357mag reduced loads

[Three44s]

+10 What Don posted!

I have way more .38 brass than .357 and since I discovered Corrosion X my crud ring comes out in a jiffy that the shorter .38’s leave.

I also trade my nickel cases to those that like them for straight unadulterated non-nickel plated brass.

Clays is my favorite fast powder. ..... in .44’s too!

Three44s

[Rapier]

Understand that today you use what you have or can find. I shiot Field Pistol for years and discovered that 231 does not care whether it is loaded in 38 Spl cases or 357 cases, the same load shoots in both. so you can check two areas for 231 loads. B’eye is a bit more picky but not much, and you can always shoot a 38 Spl in a 357 if push comes to shove, like a 22 short in a 22 LR.

[oldsalt444]

3.4 gr. 231 will give you ~750 fps in .357 brass. I use this as a competition load with a 148 gr. DEWC and it is quite accurate. Your 110 & 125 boolits will also do well.

[Alstep]

I'm getting to really like Green Dot in my .38/.357 loads. I've got a bucket of 38 brass, so I load everything in those. I just seat .357 loads out to .357 overall length, that way they wont fit in the .38, and you're not reducing case volume by seating long.
GD works great in .44 mag too.

[uscra112]

I don't use 125 grain bullets in .38 or .357. But it strikes me that 5 grains of Bullseye is not a reduced load for those bullets.

That said, Herco is a good possibility. But my moderate .357 loads for the canonical 158 grain SWC still use 3.1 gr. Bullseye because I have plenty of it. AA#2 is mighty close to Unique. Ramshot ZIP is very close to Bullseye. If you can't find Bullseye. As posted, Win 231 works. In these days of dearth, you use what you got, (or can get). Even Red Dot.

A really light load I've fooled with is 2.2 grains of Bullseye under a swaged (Delta) HBWC seated .625" deep. Used it as an introductory load for a new shooter.

I always give light .38/.357 loads a good firm crimp. Never have stuck a bullet in the barrel, but I'd lay odds that them that have aren't crimping enough.

Gun was/is a 4" ex-LE 681. Heavy, but there's very little felt recoil with that HBWC load.

[smkummer]

What everybody has said. The fast powders go a long way, absolutely no need to use 2400 in a reduced 357. My reduced 158 SWC uses unique to easily get 1100 FPS in a .357 cases. I see I can even get that with faster 700X or 231 in a 357 case.
My cowboy load for my .357 Marlin 1894C is 2.8 bullseye, Lee 125 Rf but in a 38 case so it makes enough pressure for a good band. It also allows me just enough room to load 10 rounds in the tube of the 18.5” Marlin. Life is good.

[Char-Gar]

I don't shoot bullets that light, but with 150-160 grain in the 357 Mag case, I use 5 grains