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I need a hotter load for .357Mag?

13K views 62 replies 41 participants last post by  Yurko 
#1 ·
What I am looking for is a bigger BOOM to wake up fellow shooters at the indoor range.:D
OK, here's where I'm at in reloading .357mag. I have been using Titegroup for my calibers, 9mm, 38/357 and I am happy with the results. Also I use standard small pistol primers and want to stick it them if I can. I stay away from the tightest AOL just to stay on the safe side.

Is there a different powder that I can use to get the results I'm looking for, if so which one?

Even with the hottest Hodgdon 125g or 158g bullet/Titegroup specs, they do not match the BOOM of Federal 158g FMJ factory target loads. This is just for a little fun and my wheel guns are 4" GP100 and 3"SP101.

Thanks for any/all guidance!
 
#3 · (Edited)
You think Feds are hot or just hotter than your reloads? I always thought the opposite, Rem were always hot to me. Try Bluedot or 2400.

I was pushing 12gr of BD with 125grs (now theres a warning), based off of my older reloading manual before I knew, out of the 2in SP101, and there was always a fireball :D

I actually miss those as my first loads, everyone was impressed by them, was it efficent, doubtful, but flashy, YES! Haha, the manual even said you can go up to 14gr, I used 8gr for my 9mms at the time and those were hot and flashy also. Whats your barrel lenght? I know 2400 is a great magnum powder also but due to my barrel lenght, I always stayed away from it.

I'm kind of with you on the flashy .357 load, I've been using Unique and its a great load for it, probably optimal burn rate for my 2.25in, maybe a tiny bit slow but close, not too much flash. As I said though, I miss the fireball, I shoot for fun 95% of the time, I'm going to try Blue Dot with 158grs next time (only advise against 125s as far as I know). What I'm trying to say though, is that if you want a head turning round, you have to get a little inefficent here, not a complete powder burn in barrel so you have a nice flash out front, get some powder that burns slow and if you have a long barrel you probably wont get anything crazy inefficent like I did in the snub but either way, more volume + slow powder should do it, maybe even lighter bullet weight so you can use more powder.
 
#4 ·
Buy a bigger gun say something in 44, 454, 460, 475, or 500 that ought to get you some attention. Well at lease everyones ears will be ringing, perhaps a few stained shorts, that do it for ya?
 
#26 · (Edited)
Bigger not always better.


My friend has a .30 Carbine Ruger Blackhawk with factory ammunition that causes 44 Magnum users to stop shooting and gawk.

Recoil is fairly gentle, but the fireball and report are amazing.

Handloads with lead bullets make an amazing amount of confetti from phonebooks, too.

Lost Sheep

edit: I did not spot Opos' post #10 where the 30 Carbine Blackhawk was already mentioned.
 
#5 ·
Try some Winchester 296 loads they make good hot rounds for me, been doing 18.3 grains with 125gr. Montana gold HP's, this is a safe load weaker than Ruger only loads not hot enough harm you or your gun, wakes up the 22 shooters at the range fired out of my SP101:D
 
#7 ·
If ya want to do a real "look at me" load for your sp, load some triple F (...FFF grade...) black powder with a lead 158 grain bullet. Fill the case with the black powder (...ya need to do some reasearch; but the gidst of it is to figure out where the bottom of the bullet would set in the case, add the black powder a bit over that line, compress a bit; then seat the bullet. DO NOT leave any air space between the powder and the bullet base!!...).

The result is a stupendous, throaty "K-Boom", white smoke, and plenty of fire. If the target is 7 yards or less from ya, it might even set it on fire.

We used to shoot the old time black powder loads in our 45 colt. It's a great thing. Clean up is a little bit of a bother; but not as bad as ya might think. We used a solution of 1 part murphys oil soap, one part methanol (...from the paint section at lowes...), one part water, and one part hydrogen peroxide (...this is the mix recommended by the North-South Skirmish guys -- the civil war re-enactor group....). A gallon of this stuff is a 2 or 3 year supply, and costs probably $10 to $12 dollars. Scrub your pistol with this mix, wipe down, and oil down with a moisture displacing protectant like CLP.

Alternatively, ya could just use a load of 13.5 grains of alliant 2400 and a hard cast 158 grain bullet. It's a great load for man or beast. Make sure ya crimp the load good and heavy.

Hope this helps.
leroy
 
#8 ·
Thanks all, so a slower burning powder is the direction I'm heading. I'll pass on the super loads just want something that comes close to factory target loads and not have to spend $27 per box.
BlkHawk73, I do respect your opinion and agree good shooting is most important. I don't have a problem with accuracy and will be trying some steel plate competition in the fall at the outdoor range (was 120* today in the shade :eek: ) shooting my SR9c with my light reloads.
Nothing wrong with having some fun though.:)
 
#10 · (Edited)
I got the solution to your big boom issue.....I just bought an old model Blackhawk in 30 carbine....it makes the 44 mag full load guys run for cover....everyone in the place takes a coffee break....just the thing....double ear protection and some 2400 Wheeeeeeeee!!
 
#11 ·
Try some of the Remington 125gr SJHPs. Clocked 'em at high 1580-1600fps out of my 6.5" Blackhawk.

I got a .41 load pushing 215gr Keiths at 1350fps outta my 5.5" Bisley BH. You can feel the muzzle blast, 6' to the side. Outdoors.... :cool:
 
#12 ·
The Federal (American Eagle) 158gr FMJSP is my target round. Cheap and readily available. I get it mostly for the brass recovery! :D
I would not say these are HOT rounds, though. They are magnum rounds, but, nothing like a real hot 125gr (single shot stopper) that the Remington or Buffalo Bore puts out. A slow burning powder will give you the results you need. You may even want to take a look at an IMR powder or AA's #9 :)
 
#13 ·
Just make sure that if you use a magnum load you use a magnum primer, there are hotter and harder than non magnum primers. If you use Hodgdon powders look on there website for load data. You'll notice that all loads for the 357 magnum call for a magnum primer even when using powders like HP38 and Titegroup. I figure they know more about it than I do.
 
#14 ·
actally most 357mag loads, at least in my Speer manual do not call out a Mag. primer only two powders do, I once made the mistake of using mag. primers with Win. 231 loads for 357 they were safe, and shoot fine but the pressure is to high and it expands the brass so much it gets stuck in the cylinders of my revolvers, you have to really reduce your powder if you use mag. primers with a powder that don't call out for mag. primers.
 
#15 ·
I load 296 with WW SPM primers, big bang, moderate muzzle flash, you definitely know there's a magnum on the line. My hunting load is 14.3 gr of 296, ww case, ww spm primer and 158 gr sp. Out of my 4" GP 100 it's scary accurate. My defensive loads are a different story, they get loaded to 38 sp +p levels using the 357 brass, 125 gr xtp hp, 231/hp38 and sp primers. Nice snappy load, low muzzle flash and not that bad of an ear ringer at all.
 
#16 ·
Just make sure that if you use a magnum load you use a magnum primer,
Well, not quite true. The primer used depends on the powder. Simple as that. 296/H110 are powders that require a magnum primer for good performance. 2400 on the other hand the standard primer works well. Sometimes a powder is more consistent with a standard than a magnum ... and visa-versa (chronograph tells the tale). Some powders don't care what you use. So all depends :) . A lot of times, I'll test different primers with a powder just to see if one works better than another. The games we play!
 
#22 ·
Just fill the case with Double-F black powder and jam a bullet into it. Not much velocity, but it does make a satisfying BOOM. And if you're at an indoor range, the shower of sparks will be an extra-added attraction.
Of course, you'll go home looking like you just changed a muffler, and you'll have to clean the gun up pretty well. :D
 
#24 ·
Look at the 110 grain bullets loaded to 35K PSI for the big bark. Blue Dot will do it.

I recently shot six 125 grain bullets that my grandpa made back in 1980. They were loaded to the book max for that era with 2400 powder. Everyone on that outdoor range stopped to see. Made nice blue smoke rings also.
 
#25 ·
Years ago - in my magnum-crazy youth - I loaded some .357 magnums with a 110 grain Speer JHP and just under the max recommended load of H110 (and a magnum primer, of course). The result - from a four-inch barrel - was not only enough noise to get everyone on the firing line to look, but also a foot-long flame.

They weren't any fun to shoot, but they were absolute marvels at getting rid of racoons (OK, I was really into over-kill back then). If I hit them, they were DRT (dead right there) and those that I missed were flash-blind (as was I) for the rest of the night. I doubt that any of them ever returned to our house after being blinded, deafened (and nearly incinerated) by a miss.

Jim
 
#29 ·
+1 on the 296 or H110 (they're the same stuff nowadays).

This is a 125gr JHP pushed by 22 grains of H110 out of my SP101 (You'll want the cushy Hogue grips if you don't have 'em):



Note how the slower burning powder gives you another 400 fps at a lower chamber pressure. This is from Hodgdon's site (but look it up yourself 'cause you don't know I cut & pasted right!):

Code:
125 GR. HDY XTP 	Winchester 296 		22.0 	1966 	41,400 CUP 	  	  
125 GR. HDY XTP 	Hodgdon H110 		22.0 	1966 	41,400 CUP 	  	  

125 GR. HDY XTP 	Hodgdon Titegroup 	7.5 	1497 	41,200 CUP
 
#33 ·
+1 on the 296 or H110 (they're the same stuff nowadays).

This is a 125gr JHP pushed by 22 grains of H110 out of my SP101 (You'll want the cushy Hogue grips if you don't have 'em):



Note how the slower burning powder gives you another 400 fps at a lower chamber pressure. This is from Hodgdon's site (but look it up yourself 'cause you don't know I cut & pasted right!):




Code:
125 GR. HDY XTP 	Winchester 296 		22.0 	1966 	41,400 CUP 	  	  
125 GR. HDY XTP 	Hodgdon H110 		22.0 	1966 	41,400 CUP 	  	  

125 GR. HDY XTP 	Hodgdon Titegroup 	7.5 	1497 	41,200 CUP
Yup! I like the 125gr xtp with the 22gr of H110 listed above. Makes a great flash ... can't even see the target when you pull the trigger.
 
#35 ·
Try Ramshot Enforcer or Accurate #9. Either will give you velocities as high as W296/H110. Muzzleblast may not be quite as much, but it will be close and either can be loaded with a standard small pistol primer. Both are capable of exceptional accuracy with full power loads, but work up from a start charge.;)
 
#37 · (Edited)
DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ADVICE! The attention gotten is not the kind you want.
Scooter.maclusky did not put a fine enough point on it.

Smithnframe, normally, I send a message like this through private message, but I could not let the danger presented by your text stand uncorrected.

This forum is read by many people of all skill levels. Novices may not know how energy-dense some powders are.

A case-full of that powder is likely to destroy any firearm in which it is fired.

Lost Sheep
 
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