how does one duplicate these with reloads? I am aware of H110, but I think the usefullness of this powder decreases with barrel length. What other powders are available for reasonably stiff loads in, say, a 4" barrel?
Thanks, peter.

Hello Peter, I've tried a lot of powders in the .357 mag. Top velocity with the 125 gr. HPs was achieved by H-110 and Winchester 296. 1500 fps from an 8&3/8" barrel, 1425 fps from the 4" barrel, and 1250 from my 3" barrel. All S&W revolvers, shot over an Oehler and also a Chrony Beta. I could not achieve these velocities safely with any other powder, but Accurate no. 9 was close. Very large fire-balls from the 3" model 60 when shot after dark. Looks like a flame thrower and I sort of like it.

regards from duke.

I found this out years ago years ago I was shooting a 6 in ruger. I had some win 158 gr sp's my brother just go a new crony the old paper screen type. The winchesters seemed a lot more powerful then my hand loads. They cronied at 1200fps. My hand loads with 158 sp were going 1350. What I figured is that the factory stuff had a lot more slower burning powder that made a lot more noise and muzzle flash so it seemed like they weremore powerful. I use a lot of shotgun powders in my pistol loads and get good vel. with out the muzzle blast and flash. One of the best was old AL7 I could easly get over 1400 with a 125 6 inch 357 and it was nice to shoot. Now a used a lot of Herco and red dot.

Thanks guys! As I have both AA#9 and Red Dot would you consider making some suggestions for loads for either the 125gr. or the 158gr. jacketed bullets? Direct email would be fine if you don't want to publish them.
Nevada, I will go back and retry the H110!
Thanks, peter.

I have no idea what factories are loading in the .357 nowadays! When I got my first .357, I bought a box of WW 158-grain Lubaloy ammo. After firing 20 rounds, my barrel was so badly leaded that I thought I'd never get all the crud out! I have not fired a round of factory .357 ammo since! I use a hard-cast Keith 173-grain semiwadcutter and 13 grains of 2400! Shoots great!!

i have found that velocity does not always equal accuracy! you just got to try a few different loads to see what your weapon likes best. i like the fast powder in my loads too. i started useing 2400 but changed to the shotgun powders when a friend gave me some to try.(he quit reloading).i tried green dot and some thing else i can't think of right now. i use bullseye only now for all my reloads of .38 spl .357 mag and 9 mm.

I just got a Chrony F1 Master and tried it out on a load I have been using since the '70's. In a 6" Security Six it clocked 1505 fps where Speer posted 1617 fps on p 371 in Speer #8. 14.0 gr SR 4756, 125 gr Sierra Hollow Cavity, CCI 500 small pistol primer. This same load was published in the 6th Edition of Handloaders Digest p 18, but used a 125 JHP Hornady at 1612 fps in a 6" barrel and 1402 fps in a 2" barrel. I don't recommend this load in S&W except L frames and N frames. I don't think it would take too many to shoot a K frame loose.

I recently tried a Green Dot load of 8 gr behind a 125 gr Rem Golden Saber that wasn't very accurate and sure was dirty.

I used the last of my Alcan 5 on a 10 gr load behind a 125 gr Rem Golden Saber that is pretty accurate. I still need to check the velocity, but what good will it do, since they don't make Alcan powder anymore?

7.2 gr Universal, 125 gr Rem Golden Saber clocked 1041 fps out of a 4" MOdel 66, but you couldn't keep it in a #3 wash tub.

I just loaded 10 gr SR 4756 with 125 gr Rem Golden Sabers in a .38 Special case that Speer #8 p 364 says will generate 1238 fps in a 6" K-38. That's about what I am wanting to use in a Model 66.

[ 11-19-2003, 07:40: Message edited by: Paul5388 ]

Tasco74, you are, of course, correct. However, I am trying to find a happy medium between accuracy and power. Yes I have developed very accurate loads for my 357 and 38spls, however these tend to be on the low velocity side. What I am trying to find is a practical load ie. useful accuracy and decent power. Interestingly enough I have not found this with Bullseye! Unique tends to be a good midrange powder giving better accuracy than Bullseye, but still midrange. I am trying to find something towards the upper end of the spectrum. Factory loads seem to be in that upper end and also give decent (but not wonderful) accuracy. hence my question to this board. I have a chronograph but have not chronographed factory loads. My impressions have been subjective, not so much noise and flash, but rather felt impact on the hand!
Peter.

My powder of choice has always been Hercules #2400. However, Alliant's version is a bit faster burning and I had to cut back 1.5 gr.
It seems strange to me, that recoil is such a problem with some when 158 gr. factory loads have been cut as much as 200-300 FPS from the original 1935 loadings. No wonder some of the "egg-spurts" in the gun rags consider the .357 a wimp as a hunting round. However, those loads did lead like hell. As Eldeguello so elequently put it, it took some work to get that stuff out of the barrel. However, with good hard cast bullets, the guns shot well. There was an article by Paco Kelly on Sixgunner.com that has unfortunately been lost, where he found some original ammo. He broke one down and decided the powder was Hercules #2400. The load was 15 point something grains, I forget how much. He loaded some ammo with that load and velocity was just about the same, 1500 something FPS. Notice, that current 158 gr. ammo runs mostly in the 1200 something FPS range. FWIW, thats very close to the original 38/44 S&W loads of the 1930s. They weere .38 SPL. loads beefed up to to fired in two special versions of S&W "N" frame revolvers chambered to .38 Spl., and were the forerunners to the .357 Mag.
Paul B.

I'm going to be experimenting with Lil'Gun for the .357 Mag. Looks like a good thing.

I like Blue Dot

6-shots at 75-yards.
Firearm: Ruger Blackhawk 6-1/2"
Optics: Open sights
Case: Remington
Primer: CCI-550
Powder: 14.5 grains of 2400
Bullet: Sierra 158 grain Jacketed Hollow Cavity
Velocity: 1222 FPS @ 15' from muzzle in 6-1/2"
1147 FPS @ 15' from muzzle in 2-1/4"


5-shots at 25-feet.
Firearm: Taurus 605 with a 2-1/4" barrel
Optics: Open sights
Case: Remington
Primer: CCI-550
Powder: 22.0 grains of H-110
Bullet: Nosler 125 grain Jacketed Hollow Point
Velocity: 1484 FPS @ 15' from muzzle