 load, UNIQUE 7.5 1250 fps, 158 SWC with chex, CCI SP primer (not Mag). It is a good load and very accurate in my 8 3/8" SW 28. Always start at 10% less Unique, my lot is 10 years old. All loads that I tried above 7.5, MY accuracy went south. In my 44 frame, 357 the recoil is mild but would guess in a SW 66 frame or similar frame, it would kick. As the lawyer say " past results are no guarantee of future results" Good shootin martin

[Rex]

I don't load 158 grain bullets but do load a 165 and 150 grain. 7 grains Unique with the 165 grain bullet in 357 case with any primer out of my 4" L frame over my Chrony gives me 1100 fps and is very accurate and easy to shoot. The bullet is a 358665 with a good flat nose and if cast fairly soft I believe it is about all the load I'll ever need. The 150 grain is used in 38 Special cases. Load it with 6 grains Unique in the above revolver gives 1050 fps and over 4.6 HP-38 is a great practice load.

[mdi]

The very best load for my .357 Magnum came right out of one of my reloading manuals, prolly Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook. I bet there's one in your manual, you do have some manuals, don't you?

I usually start out with the starting loads listed and go higher 'till I find the "sweet spot"...

[youngda9]

I got a great deal for 2 cents each a while back on 10K magnum primers so I backed off the load from 7.5 to 7.0 grains for the 158gr (shooting the Lee RNFP design cast from ACWW) and have shot many thousands that way.

[tappedandtagged]

Use a .380 ACP case as a dipper. I wrapped a stiff wire around the extractor groove and made a handle. Dips out just over 6 grains of Unique, perfect for those plinking loads.

I wonder what a 9mm case would drop?

[detox]

My RCBS Pistol Powder measure with smaller chamber throws Unique powder verywell. My rifle version not so well...more hang ups because of larger diameter chamber.

IMO the slower burning rate of Unique vs. Bullseye is easier on soft lead boolits (less deformation when fired)

[mookiie]

The very best load for my .357 Magnum came right out of one of my reloading manuals, prolly Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook. I bet there's one in your manual, you do have some manuals, don't you?

I usually start out with the starting loads listed and go higher 'till I find the "sweet spot"...

Yes I have that very manual but data for unique and a 158 grn bullet is not in hence the post!

[mookiie]

I am using a 1 lb lead to 1 lb Linotype without gas checks. What mixture is best in you opinion for the unique load?

[jonp]

50th Anniversary Blackhawk
6.2gr Unique
158gr lswc
25yrds
3 Rounds
84723

[Love Life]

Did you only take one shot?

[jonp]

3. Amended post. I did this last week while home on vacation with 15yr old Unique and the remains of a box of DownEast Bullets I keep there at my hunting camp for plinking.
I like my Blackhawk. It makes me look much better than I am.

[jonp]

Did you only take one shot?

If you were asking about that attachment then that was one shot from a new 45Colt I took. I don't know how that got in there. I wish I could put 3 into one circle like that from any distance.

[mdi]

Yes I have that very manual but data for unique and a 158 grn bullet is not in hence the post!
My apologies! I was thinking .38 Special. Yer right, no Unique loads with a 158 gr. bullet listed...:oops:

I've been using 6.3 gr. Unique (6.0-6.8) under my cast Lachmiller 158 gr. SWC running about 13 BHN. Got sub 2" groups at 50 ft. (indoors) from my 4" .357 Taurus...

[mookiie]

MDI - thanks for the info I will also be using a Taurus with a 4 inch barrel. Hopefully mine will like this load as well!

[olafhardt]

I like to use lee dippers. According to the chart I downloaded, the 0.7 cc dipper drops 6.4 grains of Unique. We use this under some 158 grain swc's I bought somewhere sometime. The load is probably sub-sonic as it has less noise than a full load. With ACWW it would in the 22 lr price range and it hits pretty hard.

[Newtire]

Did you only take one shot?That looks like one of my one shot groups except mine don't usually hit the red part of the target. Seriously, good shooting jonp.

[rockshooter]

Newtire:
I was impressed with your 300 yd group with your .444 yesterday with all shots in the mountain!
Loren

[Char-Gar]

Unique will do well in the 357 Magnum with standard primers. My counsel is to stick to loads 1,100 fps or lower. Why? Because when you get to top end loads, Unique is fast enough to push you over the red line with fairly small additional amounts of powder.

[onceabull]

Loren: If you were watching him shoot the 444 he got from me,you shouldn't be surprised---It almost shoots itself....& remember it is a SERIOUS coyote killer....:veryconfu Onceabull

[gwpercle]

My favorite 357 load in my old three screw Ruger Blackhawk was the Lyman #358156, 155 grain SWC, with gas check , 7.5 grains of Unique ( that's the old " dirty "formula stuff) and a standard pistol primer . That was a fairly stout load but the Blackhawk was a stout single action.

Which got me to thinking, I still have some of the old "dirty" Unique squirreled away in a closet. Found it, about two pounds left in that four pound container [smilie=w: , in good condition so I'm not going to let it go to waste in this time of " no powder".
Gary

[texasbilly]

I used a Lyman 358156 mold to cast 158 grain SWC/GC boolits from linotype or foundry type. With these hard boolits, I loaded 357 magnum cases with small pistol magnum primers, 296 powder, and a good crimp. The results were always excellent. I found the combination superior to any other combination of boolit, primer, and powder.

[Newtire]

Newtire:
I was impressed with your 300 yd group with your .444 yesterday with all shots in the mountain!
LorenYessir, and that is repeatable almost every time!