.357 6" Barrel for 1050 fps ?

[Low Budget Shooter]

Friends, the kids and I are practicing hitting the new 200 yard steel silhouette at our club with our 6" model 19-3. This is great fun, and I'm trying to enjoy it with the younger kids while they are still with me. The older kids have moved out, and I miss them. Anyway . . .

In 357 Magnum brass, I'm loading two bullets:

RCBS 38-150-K about 155 grains

MP version of 358429 about 168 grains

I have these powders to use: BE-86, Unique, 2400, Red Dot

I'd like to shoot between 1000 fps and 1100 fps, hopefully closer to 1100, and keep the pressure as low as can be and still do the job. I know approximately what to use, so I don't need you to tell me, "somewhere between 5.5 and 7.0 grains of Unique." Instead, would you please tell me your best guess or knowledge from experience to help me narrow the range, so I can start serious testing already real close?

Thanks!

Jeff

[Kraschenbirn]

Just to point you in the right general direction, I'm shooting the Arsenal 360-162RF, PC'd and sized .358 loaded over 6.2 gr. Unique. Chronos right at 1050 from a 4" Ruger Match Champion and 1140 from a 6" S&W 586...equally accurate from both guns. No chrono numbers but same load holds minute of Gatorade bottle at 100 yards from my Rossi 92. Hard to beat for economy...1000+ rounds from a pound of powder.

Bill

[MT Gianni]

B/C gap will figure in there, I second the need for a cheap chronograph.

[Thumbcocker]

5.0 of red dot will put you close.

[GhostHawk]

I run 4.6 grains of Red Dot in my Handi rifle below a 158 gr round nose lee bullet.

It stacks em up pretty nice. But I have no idea on speed.

[Bookworm]

You say you have BE86. I ran some loads with Universal, which is very, very close in burn rate to BE86.
In my 6" GP-100, 5.9g of Universal under a LEE TL358-158-2R (a round nose design) gave me 1009 fps. The Lee boolit drops at 160-161g for me.
Hodgdon allows up to 6.2 with Universal.

Another response gave 6.2 Unique.

Unique, Universal, and BE86 are all side by side on the burn charts.

If that info doesn't get you close, I don't know what will.

[Ed_Shot]

5.0 of red dot will put you close.

+1 for Red Dot 5.0

[Low Budget Shooter]

Thanks, fellars for the info!

[Scharfschuetze]

I also enjoy shooting my revolvers at extended range with loads of about 1,000 fps. My favorite revolver for that pursuit is a 6" Model 28 S&W. While my favorite load uses different components than yours, it may be of interest for those using 231 powder.

147 grain 9mm cast bullet sized to .358"
357 cases, CCI 500 SP primer, light roll crimp over the start of the bullet's ogive
6.0 grains of Winchester 231

Ave: 991 fps, Es: 78, Sd: 26 for 12 shots over the chronograph

For really serious long range shooting, I use a 180 grain cast bullet over Lil'Gun powder, but it isn't nearly as much fun as using the light 147 grain load.

[TCLouis]

The load is already posted twice here, but google "Skelton My Friend the 357".

I hads a 6" Model 66 that never launched cast boolits to my satisfaction and a Group Buy mold that never was stellar performer..
Used the Red Dot load listed in Skelton's article and that non-performing boolit and immediately came back and loaded up 100 more.
Love it when some combination is finally found to provide precise loads.

[dhom]

My 6" GP100 shoots the 358429 cast weighing 170 gr an average of 1060 fps with 6.4 gr unique and a standard win primer. Groups in the 3" range at 100 yds with a Vortec Venom. [3 MOA dot]

[Low Budget Shooter]

Thanks for the info, very helpful!

[358 Win]

Like others posted here, my Lyman 358477 154 grain plain based SWC boolit does 1000 fps from my 4" S&W 19-4 with 5.0 grains of RED DOT or BULLSEYE. Accuracy is match grade also.

358 Win

[Low Budget Shooter]

Roger.

[MT Gianni]

Rumor has it Lyman 50 has the 358156 at 5.4 gr Unique for a +P load in 38 special. They go close to 1000 fps from a 6" 38.