Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Max power in a .357 shorty

I've always run the same loads in my short (2.5") and long (6") .357s. 2400 or h110 for all out. Universal for plinking.

I've seen short barrel loads designed to reduce flash/blast, but what if I want maximum performance in a short barreled .357 revolver and don't mind noise and flash?

Ella

Ella, I dont reload, but I too have a 2 1/2 barrel 686. I shoot store bought 357 and 38s through mine, if the flash and noise doesnt bother you, I see no reason to pay extra for a reduced 357 loads. If you were going to do that, you might as well just shoot 38 standard pressure, or 38 +p loads in your Snubby ! I think alot of peaple want a magic 357 load, that has no recoil, flash, or noise, ive not seen 1 yet. So if I were you, id try to keep my loads simple. That way, there not alot of site adjustment needed, or trying to figure out the poa and poi, for all the differant loads that are available out there. Thats just my way of thinking.

If you're happy with the loads you're currently using, don't go changin'.

Buffalo Bore makes a "reduced flash" 357 Mag load which I bought to try out at a night shoot. It was marginally less bright than my standard 357 Mag Remington Golden Saber loads, but a LOT less bright than my old Super Vel ammo.

But during the daytime, I can't tell one from another, really.

Thanks for your responses.

Just to clarify: I'm wondering what, if anything, I should do to get maximum performance from a shorty .357. Flash and noise are fine. I want speed w. heavy/ish bullets from a shorty.

Does anyone load anything different with a shorty versus a longer barrel?

Ella

Never loaded for a 2.5" .357, but from every reference I've read, the loads fastest in a longer barrel are usually the fastest in a short barrel.

If you don't already have a chronograph I'd get one and continue trying a variety of loads. At that point you can decide for yourself which load has the best compromise between performance, and flash & blast.

Let me attempt to actually answer the question - albeit with my knowledge limited only to factory ammo.

I shoot these buffalo bore loads out of my 6" king cobra. The recoil and flash are noticeably more pronounced compared to "standard" 357 loads. So much so that I was shooting one time with a towel draped over the rest i was using and the flash from the cylinder gap lit the towel on fire. No kidding.

Makes me believe their claimed ballistics - they are a handful to shoot. I can't imagine what they would be like in a snubby.

http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=102

Hope this helps.

I don't know how much this may help but I checked some 140XTP recently. The load was 1/2 grain under max (18.5 IIRC) usin 296 and CCI mag primers in WW cases. Avg velocity from a 3" 66 was 1175 fps and 1272 from a 4 5/8" Blackhawk.
I think if you want max speed in a snubbie use the powder the manual lists as giving the highest velocity.

Ernie

"the loads fastest in a longer barrel are usually the fastest in a short barrel"

Just wondering if anyone had data to the contrary.

I have a chrony and could run some tests I suppose. I've never bothered clocking handgun loads.

Thanks for the numbers, EWY. I'm looking for a table of data like that, I guess.

Ella

You ought to if you care to preserve your guns and your hands, eyes, etc.

The noise is caused by the high pressure gases escaping from the gun. While flash supressed powders do have a bit less energy than the non supressed powders, the difference isn't much. You might compare loading data between say AA#9 and 2400 or H110. What they do is cut down on muzzle flash, but, if they reduce noise much, I haven't noticed it.
The Speer Short Barrel ammo I've tried is pretty odviously loaded with a faster powder and not near as hot a load as CCI's full power ammo is in my 3 inch Smith.
So, from what I've seen, it is possible to have nearly full power, reduced flash ammo. E

And occasionally factory ammo (and handloads) aren't as fast as they're supposed to be, so in addition to safety the chrono helps make sure you're getting your money's worth.

Thanks for the solicitude. I work up loads and don't push the envelope. (And I can't remember when I last bought factory ammo for a revolver.) It has seemed to work out just fine.

Anyone else run the same load in two barrel lengths?

Ella

For maximum loads in the .357 Mag., I don't think you'll do much better than H110. WW296 is the same powder or at least that is conventional wisdom. I always use data for the specific powder, but that's what everybody has always said. 2400 and 4227 would be next-tier powders, IMO, with possibly Blue Dot thrown in. Blue Dot, 110 and 296 will all produce spectacular light displays if touched off at night. 2400, not so much. It's been awhile since I loaded any 4227 even though there is some that's probably thirty years old on my bench.

I doubt you can improve your lot much.

I generally don't have barrel-length specific loads. The problem with H110 and W296 is not so much pushing the envelope as having to load in a very narrow spectrum just to achieve safety. You can't go up or down hardly atall. That said, I still have and use both powders in the 357 and 44 Magnums and even in 45 Colt.

What inexpensive chronograph would you recommend? I had a Chrony once upon a time.

EE,
The problem with H110 is indeed its narrow use range. I've been moving away from it for several years because of its general persnicketyness-- though my most accurate loads remain 140 grain cast bullets ahead of a book max of H110 (in both 2.5" and 6" Smiths). I now rely on 2400 and am recently trying Blue Dot--though, so far, I can't match H110's accuracy in the .357 (.45 Colt is another matter). I tried IMR4227 in some heavy bullet .357 loads years ago but wasn't impressed. Lots of unburned granuals and less than impressive grouping. Lil gun was another one I tried--gave it up because of very inconsistent results.
I have an old Shooting Chrony but don't know as I'd go so far as to recommend it. It does ok, but I've never tried anything else. I find clocking loads a little tedious.

Ella


I may have to dig it out and do some testing this summer.

I agree regarding H-110, it's steller in the bigger bores with the heavy bullets, but I've yet to find love for it in the .357. 2400 may be one of the oldest powders, but it's as if they designed it for the .357 mag.

As to max loads in a .357 snubbie, to me the guns are just brutally painful to shoot before reaching a top load. I'd gladly give up 100 fps to reduce recoil and muzzleblast.

Somewhere way back when I recall reading an article about top performing powders in short barrel .357's and as I recall the faster burning powders performed pretty much equally with the slower burning powders.

I get a kick out of the noise and fluster. If the range is too busy, sometimes a few cylinders of special 125 grainers will clear one some elbow room.

Darn thing shoots quite nicely--clay pigeon at 100 yards kind of nicely.

Ella

H110 & 296 will always give you the highest velocity out of most any barrel length, but when it gets down to 2", I personally just don't see much advantage to the magnum. Too much flash, noise, & recoil, and not enough velocity.

Me neither. I cannot see a reason for a full 357 magnum load in a 2 inch snub nose gun, kills at both ends, when your blind from the flash, deaf from the report and miss from the flinch that gave you a hurty hand, someone might actually do something bad to you in return for all that noise you made in their direction.

"two bulls were sitting on top of a hill looking at the cows below and the young bull said "lets run down there and screw one of them", the old bull said "lets walk down there and screw them all"