Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading .357 velocities

Good info thank you, I should re phrase my initial question. If H110 is slow in a particular revolver is there any powder that's going to be able to get me more velocity? Or do I just have a "slow" revolver? Guess nobody could really answer that, been doing this long enough to know that all guns are individuals. I'll go grab some Power Pro 300.

Last I knew H110 is W296 both of which I found to be crimp dependent for performance. Actually never liked either in 357 or 41 mag for top velocities. Accurate 9 works well but I still get 1200 with 158’s on a max load of Accurate 5 from a 4” gp100.

I thought I may try seating a little deeper and getting a bigger bite on the cannelure.

H-110/296 is my go to powder for top velocity. Works great when loaded top end as it should be. I always use a magnum primer with H-110/296

A friend is loading this load, "180 gr xtp at 1325 fps. Old 5 screw n frame with 8 inch barrel."

I'd say H-110/296 is working just fine

In my opinion, a slow revolver is probably what you've got going on. Maybe it's due the a little more generous barrel/cylinder gap or some other attribute...or maybe something else all together. But that's my opinion.

This is exactly what I was looking for, point of the question was if H110 can't get me velocity is anything else going to be worth trying, or is the revolver itself just slow?
Saw once in a Brian Pierce article that S&W used a process called ECM to cut the rifling and it is generally slower and more prone to leading.

Looks like 300-MP is worth trying.

https://www.alliantpowder.com/reloa...;shellid=28&bulletid=38&bdid=970

I have 2 ea.S&W 29-2 both are 6 1/2" barrels cylinder leads are the same yet one is 50 to 80 FPS slower depending on the load.
. The slower revolver has a deeper wider forcing cone which doesn't allow it to pressure up as much therefore less velocity

The last thing I would fret over is a 50-100fps loss in velocity. Real world applications won't notice it anyway and there's more important things in life to worry about!

If what Alliant is showing (above) is true there's a bit more than 50-100 fps available.

Checking my notes, using a 4" S&W M-19 .357 with a 158 gr. XTP: using 16.7 gr. of H-110 & a CCI magnum primer, I get 1217 fps. Using 14.8 gr. of 2400 & a Winchester regular primer, I get 1208 fps. These are the two "go to" loads for me with these type bullets. You should get a bit better velocity with the longer barrel.

3" Ruger SP101 averaged 1150 fps with 158 gr XTP and 16.5 gr of H110.

5 shot group at 25 yards was around 1.5" with XS Big Dot front sight and a notched rear sight. My friend has a K6S with the Novak sights, I wish I could put those on this gun without machining work, it would be more fun for target shooting.

As it is it's a good backup gun or for bumming around the woods.

EDIT: The secret sauce might be that I apply a heavy roll crimp with the Lee Factory Crimp die. I have read that the heavy crimp helps achieve a more consistent and complete burn of the powder along with preventing crimp jump in this smaller frame revolver.

I've had great luck with lil gun in my 4.2" barrel sp 101. Easy 1200 fps using 180 grain swift a-frames. I stopped at 1200 fps over the chronograph, working up a load.

The fired cases using the lil gun handloads don't get stuck in 5 shot cylinder, like the buffalo bore 180 grain stuff, which they probably used a heavy load of h110

I dunno how much more velocity a feller might need, 1200 fps was enough to drive a 180 grain swift a-frame clear through the neck of a large bull moose. Bullet found against off-sife hide:

I was shooting my 6.5” Blackhawk yesterday and shot some rounds over a chronograph. I have two different loads. Five shots each.
158gr. XTP over 16 grains H110 - avg 1293 fps
158gr. Lead SWC over 6 grains Unique - avg 1085 fps

Nice.

Lil gun and 300 MP have smoother pressure curves than 110/296.

DF

And works better from shorter barrels. Also works better in below zero temps than h110. Doesn't even need a magnum primer like h110.

In the .22 K-Hornet, I like CCI 450 small rifle primers with Lil gun and 300 MP.

DF

I have loaded 15.8 gr. 2400 with 158 gr. Rem. JHP and CCI 550 primer for 1325 fps average in a 6" Security Six. But, have been loading recently the same bullet and primer with 17,0 gr. H110. haven't chronoed it yet. Killed a buck awhile back with that bullet and 15,5 gr. H110.

I ran Lil Gun for my Marlin loads, 15.5 or 16 - not sure off memory, but that sounds right, 158 JSP RP. 2050 on Chrony.

On that Moose, was that a handgun kill - or finishing shot? Just wondering, congrats! 1150 - 1200 will do alot with a good 158 or 180 class, assuming good construction.

When I was loading for a GP100 4" and 686 4", I ran alot of 110/296, extraction was often difficult in the Ruger, not sure if the cylinders were rougher, but I had them quite hot. It does seem like I ran some top end 2400 as well. Never had any issues with the 686, or other K-frame guns with extraction, but I may have been a bit 'ambitious' when I was loading the GP100. A gun I always wished Ruger would have made in 41 Rem mag.