Favorite .357 load?

[375supermag]

Hi...

I shoot several different loads out of a half-dozen .357Mag handguns.

My son and I shoot thousands of one particular load each year. I load a 158gr commercial cast LSWC over 9.8grs of Blue Dot.
This load shoots well out of my BlackHawks, Troopers and S&W 686 Silhouette Model.

A friend shoots it in his GP100 with good success as well.

This is our plinking and target shooting load and it works well for that purpose.
I do load some heavier loads with Hornady 125, 158 and 180gr HP/XTPs, but we shoot far fewer of those loads each year. Maybe a few hundred of each. I am the only one who shoots those loads as they are fairly heavy recoiling. I keep a few hundred of each loaded in case I want to use a .357Mag for hunting (deer and groundhogs).

[chboats]

I have 3 different 357s, Ruger BH, Ruger security six and a SW 27. All of them like 12gr of 2400 with almost any boolit from the 155gr 358477 to NOE 358180 RNFP including 160gr swc. 173 Keith swc and a 160gr RNFP. It is not a max load with any of the boolits except the 180gr RNFP.

Carl

[pmeisel]

I like 12 of 2400 under 158 grains for lots of practice. I up it to 13.5 if I want more power. But I think the 12 grain load would kill a deer OK. Been using it for years.

[daniel lawecki]

Little H110 behind 158gr cast boolit doesn't hurt 14.5 grs for about 1450fps.

[saz]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I had to send the dies back, the sizing die was pretty messed up. There was a burr on the carbide ring that would GOUGE the heck out of the case. So deep I figured the case would rupture even with a mouse fart load........ Have a new set on order now......

[rintinglen]

15.7 grains H-110 under a RCBS 38-162 SWC GC (a 358-156 clone) works wonderfully well for me when I want full power. Otherwise, the 358-477 with 7.0 grains of Unique or 7.2 grains of Herco gets the call. I have been shooting a MP 359-640 HP a lot lately with 6.5 grains of Unique or 7.0 Power Pistol.