Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading .357 velocities

Is H110 the undisputed velocity king in .357?
I ask because I'm working with a pair of revolvers, 5inch 627 and a 6inch 686. Velocities with 16.5 H110 and a 158 XTP are averaging 1184 fps and 1276 respectively.
I can live with the 6inch 686 at 1276 but sub 1200 fps out of a 5 inch barrel seems slow to me. According to Lyman #49, their max is 17.7 gr. H110, anyone been that high? Results? 1250 fps is sorta my goal for the 5inch 627.

I don’t own a chronograph but I’ve seen published data with 2400 that matches or beats h110.

13.5 of 2400 in .38 cases with a 358156 gets me 1300 fps out of a 4 inch model 66. Great load but the accuracy isn't there for me in the 627. Tough pill to swallow less powder getting more fps out of a shorter barrel.

try little gun max charge

Copy, I've a pound on hand, I'll give it a try, thanks.

Lil’gun will be very hard on the forcing cone. Freedom Arms has released warnings about using it in revolvers. I have tried lots of powders and always got stellar 357 Mag performance out of Accurate No. 9 with jacketed and cast, and 2400 with cast.

H-110 can work, but since I tend to run 4” revolvers a lot, found No. 9 to be better for me speed wise.

Mark in GA

I am only loading 15.0 grains of H110 in my .357 because my revolver is my old Model 66 K-Frame service gun, and I don't want to run it too hard. However, I am still getting 1170 fps with a 158 gr. XTP out of its 4-inch barrel. It's a conundrum that you are getting essentially the same velocity using 1.5 grains more in your longer barrels.

Odd.

H110 got the Ruger 357 Maximum scrapped from production.

For the OP.

Lil'Gun will give top velocities with low pressure in the .357.
Keep bullets on the heavy side.
Consult a Hodgdon manual and consult your chronograph thereafter.

Google "Why Ballisticians Get Grey"

cutting the top strap was the prob. that was not a big thing

Its not a big thing to burn pounds of Lil' Gun in a .357 revolver.

YMMV.

I load 14.5 gr/2400 in .357 cases, get about 1250 fps in a couple 6” guns, a 686-2 and a 27-2. Those are with 158 grain jacketed bullets, accurate and easy extraction.

I have to check my notes for chronographed speed. But a 158 gr lswc with 14.5 grs of 2400 is a serious load. It runs through 5+ inches of dry phone book like it's nothing, and sprays out confetti on the back side like a parade.

Found it. It was 14 6 grs of 2400 and 5 1/2" of phone book. 1406fps from a 4" GP100.. I dropped the charge to 14.5grs but didn't Chrono it. But it's my heavy carry load for that gun.

H110, according to everything I've read about it, & confirmed with my use of it is, it's at it's best at max loads with heavy for diameter bullets. Personally, I have little use for it otherwise.

Another powder might out perform H110 with a 150.

The different barrel lengths of the 2 revolvers not likely responsible for the big velocity diff. That is likely due to cylinder gap differences &/or bore smoothness. Cyl. gapiss a big player in revolver velocities.

I easily break the 1200 fps mark in a 4" with a 150 jacketed, using old, dirty, outdated 2400. Long live 2400!

I don’t know what bullet or weight you’re using.

Got up to 17.0 H110 yesterday with the 158 xtp. 5 inch 627. Velocity averaged 1209 fps (seems low) ES and SD were dick nothing. Went to 17.5 and velocities jumped up to nearly 1300, but ES and SD was all over the place. Cases fell out of the cylinder, no flat primers.
Might give AA # 9 a try.

I used that charge with the Lyman 358156GC bullets in a 6" Security Six, and got 1460fps. Somewhat more than Skeeter Skelton used to get out of his chosen 5" M-27s. It would shoot 1" groups at 25 yards, and I could hit a quart oil can at 125 yards 4 out of 6 shots most of the time. One helluva load, for sure. Never shot it with jacketed bullets, though. With that kind of accuracy and velocity, I'd have been an idiot to change.

Notice Accurate used 6” barrel

Not if you put enough H-110 in the case. Some revolvers don't pressure up as fast as others. I'd add powder until.the desired velocity is reached.

Win 296 rather than H110, but in an older Blackhawk, 17.5 grains under a 158 XTP/HP in WW brass with Fed 200 primers was the accuracy load. Absolutely clubbed the snot out of stuff, too. After the BH went down the road I used that load in a 10" TC Contender barrel .. shot very very well. It is one I keep far from my J-frame .357.

You might look at PowerPro 300 MP as well, seems to take about 1/2 grain more than H110/296 and produce a little more velocity per the load manual, haven't chronographed it. Did some accuracy work and in some instances it is pretty respectable. Blasty though. Not the solid "whack" of muzzle blast a stout 2400 load gives though, seems like nothing compares to that.