357 revolver reload

chef-ie

chef-ie

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I finally found a revolver I like. Smith & Wesson 686 in 4.2 inch barrel. Love this thing.
Starting to develop a load for the 357 mag. Anyone have any suggestion. Sort off trial and error with load right now.
I did a series off load with bulleyes powder from 4.5 grain to 6.5 grain.

I'm using jacketed 158 grain hp and fn. Any recipe you would like to share that would be great.

:D
 
You wonttt get you best results in the magnum case with Bullseye, at least not in my experience. Give either Unique/Hodgdon Universal Clays (mid-range powder - moderate loads) or W296/H110 (slow burn rate - max loads) a try if you really want the .357 to perform. All depends whatt you want from it I guess. I'd say 90% of my .357 loads are Univ Clays...
 
i've used a few different powders for my 357 and the one i've settled on is 15 grains of alliant 2400 with a magnum primer if your using a 158grain jacketed round, and its a pretty hot load
 
Bullseye is horrible in my revolvers, very dirty and jambs up the double action in both my smith and the ruger, I like win 296 for 357, lots of flame and smells real nice :)
 
Moved to the reloading discussion forum.... ;)

1aCoffee.gif

NAA.
 
floriosean1 said:
i've used a few different powders for my 357 and the one i've settled on is 15 grains of alliant 2400 with a magnum primer if your using a 158grain jacketed round, and its a pretty hot load
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IMO that load is to hot for S&W's. Ruger Security Six and GP 100 will take it anyday but S&W after couple of hundred of those might develop "hiccups", so for that kind of pressure the S&W need not apply....
 
If you want high performance loads in that 686 at lower pressures, try Lil'Gun. It gives top velocities at lower pressures than does H110/W296 or 2400. Regards, Eagleye.
 
Just finished shooting several hundred 158 LSWC over 16.0gn of VV N110 in a 686. Did not chrono, but these are stout loads within manufacturers published data. Makes steel gongs sing.

The SP primers are beginning to flow into the firing pin hole at this level. I may switch to SR primers although the case has no additional volume for stronger loads with this powder.
 
gunrunner8 said:
IMO that load is to hot for S&W's. Ruger Security Six and GP 100 will take it anyday but S&W after couple of hun

dred of those might develop "hiccups", so for that kind of pressure the S&W need not apply....
Click to expand...

Really??? Maybe if you're talking lots of full power 125 gr .357 and older K-Frame Smiths. Not an issue with L & N-Frames.

I have a 4" S&W 66 that has thousands of rounds of 160 gr cast .357's at 1150-1200 and it's stilll going strong so I think maybe your theory is all wet. Don't believe everything you read on the interweb...


blake
 
OKTREE said:
Just finished shooting several hundred 158 LSWC over 16.0gn of VV N110 in a 686. Did not chrono, but these are stout loads within manufacturers published data. Makes steel gongs sing.

The SP primers are beginning to flow into the firing pin hole at this level. I may switch to SR primers although the case has no additional volume for stronger loads with this powder.
Click to expand...

Go to a SP Magnum primer or aa SP Standard primer with a harder cup. SR will do 2 things - 1. Generate more pressure so you'll have to re-start your load development; 2. Not show excess pressure that would be more readily apparent with a pistol primer.

The applications for rifle primers in pistol loads are really quite limited...


blake
 
Eagleye said:
If you want high performance loads in that 686 at lower pressures, try Lil'Gun. It gives top velocities at lower pressures than does H110/W296 or 2400. Regards, Eagleye.
Click to expand...

Hi Dave, have you ever chronographed the 44 mag with LilGun?
My Marlin won't quite stabalize 240 grain bullets, jacketed or cast, except for jacketed hollow point, which are great. I don't have a chrono now and haven't gone above the regular full power loads with H110/296 and 2400.
Another 100fps might just tighten up the groups.
Actually, I have LilGun sitting there, but just never thought about it in the 44, until Saturday at Vernon gun show, when Gunrunner8 asked me if I was using it.
Cheers, Bruce
 
Ganderite said:
That 15 gr of 2400 looks very, very hot. I get pressure problems in my gun at 14 gr.

mr. newbie, start low and work up.
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I've had somewhat similar experiences. A number of years back, as/Elmer Keith, in a couple of 357's I have and have had, 15grs of Hercules 2400 was a 'warm' load but within acceptable preasures. The same held true with Elmers load of 22grs in the 44 Mag. Also, this was along with the use of CCI primers which I believe have a slightly heavier cup.

A few years ago, I noticed the 15grs in the 357 loads and the 22grs in the 44 Mag were way too hot. I'm assuming some of the later production 2400 powder is or may be a little hotter and I've basically reduced the 357 loads to 14grs and 20grs in the 44 Mag. When my present supply of 2400 runs out, the plan is to go with H110.
 
mudgunner49 said:
Go to a SP Magnum primer or aa SP Standard primer with a harder cup. SR will do 2 things - 1. Generate more pressure so you'll have to re-start your load development; 2. Not show excess pressure that would be more readily apparent with a pistol primer.

The applications for rifle primers in pistol loads are really quite limited...


blake
Click to expand...

I agree with your observations and the cautions presented are very well noted. I have and do regularly use Rifle primers in 9x19, 9x23, 454 Casul and 460 S&W (I use the newer cases designed for LR). With slow powders and proper load development, they can be used safely and do have benefits in high to very high pressure applications should the gun and equipment be able to safely handle elevated pressures.

In the early 90s I shot many thousands of 9x19 loads at the old IPSC Major power factor using 124 to 130gn bullets. One batch chronoed at 201PF. Granted this was using a fully supported and ramped Nowlin barrel and SR primers.

I do agree that using rifle primers in loads intended for use in off the shelf pistols should be done only after exercising due caution.
 
OKTREE said:
I agree with your observations and the cautions presented are very well noted. I have and do regularly use Rifle primers in 9x19, 9x23, 454 Casul and 460 S&W (I use the newer cases designed for LR). With slow powders and proper load development, they can be used safely and do have benefits in high to very high pressure applications should the gun and equipment be able to safely handle elevated pressures.
Click to expand...

A similar situation exists for the 500 S&W. Earlier production cases were made to accept LP primers but with heavy loads using H110, adequate ignition was sometimes a problem. Much if not all of the present day case production for the 500 is now made to accept LR primers to correct the ignition problems. I believe Starline was one of the first to change over. All of my old brass made to accept LP primers is set aside for light to more moderate loads, using faster burning powders like Unique for examole.
 
OKTREE said:
I agree with your observations and the cautions presented are very well noted. I have and do regularly use Rifle primers in 9x19, 9x23, 454 Casul and 460 S&W (I use the newer cases designed for LR). With slow powders and proper load development, they can be used safely and do have benefits in high to very high pressure applications should the gun and equipment be able to safely handle elevated pressures.

In the early 90s I shot many thousands of 9x19 loads at the old IPSC Major power factor using 124 to 130gn bullets. One batch chronoed at 201PF. Granted this was using a fully supported and ramped Nowlin barrel and SR primers.

I do agree that using rifle primers in loads intended for use in off the shelf pistols should be done only after exercising due caution.
Click to expand...

Roger that and agree 100% - I also burned up a few rounds of 9 Major back inthe day but not at 201PF!!! I'm a big fan of 9x25 Dillon though...:cool:
 
H4831 said:
Hi Dave, have you ever chronographed the 44 mag with LilGun?
My Marlin won't quite stabalize 240 grain bullets, jacketed or cast, except for jacketed hollow point, which are great. I don't have a chrono now and haven't gone above the regular full power loads with H110/296 and 2400.
Another 100fps might just tighten up the groups.
Actually, I have LilGun sitting there, but just never thought about it in the 44, until Saturday at Vernon gun show, when Gunrunner8 asked me if I was using it.
Cheers, Bruce
Click to expand...

Marlins have very slow rifling twist so 100 more fps equals way more rpm so the 240 gr bullets might stabilize better and in rifle barrels the LilGun powder will give you that extra speed without extra pressure IMO.
 
My favorite 357 magnum load is 14 grains 2400, regular small federal primer, 158 grain jacketed hollow point by Speer. This load gave me a 3-shot one-inch group at 15 meters, two hand hold standing, the last time I shot my Ruger GP100 6 incher. Haven't chrono'd this load yet.

This load doesn't kick much harder than my normal .38 special+P load of 158 grain LSWC (cast from Lee TL 6-cavity, LLAlox lubed) that chronos at 1,000 fps.
 
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