Hunting Washington Forum

Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: jdb on January 11, 2009, 07:33:42 PM

Title: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: jdb on January 11, 2009, 07:33:42 PM: I am going to start loading for a .357 mag. and I am looking for a good general purpose load. any ideas?
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: dbllunger on January 11, 2009, 07:40:00 PM: Willcheck my book. Got a great self defense load also. Will have to post tomorrow or later tonight with the info.
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: Coasthunterjay on March 17, 2009, 02:06:54 PM: Would be interested also? What you thinking is a good load?

anyone have any information on home defence bullets and whats a good round? have heard the new hornady is good.

any opinions....BUMP on the 38 and 357 reload info? what powder you use?
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: 300rum on March 17, 2009, 02:18:46 PM: I always used Win231 for plinking, especially in .38's and .45's. 1 pound of 231 will go a long, long way with lead bullets, just keep them under a grand (I like about 900fps). For a big bang I love 2400. Max out 2400 and it is a thumper. You may want to get a newer book though as some say that the newer 2400 packs more punch than the old stuff so you may not want to use one of the newer books.
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: demontang on March 17, 2009, 05:29:13 PM: My dad normaly uses blue dot and 158gr hollow points. I will have to ask him about his loads tomorrow.
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: 300rum on March 17, 2009, 06:13:11 PM: I have used blue dot but it seemed to burn dirtier than than win231. It may be because I was using lighter rounds though.
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: Coasthunterjay on March 17, 2009, 07:02:38 PM: blue dot huh? can you use red dot?
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: MHWASH on March 17, 2009, 08:47:43 PM: 2400 Will give you a little less flash and bang in the .357. 357's can be obnoxious when loaded with 296 or H110.

I really like HS-6 for medium magnum loads and auto pistol loads.
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: demontang on March 17, 2009, 09:52:03 PM: I dont know about red dot I will look in my reloading books when I get to work in the morning. The blue dot seems to burn just as clean as anything else we have tried. :dunno:
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: C-Money on March 18, 2009, 06:49:59 AM: I was looking hard at the W296 powder. May lean toward 2400? Cant wait to get my dies!!
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: woodswalker on March 27, 2009, 02:14:12 PM: I use Unique for the light stuff and 2400 for the heavier loads. All I need...and have 4 bullets for it too 150 gr WC, 150 gr SWC (Lyman 358477), 166 grain SWC and 168 SWC (Lyman 358429) with both solids and HP in the SWCs. fot the Old timey stuff I use a Lyman 358311 RN.
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: Huntbear on March 27, 2009, 04:01:17 PM: Try this site.

reloadersnest.com

it is a wealth of info for any reloading info.
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: Fishnclifff on December 05, 2011, 11:03:26 AM: Anyone have a good load for a 158gr wadcutter, 357?
One of my wife's coworkers wants some loaded.
He wants to use Unique powder for the load.
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: cwuwildcat on December 05, 2011, 12:51:12 PM: May help to know what you're shooting them out of. Snubby or longer?
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: KillBilly on December 05, 2011, 12:56:08 PM: Would love to assist but I load for a .357 Maximum, so I have never worked up a regular .357 load. :sry:
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: headshot5 on December 05, 2011, 01:03:31 PM: Red dot works great with wadcutters for the 38 special. I use 3.4 grains, for a 148 grain Hollow Base Wadcutter, it makes a nice little target/racoon load. If you use a doubled ended wadcutter you can up the load quite a bit, since there is no skirt to blow off the bullet.

As far as .357 I generally use Unique, and the load depends on the bullet.
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: Fishnclifff on December 05, 2011, 03:31:14 PM: Haven't found out what he is shooting yet.
The Alliant website has a recipe using 6 gr of powder.
I'm waiting for them to tell me the min and max load.
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: C-Money on December 06, 2011, 08:51:17 AM: I settled in on 14gr of 2400 using a 158gr Hornaday XTP. It shoots quite well in my Blackhawk. Please work up your own load and not trust mine!
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: Wazukie on December 06, 2011, 03:21:48 PM: I load 17gr W296 with Hornaday 158grn XTP for 1429 fps(chrony'd). Shooting out of a 4" barrel

The Lyman Manuel shows 14.9 gr of 2400 max for a 158 grn JHP pushing at 1279 fps

Blue dot would be 10.7 gr at 1158 fps
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: SkookumJeff on December 09, 2011, 11:09:23 AM: Quote from: C-Money on December 06, 2011, 08:51:17 AM
I settled in on 14gr of 2400 using a 158gr Hornaday XTP. It shoots quite well in my Blackhawk. Please work up your own load and not trust mine!

Words to live by. Work up your own load, don't trust ANYONE's load. Manufacturing tolerances create variations that affect all ammunition. The condition of the gun is also a factor. What works for one gun may or may not be safe in a different gun.

Skook
Title: Re: anyone reload .38 special or .357 magnum?
Post by: 44 Flattop on December 09, 2011, 02:23:05 PM: .357, I've used 13.5grs of 2400 behind any 158gr bullet for over 35 years. Rifle or pistol it is a very good load in almost any gun.

.357, For Unique I've used 6grs behind any 158gr bullet.

38 Special, 4grs of Unique behind any 158gr bullet.

44