What is your favorite load?

My 158's are WFN's and seem at there best with stout doses of H-110. I've used a fair bit of 2400 but get better accuracy with H-110.

14 grains of 2400 or 16 grains of Win. 296 � same thing as H110. This is for a gas checked semi-wadcutter, LBT 160 WFNGC, or anybody�s jacketed bullet. For plain base cast I�ve found 7 grains of Ramshot True Blue provides very good accuracy at about 1000 fps depending on barrel length with no leading. These are my #2 alloy SWC from an Accurate mold.

Mine is Lyman 358156 gas checked, hollow point and 12 grs of 2400. Gives about 1200 fps from my 4" Model 19. It's not max but shoots better than I can hold. The same bullet without the hollow point does as well. When I cast the hollow point from the soft, "tape-type" wheel weights it expands very well and gives picture perfect mushrooms at this velocity.

10.2 grains of BLUE DOT

With that bullet weight I use 6.5 grains of Unique. A nice accurate load that is easy on the revolver and potent enough for .357 jobs.

2400 has been pretty dirty in the .38 Spec. and .357's I've used it in. H-110 isn't exactly clean, but seems cleaner than 2400.

In a hot .44 mag load, 2400 seems to burn cleaner. To me you gotta burn it pretty hot to avoid excessive residue.

DF

Unique is my favorite med load powder in the 357 Magnum and may load some 158 gr cast and see how they shoot. Looking for a load that doesn't deafen you in the 357 mag , Like H110 or 296 has a habit of doing.

I load 7 grains of Unique and it shoots well and is plenty juicy enuff for most 357 tasks.

I like the BOOM of 2400 with a heavy bullet in my 357 but have shot a ton of H110/296 as well.

Denny.

For max loads, H-110 or W-296. For medium loads, Blue Dot, Titegroup or Unique.

A fast powder will give you the lowest report in the .357. With a 158 gr. cast bullet I've used:

5.5 gr. ZIP for 1058 fps - very accurate
5.0 TiteGroup - 1055 fps but not accurate at all
7.0 True Blue for 1086 fps and very good accuracy
5.0 gr. 231 gave 990 fps with good accuracy
4.5 gr Trail Boss gave 850 fps, very mild report and good accuracy. 5.0 of TB gave 883 fps.

All of these velocities from a 6" Ruger GP100 measured 10 feet from the muzzle.

Of the above the load with ZIP was most accurate - 10 shots into 1 1/2" at 25 yards but all the others except TiteGroup gave acceptable to very good accuracy which translates into 10 shot groups hovering around 2 to 2 1/2" at 25 yards.

All of these loads are very "mid-range" and by all indications are mild enough but be careful not to push the fast powders too much. They increase pressure very quickly and you can get into trouble quickly if you push for too much velocity. With plain base cast the .357 generally starts to lead pretty badly much above 1000 to 1100 fps but a lot of that depends on other factors as well - fit to throats and bore, lube, etc. That 7.0 True Blue is going darn near 1100 and passes it in a 6 1/2" Blackhawk and gives no leading at all.

Good read with reference loads.

http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=30

Denny.

I think i will start with 6.0 gr of Unique

I load 50 of the above load and my Smith 686 4 inch shot them into a ragged hole at 15 yards off the bags . I'm going to like this load for a carry load in the woods. Winchester Brass , CCI 500, Unique 6.0 gr and the Missouri 158 gr SW Cast

That there's my hunting load ;-)

6.0-7.0 grains of Unique is nice.

Right now I'm using 5.0gr's of 231.



Travis

I have a couple of cans of Norma 1020 that I'm now using. It's no longer available but was a great powder. 13 gr. will push a 158 gr. bullet to around 1,200 fps.

But, when it's gone, it's gone. I have plenty of Unique, H-110 and 2400 as back up. I have a can of Lilgun but have not tried it.

DF

For what you are doing 5.5 grains of Unique over the Lyman 358439 HP or 358429 170 grain cast bullets work well.

The charge may seem light but it is a very good load for everyday shooting.

10 gr 2400 gets me 1090 fps with my 6 inch Model 19, 8.2 gr of AA #5 runs 1134 through my 61/2 inch Blackhawk. Picked up a pound of IMR 4756, will give it a try, in my 38 special loads 4756 appears to burn much cleaner than any powder that I have tried so far.

I'm trying to keep my vel around 1000 fps or a little less in my 4 inch Smith 686 . I guess i will have to run a couple over the chronograph and see just what I'm getting with 6 gr of Unique

You'll be in there like swimwear.



Travis

I remember years ago as a youngster, loading 2400 in my K-38, using a hot load with 150 gr. cast bullets. There was so much burnt powder residue that some got under the star ejector, enough that the gun wouldn't close. I had to brush burnt powder granules from under the ejector so that it would fully seat and allow the cylinder to slide back into battery.

Do you ever see that with 2400 in your M-19?

DF

regarding that Lilgun, if you look at the hodgden online website it seems like it creates higher velocities at lower pressure than just about anything else. google search it, and you can see references to flamecutting etc cause it burns hot. I have loaded some of it, but hesitant to use it as a steady diet.

I don't remember if any granuels were found under the ejector but it does leave some burnt and unburnt powder in the cylinders.

16.0 H-110, 15.o for jacketed bullets.

Thanks for the info.

The .357 I'm currently working with is a FA 97 with a really thick top strap. It would take a LOT of shooting to mess it up, compared to a S&W, etc. But, that would be something to be aware of and to watch for.

DF

2400 requires a heavy crimp to burn well .

My Dillon 550B is set up for a max crimp on W/W 158 gr. JHP's.

I think I'll try some 2400 next.

DF

For a older 4" GP100, I loaded 17.5 grains of 296 under a 160 grain SWC.

Later, for a Blackhawk, I loaded 17.5 grains of 296 under a 158 grain XTP. Lighter loads were horribly inaccurate. I miked the cylinder throats and bore. It all adds up to a gun well out of spec which only shot accurately when I was kicking the bullets in the ass hard enough they'd slug up enough to seal. I sold the gun after a couple years. Those same loads did very well in a Marlin 1894 and still do well in a 10" Contender.

I tried faster powders line 2400 in the GP100 but got into SCARY pressures before I got accuracy. I don't like having the blast slap my pants legs, gives me a baaad feeling.

Tom

That was my bulk load when I was shooting 357s. I didn't have a chrony then, but QL predicts you should be around 1070 fps, 22K psi.

Don't know what your load was but 10.0 grains of 2400 in the .38 Special has been a very, very accurate load for me in three different Model 15's. Had an older one from the 50's that just wouldn't shoot with anything. Best groups were only mediocre, just not what I thought a good S&W was capable of. Then I tried 10/2400 under a 158 cast SWC and voila - one raggedy hole. It produced the same kind of accuracy in my next two Model 15's as well.

You don't see 2400 listed under .38 Special loads very much and I probably wouldn't try this with a jacketed bullet or even a cast bullet in older J-frames, but all indications are that it was perfectly safe in the K-frame Smiths. IIRC it gave a little over 1000 fps out of the 4" barrel. Like any load with 2400, a strong bullet pull is crucial.

It's been so long ago I don't remember the load. It shot good, just too much residue, IMHO, for a DA like my K-38.

DF

I don't see how you could get a better trail load than the 6 gr of Unique with the Missouri 158 gr SWC cast . It is extremely accurate out of my Smith 4 inch 686. I loaded them in new Winchester Brass.

Three Stooges...

Classic.

Moe Harry, Larry Barry, Curly John...

DF

Love The 4" 686, That's What My One And Only revolver Is.