Heavy Boolits in 357's - Any body regularly use them??

[WARD O]

I was wondering if anyone/or how many regularly shoot heavier cast bullets in full size 357 mags? I've got a couple of S&W L frames and was thinking about going to bullets of 180 grain weight or more for normal use. I've been shooting the 140 - 160 grain stuff.

Any thoughts or advice to share?

thanks
ward

[LAH]

I shoot the 170 Keith but haven't used heavier.

[Tatume]

The Remington 180 gr JHP bullet and the Lyman 170 gr Keith boolit are great.

[Good Cheer]

Got a 190 LBT that does ok seated out to preserve case capacity. Would pro'bly be a great excuse for a Handi Rifle if the throat was long enough.

[Bullshop]

I have two I regularly use in a Ruger Bisley 357 mag. The RCBS 200gn rifle boolit works great if you have the cylinder length to use it. I also use the Lyman boolit that was designed for the 357 max. It is a 220gn SWCGC design.

[Blammer]

All I use in mine is 180gr cast boolits.

[outdoorfan]

I've been testing the MP 180 RF in my 686, and it shoots wonderfully at full power or at 600 fps. It will be my go-to boolit, for sure!

[jmort]

My "universal" .38/.357 is 170 grain - Accurate Catalog #36-170T - it will load to exact SAAMI COAL. Most/all 180 plus will be over spec if crimped at top groove. I was looking for something that would function at 100% with any lever/revolver.

http://accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=36-170T-D.png

[9.3X62AL]

I've done some shooting with a 180 grain FP/GC in the Ruger BisHawk and the S&W 686 x 4". It shoots well, and I wouldn't hesitate to use it on game. Lyman #358430 (195 grainer w/blunt RN) shoots GREAT in both 38 Special and 357 Magnum, from 700 to 1200 FPS+. This latter casting as a soft-point per the BruceB Method would work well on deer-sized critters, I'm sure.

[Artful]

I don't regularly - but have in the past experiment with up to 225 grain designs - they seem to do best with 180 and lighter - you can have too much of a good thing.

[Bucking the Tiger]

The 170 Keith( #358429) is my standard bullet for my S&W 686. It is almost flush with the front of the cylinder. I have an old 4 cavity Ideal mold I found at a gun show that I use. Heavy, but built like a tank.
This bullet is very accurate at long ranges and is a hard hitter.
I use 158 grain Lee flat nose bullets for .38 Special, but this is the gold standard in .357 Magnum for me.

[shorty500M]

all my .357s get a heavy 190grain tc from a nei mold

[725]

I just started shooting the group buy 180 gr from Mihec, (188 gr with my alloy), PB & GC versions. Shoots great in .38's & .357's. Have shot 220 gr boolits (358647's I think is the catalog number) in both .38's & .357's. Great SWC design. Check out Glenn Fryxell's articles from the LASC on "a boolit for all seasons". Very good info on heavy boolits from the .35 platform. (The link to the LASC is at the bottom of this page). I can tell you the 220 gr boolit from a .357 has given DRT performance on wild boar with no tracking required.

[GLL]

This is a NOE Group Buy .38/200 Mark I. mold (LYMAN 358430ish) that I had Al modify to HP for me. It is now 185+ grains and designed for my .38/44 Outdoorsman revolvers (.38 Special). It should be fine for .357s as well.
Thanks to Landric for running the Buy !

http://www.fototime.com/5D4BAC03881A1B0/standard.jpg

As 9.3X62AL pointed out the 358430 is a 'GREAT" bullet in .38 Special as well !

http://www.fototime.com/17E47F2BF83493A/standard.jpg

I ran a Group Buy for the gas checked version of the 358430 for use in.357MAX.

Jerry

[9.3X62AL]

More boolit porn from Jerry! I've not had any experience with the shorter/lighter version of #358430 (nominally 150 grains). The longer 195 version tends to tumble upon contact at lower velocities like that given by the 38 Special--700 to 800 FPS. At 1100-1200 FPS they tend to bore straight through, but still make quite a mess of small critters like jackrabbits. I've related this in prior threads, but even the NEI 169A 38/200 duplicator creates a solid THUMP and CLANG when it impacts steel targets at 25 or 50 yards and launched at 700 FPS from the S&W M&P or the Webley/Enfield. There is subjectively "more to it" than what happens when 150 grainers from the Colt Police Positive @ 725 FPS strike the iron. Substantially so.

[mainiac]

358429,,for me as well!!! All i ever load for the 357,anymore.I shoot it in a blackhawk,as well as a marlin 1894. I need to crimp into the first drive band,in order to get it to feed in the marlin,so i just load the ruger the same way.Very accurate boolit.1200f.p.s. in the handgun,1640 in the marlin rifle.

[dragon813gt]

I have a MP180 RF mold that I use. It's the longest bullet I can load and have it feed properly in my 1894C. I really don't use it much. I prefer to use the 360640 that drops a 170 grain solid. It's the bullet I used to file down the front post for my Skinner sight so I use it as much as possible. I don't load any heavyweights for the revolvers. They're just for punching paper so it's light bullets and light charges so I can shoot more.

[357mags]

I've loaded 170, 180, and even 230gr Thunderheads. Stick with what the cartridge was designed for, 158gr bullets.

[9.3X62AL]

140-170 grain bullets/boolits have been the lead elements for me in both 38 Special and 357 Magnum. I think a 180 grain bullet/boolit in the 357 Magnum rifle might be its best game animal projectile, though--better potential for deeper penetration with the heavier-for-caliber bullet.

My old agency's switch from the 158 grain JHP to the much-celebrated FBI-pimped 125 grain Federal 357B load is a step backwards in my view. This same covey of lab rats and accountants also like the 9mm/147 grain JHP......don't get me started.

[r6487]

we shoot suppressed in handi-rifle with 9mm thread on can. penn state bullets makes a 230 grain "thunderhead" 357 that was originally made for bowling pin competitions, that is subsonic with 5.1 grains of unique, but drops about 6 inches at 100yds.

[Artful]

http://www.pennbullets.com/38/38-caliber.html
75128
Penn State "Thunderhead" .357 230 grain

That's a impressive boolit - how is the group size at 100 yds?

[Outpost75]

My lower noise subsonic. 357 load uses the Hunter's Supply 190-gr. FN from Midway, or home cast from the NEI#161A mold. Crimped in the normal crimp groove in. 357 brass Ctg. OAL is 1.59", or when seated out and crimped in the top lube groove in. 38 Special brass, OAL is 1.55". Subsonic load for supressor use is 4 grs. of Bullseye for 1030 fps from a 24" rifle barrel, or 855fps from 4-5/8" Ruger BH. The full power load is 12 grs. of #2400 with Federal 200 primer for 1450 fps from a Marlin 1894C with 18" barrel, 1525 fps from 24" Cowboy II or 1190 fps from 4-5/8" Blackhawk. Accurate and good killer.

[9.3X62AL]

Penn Thunderhead, AKA Wadcutter From Hell. :)

[missionary5155]

Good morning
My caliber .357 of choice for hunting or plinking about is a Dan Wesson 15-2. Long cylinders and easy change barrels lengths really make these near perfect. What is not so perfect is the 18.5 barrel twist. For out to 25 yards not a great problem but for pristine accuracy to 100 yards (farther for sillywets) you really need to pop a 180 grainer or heavier with alot of wack to remain stabalized far out there. A 1-16 twist helps alot here.
Revolvers need all the brass capacity available and that is where the DW's really shine. Long cylinders permit very long seating of heavy boolits. All you need to do is keep that nose from dragging.
I settled on 180's as my heavy boolit in caliber .357 mag. Still can get good magnum velocity from a 8inch or longer barrel and it will hold that supersonic zip a good distance using powders like 296, H110, 5744. I would not hessitate to pop a corn cruncher out to 75 yards with my DW and the 10 inch barrel screwed on. With a good rest it will keep those 180's in a very tight cluster. The 180 through the ribs will complete penetrate large East ILLinois does leaving a descent drain hole when cast with 50/50.
Any other critter of like weight (200 pounds plus) would react the same except bears and hogs. Happily I am not restricted to just that caliber. An old Michigan hunter told me years ago with pistol caliber cartriges get a boolit that weighs in grains what your intended beasty weighs in pounds. Sooner or later you will be faced with a shot that makes a too light a boolit beyond marginal. That's why prefer a caliber 40 something mag (Like the 414 Supermag) or 45 Colt (454 is better) that can easily launch a heavy boolit fast that will smack the beasty with superb authority. All the other bigger caliber mag cartriges available today are cream on the fresh picked strawberries..
Mike in Peru

[cbrick]

I just checked my mold list, 9 35 Caliber molds. One 150 gr mold that did well in a Marlin with powder puff loads, one 160 gr SAECO that I have yet to find something it shoots well in. Three 180 gr molds, the RCBS 180 Silhouette boolit does very well in everything I've fired it in. Three 200 gr boolits, the RCBS 200 gr shoots so well in everything that I got this boolit in a 5 cavity NOE mold. One 250 gr RCBS boolit for 35 Remington etc.

Heavy? Everything is relative I guess, for me the 180 is the norm for 357 & anything lighter than that is lite for caliber.

Rick

[bobthenailer]

Even though i have the saeco#354 & 396 , GB lee 180gr wfngc and a rcbs 35-200-fn for use in special applications! most of my shooting under 50 yards i use the plane jane 158gr swc with excellent results. for past 50 yards and farther is where the heavery bullets shine

[9.3X62AL]

A surprising read, Missionary. Lyman #358430 and a Group Buy 180 grain GC design both shoot VERY well for me past 25 yards, and that spans Colt--Ruger--and S&W sideiron for close to 30 years per the Lyman offering. Once #358430 hits about 900 FPS, it stops tumbling upon impact and drives straight through critters. That seems stable enough for hunting usage.

I'm not doubting your account, sir--it's just diametrically opposed to my own experiences. Lyman #358430 REALLY SHOOTS for me. It has been a great boolit, and goodness knows how many of them I have poured and fired.

[Groo]

Groo here
I have the mold and have shot the SSK ram slammer 357 / 358JDJ boolits.
Mine is a 205 gr [WW] gc and I have a load that will hit about 1100 from a 6in..
This boolet is for long cylinder guns, will not fit my Python...
Will fit and feed in a marlin lever gun , ever now a 357 to kick?????????

[Adam10mm]

When I had my GP100 all I shot in it was the 180gr FNGC in my avatar pic and a Lyman 358627 215gr SWC-GC.

[happie2shoot]

My go to boolit for my many .357's is a LBT 187gr. fngc.
One day we were testing our Ruger BH's, I was testing 2 of my 6, at 200yds.
Both of mine would shoot that 187gr. in 6'' or less and they were going 1475
to 1500 fps.
I tried the 200gr RCBS GC in my Rug. RH, can crimp that boolit in the crimp grove
because the RH has a long cylinder, at 1500 fps it shot great at 25yds. but at 50yds.
it started to tip and tumble.

[ka0tqv]

I own a Taur 38spl'sus 4"bbl and a Marlin 1

[ka0tqv]

Got a good buy on some sized and lubed 200 GR round nosed bullets made right here in Kansas. I use 38SPL cases, 2.5 GR of Bullseye, crimp into top groove. Works OK in my 4in bbl'd TAURUS and my Marlin 1894c. Simple as all HELL. Don't know the velocities or pressures, but I know they are safe. Target shooting should be simple and fun. If you agree with me, contact me direct. Email address KA0TQV@JUNO.COM. 3rd digit is a zero and not an OH. My amateur radio call. Hope to hear from you. Tnx Carl

[cpileri]

Where did you find load data for the 230gr T-head?
I use the 7gr load of #9 on Penn's website, and it works (or 9gr in a 357mag case); but am interested in other data!
Thx,
C-



we shoot suppressed in handi-rifle with 9mm thread on can. penn state bullets makes a 230 grain "thunderhead" 357 that was originally made for bowling pin competitions, that is subsonic with 5.1 grains of unique, but drops about 6 inches at 100yds.

[ka0tqv]

I own a 4in bbled taurus and a Marlin 1894c. I usw 38spl brass for both with a blue lubed 220 GR cas bullet seated and crimped to bottom groove. I know it's a safe loadand dont really care about velocity or pressures. 2.5 GR Bullseye. Works for me. After all target shooting should be fun. Real old Weaver K2.5 scope on rifle. note bluing worn to brass on both ends. Would like to hear some comments on it.77423

[jonp]

I use 158 - 160gr. If I want a heavier boolit I use my 45Colt

[waco]

NOE 360180 WFN in HP form
78111

[9.3X62AL]

I use 158 - 160gr. If I want a heavier boolit I use my 45Colt

There are no flies on THAT regimen!

One of the slight surprises I got when first casting for the 45 Colt--Lymans # 454190, 454424, and 454490--was the short, kinda squatty aspect that all three boolits have in real life. Their photos and sketches in catalogs give the impressions of being longer bullets--they really aren't. The 44 caliber Keith (#429421) doesn't have that squatty aspect to my eye at 240 grains.

[Cosmiceyes]

My lightest 358 mold is 150 Hensley,and my heaviest is a 180 SAECO TCGC. Black area of target is well ventilated,and animals fall down,and stick their legs in the air all stiff like. 2 legged varmints find 12 gauge rack more than enough ugly and leave quickly. Then I dwell on my cup of Joe!

[9.3X62AL]

Rem 870.......The Great Demotivator.

[SubPir8]

Does anyone have H110, lil’gun, or IMR 4227 data on the 38 cal Thunderheads?