what is your favorite .357 mag load?

[youngmman]

Absolute favorite is the LBT 155Gn WFN (BHN 14) 93/5/2 alloy, over 10gns Blue Dot, CCI Magnum primer. It's extremely accurate and devastating on the small varmints: 9.5gns of Blue Dot works very well also.

[gray wolf]

Absolute favorite is the LBT 155Gn WFN (BHN 14) 93/5/2 alloy, over 10gns Blue Dot, CCI Magnum primer. It's extremely accurate and devastating on the small varmints: 9.5gns of Blue Dot works very well also.

Old blue dot or the newer blue dot ?
or does it matter ? I think yes.

[Ed1]

tagged to find later

[kawasakifreak77]

^ditto^

I'm starting to work with my first boolits: ACWW 358429s pan lubed with some old lube called micro lube I picked up & shot as cast.

Gun is a S&W 686 that has served me without fail. Crimping in the crimp groove JUST fits in the cylinder with a O.A.L. of 1.660"

Been trying W296 first. First outing had poor accuracy but almost no leading. Second outing was a little better. Just got a trim die to uniform all my brass & will try a heavier crimp next time. Seems like W296 likes to run on the ragged edge.

I'm getting 1260 fps. Makes factory loads look wimpy. You know it when you touch one of these off!

[Clay M]

I have an older RCBS 162 gr GC mold. I have always had good luck with that bullet and 13gr of 2400. It is not a max load and is not that hard on any of the guns I have used it in.I have given good accuracy in about everything I tried.

[Boogieman]

I have an older RCBS 162 gr GC mold. I have always had good luck with that bullet and 13gr of 2400. It is not a max load and is not that hard on any of the guns I have used it in.I have given good accuracy in about everything I tried.

I use the same load. it crono's 1260fps out of a 4" Ruger SS with a 12fps SD. I get lower SD's with 2400 in my .357,41,& 44Mag's than anything else I've tried. Elmer was right.

[Sgtonory]

16 grains of Alliant 300MP with a magnum primer with a 358159 at around 1150 fps in a 38special case.

[TMenezes]

16 grains of Alliant 300MP with a magnum primer with a 358159 at around 1150 fps in a 38special case.

I was hoping someone would mention if 300MP was good. I can't find any but when I do I'll give it a try. Alliant's claims show it as the most powerful powder for magnum handguns.

Right now the only magnum pistol powder I can find is Blue Dot, Accurate #7, #9, and 4100. Going to try all 3 (except 4100, its available, just havent bought any) and see what works best for my new to me S&W 586 with a 4in barrel.

[jmort]

Alliant has set the bar higher with the 300MP. It will outshine H110/296. I like Blue Dot and your #9 is really good stuff.

[gwpercle]

Since a 357 Ruger Blackhawk got me started casting and loading back when Skeeter and Elmer were considered knowledgeable about such things...I'll throw my favorite load into the ring.
357 magnum, 7.5 grs Unique, standard small pistol primer, over :
Lyman 358477 - 150 gr. SWC
Lyman 358156 - 155 gr. SWC with GC
Lyman 358432 - 160 gr. WC
Lyman 358429 - 170 gr. SWC
All boolits sized .357 (because the 3rd edition Lyman manual said to size them .357 - I did)
I recently got a .358 die and going to give them all a try at that diameter.
It may seem strange but the 160 gr wadcutter #358432 groups the best out of the Blackhawk!

Gary

[trapdoor1873]

Lyman 358156 gas check sized .358 with 15.5 grains of H110 and Winchester magnum primer in a Ruger Blackhawk 4" barrel. Also shoots good in a friends GP100.

[rintinglen]

RCBS 162 grain SWC GC with 15.7 grains of H-110. The most accurate magnum load I have found for the .357 magnum.

[cattleskinner]

I am going to bump this thread back up. I just tried 8 gr of Unique, Winchester spp, mixed brass and a powder coated 100 gr Lee ranch dog fp copy. Shot out of a rifle, it kicks between a 22 mag and a 223 and shoots pretty flat to 200 yards. Cases come out just a hair sooty, but it seems to be a load you could shoot all afternoon and giggle the entire time.

[at_liberty]

I can't say favorite, but following the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook highlighting of their best result, I am going back to my 10.0 gr HS-6 load for 158 Gr coated MO LSWC. I use magnum primers. I had been using somewhat downloaded 300-MP but have been advised that I was sailing in uncharted waters.

[zubrato]

I really like 10gr Blue dot under 158gr SWC.

Will be working up 2400 and Longshot soon for the 358429.

Longshot should be a perfect powder, being so close to Blue dot on the burn rate chart, has anyone used it before with good results?

[toallmy]

I have just started , about 1-2 months with 6 in rugar 357 and cast . Onely tried two molds so far a old r.c.b.s. kt 150 pb swc ,and seaco 148 button nose wc . Stopped using the wc already and having a blast with the old 150 swc and red dot haven't tried anything else yet. But it's working for me . Guns filthy but bores clean.

[youngmman]

Old blue dot or the newer blue dot ?
or does it matter ? I think yes.

Probably "old", I bought 16lbs of it a long time ago and am still working on it since I shoot several other calibers.

[jeepyj]

Marked as referance for 296 / H110 with interest for 358156 GC
jeepyj

[9.3X62AL]

5-1/2 years later, and still loading 13.5 grains of Alliant 2400 into W-W cases and CCI 500 primers with #358156 crimped into the top groove as a favored load. With my old shop now requiring the Federal #357B "FBI Load" in its 357s, I also assemble 125 J-words atop 17.5 grains of 2400 to practice with. "When in Rome......" yadda yadda yadda. I still shoot a lot of #358156, though--it is one of the few examples I stayed busy with during the 1-1/2 year hiatus of reloading I just concluded with a move. I had LOTS of those laying around loaded & ready, and among the first duties I'll undertake is to refill that lot of brass.

[xrider472]

looking for info using power pistol w/cast in 357

I have gotten good results with 7.0 grains of Power Pistol under the Lee 158 RNFP.