Your favorite .38/.357 snubby loads?

[HammerMTB]

I came across an SP101 Ruger. Nice little hideaway gun. It'll make a good backup for me, or something for the wife's purse.
I quit loading for .38/.357 a long time ago. don't even have dies or molds anymore. That will haveta change....
Just wondering what y'all like in the way of practice/defensive loads? My past experience with a snub-nose .357 (M19 S&W) was that recoil was quite sharp if max loads were used. I'll need something fairly light so the wife can shoot it without getting intimidated.
So whatcha got?
I have Bullseye, Unique, AA#5, and 700X to choose from already. One of those should fill the bill. Got WW296 if I decide to punish my hand, too, but won't go there at least not early on

[Heavy lead]

I favor Lil Gun with 180 grain gas check WFN boolits in a real .357, my snubbies a model 60 and a 642 (in .38 Special) get fed a full wadcutter with Unique. If I had your powders I would go with AA #5. Can't see any use for a snubby that a full wadcutter wouldn't work just fine for.

[cheese1566]

Sweet little gun!

I just bought a used one two weeks ago from a coworker to maybe use as a back up gun and for the girlfriend when she is here. he had put a set of Hogue grips on it that tamed it down a little, but a little bigger to conceal in a ankle holster; made the 357Mag/WW296 loads a little bearable. He didn't have the original grips, but I actually found a used set at the gunshop for $12 if I decide to go small.

I tried it out using my standard 38special load of WW231 with 3.8 grains and a Lee 358-158-RF boolit using regular wheel weights, sized at .358" with Magma Hard Lube in my Star.

Shot excellent at 15 yds!! I did better shooting double action than single!

I am thinking of upgrading the front sight to a tritium. Around $35 from MidwayUSA and Brownells.

[jmsj]

HammerMTB,
My wife has a 5 shot, .357 Mag. 3" Taurus. For her practice loads I load the Lee 358-105-SWC over 2.7-3.0gr of Bullseye. She shoots about a thousand a year for practice. This load has very low recoil, uses very little lead and powder and shoots very well. I cast these out 50% range scrap and 50% pure lead.
Good luck, jmsj

[9.3X62AL]

Subjectively, the SP-101 has a bit more snap than the Model 19 with equivalent loads. That's mostly a function of weight differential.

The best route to 38 Special performance in 357 Mag casings is to a given bullet weight's 38 Special powder charge + 10% in a 357 casing.

[NickSS]

I have an SP101 and a Taurus 357mag 2 inch and for practice I use 38 spl loaded with a lee 125 gr RF over 3 gr of Red Dot. Nice mild load in both and shoots well too. For carry I use the same bullet in 357 mag cases loaded with 7 gr of Unique.

[rintinglen]

In a 38 snubbie, I shoot 2.7 grains Bullseye or 3.0 grains WW231 under a 141 grain wadcutter. When I load to teach a new shooter, I cast up a 358-101 wadcutter that goes about 80 grains and use 2.4 grains of Bullseye. .357 loads are a whole nother breed. I don't down load .357 brass now, but I used to use 4.2 grains of red dot under a 152 grain wadcutter.

[subsonic]

For a snubbie 357 load, I have made 1500 fps with 17 gr AA9, a cci spmag primer and a 125gr xtp from a 2" bbl. In new winchester brass. That's a max load and pretty stiff in a SP 101. Work up, watch for pressure signs,etc.

For a plinker, any std pressure 38 load should work. The sp101 handles recoil better than any other snub I've fired because its heavy and the grip is high on the frame with a cushy backstrap.

Fora +p 38 load I'm geTting ready to chrono 7gr of longshot, cci std primer and newish winchester 38 brass topped with a 125 xtp. I have shot these, but did not chrono.

The lighter bullets go faster and expand better because of the speed. They are also easier on the hand when loaded to the same pressure as the heavier bullets.

[subsonic]

As for the powders you have on hand, AA5 would ne my pickc behind a gold dot bullet. Speer has data for that in a short bbl.

[smith52]

I know you didn't list Titegroup as a powder you had on hand, however, in my SP101 4.7gr of Titegroup behind a 158gr SWC in a .357 mag case with a Federal 100 SP primer has proven quite accurate. I think it's pretty comfortable to shoot as well. Have not put it acrossed my chrono yet.

[harvester]

My guns really like 4.2 gr of bullseye under a 125 gr lswc sized 358. Accurate and zero leading in my Colts. This is a light fun 38 special load.

[ColColt]

I can't say enough good things about the SP101. It seems to love everything I've fed it. Best loads using 38 cases are 4.5 gr of 231, 5 gr of Universal and 6.5 gr of HS-6. IN the 357 case, 8 gr of HS-6 or 5.5 gr of Universal. If I really want a barn stormer I'll load 13 gr of 2400. All these with the 158 gr 358-158-RF or a SWC.

For defense I like Speer's 135 gr GDHP but finding them is like locating hens teeth.

[Bret4207]

I'm a fan of the old standby 5.0 Unique and 150-160 gr boolit in 38 brass.

[StrawHat]

I also like the old recipe of 5.0 grains of Unique with a 158 SWC boolit in 38 Special cases. But I have to admit the load I use most out of a 38 Special is a hard cast 148 WC over a stiff charge of Bullseye.

[curiousgeorge]

Hard to beat 2.7 grs Bullseye and 148 gr wadcutter for light loads and as Bret said the 5.0 gr Unique with 150 - 160 gr.

Keeps your light / practice and the heavier / carry loads immediately recognizable.

Steve

[Sprue]

For plinking I use a 150gr SWC boolit over 3.8 fr of Unique. For SD I load a 125 Gr JHP over 5.4 gr of Unique (+P loads)..... These are all 38 spl brass shot in my .357's.

For Hunting w/ 357 Brass loads, I use 150gr LSWC (358156) GC boolit over 7gr of Unique/ Works great in my Lever gun too.

[Artful]

Lyman 358156 - loaded with Unique or Red Dot myself - I have used the Lee 105 SWC over same powders - use 2400 powder but only in 6" or longer barreled 357's

[ChuckJaxFL]

…snubbie 357…1500 fps…2" bbl.


Ironic, given your handle!

[mongo]

SP101 is a super pistol, I have been carrying mine for at least 20 years. Mine is in .38 special, That was all I was a authorized to carry back when I had purchased it. My load for this little but heavy beauty is 4.0 231 under a Lee 158 SWCTL lubed with 45/45/10 cast from wheel weights. For defense the Speer 135gr Gold Dot. Very low recoil in the Sp101 so follow up shots are quick if needed.

[Char-Gar]

I have never loaded ammo just for a snub. I use Bullseye and Unique and they both do OK in snubs albeit with some velocity loss. But, there is no magic powder that will give the same velocities out of a snub you can get our of a 6 incher.

[MtGun44]

5.0 Unique under a 358429 HP cast soft. Shoots exactly to the POA for my S&W 342.
Stout but shootable, accurate and shooting to the sights when all the factory "hot shot
self defense" loads either were 12" high at 15 yds or did 18" groups at the same range.

This one is 2-4" at 15 yds, depending on the operator but right to POA.

Bill

[subsonic]

Ironic, given your handle!

What is &hellip?

subsonic is just a handle, nothing more. Use the right thing for the right job. Subsonic ammo is good when you need it, but faster is usually better - to a point.

Most snubbies can't get enough speed to expand a JHP. Going lighter and to slower powders can get you expansion. .358" is a small meplat by any standards.

[MtGun44]

Cast HP expands very nicely with the 5.0 Unique load in snub. About 5-6" in soaked phone books,
nice expansion - phone books give about 1/2 of calibrated ballistic gel.
No pix here right now, but they did very well.

Bill

[dubber123]

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh83/dubber123/IMG_3149.jpg 4.7 grains of Bullseye, boolit is Lyman 358439 HP cast from 50% WW-50% pure lead. Velocity is 875 fps. from a 1-7/8" S&W model 60.

[subsonic]

Those are some nice results with the cast hollow points. I didn't mean to say that the JHP is the only way, just the best way for ME to meet MY goals in a snubby load. I have never had good luck with SWCs and speedloaders. Truncated boolits seem to find the cylinders better in a hurry. I like cast for a lot of things, but this is one place I like the J-words.

[dubber123]

Those are some nice results with the cast hollow points. I didn't mean to say that the JHP is the only way, just the best way for ME to meet MY goals in a snubby load. I have never had good luck with SWCs and speedloaders. Truncated boolits seem to find the cylinders better in a hurry. I like cast for a lot of things, but this is one place I like the J-words.

I prefer a more rounded design for speedloading use, but I got the HP mould for $20, so thats what I use. I've done a fair bit of expansion testing, and have been mostly disappointed by the consistancy of any jacketed pistol bullets expansion, they seem to fail as often as not. HP's plugged with cloth or other material don't do much at all. It's also easier to get speed from a lead boolit from a short tube than jacketed.

I've shot the above pictured cast HP's into wood, water, and water covered by 5-6 layers of denim, and they all look the same. One tip: pre plug the HP with wax. The wax will become "plastic" upon impact, and makes for perfect expansion. Note the ones in the pic are pre-plugged. A HP that gets plugged with clothing or other material that won't "flow" creates a boolit that acts like a solid. Try it, it works great.

[Matthew 25]

I carry my SP101 lots. I like it so much I have two of them (one for my wife's truck). I've used a lot of loads, but now my favorite is a 158 swc with 15g 2400. POI at 10y and it will stack them. It'll put 5/5 on an IPSC target at 100y.

[Viper225]

My objective for J Frame practice 38 ammo was Low Recoil, easy on the Airweight Smith, and no unburned powder under the ejector star.

My little gun is a 638 S&W 38 Special +P. My lite practice, and all purpose plinking load is either a Lee 125 RF or a Missouri Bullet Company 125. Federal Primers under a 2.5 grain dose of Clays. I have some loading data that shows 802 fps from a 4" barrel with this load. I have not chronographed it so far. It goes bang, shoots pretty good groups, and does not recoil bad at all. It is also fairly quiet, which is handy for when you need to make a shot without a headset handy. Meets all of my requirements for a plinking and practice load.

It is also a good load for a new female shooter. I like to start them off with my S&W 617 with 4" bbl. Then transition them to my S&W 64 HB 4" with this load. Easy transition without loosing the groups they were shooting with the 22.

Bob

[MtGun44]

I found a pic of one of the expanded 358429 HP cast soft (around 6 BHN or so) and
driven with 5.0 gr Unique in a 2" S&W 342 ultralight J-frame. This was in super wet
phone books, so expect the penetration to be twice what is shown here in calibrated
ballistic gelatin, or 8.5", which is short of the FBI requirement for their ammo, or
12". I still don't think you'd want to stop one of these things.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=161&pictureid=3952

Bill

[NHlever]

My light load favorites for short barreled .357's uses Bullseye, TiteGroup, Red Dot, etc. behind 125-160 grain cast boolits. My full power loads use 10.0 grains of Blue Dot. There is less recoil, and much less muzzle flash with this load than others that I have tried, and it has been accurate in the my old 3" SP -101, and other short barreled guns I have tried it in. I use this load with both cast, and jacketed 158 grain bullets. I need to try that with some Lee 125 RNFP boolits I have cast some day too.

[BD]

4.5 grains of HPC-18, (surplus 231) under the lee 158 grain rnfp works for me. About 890 fps. I load 4.0 grains for practice, about 800 fps. I'm on my second airweight J-frame as they only seem to last about 10 years if you practice with 'em.
BD