.357 Mag casting help.

[toddx]

Hello Professors.
I was blessed yesterday to win an auction on GB for a Ruger GP100 with 6 inch barrel. I then went to my supply place as was astonished to find, Lee dies, a .358 125gr RN and a couple hundred primers.
I have a ton of Power Pistol and some 231. I know these are not ideal powders but would like to use them.
I have cast for 30-30 several times and am a novice.
Questions.
1. Lyman's Cast Bullet handbook skips the 125gr bullet for load data. Want to find a basic load for this bullet. Safe and light.
2. Should I size the bullets to .358 assuming the Lee Mold pours a little bigger? If I need to slug the gun what method do you like? I did a MN with fishing weights. Want to also size down to 9mm as well.
3. Planning on lubing with 45/45/10. Is that OK?
4. Anything else I might not know about revolver bullet casting that I did not learn whilst rifle bullet casing?
Thanks

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

ing ...

[Bwana]

The Hodgdon book gives a start load of 4.6gr and top load of 5.5gr for 231 using 125gr cast in 357mag. Velocities are 1052fps and 1185fps in 10" bbl.

[fecmech]

Good accurate loads with that bullet are in the 5-5.5 range with 231 and around 6 grs with Power pistol. Those are accurate in 3 of my rifles and my Ruger GP. They are kind of mid level about 1000 fps in a handgun and 1200-1300 in the rifles. For a milder load try around 4 grs of 231 that should be in the 750-800 fps range.

[Bonz]

I load 8gr of PowerPistol in my .357 125gr loads

[engineer401]

Go to Hodgdon powder for 231 data. http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp It gives data for 231. I copied this from the site:

125 GR. CAST LRNFP Winchester 231 .358" 1.580" 4.6 1052 13,800 CUP 5.5 1185 18,800 CUP

As always verify this for yourself.

[MtGun44]

Actually, these are nearly ideal powders unless you just HAVE TO have
the last possible ft per second, which will come with H110, probably.

Power pistol is great for med to hot loads and W231 is excellent for mild to
med hot, too.

Bill