RedHawk357Mag

In my data 15.3 grns of 2400 is max. I got to 14.8 grns in my work ups and called it good. I can not imagine what those BB rnds must be like. The real funny thing about this I did my work ups in a 357 RedHawk so I had the utmost confidence in the equipment.

SR9c

My favorite Redhawk....I'm not sure you could blow up one of those, regardless of the load...

spartan88

I hope no one puts your statement to the test!

stantheman86

I think I might try some of the Buffalo Bore .357's in my 6" GP.

I had a bunch of Sellier & Bellot .357 a while back and that stuff is pretty spicy, snapped my full lug 6" back a little bit. The S&B has harder primers and the King Cobra I had, that a past owner had put a lighter hammer spring in had a few FTF on the first tap with the S&B.

The Armscor .357 is fairly light, didn't feel much hotter if at all than .38 +P.

Even the S&B .38 is a little hotter, I have no formal "stats" but it seems like it's close to +P. I fired 6 rounds in my old 1930's Police Positive and decided it was too hot for that old .38, no need to abuse a classic.

The weakest so far has been MagTech, their .38's are like gallery rounds and the .357 seems like it's barely loaded to lighter +P standards. I fired some MagTech .38 LRN in a 4" GP and it felt like I was shooting .32 Longs.

ajmorell

The most potent load I've used so far is a 158 grain XTP over 17 grains of H110 (max charge), and it wasn't bad at all. I can't wait to get my hands on some 180s or 200s so I can load them to the max

micreteag

muzzle energy in ft lbs = (bullet weight in grains) * 20.0 *

((muzzle velocity in ft/sec)/3000))^2 ;

where anything^2 = anything*anything.

For the case in the title

158*20*(2150/3000)^2 = 1623.011 ft lbs .


i remember this easy formula from long ago & don't know where it came from but it is correct.

mrt 15 oct 2012 @ 2141 EST

opos

Get a 44 mag...in the words of the drag racers...no substitute for cubic inches.

Amishman44

I've always favored the older, Winchester Black Talon Ammo from the late '80's as being a heavy recoil round...especially when fired through a smaller revolver such as an SP101! It wasn't so bad in a GP100...but through that little SP...wow!

DIYautotech

I saw you wanted to know what was the heaviest 357 magnum loads.

I have a video on youtube testing out all the hottest 357 magnum loads in my ruger blackhawk.

Watch it on youtube and see what you think.

They include 200grain double tap, 180grain buffalo bore and another type of buffalo bore. And various other 200gr hunting loads and such.

this will be the perfect video for you:

McD

I didn't think a .357 could compare to a 44 (any 44) until trying loads like the gang here recommend (as an answer to the question, not so much to shoot in any gun). But some of these cannon loads changed my mind. Of course, gun weight means a lot, but Lordy, heavy bullets sent along the way with higher velocity changed my mind. I still think full power 44s still exceed the max .357 mag, but not by a huge amount.
CAUTION: Lots of good revolvers are destroyed by a constant diet of .357 mags loaded this hot. Remember how Law Enforcement were noted as carrying .357 but practicing with .38 specials? There was a reason besides the perceived recoil; it was guns falling apart...
A decent American revolver should stand up to .357 loads, but a lot of us are wary of these wrist snapping, tooth shaking, bowel turning, retina burning, earth shaking, and gut wrenching MAX loads in any revolver... Maybe I am a weenie...

87hurricane

I know they probably aren't that hot of a load, but I was fairly impressed with the box of 158g American Eagle that I picked up recently. Good crack, decent recoil, and nice fireball out of my 4" Sec Six.

weblance

The 158g AE is a powerful load, for easy to find, off the shelf ammo. Its uncomfortable in my KLCR and unpleasant in my SP101s. When Im showing off at the range and one of the woman folk wanna shoot a 357... Thats what I slip into one of the little guns. My best friend is 6'4, 285lb. He touched off my KLCR with some of the mentioned AE, and spewed profanity for about 15 seconds, and then grinned like a kid on Christmas morning. Priceless.

87hurricane

Yeah, the AE made me smile too, from the way it felt in my 4", I bet its pretty impressive in something smaller. No question you're shooting a magnum load when you light them off.

bowfishn

Hodgdon shows 22 gr to be max with the 125 gr Hornady Jacketed Bullet using small pistol mag primers 21gr is starting load.
"125 GR. HDY XTP Winchester 296 .357" 1.590" 21.0 1881 38,400 CUP 22.0 1966 41,400 CUP"
I have shot hundreds of these out of my 6" gp100 using 22 grs they are fairly mild to shoot. Even 16.5 gr of H110 out of the same gp100 with a 180 gr cast gchp using mag primers are mild on recoil. Shot a 100 rounds of the 180 gr loads out of my 4" gp100 today and they are also mild. You would have to have a very light 357 mag to really notice much recoil.

bowfishn

OK today I shot some of the 22 gr H110 125 Gr jacketed HP out of a LCR 357 mag my daughter just got. Those I could feel in the web of my hand, not much jump but a quick slap.