Two Recommended 357 Magnum Loads Confirmed

[Low Budget Shooter]

Recently I loaded up and test fired two loads that the experienced shooters on this board have recommended. I found both to shoot great!

Gun: Model 19-3 6" barrel
Bullet: RCBS 38-150-KT (156 grains cast of COWW)
Lube: Red Carnauba
Sized: .358
Brass: Federal .357 Magnum
Load #1: 5.0 grains Red Dot - average 978 fps
Load #2: 6.5 grains Unique
Crimp: roll - medium

The Red Dot load is not much more powerful than a 38 Special +P load. Its strengths are accuracy and economy. You can make up the same load with 4.5 grains Red Dot in 38 Special brass for similar accuracy, the same average velocity, and lower extreme spread.

According to some of the gurus on this board, the Unique load is about the hottest load you can make with Unique before starting to suffer loss of accuracy and/or leading from excessive pressure. I have not shot that one over the chrony. Anyone have good velocity data on that one?

So, if you have some Red Dot or some Unique, and you want to enjoy some mild to medium loads in your 357, you can't go wrong with these classics, and you can't go wrong accumulating the advice of the experienced guys on this board.

[Scharfschuetze]

Thanks for the info. I also load the majority of my 357 loads to what your Red Dot load is doing, 1,000 with 146 to 158 grain bullets. I personally really like that RCBS 150 Grain KT bullet and have used it since the mid 70s.

What was your velocity with the load using the Unique?

[Low Budget Shooter]

I don't know the Unique load velocity. I measured the Red Dot load on our club's chrony a while back, but someone has since shot it dead.

[2wheelDuke]

I use the Lee 158gr TL SWC, and now I powder coat them.

I stopped at 6 grains of Unique since that's what Alliant recommends. I call them .38spl +p+ since my club technically doesn't allow magnum loads and it's still a light load for the caliber.

I'll have to try some Red Dot.

[Salmoneye]

Been loading a 158gr boolit/bullet over 5gr of Red Dot in .357 for 30+ years...

First load I tried off the included sheet that came when I bought my Lee dies...

[DerekP Houston]

sounds like a good excuse for me to buy some red dot. One of the powders I've seen the praises of but not yet got around to testing myself. Unique and I have a love hate relationship at the moment.

[Grmps]

6.4 grains Unique has been a standard load for a long time for the 357, 4.6 for the 38 special

[Bookworm]

I'm going to try that RedDot load. I have a bunch of Promo, and a bunch of recently emptied 357 brass....

So far, I've been rolling with 6gr Universal under a 150-160gr boolit to get to 1000fps. Works very well. Universal and Unique are very close in both burn rate, and also charge weights. Usually, the start load numbers of either can be used.

[Ed_Shot]

In a .357 case I have found Red Dot / Promo 5.0 gr. outstanding with boolit weights from 120 ~ 160 gr. The only 38 Spl I load any more is the Lyman 358242 (120 gr) over Red Dot /Promo 4.2 gr it is a tack driver.

[Bzcraig]

I was so impressed with the versatility of Red Dot when I posted a thread asking who loads what with it, I plan on buying a keg of it or Promo as soon as I see one.

[jetinteriorguy]

+1 on the Red Dot, but another sleeper that people seem to ignore is Green Dot. I haven't tried it yet in my .357 but it's my go to in my .41.

[williamwaco]

Recently I loaded up and test fired two loads that the experienced shooters on this board have recommended. I found both to shoot great!

Gun: Model 19-3 6" barrel
Bullet: RCBS 38-150-KT (156 grains cast of COWW)
Lube: Red Carnauba
Sized: .358
Brass: Federal .357 Magnum
Load #1: 5.0 grains Red Dot - average 978 fps
Load #2: 6.5 grains Unique
Crimp: roll - medium

The Red Dot load is not much more powerful than a 38 Special +P load. Its strengths are accuracy and economy. You can make up the same load with 4.5 grains Red Dot in 38 Special brass for similar accuracy, the same average velocity, and lower extreme spread.

According to some of the gurus on this board, the Unique load is about the hottest load you can make with Unique before starting to suffer loss of accuracy and/or leading from excessive pressure. I have not shot that one over the chrony. Anyone have good velocity data on that one?

So, if you have some Red Dot or some Unique, and you want to enjoy some mild to medium loads in your 357, you can't go wrong with these classics, and you can't go wrong accumulating the advice of the experienced guys on this board.
No. 2 is my favorite . But I use a mild crimp.

[Gus Youmans]

I have had good luck with the Falcon 125 grain conical cast boolit with 4.0 to 4.3 grains of Red Dot in .38 Special or .357 brass. In a four inch Model 66 using .38 Special brass 4.0 grains will average 1.5 inches at 25 yards with velocity of about 975 fps and a four inch Model 686-1 using 4.0 grains and .357 brass will average 1.2 inches at 25 yards with a velocity of 775 fps. The difference in accuracy between 4.0 and 4.3 grains was measured in hundredths of an inch, so there is no practical difference. The velocity difference was about 70 fps in .357 brass and about 40 fps in .38 Special brass.

Gus Youmans