357 B&D TC barrel on the way!

[Leadmelter]

Any fans of the 357 B&D on the board. Looking for some cast boolit info in the 160-180 gr range.
Thanks in advance!
Spring is coming in 17 days.
Leadmelter
MI

[lar45]

Quickload shows the case capacity to be nearly the same as the 357 Max. The 357 Max is 33.6gns H2O and the 357 B&D is 33.0 gns H2O.
COTW shows a couple of loads for the B&D with a 158JSP in a 10" Contender barrel.
24gns of W296 2045fps
28gns of 2400 1700fps (this may be for the old 2400??)

Hodgdon's site gives some lower loads for the 357 B&D with a 158XTP in a 10" bbl
H110 21gns 1604fps
H4227 20gns 1440fps

I put 21gns of H110 in the 357 B&D into Quickload and it showed 1742fps at 33.7kpsi.
I plugged 24gns of H110 with a 158XTP loaded to 1.580" into Quickload and it showed 2008fps but at 52kpsi!!

I'm guessing that the old 357B&D load data for COTW was never pressure tested. They probably went with the flat slightly cratered primer guesstimate? COTW also says that the B&D out performs the 357 Herrett. The Herrett has a case capacity of 42gns of H2O. So I think that this is another clue that they were Hot loading the B&D.

I was hoping to show similar loads for the B&D and Max, but Hodgdon's site only shows a 160 for the Max. It's similar but not exactly the same. I would think that with the B&D and Max having nearly the same case capacity that you should be able to use the Max's starting load data for the 180's and work up from there.

I don't know if I helped or muddied the water. Maybe after more coffee I'll rethink this and edit the post.

[reed1911]

You beat me to it. 357 Max loads are excellent for the B&D.

[John Allen]

I always thought this was a cool contender cartridge. That is a good pickup.

[Leadmelter]

Sorry Reed1911 but there will be another. I already have in my TC stuff: 357 mag, 357 Max, and SSK 357 Automag. And I have some good boolits for them both regular and hp molds.
Summer fun is in store.
Leadmelter
MI

[reed1911]

Oh! no, no. I meant Lar45 beat me to posting that the Max was a good place to start, not that you beat me on getting the barrel. Took me a second to understand what you meant.