Question on 357mag loads

[bassmatt]

I am new to reloading so any help is good help. 1st I want to thank all who help. I will be hunting with a taurus model 608 357mag with a barrel around 8 inches. I would like to shoot a 170gr or heavier bullet. I am not really worried how "hot" the round is. Where I hunt the shots will be under 75 yards. What is a clean burning powder I can use with a heavy bullet also would I be better off using a jacketed bullet or cast?
Thanks,
Matt
Oh, whitetail is what I will be hunting.

 

[kalboy]

I've had good luck with 158gr JSPs loaded with 2400, as well as factory rds. Both in long guns and in handguns. You may consider a bit faster powder for your handgun if clean shooting loads mean much and max loads aren't primary. I'd consider Blue Dot in your case.
My shots are always under 40yds and have been 1 shot droppers but the deer were never over 170lbs field dressed either.

 

[Sticky]

I like the Hornady 180 gr HP XTP, also with 2400; for heavier game.

I usually deer hunt with a 158 gr HP and 2400. Otherwise I almost always use 140 gr for everything in .357 magnum (simpler sight adjustments).

 

[billybob44]

Hodgdon's Data ...

Cartridge Loads - Hodgdon Reloading Data Center - data.hodgdon.com


^^^Is the best place to start.

Overall, as stated before, most handgunners will use the 158gr.HP for .357Mag. Deer hunting.

This data list does show 170+180gr. loads if that is your choice.

I, like most reloaders use WW-296/H-110 for most of my Max/Magnum loads. You will see that you can get the most velocity along with acceptable pressures with this powder.
Do NOT load at LESS than Min. listings for these powders, due to problems that can occur(read the info on these two powders on their web sites)

In case you do not know:WW-296, and Hodgdon H-110 are the SAME powders, come from the SAME company. They are just packaged in different branded containers. The Hodgdon powders are usually at a better price point. The same goes for WW-231 and Hodgdon HP-38 powder.

If I were in your "Shoes", with your Taurus 8" "Hand Cannon", I would go with the Hornady 158gr. XTP bullet, and load 12(Two cyls.full) of the Min,12 of the Med, and 12 of the Max loads, and see how/where they shoot for you.

For your info/FUN, line up 5-6 gallon milk jugs full of water side by side, and put one of the Max loaded Hornady XTP's in the front jug---You WILL be impressed with the bullet performance...Bill.

 

[billybob44]

I am not really worried how "hot" the round is.

As I re-read your post, this kind of gets my "Attention"---

I, like MOST of the hand loader members of this forum, can tell you from the start--BE worried on how "Hot" your loads are!!

You, as a new reloader will find that you CAN assemble loads in all of your weapons that are as good, in some cases BETTER than factory loads.

Do NOT be one of the new reloaders that find out that you can also destroy a weapon, along with personal injury to you or others by UNSAFE reloading practices!!! Bill..

 

[kludge]

170-190gr lead SWC and 2400 is where I would start for a new reloader. 2400 is a good magnum powder for a new reloader and uses standard (not magnum) primers, but will give you real "magnum" loads. You will need to go to H110/W296 if you want maximum velocity.

To reduce leading you will need proper hardness bullets that are the appropriate size for your gun. I recommend Missouri Bullet Company.

If you want a jacketed bullet then go with the 180gr Hornady XTP.

I would start with 2400, and once you gain confidence you can move up to H110/W296 and magnum primers.

 

[Broom_jm]

There are 4 different bullets to consider from Hornady, when hunting with a 357 Magnum handgun.

The 140gr FTX is surprisingly tough for its size and can handle very close shots without coming apart. A friend of mine has used them from a 357MAX rifle and found the terminal performance on a doe at 40 yards to be perfectly acceptable. This is considerably faster than you'll be shooting from a handgun.

The 158gr XTP actually comes in two flavors: The standard hollow-point design and the flat-point. There are folks who believe the flat-point is a better choice but either one, well-placed, is certainly up to the task. For my purposes, I would choose one of these two bullets, provided they were accurate from my gun.

The 180gr XTP is an altogether different beast. Aside from being heavier, which gives it a better SD, it is built quite sturdily. In fact, some folks report that it will act more like a solid, at extended impact ranges. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as a 35 caliber hole on both sides of a deer is going to be authoritative, but for those who really prefer a jacketed bullet to expand during the shot, this bullet may not always do so.

The various cast bullet options are almost too numerous to mention. I have a personal inclination toward BTB, but that's because I respect the proprietor.

As for powders: I think H110, 2400 and maybe Li'l Gun are the way to go. I believe when you said you were not worried about how "hot" the loads are, you were actually suggesting you're not looking for the fastest possible loads? If so, 2400 and Li'l Gun are better choices, as they will allow you to throttle back a bit without the ignition worries you'd have with H110/W296.

Personally, if I wanted to shoot loads on the mild side, I'd definitely avoid the 180gr bullets (unless you're talking cast) and stick with the 158gr XTP or 140gr FTX. I might shoot all three of those to see which one is most accurate in my gun. For certain, a 357 Mag is not going to kill with raw power...it is absolutely crucial to have good shot placement with this round. That would make accuracy my number one goal, irrespective of the bullet used or the powder propelling it.

 

[bassmatt]

thanks everyone
Matt

 

[4TheResistance]

i load 148gr lead wadcutters with 2400

 

[billybob44]

Nice Load.....

i load 148gr lead wadcutters with 2400

^^^AND I suppose you Deer hunt with these loads?? HA HA..Bill..

 

[sloughfoot]

i load 148gr lead wadcutters with 2400

I loaded up some of these out of curiousity with a stout charge of 231. I couldn't get them to penetrate a 55 gal steel drum at 3 feet. They just flattened and splatted .

Curiousity satisfied.

 

[Sticky]

I loaded up some of these out of curiousity with a stout charge of 231. I couldn't get them to penetrate a 55 gal steel drum at 3 feet. They just flattened and splatted .

Curiousity satisfied.

Now I'm curious. Did you use commercial swaged pure lead or a cast lead alloy?

 

[sloughfoot]

Commercial swaged pure lead. I think Hornady. I used 5.5 grains of 231.

I was aiming at the bottom to create water drain holes. There was an angle to the shots since I was pointing down.

I switched to 158 SWC with the same powder charge and they created the holes I wanted. Side and bottom holes of the burn barrel.

 

[Tombs]

I recommend staying away from 296 and H110 simply because I've had a hell of a time finding a starting point that doesn't end up being the book listed maximums or higher.

I end up with huge primer set back that looks like a high pressure sign, but it's a low pressure sign. And rather obvious by the performance on target, I'm just thankful I haven't squibbed one yet.

I'd go with 2400, Unique, or IMR 4227, none of those will be as picky. I dropped win296 for 2400 and I don't see myself going back any time soon. The annoyance of low pressure signs still cropping up near book maximums makes me leary of going to crazy with it in 357 magnum. Only time I had success with 296 in 357 magnum was with a compressed charge under a 110gr bullet, which those were mind blowing in accuracy, appearance, and feel.

If you want clean burning and power, it may be expensive but look at Vihtavuori N110. And for the money, on bullets, you may consider this http://www.rimrockbullets.net/reloading/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=159

 

[Broom_jm]

I have found that if you follow book loads exactly, there is nothing unusual about H110. You just can't back off any more than the minimum load listed and there usually isn't much of a range of suitable charge weights. Some folks are uncomfortable with this, and for them, H110 is not the right powder to use.

I have loaded thousands of rounds of 30 Carbine and 44RM, using H110 or W296, and had no problems with any of them. It is a very safe and useful powder, if you can follow the load recipe precisely. If a person can't follow a recipe in a load book...well, maybe he/she shouldn't be reloading in the first place.

 

[357 Terms]

I have used a 180grn XTP loaded to max charge with V.V. n110.

Great powder and an excellent bullet.

The XTP holds together well even at 1600+ fps outa my Marlin. You can get close to 1400fps with an 8in barrel, that would be very effective.

I use the same loads in my 6.5in Blackhawk and my Marlin, hits very very hard.

 

[kludge]

H110/W296 gives great performance to be sure, but I feel that where magnums and H110 are at there best is when pushing heavy bullets.

As you may have noticed there are sometimes wide discrepanices between loading manuals, perhaps especially for H110... and Broom give great advice to follow the load recipe exactly... especially the same bullet. Bullets are not created equal and this shows up in pressure tests using H110.

Sometimes you'll see people ask, "I've got these bullets, what is a good load using H110?" We'll, you've gone about it backwards, IMO, when it comes to H110... it's not a powder that I *personally* would go out and do a lot of experimenting with just because I got a good deal on some bullets. Plan ahead. Know what you want your load to do, look a the bullets available, look for load data using THAT bullet, and if you can't find it, choose another bullet.

Yes, highly experienced reloaders do it all the time. I'm not one of them.