Round Ball loads for .357 revolver?

[PerpetualStudent]

Hello all,

I've decided to take the plunge into casting round balls as buckshot for my shotgun but a big part of that decision was my discovery of "gallery loads" for my Dan Wesson .357 magnum (6 in barrel).

In looking around I've found some accounts using 00 buck (.32 caliber) round balls and patching them with lubed cloth (this is George Nonte's recommendation). I've found other accounts that a 000 (.36 caliber) with just a little lubricant (no patching material) is common. I haven't found a published source on that but plenty of individuals vouch for it.

I'm only going to buy 1 mold at this juncture so I'm looking for some advice from those more experienced. Should I lean towards the .36 or the .32?

Possibly relevant is that I don't have a metallic reloading press, just a Lee Loader and a scale. Nonte specifically noted in his article that his .32 caliber load could be loaded without formal tools, if the same is true of the .36 I have a slight preference for a bigger ball but if it requires sizing and crimping I'm happy to get the .32.

[MarkP]

You could thumb press in a .360 ball into a 357 case. I first saw this in the Dixie Gun Works catalog in the 70's.

[straightwall]

I have always wanted to try the .36 ball gallery load in my revolver. Maybe Trail Boss powder is a good powder to try these days. Or some pyrodex?
Let us know how it goes.

[MarkP]

You should roll the .360 balls in liquid Alox or Xlox prior to loading. Allow to dry before loading. I shot some .360 round balls out of my 350 Rem mag with surprising results. Velocity was around 850 ft/s. Your 357 loads should be similar to a 36 caliber cap & ball revolver, just slightly smaller diameter; 0.360" vs .375 /.380"

[rintinglen]

You definitely want the 000 size, not the oo. The 00 would be way too small and would not work. I shot up a box of Speer round balls some years back by loading them in 38 cases over 3.0 grains of Red Dot. I rolled them in Lee Liquid Alox. After sizing, priming,and flaring the cases, I just pushed them into the case with my thumb and crimped to remove the flare. IIRC, they shot ok at short range. I was casting my own WC's, for much less than the cost of Speer Round balls, and needed better accuracy for my efforts in PPC shooting so I never went back there in revolvers. I have given it a fling in my 45-70, but that yielded too many fliers for my use.

[71/84Mauser]

Here is a link. This is what it did and it works great with just about any flake powder, red dot, unique, etc.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6XBP2qGVwA

[35remington]

A double round ball will hit to point of aim. A single round ball load will hit well below it, necessitating cranking the adjustable sight or for a fixed sight revolver powder burn range only. My adjustable sight revolvers do not have enough adjustment to really get the job done well.

For other than extreme close range plinking or an animal caught in a trap the double ball loads are superior so give that some thought.

[Texantothecore]

You will have a good time with the roundball. I shoot roundball with my .36 Navy and it is just plain fun. Cheap too.

I use 8.1 grns of bp and they are accurate at 25 yards.

[Texantothecore]

Let me add that pure lead round balls are the way to go. The lead shot may be too hard to shoot well.

I would try both for laughs. You're entering an area in shooting in which there many variations that can be used for grins. I consider it to be one of the strong suits of revolvers.

[bedbugbilly]

I cast mine from my soft lead pot and use an old Ideal .360 RB mold. I have TL them in Alox/Paste Wax or similar. I don't load them in 357 but I do in 38 spl. and have even done some in 38 Colt Short. I just seat them so the case mouth is just beyond the center line of the ball and put a light roll crimp on them. Lot's of fun and a good cheap load to plink with.

[johnson1942]

i have a 38 special and all i usually shoot is resized roundballs bought in the bulk cheap. i got a push through .357 resizer and push .380 round balls through it and load them over blackhorn 209 powderwith a 357 60 thousands thick fiber wad between powder and ball. they are pushed even with the top of the case and roll crimped over the ball slightly. they shoot very very accurate and never lead. cheap to shoot, easy to load and accurate. i use no lube but as suggested it wouldnt hurt to coat in leealox. they, of course are not magnum loads but duplicate the loads of the 1800/s and and are only slightly hotter. the gun is a 1871 1872 open top uberti colt clone 38 special. in the very very near future im going to get a uberti 38 special man with not name handgun. will shoot the same load in it. this thanksgiveing my 14 year old grandson could keep a cylinder full in a playing card at 15 yards off hand. in the center of the card. was like watching wild bill do it, go ahead, a roundball can be lots of fun and very very accurate.

[Mica_Hiebert]

Tried 000 buck aloxed in 38 special cases they worked but I found full wad cutters to be more accurate and easier to crimp. BTW Decon mouse poison under a load of trailboss results in a ball stuck in the forcing cone. apparantly a pack rat stashed some in my box of primed cases...

[jmorris]

Would be fun with duplex or triplex loads.

[shaggybull]

I found a ideal 358 rb mold in a box molds just purchased, also have 36 cal mold. I could cast a few up if you want to try some.

[paul h]

I've never tried round balls in the 357, but did shoot them in the 480. Because a single round ball is so light for the caliber, you want to use the fastest possible powder otherwise you end up with a sooty mess. Recoil will be very mild!

Lee makes a 000 gang mold, that would be the way I'd go. 36 cal lead round balls make perfect ammunition for a slingshot.

[minmax]

I loved shooting round balls in my 38spl. But got rid of the gun.
Use can always look at the cheap $30 Lee single stage press and get a set of dies from someone here or on
Flea-bay. Plus go with with .36 rb.

[MtGun44]

Decades ago a friend loaded three 000 buck over a gas check with a dab
of glue on the top ball and called it his "hock shop load" -- three balls...

I never shot one, no idea how well it patterned.

Bill

[bangerjim]

I cast & shoot 000 buck (Lee mold) in my 38's and 357's all the time. Light gallery loads are fun. I powder coat them in the chain of 3, then cut 2 off for loading. With PC, you do not have to worry about grease at all.

I shoot 1 and 2 balls with 2-3gn of any fast powder that is sitting around. Pretty accurate at 30-50 feet. Very quiet. At the indoor range I use, you can fire the gun and actually hear the balls hit the backstop a short time later. Hardly any noise from the gun!

VERY light roll crimp just past the center of the ball does the trick.

Just be careful and watch you do not load too light or a ball will stick in the barrel. Had that happen once with a <2gn load to Titegroup.

bangerjim

[bluelund79]

I use (2) .300 round balls over a .283 round ball inside of a Speer capsule. Using 5.5gr of Unique, it's a snappy load that shoots poi in my model 10 and lcr to 25 yds. The smaller hits 2" above the other 2 balls, which almost touch. It's a nasty load for the night stand

[3leggedturtle]

Ballistics Products in MN has alot of different buckshot. Up to and including some that are .490 or 495 diameter. Lots of of other great stuff that can be used and boughten for other "projects" down the road too!