357 magnum heavy bullets

[Mica_Hiebert]

I have NOE 360-180 WFN GC mold on the way, What is your favorite 357 mag 180 grain load?
Guns this will be shot in Ruger 77/357 gp100 match champion 4.2 inch? and sp101 3 inch.

[Jupiter7]

Depends on the firearm. My all around load is 8.8grs power pistol with the RD357-175.

[Mica_Hiebert]

Depends on the firearm. My all around load is 8.8grs power pistol with the RD357-175.
updated

[bobthenailer]

try 4.5grs of Tight group @1,030 fps from a rifle

[waco]

I've used 12gr 2400 or 14gr IMR4227

[frnkeore]

Don't over look lil' Gun for the HV loads. I use it with a 208 gr in the 357 Mag. You need a 1.68 long cylinder for the 200+ bullets though.

Frank

[robg]

11.5g 2400 190g gc rbs boolit 1230fps in my win 1894 trapper and accurate too 2" @100yards

[rond]

Don't over look lil' Gun for the HV loads. I use it with a 208 gr in the 357 Mag. You need a 1.68 long cylinder for the 200+ bullets though.

Frank
I'll chime in for Lil Gun also H110.

[Scharfschuetze]

I also like Lil'gun for high performance 180 grain boolit loads in the 357 Magnum in both rifles and revolvers. I'm not sure if it has any significant advantage in revolvers over H110 or 296, but in rifle length barrels it really shines with velocities of over 1,750 fps (24" barrel) with 180 cast boolits and good accuracy out to 200 yards.

While not germane to rifles or handguns, my next project is to see how Lil'gun does in 410 bore shotshells for skeet, quail and doves. If it also works well in this capacity, I'll use up the rest of my 296 and just stock Lil'gun for magnum level loads in the 357 Magnum, 41 Magnum and all my loads for the 410 bore shotgun.

For milder loads (and I shoot way more of these) with the 180 grain boolit, Unique has proven to be a good choice with a comfortable 980 fps out of a 4" S&W Model 65 revolver and unlike lighter boolits, they shoot to point of aim in my fixed sight Model 65. To be honest though, the 180s produce a lot of recoil for mild loads and I reserve them mostly for the higher performance rounds.

[Mica_Hiebert]

I have allot of h110 and some lil gun

[rking22]

Scharf, I have used lil gun in the 410. It is really hard on the plastic hulls. Shoots well but the crimp looks "well done" after the first reload. I have reserved it for my hornet and still use 296 in the 410. My son and I shoot lots of 410 and I am just a little frugal :)

[Scharfschuetze]

Thanks for that info Rking22. With the cost of Double A hulls, I'm inclined to shelve that project and stick with known loads that aren't too hard of the hull.

I too really like Lil'gun in the 22 Hornet. Using it I get velocities that are a couple of hundred fps over the older powders and it really extenda the old Hornet's range on prairie dogs.

[marshall623]

You have chosen a great boolit and an excellent mold to cast it with. Really soft alloys in mine accuracy suffered . I did the best with 50/50 -WW & PURE water cooled then tempered the noses with a torch. Air cooled COWW didn't do bad either. No H110 to be had in my area , AA#9 all I can find . I've settled on 12.2 gr in the GP 100 and 12.6 in the 10" Tender both with CCI. Mag primers. Good luck

[jmort]

12 grains of 2400

[rintinglen]

+whatever for 12.0 grains of 2400. But 13.5 grains of 296 works well too. These will not be fun in the SP 101.

[clum553946]

I'm a fan of 296 for this particular mold. Just use magnum pistol primers & don't try to reduce load below published data.

[Camba]

I use the RCBS 35-180-SIL (drops at 192gr from my alloy) gas checked under 15.7gr H110 and CCI-550 primers. That is about 1700+ fps from my 77/357 rifle. It is the most accurate load for this rifle so far, using cast boolits. I get 1" groups at 100 yards more times than not. My 12" contender handgun likes it at 15.2gr and it is a stiff load for the GP-100.

[Good Cheer]

I've found 296 to be very forgiving and easy to produce accuracy in .357.
That's for revolvers and for '92 lever action.

[at_liberty]

I have NOE 360-180 WFN GC mold on the way, What is your favorite 357 mag 180 grain load?
Guns this will be shot in Ruger 77/357 gp100 match champion 4.2 inch? and sp101 3 inch.

Looks like many replies are for powders/loads that would not require the gas check feature, except I suppose for bofundo velocities, scraping the lead out of the bore. The hot burner would be the W296/H100, I believe. Then there is the even slower burning 300-MP with nothing but a max charge for data and then only for jacketed.

[nekshot]

Shooting 190 RD's in my 357 rifle at the mixture of alloy that gives good expansion leads like all get out. I got so tired of cleaning out lead I gave up using the 357 rifle for hunting. WW boolits and it shoots great but no expansion.

[P Flados]

With short barrel revolvers, the W296/H110 powder will do full power 180 grn 357 mag loads.

Just be prepared for some real muzzle blast.

You can probably back off just a little with the 180 grn (shop around in the books & find the lowest posted load, do not go lower).

Lil gun or 2400 are probably close to the above in the short barrels. You do not loose much & backing off a little is less of a concern.

If you want less than full power, the list is long. HS-6, Unique or something close come to mind.

If you are pushing for full power, a few revolvers may tolerate tumble lube. More may be lead free with a top rated traditional lube. BLL over traditional may be worth a try if needed. However, some revolvers do not like any of the above. In my stainless Dan Wesson, lead free full power 357 mags require powder coating. If you end up with powder coat try some as "checkless". Sometimes you get lucky and checkless works just as good.

[Mica_Hiebert]

I plan to check and powder coat to hopefully get away with a little softer alloy for expansion, loading will probably be with h110 as I have like 10 lbs of it, I have about a half pound of 4227, half of older 2400 and about 3/4 of a pound of lilgun I hate to develop a favorite load with a powder and then have a hard time finding it after I run out. sp101 has hogue rubber grips which makes recoil allot more tame! Im a little worried about the purdy wood grips on the gp100 and shooting max loads but ill have to deal with that road block when I get there. I can always install the hogues on it too but part of the appeal of the match champion is the grips. I got my mould in the mail bout a week ago, Ive just been a zombie trying to adjust to grave yard shift I have been on for the last few weeks so I havent cast any thing with it yet.

[at_liberty]

I plan to check and powder coat to hopefully get away with a little softer alloy for expansion, loading will probably be with h110 as I have like 10 lbs of it, I have about a half pound of 4227, half of older 2400 and about 3/4 of a pound of lilgun I hate to develop a favorite load with a powder and then have a hard time finding it after I run out. sp101 has hogue rubber grips which makes recoil allot more tame! Im a little worried about the purdy wood grips on the gp100 and shooting max loads but ill have to deal with that road block when I get there. I can always install the hogues on it too but part of the appeal of the match champion is the grips. I got my mould in the mail bout a week ago, Ive just been a zombie trying to adjust to grave yard shift I have been on for the last few weeks so I havent cast any thing with it yet.
Is this group tacitly allowing that H110 could melt the base of the unclad bullet? Show me the published load for H110 with bare lead.

[Mica_Hiebert]

I ended up with a gas check mould by default I wanted the same bullet in a plain base but could not find the mould which is now available from the manufacturer but money doesnt grow on trees so now I have what I have. I dont like the idea of shooting a Gas check style bullet without a gas check, in my mind you have this nice little pocket all around the skirt of the bullet that is normally sealed where gas is trying to escape past your bullet now... regardless bullets will be checked, needed or not it will make me feel better... on a side note the first rounds I shot through my sp101 where factory lead round nose 38s and the lead scrubbing i got to do afterwards is a chore id like to not do to many more times in my life :-D

[tazman]

Is this group tacitly allowing that H110 could melt the base of the unclad bullet? Show me the published load for H110 with bare lead.

The powder doesn't have time to melt the base of a lead boolit.
Gas cutting on the edges of the base or sides of the boolit can and will lead the barrel. The gas check is there to protect the edges of the base and help grip the rifling to prevent bullet skid.
The Lyman 49th handbook shows H110 loads for both checked and plain base boolits. Velocities are quoted near 1400 fps for a 158 grain boolits from a 4 inch barrel and right at 1300 fps for a plain base 170 grain boolit.
No 180 grain cast loads are listed in the manual but there are some 180 grain jacketed loads listed.

[Virginia John]

My personal favorites are W231 and TightGroup.

[P Flados]

I ended up with a gas check mould by default I wanted the same bullet in a plain base but could not find the mould which is now available from the manufacturer but money doesnt grow on trees so now I have what I have. I dont like the idea of shooting a Gas check style bullet without a gas check, in my mind you have this nice little pocket all around the skirt of the bullet that is normally sealed where gas is trying to escape past your bullet now... regardless bullets will be checked, needed or not it will make me feel better... on a side note the first rounds I shot through my sp101 where factory lead round nose 38s and the lead scrubbing i got to do afterwards is a chore id like to not do to many more times in my life :-D

I shoot three different boolits as "checkless" (gas check design with no check installed).

This is the Lee C309-150-F and Lee C309-170-F in 30 Herrett (T/C 10" & 14") and the Lee C358-200-RF in 357 Maximum (Dan Wesson 8" & T/C 10").

I like the way that my gas check boolit base is easy to get crisp at the location that I feel matters the most (the transition point from full diameter to gas check diameter) and I like the way the boolit drops into a flared case as I am about to seat it.

I do not like way it limits how far I can extend the boolit out of the case (I have T/C chambers that are less than optimum).

With PC and checkless boolits, I have not come across an opportunity to say "geeze this would probably work better with checks". This is with loads that I push pretty hard in calibers where this would have seemed as pretty obvious "gotta use em" loads prior to PC.

I will admit that there are probably examples where a PB design shoots better than the same basic boolit operated in checkless mode. I just have not convinced myself that this is the case for anything I shoot.

I have pretty much decided that for any new molds, GC designs that I plan to operate as checkless is just fine and dandy.

Before you give up and commit to checks, you might want to try checkless and see what you get.

[tazman]

I like that thought about a really clean, sharp edge provided by the check shoulder. Something new to consider.

[P Flados]

FYI for Taz & Mica

I finally reached "happy" with my PC coated Lee C358-200-RF as checkless. Sub 3 MOA and around 1500 fps from a TC 10" 357 maximum barrel.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?283606-New-LEE-design-358-200-RF&p=3459027#post3459027

[tazman]

Those are excellent results. keep it up.