I just got a new Taurus 7 shot. The owners manual says to keep 158 grain loads under 1450 fps. (6"barrel). My quickload program says this should be a 35k load which seems to be saami spec.
I went to the range today with 180 grainers loaded over 13.1 of w296. I was shooting in 30 degree weather and was clocking 1000fps. This seems pretty anemic. MOst load data shows a max of about 13.8 for the 180 grainer. I'd like to get better accuracy. Right now I'm getting about 3-4" groups off sand bags. I'd like to keep working up the velocity ladder till I find it as I'd like to try close range deer hunting. How far up the ladder do you think I should go for speed. It looks like about 1150 fps with a 180 grainer should be well under 35k pressure but I sure hate to excede powder recomendations. Any input from you experienced reloaders?? Maybe I'm expecting too much. Is there such a thing as a really "slow" revolver in comparison to book and quickload speeds??

Kracky
when it comes to revolver and shotgun loads I strictly confine myself to published data from reputable publishers such as Hodgdons, IMR, Alliant, Hornady etc...

Maybe I've never achieved the max from a revolver but I've achieved more than my hands can handle.....and that's enough!

It's worked for me so far.....

Kraky,

Give Hodgdon Lil' Gun a try. It will give you top velocity at safe pressures.

Blue dot is not bad either.

Good Luck

Reloader

quote:

Originally posted by kraky:
... I'd like to keep working up the velocity ladder till I find it as I'd like to try close range deer hunting. How far up the ladder do you think I should go for speed. It looks like about 1150 fps with a 180 grainer should be well under 35k pressure but I sure hate to excede powder recomendations. Any input from you experienced reloaders?? Maybe I'm expecting too much. Is there such a thing as a really "slow" revolver in comparison to book and quickload speeds??

This answer is not for Kraky. I know he has seen me post this kind of answer before, so there is no need to Bore him with it again. However, it is for Jeff and any Beginners who are reading this thread.

Using a chronograph as Kraky is "implying", is a bad idea. There is no direct coorelation between Velocity and Pressure, so simply going by a Velocity may or may not be SAFE.

If you happen to be a Beginner, the SAFEST way to do this is to go buy a box of 180gr Federals, shoot half of them and measure the Pressure Ring Expansion(PRE). Then reload those same 25 cases with which ever Powder you want to use, which would be H110, WW-296, "2400" or H4227/IMR4227. Develop the Loads from below and keep firing "until" you get to the same amount of PRE as the original Factory Loads averaged. That is the MAX SAFE Load and you will not have exceeded the SAAMI Pressure Limit.

Now if you are still determined to know what the Velocity happens to be, run the Final Load across a chronograph. It really doesn't gain you a thing though. Go shoot the Load at various distances until the Group is so large you will not feel comfortable using it on Game(aka might wound it). The Final Load will have more than enough Energy at "that distance" to kill what you want.

Oh yes, I'd recommend either Hard Cast Lead in a Keith style or Semi-Wadcutter, or a Jacketed Soft Point over a Hollow Point. The 357Mag needs all the penetration it can get and using the wrong bullet can result in not recovering the Deer.

A 357Mag "rifle" has slightly different answers.

Best of luck to all the Beginners.

Your vel. seems a bit low, but you know that all guns are diff. If you have no extraction problems or flattened primers, slightly increasing your powder charge may be prudent. Just don't expect to hit book vel. You may have a rough bore or slightly oversizechambers or a larger cyl. gap or combination of all the above. I use 12gr H2400 under the old Sierra 170grJHP in my 6"/686 & only get 1050fps. The web site says I should be getting 1350fps. The fired cases seem fine & I could go a bit more but I doubt I'll hit the 1350fps the "book" says I should get.

kraky, why the 180s in .357, when in reality I believe you'd be better served with a 41, 44, or 45? It took me many years to realize that the 357 is at its best with 158s, and that it is almost impossible to beat hard cast SWCs at moderately fast velocities if one has penetration in mind. I believe you might be better off with a heavy cast SWC if you must have more than 158 grains in bullet weight.
Look no further than Elmer Keith and 2400 for inspiration if you decide to load lead. As for jacketed bullets, 296 is the best in my book.