.357mag load for 125gr cast...

[shoot-n-lead]

Hi guys,

Looking for a load for the .357 using a Lee 125gr that will achieve 1000-1100fps using 231, Bullseye or Unique. Does anyone have experience with this?

Thanks

[JWFilips]

For quite awhile when I got my first 357 mag S&W 19 I shot a lot of 125 gr. Truncated cone hard cast boolits from CB Bullets. My load was 4.6 grain Bullseye 357 mag cases ( mixed head stamps) with Federal SPP Crimped in crimp groove. I believe it clocked about 940 fps on the chrono. Very accurate at 25 yds.

My friend's hot load for the same boolit was 17 gr. 2400 Fed SPP I had no pressure issues with these either however I didn't shoot a whole lot through my k-frame Just no reason to shoot that fast. BTW they were very accurate off a rest at 25 yds

[1Shirt]

I shoot mine over 16 gr of 2400. Haven't chronoed, but would bet they are well in excess of 1200 fps.
1Shirt!

[StratsMan]

I've shot up to 6.5gr of Bullseye in a 357 case with a 158gr. boolit (358156). It had a sharp recoil, so I don't load it that hot anymore... Recipe came from Lee Reloading Manual... I can check the 125 grain recipes for you later tonight, if you'd like...

[shoot-n-lead]

I've shot up to 6.5gr of Bullseye in a 357 case with a 158gr. boolit (358156). It had a sharp recoil, so I don't load it that hot anymore... Recipe came from Lee Reloading Manual... I can check the 125 grain recipes for you later tonight, if you'd like...

I would appreciate that, thanks.

[StratsMan]

OK, I have Modern Reloading, Second Edition, by Robert Lee in front of me... Lee must have figured that very few people would use a 125 g. cast boolit in 357, as he has very few loads listed for it and lots for 158 grain... As I said earlier, top Bullseye load at 158 grains of cast boolit is 6.5 grains for 1320 fps...

At 125 grains cast, he lists loads for only four powders:
Universal 4.8 gr for 1046 fps, and 6.8 gr for 1401 fps
Titegroup 4.0 gr for 1055 fps, and 5.4 gr for 1274 fps
Clays 3.5 gr for 910 fps, and 5.3 gr for 1260 fps
HP38 4.6 gr for 1052 fps, and 5.5 for 1185 fps

Pressure for those is listed in CUP, which doesn't mean much to me... the top Clays was 33000 CUP.... top HP38 was only 18800 CUP...

The published load data for 231 includes a 125 grain lead bullet load... www.hodgdon.com... go to the Load Data and peruse... it says 4.6 grains 231 for 1052 fps, and 5.5 grains for 1185 fps...

[.429]

5.5gr of Unique is the magic number for my gp100 4"

[Spawn-Inc]

21gr of H110 !! though, those where jacketed. i did shoot some cast 110gr'ers with 22gr of h110 but got some minor leading. i need a harder alloy for that load.

[shoot-n-lead]

Thanks guys.

I am going to give the 231 load a try and I will probably try a little Unique also.

I am eager to do a little penetration test just to see how it penetrates...am I sure that it will do well. This is going to be for me to carry on occasion while varmint hunting so that I can use it out to 50yds if given the opportunity. I think that it will perform well in this role.

It will probably see a lot of use as a plinker, also.

[shoot-n-lead]

Thanks all for the input.

I loaded some up using 5.4grs of 231 and was very impressed with the accuracy. They only drop 1" at 50yds and about 6" at 100...not that I will be shooting at any animal at that distance, but it was fun to bang the metal at 100yds with them. I am using a Lee flat point mold that has a .26 meplat, so I took them and just bumped them into the side of the grinding wheel to increase them to .30 with a sharp edge. Let me tell you, this is a penetrating fool.

I will use them primarily for woods carry and the hunting with them will be limited to varmints. However, I will have no compunction at all about making a heart shot on deer or head shot on a 100lb hog out to 35yds. This round shoots lights out in the old model Blackhawk out to 50yds and has virtually no recoil and is does not have the noise or muzzle blast of typical .357mag rounds that I have used...a contributing factor to my having never spent much time with the .357.

This round is a blast to shoot and I think that it will serve me well for the intended purpose. I am a .44special guy, but this one has found some favor with me as well.

[Tim357]

Chrono'd results are as follows:
3" SP101 6.2 Unique, 872 fps. 7.0 Unique, one batch 967 avg, another batch, 1057 avg

4" SW 686 6.2 Unique, 941 avg. 7.0 Unique, 996 avg

Ruger, 6.7 Alliant PP, 6.7 gr in 38 case, 1005 avg
Smith, same load, 1063 avg.

Ambient temp, 98*, elevation 1100'

[colonelhogan44]

I get 1220 fps from 4.5 grains of green dot out of my Rossi carbine. For what it is worth!

[Grump]

Hmmm, what length barrel are you using?

I will look for what chrono/load info I have. I remember doing something with heavier loads of 231...

That said and NOT what you asked for, using Laser-cast 125-gr TCs, I think either the Winchester load of 19.5 or the...Speer???...load of 20.5 gr of W-W 296 behaved almost exactly the same as the various J-words I started using with that load back when I was spending pizza money on ammo components at BYU. Near or just above 1400 FPS out of two different four-inch barrels, the same out of one 6-inch, and closer to maybe 1450-75ish from a 586. All S&Ws FWIW.

Now lemme dig around. The wife might want supper soon, so this might take all weekend...

[colonelhogan44]

20 inch barrel.

[ironhead7544]

I would try IMR4227 with that bullet. It was made for 20 inch barrels. IME, less leading and is easier on guns.

[Grump]

Sorry, my 231 loads were with a 145-gr cast...

The 125-gr loads were in .38 Special, and were light.

I could run some mathematical models if you want, within the bounds of published load limits of course.

LMK

[Grump]

My memory was not that bad after all.

I have some with 7.3 of W-W 231 under a 125-gr plated bullet. Just don't have any chrono information. Loads are labeled as mid-power. QuickLOAD says they should do about 1,330 fps with 27,000 PSI (piezo I presume) from a 7-inch barrel (not quite sure how much to add for the cylinder, just haven't looked it up or measured to the breechface...)

Backing that off, it says 6.0 should give 1,177 fps.

Winchester says the max load with a 125-gr JHP is 8.1 grains for 1,460 fps and 42,500 CUP (yes, I checked again). I did some informal studies of Winchester's handgun load data that *included* pressure reports, and going from Cu-clothed bullets to lead Boolits of the same weight *generally* called for a lighter charge weight from 1% to maybe 5% less for lead, with top velocities pretty close to each other and pressures either about the same or slightly higher with lead. IIRC, all disclaimers and warnings and "check it out yourself" apply. I did NOT compare the lead "powder-puff" loads in this informal comparison.

My personal theory is that in the first small distance of bullet travel when peak chamber pressure is reached, the collapse of lead against the bore, and/or perhaps just greater coefficient of friction for lead as engraved to the bore as compared to copper as engraved to the bore, often completely overpowers the factor of copper being harder and taking more energy to force through the throat or leade.

So, depending on barrel length, that suggestion of 6.0 grains 231 might give closer to 1,200.

I also have some 5.1 gr loads at the bottom of the ammo box, which should go closer to 1,058 fps with a 125-gr. Like I said, calculations only, not verified with chrono.

[sniper]

5.5gr of Unique is the magic number for my gp100 4"

Yep; mine too.357 brass, RCBS 150 gr SWC, 4" std primer= 860fps chronoed.
I'm now using 5.9/Unique.