Bullseye / Target loads 357 Brass

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I'm looking to load up some Bullseye / Target loads for my 686-3 6"barrel I would like to use 357 brass if I can if not I do have some
38 special Brass that I can use if needed Boolit that I would like to use is 150 gr 358477 powder I would like to use is RedDot
but I also have Bullseye I just have more RedDot so i want to use that if i can I want to keep it around 700 to 800 FPS
can I do this with what I have

[Gus Youmans]

I have a load of 4.3 grains of Red Dot with a 125 grain cast bullet in a .357 case that shoots well. If I were going to load a 150 grain bullet I would probably start at around 3.5 grains and work up. The Lyman 50th Edition lists 4.6 grains of Bullesye as the starting load with the 358477 bullet and a max of 7.0 grains. Velocity is listed as 772 fps with the starting load.

Please note that Red Dot does not meter well for me and I get fairly large velocity extreme spreads regardless of the powder measure. In spite of that the loads are still accurate.

Gus Youmans

[oldsalt444]

In .38 brass start with 2.8 gr. Red Dot, and work up to 4.0 gr. in 0.2 gr. increments to see which load delivers the best accuracy. In .357 brass try 3.4 to 4.4 gr. Red Dot. If you're a bullseye shooter, you'll find that getting a good load at 50 yards is very difficult. Many loads that work well at 25 yards won't group well at 50.

Red Dot can work OK, but Bullseye is a better choice. My personal favorites are WST and Titegroup. A 148 gr. full wadcutter and 2.7 gr. WST is tough to beat. I've shot my best scores with that load.

[Thumbcocker]

4.5 of red dot/promo with a 158 rnfp has shot well for us as has 4.0 of either one with a 125 rnfp.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

ok if Bullseye would be better then I will use that what about brass then 38 / or 357 I have the Time now to make up test loads just no place to shoot them close to home my outdoor range is about 80 miles away so I want to start with a proven load

[tazman]

I have no experience with red dot powder but load a lot of Bullseye.
My Lyman manual lists a load with Bullseye and the 358477 boolit in a 357 mag case. Starting load of 4.6 grains at 772fps. Sounds like what you are looking for.

I have loaded a lot of 358477 in 38 Special cases with 3.5 grains of Bullseye for a velocity of around 850fps. I get great accuracy with this load.
You could load this boolit at around 3.3 grains for an 800 fps load or go even lower if you wish.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I'm going to load up a 100 rounds of 357 brass with 4.8 gr of bullseye and a 100 rounds of 38 special with 3.8 gr of Bullseye
maybe load a little more of the 38's up for my 637 as long as I have to adjust my dies
thank you all

[Carrier]

I’ve never used Red Dot so can’t help with that but use a lot of Bullsye with all kinds of lead, plated and jacketed bullets.

[Tim357]

I prefer Red Dot only because it is a bulkier powder.

[rintinglen]

If you have Red Dot, try 4.5 grains under a 158 grain boolit in .357 cases. It is an accurate load.

Back in my salad days, there was a shotgun range near me that sold Hercules Shotgun powders at cost. I could buy 8 lbs. of Red Dot for just a few dollars more than 4 lbs. of Bullseye. Between 1976 and 1981 I went through 4 and a half of them,mostly using 2.8 grains under a 146 grain Cramer 18h wadcutter. But I also shot a couple of thousand 358-477 150 grainers over 4.0 grains of Red Dot. As a rule of thumb, you can substitute Red Dot for Bullseye by weight as long as you stay off the max end, where there may be a .1 grain difference between them. Red Dot is also my powder of choice for 44 Special Loads when I am trying for accuracy and not max velocity.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Thanks rintinglen I'l give the 4 gr load a try

[Wayne Dobbs]

4.0 BE is a great spot for standard weight boolits (148 - 160) in .357 for target and general shooting use.

[cowboy4evr]

I have,shot 4.7 grs of Bullseye using a cast 158 gr bullet . I have also shot quite a few of red dot using 5.0 grs with same bullet . Both shot well and both loaded in 357 cases . The red dot load is an old favorite going back quite a few yrs . I used small pistol primers for both . I shot them out of a 4" . Hope this helps , Regards Paul

[LUCKYDAWG13]

yes helps me a lot

[bobthenailer]

In the 357 mag case try 4.0 grs of Bullseye powder with any weight cast bullet from 125 to 200 gr ive shot at least 100K from at least 15 357s over the last 55 years and they were all very accurate

[FLINTNFIRE]

I was hoping this was about imr target as I hear its there brand of bullseye , I have used 700x and promo both in about 3.5 grains 158 grain lead cast bullet , picked up some imr target and imr red going to be trying them in 45acp , I think either powder choice red dot or bullseye will make good loads if I had more of one then the other and had a load I liked with the powder I had less of I would work up a load with the other

[Low Budget Shooter]

I've loaded lots of 38 Special and 357 Magnum with Red Dot. Here's some data for you from my results:
1) with 150-158 gr bullets in 38 SPL brass, 3.6 gr Red Dot worked GREAT!
2) to get similar velocity as 38 SPL brass in .357 Mag brass, increase charge of Red Dot by about .5 grain

[onelight]

Like Gus posted , red does not meter well on some measures/ presses I like it on the LCT on auto index it meters excellent , not as well on a progressive.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Red dot meters ok in my Redding it's in older one late 60's but still works good