what is your favorite .357 mag load?

[SierraWhiskeyMC]

sierrawhiskey, Your pressure figures/advice are bit odd.

The loads came out of Lyman reloading handbooks #39 and #45; they were handy, and I'd never had problems with their published loads.

[bob208]

my go to load for years was 358429 with mag primer 10 gr 2400 in a .38 case.
why a 38 case well that was all i had and could aford to buy. the 358429 mold was my first mold i ever bought. single cavity and i hand poured them a night in my shop on the farm. that heavy bullet at that speed had a good swat when it hit anything.

i used it in my old model black hawk

[.357]

wow great advice on the loads and i'm glad everyone is out there being safe. I'm looking into buying a .44 mag as my family owns land in montana and them bears up there aren't so nice as the ones we have down here.

Keep the load comin' this is a great archive for new ideas.

[SierraWhiskeyMC]

my go to load for years was 358429 with mag primer 10 gr 2400 in a .38 case.
why a 38 case well that was all i had and could aford to buy.

Except for the magnum primer, that's actually a safe .38 Special load. Lyman #45 reloading handbook gives 10.5gr max for 2400 with a 358429 boolit in .38 Special. Rem 1-1/2 primer was called for in that load.

In .357 with a Rem 5-1/2 primer, sug. starting load for 2400 was 11 gr (1010fps), max of 13gr (1180fps).

Although it's been posted a number of times, it's worth repeating:
Never use .38 Special cases for .357 Magnum loads; use of the smaller case will increase peak pressures.

[longhorn47]

my best 357 is the one that did not hit me

[vanilla_gorilla]

I like the Elmer Keith 358439 boolit over the Keith recommended load using 2400 powder. It has been very good in the N frame, L frame and K frame.

A bit harder to cast than a solid but worth it when using the 35 caliber revolver.

I also like the 358429 solid and the Keith load when I want penetration. Both boolits give good accuracy when used at long ranges.

I also use the 358429, though over a load slightly reduced from EMK's helping of 2400.

[UweJ]

Uwe,
Double-check your numbers on your load; that would be a pretty hot load even in a .44 Magnum - and the .44 Magnum has a lot more space in the case.

Alliant Powder's max load for a 158gr LSWC with Bullseye is 4.8gr. If you are actually using 6.4gr of Bullseye, you are probably subjecting your S&W 686 to rather significant overpressure.

No trouble with this load . Chrono`saround 1220 fps. According to Ouickload max pressure is 13511psi which isn´t to much.
OAL is 40.00 mm -1.575 inch
Uwe

[AlaskaMike]

I like any of the 150 - 160 grain cast SWCs over 14.5 grains of 2400 with a standard primer, or 17.0 grains of 296 with a mag primer. I shoot mine out of a S&W Model 28. I've also used 158 grain Speer Gold Dots with the same charges with good results.

I've never really been that satisfied with the typical Blue Dot load of about 10 grains. For some reason that load with various SWC bullets just wasn't all that accurate in my model 28.

Mike

[mdi]

I know everyone is just trying to be helpful, and no flames intended but, I pay NO attention to loads posted on ANY forum. An example of why is the load, given by mistake, that was way over max loading. If you need any load information GET A MANUAL, if you need any info on Speer bullets, get a SPEER MANUAL, if you need info on Hodgdon powders get a HODGDON MANUAL, for cast bullets get a LYMAN CAST BULLET HANDBOOK, etc. etc., etc. I do not rely on any single source of info on load data; manuals, web sites, or forum "experts", and use at least two for starting loads. Not overly cautious, just common sense. Besides the research is fun!

[Old Ironsights]

As President Reagan said...

"Trust, but Verify"...

[AlaskaMike]

I know everyone is just trying to be helpful, and no flames intended but, I pay NO attention to loads posted on ANY forum. An example of why is the load, given by mistake, that was way over max loading. If you need any load information GET A MANUAL, if you need any info on Speer bullets, get a SPEER MANUAL, if you need info on Hodgdon powders get a HODGDON MANUAL, for cast bullets get a LYMAN CAST BULLET HANDBOOK, etc. etc., etc. I do not rely on any single source of info on load data; manuals, web sites, or forum "experts", and use at least two for starting loads. Not overly cautious, just common sense. Besides the research is fun!

Excellent advice, but never assume that website or forum data is more suspect than any other non-authoritative source. I see lots of people strongly cautioning others that they need to be very suspicious of data they get off the internet, but I almost never see such cautions regarding data passed by "experts" in gun shops, or other verbal sources. Gun shop "experts" scare the crap out of me, but in forums like this one the more experienced members reading a post tend to do a quick mental check of any data posted, and usually shout out if they think it's excessive or otherwise questionable. Think of it like "peer review"--you don't get that when talking with that gun shop "expert".

Also, as you mention you can't assume that just because you have one manual and strictly adhere to it that you'll be safe. I've found typos in virtually every manual I have. This is why it's critical to cross-check with other manuals.

Mike

[357mags]

H110/W296 16.5grs, mag primers, 170gr RNFP gas check lead bullets.

[StarMetal]

Well I feel I'm smart enough to check a load out thoroughly that was given on the internet. Don't forget too that many of the bullet/powder manufacturers give loads out on the internet too and lets hope that the website information is more then double checked.
With that said my favorite just shooting load for the 357 is the RCBS 150 grain SWC over top 6.0 grains, six grains, of Unique.

Joe

[dualsport]

If you have ever been stalked by a cougar ( I have, at night, a looong ways out in the boonies), the first thing you'll notice is you didn't have a clue the cat was there 'til it's Very close, behind you. The next thing you'll think of is I wish I had a bigger gun with a good light on it. Since that day I won't go into the mountains of California at night without a 12 ga. pump set up for QUICK work at close range, and a sidearm for a backup with another flashlight or two handy. They get big here in the high country wilderness, some living to ripe old age living off a state game refuge 'til they can't get deer easy anymore. That's when they get desperately hungry, and by that time they are big. It's all academic 'til you're looking up the nose of a 150 lb. beast intent on eating you. Think twice about your weapons, then practice. A lot.

[That'll Do]

My target load:

158gr LSWC
6.0gr Unique
Fed 100 or 200 primer

or

158gr LSWC
6.0gr Hodgdon Universal
Federal 100 primer

My "Big Boomer" load:

158gr LSWC
13.5gr Alliant 2400
Federal 200 Primer

The 2400 load shoots like a laser beam out of my 6" 686. The accuracy is amazing.

[TCLouis]

I could not find a decent shooting load with a boolit, let alone a favorite til last weekend for my GP100.

LAR45 180 RNFP GC boolit, 14.0 WW296 and it stacked them (Yes, LAR45 GB boolit, from way back when on the AR site).

Gotta try that load with my 358429. Hopefully it will also be a performer.

Now if I could get that 160 Grain RNFP GB boolit to perform at plinker level.

[docone31]

My Dan Wesson, and Smith 686 love 10gns of Blue, and 158 Flat nose by Lee.
I haven't felt the need to experiment further. No leading, good patterns, modest recoil. A good load for me.

[waco]

162gr gc swc over 12gr 2400 standard spp

[watkibe]

Hey Dualsport: I know exactly what you are talking about ! Getting followed out of the hills at night by a cougar is pretty doggone spooky !

I will give no amounts, look them up and develop them on your own, but I will recommend bullet, powders, and primers that I like in my 357.

Plinking, casual target load: Unique, CCI SP primer, 158 gr Lee tumble lube SWC with LLA. I like Unique because besides shooting well, it's bulky enough that a double charge would be noticeable.

Full speed ahead load: H110, CCI SPM primer, same bullet as above.

I firmly taper crimp both loads in a separate step after seating. They say that H110 needs a heavy roll crimp for good combustion, but my firm taper crimps do the job just fine. The data on H110 is a little confusing. Some sources say to use the load exactly as given, while others say to reduce no more than 3% to start. Basically, it likes the case about full, but you can get too much in the case and get pressure signs. I like to compare several sources, and then use the most conservative load exactly as given.

[Prince555]

I've just recently tried the Lee 158 RF with W.Weights- it's around 160gr &
15.5gr of IMR 4227.
Out of a 4 inch Ruger Security Six at 15-20yds it's putting 3 shots into a hole
the size of a .45. With a S&W model 60- 3 inch .357 that load shoots clover-
leafs. I'm not sure what velocity I'm getting though.
Federal Gold Medal primers.
No pressure signs at all and easy extraction.