Loading a soft .357mag

A quote from BEAR.23---"And blow your fingers or gun apart at your peril...

What is in my post to suggest such a reply as that?
Are you trying to tell me that in the last 70 years there hasn't been every kind of light load in creation, used in a 357? Or that masses of guns and fingers got blown apart?
You are resorting to the old wives tale that loading the gun light creates some sort of danger.
Actually, I am doing a disservice to "Old wives tales," as they often had some basis in fact.
Loading a 357/38 special light and claiming a danger because of it, has no basis in fact, whatsoever.
 
There is something I dont think nobody Mentioned. Primers !
357 mag use small pistol magnum primer
38 spl small pistol

lets say you load a 357 with a max 38 load will you use Magnum primer or regular one ?

Like someone said stick to magnum load for magnum brass

Most experiments with load charge already been made and are written in books
 
this is getting pretty complicated and i gather alot of emotional responses. I guess I'll keep on FUBARing my cylinder with the 38 cases, seems like an calmer route to destruction...Even tough h4831 is usually right on the money.

Just checked my box of 357mag. too, they are 125gr and they bang like thunder. They are commercial reloads.
 
H4831 said:
A quote from BEAR.23---"And blow your fingers or gun apart at your peril...

What is in my post to suggest such a reply as that?
Are you trying to tell me that in the last 70 years there hasn't been every kind of light load in creation, used in a 357? Or that masses of guns and fingers got blown apart?
You are resorting to the old wives tale that loading the gun light creates some sort of danger.
Actually, I am doing a disservice to "Old wives tales," as they often had some basis in fact.
Loading a 357/38 special light and claiming a danger because of it, has no basis in fact, whatsoever.
Click to expand...

Really

And I'm guessing that with every load conceivable there have never been problems with those loads...

Guy was shooting 2.1 gr or 231 under a 148 gr HBWC in a 357 magnum case... Fired about 75 rounds and them boom blew the cylinder apart... No squibs the only bullet in the barrel was the one he was shooting it was was in the forcing cone and distorted...

even if he had triple changed it that load should have been safe.. If you have a different explanation I'm good to hear it.. The consenous of the folks that looked at it said the load was two light... it could have been build up on the forcing cone and the bullet got stuck.. I coulda been a bad bullet and the hb distoted in the cone I don't know but the cylinder should have taken the pressure..

This is probably all moot as it sounds like the OP is not reloading.. he's looking to find complete ammo that is "softer"
 
easyrider604 said:
I'd go with a 125 grain plated JHP or RN projectile, 5.2 grains Titegroup. Soft, fast, accurate.
Click to expand...

Hodgdon's data for Titegroup recommends 6.8g as a starting load and 7.5g as a maximum load for .357 Magnum 125g Hornaday XTP bullets. I've been tempted to use less powder but decided to stay close to the manufacturer's recommendation so I load a 125g plated truncated cone bullet with 6.7g Titegroup. Remington .38 Special +P feels 'hotter' compared to this....
 
B said:
Powder detonation is a myth. If his gun blew up he overcharged or used the wrong powder or etc.....
Click to expand...

Right On!
Here is an excert from the Speer, Number Nine reloading book.
P001-1.jpg
 
I pushed the wrong button on the preceding post. Didn't mean to post it yet.
Was going to add that smokeless powder, worldwide, is considered a flammable product for transportaion, and not explosive material.
If it could be turned into an explosive, by the simple means of loading a light load in a cartridge, does anyone think it would be classified worldwide as just flammable?
 
Powder can detonate. I once saw 20 pounds of shotgun powder detonate in a loading machine. I don'tknow why it did, but it did. It was not compressed.

Unfortuantely, one of the guys running the test on the new design powder hopper went on to be the head of the Explosives Branch. he remembers sheet steel flying through the air like frizbees. The shipping regs in canada reflect his experience.

I have been told that shooting a high velocity rifle bullet into a can of shotgun powde can make it detonate. I have meant to find out but have never got around to it. And I have lots of scrap shotgun powder, too.

If i do, i will make a video.
 
if you check your reloading book you should have data for the HBWC with a warning next to it ( DO NOT USE WITH HEAVY LOADS)
I do not buy HBWC so do not have this potential problem

some one made a comment about Magnum primers --> my book has a note that "*" Denotes use of Magnum primers for some loads/ powders

So Regular primers can be used for some loads

my Speer Book # 11 for 38 Special/ 357 (Lead loads) list "min" loads that my wife handles well ( at least the ones that i have tried) working up loads for her a bit hotter with each trip to the range

My RCBS cast book lists a lot more loads for lead 38/357 that i have been trying

Waiting for the day she lets off the load of 357 mag with Winchester 296 powder (mag primers) 150g lead @ 1300fps :popCorn:
 
You see some strange things about how cartridge length affects pressure. Compare the following loads from the Hodgdon site (http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp) with the same bullet and powder (148gr Hornady LHBWC and Win 231/HP38), but 38 Special as opposed to 357 Mag:

38 Special 1.160" OAL

3.5 grs 869 fps 14,200 CUP

4.0 grs 956 fps 15,900 CUP


357 Magnum 1.290" OAL

3.0 grs 845 fps 14,300 CUP

3.4 grs 908 fps 17,600 CUP


Doesn't make sense does it? The smaller 38 Spec case requires more powder than the 357 Mag to get the same or lower pressure, and its MV is higher?
 
volks_r_us said:
There is something I dont think nobody Mentioned. Primers !
357 mag use small pistol magnum primer
38 spl small pistol
Click to expand...

??? Most loads in my books for 357 mag are standard small pistol primers.(mostly using rcbs #1)powders like 231.bullseye,unique,,hs5 to name a few use standard primers.Even then it will depend on the load if it will require a mag primer for these powders.231 never seems to come up with a load wanting magnums. 2400 seems to be a powder wanting a mag primer for all 357 loads.


EDIT; I have 4 reloading books I've been going through lately specifically for cast bullets.two of them have jacketed info as well.


speer number 11- 357 is mostly standard primer loads

lyman cast bullet handbook-357 all loads are sm pistol magnums

lyman 47th -357 all sp magnum primer loads

rcbs cast bullet manual #1 -357 mostly standard primers


I've been burning through two cans of bullseye for my loads.

When comparing load data for this powder anyways ,it's all over the place.
 
Last edited:
Andy said:
You see some strange things about how cartridge length affects pressure. Compare the following loads from the Hodgdon site (http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp) with the same bullet and powder (148gr Hornady LHBWC and Win 231/HP38), but 38 Special as opposed to 357 Mag:

38 Special 1.160" OAL

3.5 grs 869 fps 14,200 CUP

4.0 grs 956 fps 15,900 CUP


357 Magnum 1.290" OAL

3.0 grs 845 fps 14,300 CUP

3.4 grs 908 fps 17,600 CUP


Doesn't make sense does it? The smaller 38 Spec case requires more powder than the 357 Mag to get the same or lower pressure, and its MV is higher?
Click to expand...

Is this not related to the volume of the case? The larger 357 case allows for more gas expansion.The science beyond that eludes me.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom