Heavy Boolits in 357's - Any body regularly use them??

[WARD O]

I was wondering if anyone/or how many regularly shoot heavier cast bullets in full size 357 mags? I've got a couple of S&W L frames and was thinking about going to bullets of 180 grain weight or more for normal use. I've been shooting the 140 - 160 grain stuff.

Any thoughts or advice to share?

thanks
ward

[LAH]

I shoot the 170 Keith but haven't used heavier.

[Tatume]

The Remington 180 gr JHP bullet and the Lyman 170 gr Keith boolit are great.

[Good Cheer]

Got a 190 LBT that does ok seated out to preserve case capacity. Would pro'bly be a great excuse for a Handi Rifle if the throat was long enough.

[Bullshop]

I have two I regularly use in a Ruger Bisley 357 mag. The RCBS 200gn rifle boolit works great if you have the cylinder length to use it. I also use the Lyman boolit that was designed for the 357 max. It is a 220gn SWCGC design.

[Blammer]

All I use in mine is 180gr cast boolits.

[outdoorfan]

I've been testing the MP 180 RF in my 686, and it shoots wonderfully at full power or at 600 fps. It will be my go-to boolit, for sure!

[jmort]

My "universal" .38/.357 is 170 grain - Accurate Catalog #36-170T - it will load to exact SAAMI COAL. Most/all 180 plus will be over spec if crimped at top groove. I was looking for something that would function at 100% with any lever/revolver.

http://accuratemolds.com/bullet_deta...=36-170T-D.png

[9.3X62AL]

I've done some shooting with a 180 grain FP/GC in the Ruger BisHawk and the S&W 686 x 4". It shoots well, and I wouldn't hesitate to use it on game. Lyman #358430 (195 grainer w/blunt RN) shoots GREAT in both 38 Special and 357 Magnum, from 700 to 1200 FPS+. This latter casting as a soft-point per the BruceB Method would work well on deer-sized critters, I'm sure.

[Artful]

I don't regularly - but have in the past experiment with up to 225 grain designs - they seem to do best with 180 and lighter - you can have too much of a good thing.

[Bucking the Tiger]

The 170 Keith( #358429) is my standard bullet for my S&W 686. It is almost flush with the front of the cylinder. I have an old 4 cavity Ideal mold I found at a gun show that I use. Heavy, but built like a tank.
This bullet is very accurate at long ranges and is a hard hitter.
I use 158 grain Lee flat nose bullets for .38 Special, but this is the gold standard in .357 Magnum for me.

[shorty500M]

all my .357s get a heavy 190grain tc from a nei mold

[725]

I just started shooting the group buy 180 gr from Mihec, (188 gr with my alloy), PB & GC versions. Shoots great in .38's & .357's. Have shot 220 gr boolits (358647's I think is the catalog number) in both .38's & .357's. Great SWC design. Check out Glenn Fryxell's articles from the LASC on "a boolit for all seasons". Very good info on heavy boolits from the .35 platform. (The link to the LASC is at the bottom of this page). I can tell you the 220 gr boolit from a .357 has given DRT performance on wild boar with no tracking required.

[GLL]

This is a NOE Group Buy .38/200 Mark I. mold (LYMAN 358430ish) that I had Al modify to HP for me. It is now 185+ grains and designed for my .38/44 Outdoorsman revolvers (.38 Special). It should be fine for .357s as well.
Thanks to Landric for running the Buy !



As 9.3X62AL pointed out the 358430 is a 'GREAT" bullet in .38 Special as well !



I ran a Group Buy for the gas checked version of the 358430 for use in.357MAX.

Jerry

[9.3X62AL]

More boolit porn from Jerry! I've not had any experience with the shorter/lighter version of #358430 (nominally 150 grains). The longer 195 version tends to tumble upon contact at lower velocities like that given by the 38 Special--700 to 800 FPS. At 1100-1200 FPS they tend to bore straight through, but still make quite a mess of small critters like jackrabbits. I've related this in prior threads, but even the NEI 169A 38/200 duplicator creates a solid THUMP and CLANG when it impacts steel targets at 25 or 50 yards and launched at 700 FPS from the S&W M&P or the Webley/Enfield. There is subjectively "more to it" than what happens when 150 grainers from the Colt Police Positive @ 725 FPS strike the iron. Substantially so.

[mainiac]

358429,,for me as well!!! All i ever load for the 357,anymore.I shoot it in a blackhawk,as well as a marlin 1894. I need to crimp into the first drive band,in order to get it to feed in the marlin,so i just load the ruger the same way.Very accurate boolit.1200f.p.s. in the handgun,1640 in the marlin rifle.

[dragon813gt]

I have a MP180 RF mold that I use. It's the longest bullet I can load and have it feed properly in my 1894C. I really don't use it much. I prefer to use the 360640 that drops a 170 grain solid. It's the bullet I used to file down the front post for my Skinner sight so I use it as much as possible. I don't load any heavyweights for the revolvers. They're just for punching paper so it's light bullets and light charges so I can shoot more.

[357mags]

I've loaded 170, 180, and even 230gr Thunderheads. Stick with what the cartridge was designed for, 158gr bullets.

[9.3X62AL]

140-170 grain bullets/boolits have been the lead elements for me in both 38 Special and 357 Magnum. I think a 180 grain bullet/boolit in the 357 Magnum rifle might be its best game animal projectile, though--better potential for deeper penetration with the heavier-for-caliber bullet.

My old agency's switch from the 158 grain JHP to the much-celebrated FBI-pimped 125 grain Federal 357B load is a step backwards in my view. This same covey of lab rats and accountants also like the 9mm/147 grain JHP......don't get me started.

[r6487]

we shoot suppressed in handi-rifle with 9mm thread on can. penn state bullets makes a 230 grain "thunderhead" 357 that was originally made for bowling pin competitions, that is subsonic with 5.1 grains of unique, but drops about 6 inches at 100yds.