Needing a little load clarity.

[Leatherhead Bullets]

I am prepping to load a 158 grn SWC (Keith style) coated with Hi-teck over Unique or Green Dot. I have a couple load manuals and have checked out several online resources. For Unique, Hornady advises 5 grns as max, Lee is 6 max, hand loads.com has 6.8 as max. Also, standard coal is listed at 1.58-.59". I am not at the crimp ring with trimmed brass until 1.53-55". Any advise would be helpful. BTW,not going to shoot max, just looking for boundaries.

Thanks

[Blammer]

I would start at the minimum load and work up. Your gun will tell you what it likes. I suspect you'll find a good load before you get to max.

If you don't want to work up a load, pick one that is in the middle of the min and max load and go.

[texassako]

Lee tends to copy the powder makers' free data when it is available, I think. Alliant lists 6 gr max at 1.57" for Unique and a CCI 500 primer. The Hornady load probably uses a magnum primer, or at least the load data I have using Hornady bullets uses a Win SPM primer.

[Outpost75]

In .38 Special brass 4 grains of Unique is a good start load at the shorter OAL 1.50-1.52"

In .357 brass 5 grains is a good start at 1.55 minimum up to 1.59" OAL, 6 graibs approximates. 38 Spl. +P in. 357 cases.

[GP100man]

Go to the crimp groove, 1.590" is max oal for any 357 mag cartridge.

The swc is the most varied/copied boolit there is , the body lengths vary also. That means the avaible space in the case varies, affecting pressures, so start with the starting load & work up.

I usually load 5 at the time & climb the ladder. But I have a range off my back porch so testing can go fairly fast/easy , if you have to go further be sure to label clearly whats/what.

GP

[Maven]

Idaho Fireman, Why not go to the source? http://www.alliantpowder.com/reloaders/RecipeList.aspx?gtypeid=1

[GP100man]

Again ,even the alliant site names a certian bullet , probably close to your bullet & even if ya back off 10% that`d be 5.4 gr. , so ???