Alloy selection for 357 magnum loads

[Strtspdlx]

I did search this and read several articles. In those articles everyone is using pretty much every alloy. The Lyman book states it uses Linotype for the Lyman 358429 mold and that looks like up to 1285fps. I have on hand coww and pure lead and enough tin to mix about 50lbs. I know the tin only adds about 1% hardness for every x amount of alloy but I don't remember the number. I plan to try these in just coww using equal parts paraffin Vaseline and beeswax for my lube. I'll estimate the velocity to be around 1100~fps as I don't have a chronograph. Does anyone have any experience using my current alloy of straight coww. If so how fast have you pushed it and with what lube. I plan to size them and I still have to slug the cylinder? I'm new to revolvers and if I'm reading correctly I'm supposed to slug the cylinder? So fit will be king if I get that part correct.

[s mac]

Watching with interest, going down this road myself.

[gwpercle]

I've used straight COWW + 1% tin, air cooled , for decades . Use a good bullet lubricant , I'm not sure paraffin, vaseline and beeswax will stand up to +1000 fps velocities . Try it and see.
The two cast bullets I use for magnum loads are both gas checked designs and the lube is 1 part Lithium grease and 3 parts Beeswax ( called Lithi-Bee ) . At velocities above 1000 to about 1250 fps , leading has never been an issue.
Slug your bore and size .001 over and you should be fine if the lube holds up.
Gary

[Blackwater]

Gwpercle gives good advice. .357's tend to lead more easily than some larger calibers, but I've shot ACWW's many, many thousands of times with near max. loads, and never had a problem. But as with most things involving reloading, the particulars DO matter. And lube is cheap enough that you don't need to mess with cheap and easy lubes like you have. Check out White Label lubes if you want really good lubes, at really good prices. A google search should take you to them pronto.

[dtknowles]

You don't need Linotype. Your COWW will be fine, you gun might even be happy with 50/50 COWW and Pure. You only need to add tin if you are not getting good fillout.

I use 50/50 lube too. Half Alox and half bees wax.

Size to match the throats of your revolver and hope that is more than groove dia.

Tim

[psweigle]

I have used range scrap lead and a lee tl 358_158 round nose in both a rifle and all the revolvers. I water drop them and tumble lube with good results. Never any leading in the revolvers. I keep them to 1250fps.

[gwpercle]

You don't need Linotype. Your COWW will be fine, you gun might even be happy with 50/50 COWW and Pure. You only need to add tin if you are not getting good fillout.

I use 50/50 lube too. Half Alox and half bees wax.

Size to match the throats of your revolver and hope that is more than groove dia.

Tim
Agree with 50/50 COWW and lead mix being adequate. My last range trip included 357 magnum loads with boolits of this alloy, Lyman #358156 ( 155 gr. SWC) and NOE 358-124-TC GC (124 gr. Truncated Cone) , both air cooled . Absolutely no leading with stiff loads of AA #5 in both.
Gary

[OptimusPanda]

The only pistol alloy I use is a 50/50 mix of coww and range scrap lead, plus a couple extra percent pewter (BHN ~11-12) .357 mag leaded a bit with the simple darr lube. Changed to "Satan's lube" and that's worked fine ever since. Even in rifles at 2000 fps.

[SteveS]

I use coww with 1% tin in mine, loaded to between 1100-1200fps with no problem. White Label 50/50 lube.

I do notice that I get better results depending on which powder I use. The slower the powder, the better in my experience.

[Shiloh]

Hard for max loads. Every gun is different. 1350 gave slight leading with a softer alloy. I don't go much above 1250 any more. Prefer milder loads.

Shiloh

[toallmy]

I have found fit over comes leading more so than hardness , but I have not ran my 357 hard and hot . I use a 50/50 coww , soft generally with c red , I fought with my 9 loads leading and tried harder and plain base gas checks to over come the problem of reducing the size of the cast boolits during loading , when I got the size right and could keep it right all my problems went away .

[LUCKYDAWG13]

best combo i found so far for my 3" sp101 range scrap lead and Lee 148gr FWC 5.8 gr of Unique

[WHITETAIL]

:Fire:I totally agree with fit, and then lube matters.
Go with Coww and a tad of tin for fill out.
When I load them I use 2400 and never looked back.:cbpour:

[Orchard6]

I've had leading problems with stiff charges of Unique under a Lee 358-158 tl swc cast of a accoww, lubed with liquid alox that were only middle of the road as far as velocity but the same bullet going faster in front of a stiff charge of 2400 have had no problems. It's not only the lube you use or the size of the boolit but also the powder you use to achieve the desired results.
I've never needed anything harder than accoww to achieve 1400+fps in my Blackhawk without leading. You just need the proper fit, powder and lube to do the job.
If you get into powder coating it can open up more possibilities and you maybe able to use even softer alloys to achieve the higher velocities. That's what I'm currently doing.