Lightweight 357 Pet Load

[curioushooter]

This may be old news, but 9.5 grains of Unique pushing a 125 grain XTP or 120-125 grain CB is a fine load. Works with CCI 500 or Federal 100 primers (I prefer Federal). Works with non-gas checked bullets with hard alloy (water quenched clip on wheelweights and up).

Accurate, consistent, clean, efficient, and usually point of aim for fixed sight short barreled revolvers. This is a sub 35K PSI load that should be safe in K and J frames including the Airlights (not with cast).

Goes 1300-1400 FPS depending upon barrel length. No issues with bullet pull, excessive flash, etc.

About 80-90% case fill, meters consistently to the tenth in my Hornady powder measure (I do two strokes at 4.7).

Makes major power class with 5" barrel, moderate recoil, and an XTP going that speed is a well known highly effective projectile.

[mvintx]

I'll have to give that a try...mine is 11.2 grains 2400 (with a magnum primer) behind a 158 SWC (one of Skeeter Skelton's favorite loads). I shot it for years before I got a chronograph and was surprised to find out that it ran only about 1,000 fps out of my 4" revolver. Still fun to shoot though.

[Thumbcocker]

I use 4.5 of red dot/promo under a Lee 125 rnfp.

[Froogal]

I get along just fine with 5.5 grains of Unique under a 158 grain LRN. 9.5 grains of Unique is a LOT FOR A .357. i use just 8.5 grains under a 200 grain bullet for my .45 Colt.

[curioushooter]

2400 is too slow with lightweight boolits. It's too slow with 140s in 357. Blue Dot in the other hand runs well with the middle weights.

125 grains unique

140 blue dot

158 2400

158 max velocity or anything heavier 300MP.

Seems like I'm an Alliant shill so I'll put in a word for Tightgroup...works well with target loads.

Part of the reason why I think Unique works well here is that it is bulky. It mostly fills up that case. AFAIK there is nothing in that burn rate range as bulky as unique. There are bulkier powders, but they are faster. Maybe they would work with 110s.

And it is getting up into the zone. The powder is being combusted fully, the case is sealing well; it's not the most potent load, but is a great lightweight.

If I were a commercial reloader, it would be on my shortlist.

[Winger Ed.]

This may be old news, but 9.5 grains of Unique pushing a 125 grain XTP or 120-125 grain CB is a fine load. .

Years ago, light bullets like those and 10 gr. Unique was a big favorite for .357s with 2" barrels.

[Ed_Shot]

I use 4.5 of red dot/promo under a Lee 125 rnfp.

+1 I use red dot/promo 5.0 gr. under a 120~125 gr. boolit in a .357 case.

[RU shooter]

Light Plinker load , that's an easy one 3.8-4 grs of Bullseye with a 148 dewc or 158swc

[stubshaft]

I use 4.5 of red dot/promo under a Lee 125 rnfp.

Pretty much my play load too but I use the RCBS booolit.

[Ia.redneck]

The little Lee 105 swc over 3 grains of Bullseye in a mag case is a VERY accurate target load.

[charlie b]

Mine is 11gn of AA7 with 125gn. Don't know velocity but shoots well out of 4"bbl.


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[onelight]

I use 4.5 of red dot/promo under a Lee 125 rnfp.

I like same powder and charge under a summers HI-TEK 358-130gr rnfp works great the Rossi 92
And 4.2” sp101

[sniper]

I get along just fine with 5.5 grains of Unique under a 158 grain LRN. 9.5 grains of Unique is a LOT FOR A .357. i use just 8.5 grains under a 200 grain bullet for my .45 Colt.

What he said!

[AlaskaMike]

I get along just fine with 5.5 grains of Unique under a 158 grain LRN. 9.5 grains of Unique is a LOT FOR A .357. i use just 8.5 grains under a 200 grain bullet for my .45 Colt.

Keep in mind he's using that charge with a 125 grain bullet, not a 158 grain.

[curioushooter]

The Sierra manual lists 9.3 grains of Unique with 125 JHPs and magnum primers as a max load. Interestingly it ouperforms all the powders faster and some of the powders which are SLOWER. Unique appears to be uniquely effecient with this bullet weight.

I've done a lot of testing with 125s now in 357 in revolvers and rifles 17 grains of 2400 and a magnum primer will only do 50 FPS faster than 9.5 grains of Unique and a standard primer in a 5" revolver. With these light bullets slower powders just don't work well and are very ineffecient, sometimes very dirty, and gain little in handguns. NOW IN RIFLES they are a different story. 21.3 grains of 300MP pushing a 125 in my Marlin does a staggering 2250-2300 FPS. But put than in my 686 and it just blows most of it out the front. One time my chrony showed 1500 FPS from that load in my 5" 686. Usually it is about 1450, so in effect about 75 FPS faster than UNIQUE and using more than twice the charge.

[sandog]

I get along just fine with 5.5 grains of Unique under a 158 grain LRN. 9.5 grains of Unique is a LOT FOR A .357. i use just 8.5 grains under a 200 grain bullet for my .45 Colt.

I agree. 9.5 is a lot. Not that the gun can't handle it, I'd just rather use a bit slower powder when you are talking a full power load.
I use 6.5 grains of Universal with a 125 grain, close to Unique but would be about 6.2 of Unique. Really accurate and gets 1050 fps.
If I wanted to drive that bullet to 1400 I'd use a slower burning powder.
Keep the mid range powders like Unique for mid range loads.

One benefit of using a heavier charge of Unique/Universal though, is more consistency than when used in a light loading.
But pressures rise quick when using Unique/Universal at the top end.
I load those powders a lot in the .45 Colt, and they max out quickly at 9.5 grains/1000-1050 fps.
But I use something a bit slower like HS-6 I can keep going to at least 1200 fps.
Going with 2400 or W296 I can go up to 1400 with the same bullet weight (250 grain).

In the .357 w/125 grain slug, you can go all the way to 8.6 grains of Bullseye, or 9.7 grains of Unique for 39,000 psi. for a bit over 1300 fps.
But using a slower powder like 2400 you can get the same velocity with a lot less pressure.
Or at the same pressure levels, get almost 150 fps. more velocity with those slower powders.

I don't know what powder Hornady is using, but their American Gunner 125 gr. XTP load gets right at 1600 fps. out of my 6 inch 686.

I like to reload my own, but for a smoking hot max load, that is also accurate and not crazy expensive, I keep a box of the Hornadys on hand.
My reloads are loading practice/range/ GP rounds in mass quantities ( the 125 grainers @ 1050 fps.)

So no thanks, I have better powders for high end loads than Unique.

[RED BEAR]

I will go with 4.5 of red dot to over 115 gr lyman rn. For power loads i like 7.0 unique and a 158 lee rnfp this is my favorite bullet in 357 and 38. I know this is a bit under max but it shoots great.
I also see a lot going over published loads you may want to be careful. I will never again go over published loads. I always hear that my gun is strong and it will handle it. Thats exactly what i thought to until it didn't. Its your gun and your life do what you want i say just be careful.

[Tracy]

Sounds to me like a good load. I no longer use slower powders (2400 etc.) with 125s as that is known to erode forcing cones.
I've been using 9.0 Herco with 125 grain jacketed and plated bullets.

[cwlongshot]

I like Blue Dot & 800X. Mostly cause I use them in my 10/40’s. But also bacause I bought 8# kegs last year from a small shop who had special ordered them years before and have not been able to sell them. I saw a couple of large cans in a dusty corner and asked. They drug themmout and I struck a sweet deal for both. Basically I paid full boat for one... and got second free. The price was todays values on powder bought at least 6-7 years back.

Anyhow! I have been using both in a number of calibers not regularly thought of with this powder.

Blue dot has been shooting fine in my levers. Yesterday i shot most of a box of it thru a Colt with a 170keith bullet. Very happy!!

CW

[curioushooter]

I have better powders for high end loads than Unique.

Care to reveal what these better powders are? Were are talking 125 grain ONLY.

I have tried the slower powders with 125 that you mentioned, and some that you haven't. None of them impressed me. I've tried 2400, up to 17 grains, using magnum and standard primers. Dirty. Doesn't seal the mouth of the case well. Tons of blast. And piddly 50 FPS increase in velocity vs. Unique.

I've tried slower powders than 2400: 296, Lil'Gun, #9, 300 MP. Some problems as 2400 only worse and hardly any improvement in velocity. 300 MP does the best and it only goes 100-150 FPS faster than HALF THE CHARGE OF UNIQUE. I've not bought factory ammo for 357 in some time, the last being a batch of Hornady Critical defense, which where an absolute joke (like 1200 FPS). Maybe that older load you mention would work better.

Another thing, none of these slower powders have proven accurate. 9.5 grains of UNIQUE (new, Alliant Unique which is cleaner than the old stuff) with a 125 and a standard primer is as accurate as any mouse fart "target load" with 357 Mag I've tried. The beauty of my Unique pet load is that it is service power level (getting 1300-1400 with barrels between 3-6"), controllable and not obnoxious, accurate, and cheap. In a heavy revolver the recoil is really moderate.

I've tried middle range powders. Blue Dot is not to be used with 125s per Alliant. I don't know why and I've loaded it and disposed of it in my contender with no drama. I've never fired it in my revolvers. PowerPistol underperforms Unique. AA#5 underperforms. Herco underperforms. Tightgroup underperforms (though it is as accurate). Bullseye underperforms. So does 231. Ditto Universal. I've tried to find something better than Unique, even considering blowing big money on some Vitavouri 3n37 or something, but the data doesn't show anything better either.

If anyone wants to load it up for themselves use 9.5 grains as a max. This should translate to around 35K PSI with a standard primer. Cast bullets usually go faster than jacketed in my revolvers, so I figure they are generating more pressure, so I reduce the "pet load" somewhat...to 9 grains.

I usually use the small pistol rotor on my Hornady powder measure and do two throws. Unique's only fault is that it doesn't meter particularly well, though it doesn't meter poorly. I find doing two throws with the small chamber gets me to a tenth of a grain accuracy.