Powder for 357 Mag

[res45]

I'm using an Oregon Trail 158 Gr. Laser Cast SWC in my 6 " Ruger Blackhawk pushed with 15.0 Gr of IMR 4227 to around 1200 fps. I'm considering trying out some Alliance 2400 or Unique but I wanted to see what others experiences were with these two powders. I like the fact that with the Unique I can use about half the powder and get the same results velocity wise. I know the 2400 is pretty much grain for grain with the 4227 charge vs. velocity wise but if it shoots better that would be a plus,I can also use it in my M44 with cast bullets also so it would serve a dual purpose. Any help much appreciated or other bullet suggestions welcome.

[Scrounger]

Blue Dot

[beemer]

I have had good luck with 12.5 grs. of 2400 behind a 158 gr. LEE swc with a gas check and a CCI mag primer. Velocity is about 1200 fps with no leading in my Blackhawk. My Marlin 1894C seems to like Blue Dot best. I use a lot of Unique for milder loads because you can load a bunch per pound, it's really a versitle powder.

I see that your Blackhawk is a convertable like mine. How does it shoot 9mm?Mine is very pickey about what it will shoot, seems to like 124 gr. bullets the best.

beemer

[res45]

Mine shoots the 9 mm very well. I mostly use it for plinking nothing serious I have had good results with the 124 Gr. and I think its a 115 Gr, FMJ in the CCI blazer ammo it does well with also. Good round for the wife to shoot not much recoil makes a nice small game round also.

[shooting on a shoestring]

My .357 carry loads are powered by Blue Dot. Great stuff for .357. If you need top end or near top end loads for just 10.7 grains of powder, its hard to beat. I use it in a 2.25" SP101 and get 1140 fps with 158 Gold Dots. I chornographed my top loads with that bullet using Blue Dot, 2400, Lil'Gun, W296 and H4227. Blue Dot was the fastest at 1140, Lil'Gun and W296 were both close behind with 1100 fps, 2400 came in with about 1070.

I used to shoot lots of Unique until I bought Herco at $79 for 8 lbs. I favor Unique over 2400 b/c Unique can go from pretty mild to fairly hot in .357. 2400 is pretty well limited to top end loads. At moderate loadings it leaves lots of unburned flakes in the barrel. Often the unburned powder does not affect accuracy, but it annoys me. Unique will be sooty at the mild end of the spectrum. If I was limited to one powder, it would probably be Unique.

I burned up my last couple of pounds of 2400 about a year ago and don't intend to replace it. I still stock Unique (Herco and Bullseye in 8 lbs, Red Dot, Blue Dot, H110, Lil'Gun and H4227 in 1 lbs as needed).

Your H4227 with that 6" barrel ought to make some of the fastest velocities with 158 grain boolits. And they should be pretty accurate b/c they fill the case well. H4227 would be dissappointing in moderate loads though.

[454PB]

Another vote for Bluedot........

Second place goes to HS-6

[sundog]

HS-7 and Herco. Think of the latter as a slow Unique.

10.0/HS-7 with a 358156 is one of my favorites.

[BruceB]

It's a great blessing to have enough guns laying around the place to not have to make any one gun serve many purposes by loading a variety of ammuntion for it.

In the case of the .357, I do not load anything but ONE standard load, and it serves extremely well for anything I want my .357s to do. 14.5 grains of 2400 with either Lyman's 358156 (GC) or the RCBS 38-150 (PB) makes a great round, and all my .357s are zeroed for it. The velocity is ample, and I shoot a LOT of this ammo.

If for some reason I "need" to shoot lower-powered ammo in the .357s, I just shoot our standard .38 revolver load, which is mildly "Plus-P" with the RCBS bullet at around 950 fps.

2400 may be kinda old and un-exciting, but it's served me (and many others) exceedingly well for many decades. It just flat WORKS, and is my choice for ALL my magnum revolver loads in .357, 41 and .44 calibers.

It's mighty hard to argue with success.

[warriorsociologist]

AA #7 for mid-range...AA#9 and/or H4227 for upper-end.

[lovedogs]

For slow loads I like Unique but like H110 for the high-speed stuff. Use a mag primer and firm crimp and it'll usually outperform everything else except, sometimes, 296.

[9.3X62AL]

WW-296 for high-end j-words.......2400 for high-end castings........Unique or Herco for the mid-level stuff. One exception, with Lyman #358430....it gets 12.5 grains of 296, and is lights-out accurate in every 357 I've tried it in, 8 or more revolvers to date. CCI 550 primers start things up with 296, WSP fires everything else.

[Lloyd Smale]

first h4227 is a much slower burning powder then 2400 and you will get into trouble fast loading 2400 at 4227 charge wieghts. Lots of guys favor blue dot but ive never liked it. It just goes from mild to wild in pressure with a very small increase in charge weight but like was said if your careful and know what your doing it will give some real good velocitys in the 357. Lil gun is another powder thats fast dropping out of my favorite list for the same reason. Its just not that stable of a powder. What would i recomend. 2400 is tough to beat and aa9 is another good one. 110 is usually the go to powder for heavy loaded mag handguns. Dont know why but i just never got really attached to it. It gives great velocity and accuracy but can be a little tough to ignite and isnt consistant unless pushed to the top end of the pressure scale. On the faster side a couple good ones woud be unique, herco, power pistol and hs6

[NickSS]

My standard 357 load is a 150 gr cast semi wad cutter and 7 gr of Unique. I have used this load for years and it has plenty of power for almost everything I want a 357 to do. I go to jacketed bullets and W 296 for anything hotter.

[AlaskaMike]

I shoot the RCBS 38-150-SWC, and use primarily either 7.5 grains of Unique or 17.5 grains of W296 (please note that this W296 load is most likely a little above the max in most manuals). Other loads I've done that I've liked (in no order of preference) are:

14.5 gr. 2400
6.0 gr. W231
8.0 gr. Power Pistol
10.2 gr. Blue Dot

Like Lloyd Smale, I've got away from Blue Dot because of its tendency for pressures to skyrocket with tiny charge increases. Similar to a psycho girlfriend who goes ballistic on your most innocent of comments. Lloyd also makes a very important point about the different burning rates of 2400 and 4227 (either IMR or Hodgdon's).

Mike

[USARO4]

I have switched to AA#7 and AA#9 because it is accurate in my loads and meters so smoothly through my powder measures.