Load DataLee PrecisionMidSouth Shooters SupplyRotoMetals2
WidenersTitan ReloadingReloading EverythingRepackbox
Inline Fabrication
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 21 to 36 of 36

Thread: 357 Magnum plinking loads. Any favorites?

  1. #21
    Boolit Master nueces5's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Buenos Aires
    Posts
    559
    I have a brass mould no marks, 113 grains 359 WC boolit. works great for plinking
    load with 4,6 of 231 and is a sweet load to shoot

  2. #22
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Hartford WI
    Posts
    791
    Quote Originally Posted by Jaak View Post
    I think I'll try to replicate what the two of you are recommending. What Lee mold would you suggest? There is a 148g wad cutter and semi-wad cutter.
    My load was with a wadcutter because I was shooting paper, but for plinking purpose, either one should work fine. I have both lube grooves and tumble lube Lee designs and both worked great. The tumble lube design would be the easiest to make. Just cast,tumble ,load and shoot.
    When I was shooting Bullseye, Richard Lee was on the League for a season, and he had asked me what I was shooting. So I explain my load and also stated that the bullet was one of his designs. He asked if I had ever tried a lighter wadcutter bullet than a 148gr. I stated that I didn't know if there was anything lighter than 148. The next week, he brought me a single cavity 116gr mold and said give it a try and see how it works. If it doesn't work ,I could just toss it out rather than hand it back. I though to myself, even if it doesn't work, I'm not tossing it because as far as I know, it is a one of a kind mold given to me by Dick Lee himself. Any way,it worked better in a fellow shooters 38sp with his load than my load in a 357 case load. I still have the mold. My brother is using it in his 38sp case loads.
    Last edited by ubetcha; 04-07-2020 at 09:19 AM.
    I'm the King of my castle---anytime my wife's not around
    Life NRA member

    "A Government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have"
    Thomas Jefferson

    LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSIUT OF THOSE WHO TREATEN US

  3. #23
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    New Market, Iowa
    Posts
    1,466
    Quote Originally Posted by NSB View Post
    148g cast with 4.3g 231 powder in a .357 case. There's no reason in the world to use a 38spl case and end up getting a crud ring in the chambers. I used this load for competition and at 25 yards shooting off bags it would shoot five shots with all bullets touching. Extremely mild recoil and great accuracy.
    If there is a crud ring, it is easily removed when cleaning the revolver. Even a .357 cartridge will leave deposits in the cylinders.

  4. #24
    Boolit Grand Master


    swheeler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Montana
    Posts
    5,471
    Right now I'm using 6.0 grs of Unique and the Lee 158RF powder coated in mixed 357 brass, mild and accurate. As to the original post wanting to use a small charge of H110 I wouldn't do that.
    Charter Member #148

  5. #25
    Moderator Emeritus


    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    SW Montana
    Posts
    12,450
    At one point I had a 113? gr 38 lee wc single cavity mold. It was so marked. I think I gave it away as a prize at a shoot. It did OK but I am beyond sc revolver or pistol molds. I don't know when it was made but am pretty sure it was factory and before Lee went to their numbering system.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  6. #26
    Boolit Master


    Walks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    3,028
    Lyman #358477 cast of COWW in a tired .357Mag case over 3.5grs of Bullseye.

    Just the thing to fit in the short Cylinder of a S&W M27/M28.
    I HATE auto-correct

    Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.

    My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.

    SASS #375 Life

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Hartford WI
    Posts
    791
    Quote Originally Posted by MT Gianni View Post
    At one point I had a 113? gr 38 lee wc single cavity mold. It was so marked. I think I gave it away as a prize at a shoot. It did OK but I am beyond sc revolver or pistol molds. I don't know when it was made but am pretty sure it was factory and before Lee went to their numbering system.
    Maybe I don't have one of a kind mold. I will have to try and find some bullets and try and post a picture. My brother is in Arizona right now visiting their daughter, so cant get the mold back until they get home.
    I'm the King of my castle---anytime my wife's not around
    Life NRA member

    "A Government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have"
    Thomas Jefferson

    LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSIUT OF THOSE WHO TREATEN US

  8. #28
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    253
    I have the Lee 105 swc and the 125 fp. Both work well for plinking loads. I've been using 4.8gr Unique with the 125 in 38 cases in my 20" Rossi 92. The same load with the 105 is louder and has a sonic crack that the 125 doesn't. Soots a little, but it's an easy clean-up. The 105 really stretches your lead supply. My Rossi likes the 125 better so I'm using it more lately.

  9. #29
    Boolit Buddy Low Budget Shooter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Texahoma
    Posts
    464
    One of the best plinking loads for me, after trying many things, is the old-fashioned wadcutter over about 3.0 grains of some fast-burning powder like Red Dot or Bullseye in a 38 Special case. That kind of thing has performed consistently well for me in every 38 and 357 gun I've had.
    I'm not sure where all the money is that I've "saved" by casting and reloading!

  10. #30
    Boolit Buddy blackpowder man's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    north georgia
    Posts
    306
    Lots of great loads listed here. One of my favorites in both revolvers and lever guns is the Lee 125 grain rf with 4.4 grains of Bullseye in a .357 case. It is quiet, mild in recoil, accurate in my guns, and pretty quiet in a rifle.

  11. #31
    Boolit Master nueces5's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Buenos Aires
    Posts
    559
    Quote Originally Posted by MT Gianni View Post
    At one point I had a 113? gr 38 lee wc single cavity mold. It was so marked. I think I gave it away as a prize at a shoot. It did OK but I am beyond sc revolver or pistol molds. I don't know when it was made but am pretty sure it was factory and before Lee went to their numbering system.
    This mold was two cavity, but I think it was a copy (probably from that Lee) made by a local manufacturer

  12. #32
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Fargo ND
    Posts
    7,075
    I'm with lowbudgetshooter.

    125 gr bullets keep the lead costs down. 3-5 grains of Red Dot gives good accuracy and enough power to ventilate anything you want holes in.
    Low recoil, low noise.

    My .357 Handi rifle is one of my most accurate with 4.6 gr of Red Dot and a Cast bullet sized .358 or larger lubed with 2-3 light coats of BLL.
    I started out with 158 gr round nose but quickly switched to a Lee 6 cavity 125 gr rf. Thrifty to load for and stacks them up nicely, puts them where you want them.

  13. #33
    Boolit Master chutesnreloads's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Central Texas
    Posts
    516
    Thanks to a post some time ago by Mr.GhostHawk, I experimented with Red Dot.Found 4.6gr. behind the Lee 120 TC in a .357mag case is not only very accurate but also hit in the same place as my full power 158 gr .357 loads.At least as far as 25 yards.Talk about a convenient pair....

  14. #34
    Boolit Master


    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Anchorage, AK
    Posts
    1,113
    I use two, a Mihec 124 HC wad cutter over 2.8 bullseye and a Lyman 358665 with 6.0 of Unique in a 357 case.

  15. #35
    Moderator


    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Just outside Gun Barrel City, Texas
    Posts
    9,480
    For what you want, I'd just load up medium power .38Spec. wadcutters.
    For them, I'm a big Unique fan.

    I've always had a large enough supply of Lead and wheel weights, that I didn't need to conserve enough to
    use the real light boolits instead of 148s.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  16. #36
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    PA
    Posts
    119
    Best accuracy with my Henry .357 rifle has been a 140 gr Missouri flat point bullet over 5.8 grains of Shooters World Ultimate Pistol. It makes under 1300 fps from a 20" barrel . Other good loads were 5 grains +/- of American select, WST, and Cleanshot. And Titegroup. I'd prefer to load the bulkier powders, but ultimate gets the nod in my case because of consistent accuracy. It is very fine and 5.8 grains is less than 0.5 cc of powder.

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check