Loaded for the 357 Mag

[Alderman]

I put together 100 rounds of 357 Mag ammo yesterday.
Just had to try the Nosler 158 grain JHP.

A couple of notes.
The H110 powder fed out of the Lee Auto Disk at a very consistent 15.0 grains. Probably not the first choice for powder, but it is what I have available that is on the list in the loading manual.
I'm hoping the magnum primer and aggressive roll crimp will allow for consistent ignition.

I had to seat out a few thousandths longer than the book OAL to get the crimp right at the top of the cannelure. I measured the brass and am well short of maximum length so I'm not sure what is going on there.

I'm thinking about loading some up for the Contender 357 Maximum.

Anybody care to chime in on what has worked for you with this bullet in the 357?

For some reason pistol powder has been scarce here on the West Coast so I am trying to make do with what I have in the powder locker.

 

[Guy Miner]

H110 has worked GREAT for me with the .357 magnum & 158's in the past.

I would not drop below that 15 grain charge. H110 seems to have a pretty narrow band in which it works.

I don't really load many .357's anymore, quite a few .38's still, but I seem to just rely on factory .357 mag ammo, and don't really burn much of that these days. At one time though, it was my most often loaded cartridge! Normally I'd use 158 grain hard cast lead semi-wadcutters.

Guy

 

[PJGunner]

H110 isa decent powder for the .357Mag. My preference is for A2400 but H110 works just fine. I've used W296 which is H110 under another label in my .44 Mag. My biggest complaint is the somewhat large ball of fire seen late in the evening and the rather sharp and loud muzzle blast.
My pet load for the .357 mag. is a 158 gr. (Lyman #358146) cast bullet with 14.0 gr. of A2400. It's done a number or two on Jackrabbits and ruined a couple of coyotes days. I almost never shoot jacketed bullets in my handguns other than factory loads for self defense purposes. I've killed deer with the .44 and my home cast bullets and the home made bullets have done just fine.
Paul B.

 

[PJGunner]

Guy. I'm beginning to wonder if hard cast is really the way to go? I was given a bunch of free lead, two buckets of wheel weight, 100 pounds of pure in one big sheet and a crate with what was purported to be cleaned wheel weights. Roughly 50 pounds. I ran a three pound coffee full of the 158 gr. Lyman gas check bullet, lube, sized and did the gas check thing so they're ready to load I decided to check their hardness and they came out 8 on there BHN scale. Pure lead runs about five in my tester. They sat in the can for a few months when a friend asked if I could load up a box of .357's for him and dropped off the brass. I told him the only bullets I had handy were the too soft 158 gr. and they might deposit a lot of lead in his barrel. Told him if that happened I'd do the cleaning. He calls me later and tells me it was the most accurate loads he'd ever run through his Ruger Blackhawk. I asked about the leading and he said there was absolutely none.
Well I loaded up a box for myself and took my S&W M28 6" to to range and damned if they weren't some of the most accurate loads I've run through that gun. When I checked after all 50 rounds had gone down range there was no leading. I'd checked the hardness again prior to loading and shooting both time and they all ran 8 BHN. FWIW, the load was 14.0 gr. A2400, Remington nickel plated brass and Winchester small pistol primer. Brass was once fired.
IIRC, Elmer Keith used an alloy of 16/1 lead to tin. I don't think that mix could have been all that hard. I'd be tempted to guess 9 to maybe 10 on the BHN scale. I'm going to run some .44's and try them in the Spl. and Mag.
Paul B.

 

[JD338]

Alderman,

I am running the Nosler .429" 240 gr JHP with H110 in both my S&W 629 Classic and Marlin 1894 and get excellent performance. In the S&W, I've shot several 1 hole groups (6 shots) at 50 yards.

I think your component selection for your 357 Mag is spot on and you will find an accurate load.
The Nosler JHP bullets are very good for both accuracy and on game performance.

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

Cartridge          : .357 Magnum (CIP)
Bullet             : .357, 158, Nosler JHP 44841
Useable Case Capaci: 13.568 grain H2O = 0.881 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 1.590 inch = 40.39 mm
Barrel Length      : 4.0 inch = 101.6 mm
Powder             : Hodgdon H110

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-20.0   89    12.00    907     288   17566   7131     53.3    0.614
-18.0   92    12.30    935     307   18879   7504     54.9    0.593
-16.0   94    12.60    965     327   20304   7885     56.4    0.572
-14.0   96    12.90    996     348   21855   8274     58.0    0.551
-12.0   98    13.20   1027     370   23542   8671     59.6    0.531
-10.0  101    13.50   1058     393   25382   9075     61.2    0.512
-08.0  103    13.80   1091     418   27394   9485     62.9    0.492
-06.0  105    14.10   1124     444   29597   9900     64.5    0.474
-04.0  107    14.40   1159     471   32014  10319     66.1    0.456
-02.0  110    14.70   1193     500   34673  10743     67.8    0.439
+00.0  112    15.00   1229     530   37605  11169     69.4    0.422  ! Near Maximum !
+02.0  114    15.30   1266     562   40846  11595     71.1    0.405  ! Near Maximum !
+04.0  116    15.60   1304     596   44417  12023     72.7    0.389  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0  118    15.90   1342     632   48381  12448     74.3    0.374  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0  121    16.20   1382     670   52799  12870     76.0    0.359  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0  123    16.50   1422     710   57745  13288     77.6    0.344  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba    112    15.00   1342     631   47433  12558     79.3    0.380  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba    112    15.00   1105     428   29186   9488     58.2    0.474

 

[1Shot]

For around 20 years I have used the suggested hunting load from the 4th & 5th Sierra manual which is a max load 16.3 grs of H110 with 158 gr Sierra, Remington HPs and Speer Gold Dots and Hornady XTP HPs. All are very accurate and powerful from revolvers. Out of a Dan Wesson, S&W 686 and Taurus pistols with 6" barrels I average 1250 fps. With the Gold Dot and XTP out to around 60 yards, self imposed yardage, they have worked really well on deer. I used to shoot 15 grs 2400 with the 158 JHPs which was also very accurate and powerful but really dirty burning. With the closed breach Contender these loads are too hot. My best deer hunting load in the Contender 10" barrel has been the Hornady 180 XTP with 13.5 Grs H110. It kills well out to 125 yards which is as far away as I have shot a deer with it.

 

[Whitesheep]

PJGunner & 1shot. My Nosler manual lists a max load for the .357 mag of 12.3 grains of 2400, yet you both are running 15 grains. This is more than a 20% overload. What am I missing and is this safe?

BTW 12.3 of 2400 with Nosler 158gr is a nice accurate load in my Security Six.

 

[RiverRider]

Increasing hardness of cast bullets is often a mistake when leading is an issue. A softer bullet tends to "slug up" when pressure whumps it on the base, giving a better seal against gas leakage around the bearing surface. Cast em hard enough, and that's exactly what will NOT happen. Running too low pressure can have the same effect.

 

[PJGunner]

PJGunner & 1shot. My Nosler manual lists a max load for the .357 mag of 12.3 grains of 2400, yet you both are running 15 grains. This is more than a 20% overload. What am I missing and is this safe?

BTW 12.3 of 2400 with Nosler 158gr is a nice accurate load in my Security Six.

At one time the max load for H2400 was 15.5 gr. I used it all the time in a 4" S&W M28 and never had a problem. Then Hercules decided to get out of the gunpowder business and Alliant took over making A2400 and Bullseye and Unique as well. Alliance always claimed there was no difference but it seemed noticeably faster in my handguns. Dunno what bullet 1 shot is using in his firearm but I shoot only my personally home cast bullets. Cast bullets generate less friction than the jacketed bullet you are using which probably explains the difference in load data. I also note that Nosler is using a single shot firearm/test set up with an 8 3/8" barrel. Velocity seem awfully high considering that barrel and light (?) charge..
Something to take into account though, factory ammo for the .357 Mag. and .44 Mag as well have been downloaded quite a bit, first to keep light weight guns like the M19 and M66 Smiths from being damaged from real full power loads and since 5 shot snubbies in .357 Mag. have come on the scene it would not surprise me one bit if they didn't lighten the load some more. I've owned a Security Six and my 14.0gr A2400/158 load was never a problem in that gun although recoil was a bit uncomfortable.
Max loads for a 158 gr. jacketed bullet from several manuals using A2400.
1. Nosler you know.
2.Speer #14 14.8 gr.
3. Sierra #5 15.0 gr.
4. Hornady #9 14.3 gr.
5. Lyman #49 14.9 gr.
Loads are max for jacketed bullets.
Lyman #49 14.0 gr. for bullet # 358156 gas checked cast bullet. (The one I use.)
For spits and grins, from my first reloading manual.
Lyman #39 circa 1953 same cast bullet. 15.5 gr. 2400. Has to be the Hercules version of 2400.
Paul B.
Edited to add: Tthere were no jacketed bullets to speak of when I first started loading for the .357 Mag. and those that were available were not worth a damn.
PB

 

[Darkhorse]

The same thing for the .44 mag. Years ago we mainly used 2400 for the .44 and our max. charge was 23 grains. Just double checking myself I checked one of my books and they showed 23 grains 2400 as max in the .44. So I loaded some up with 240 gr. Speer GDSP's in virgin brass for hunting with my Ruger Auto carbine.
I was good to go but before I got around to checking my sights I noticed 21. grains listed as max by alliant. The Nosler book shows the same.
So what to do now? I'm not sure I want to shoot them.
I'm thinking about getting a 44 collet and trying to pull the bullets though there isn't much to grab onto.

About 30 years ago I loaded tons of .357 and .38 special. I used a mix of lead and linotype. For .38's I cast without a gas check, for the .357 I always used a gas check. I never had a problem with leading.