Low Recoil 357mag loads

[weebeestie]

Hi Mr A factor,
are you using 357 mag or 38 spl cases.
It seems lower preassure and speed are better from 38 spl load data.
I have plenty 38 cases but found 357s were easier to load with speedloader.
I'll need to start practicing with 38 cases now.

[Simon_S]

I was told just put the 38 load in the 357 case

[arsefactor]

Ey up ... I use .357 cases, had the same batch of cases since I started reloading for them in 2011. Since the loads are relatively sedate and I only apply a light crimp it's a rare event if one splits during firing.
When reloading I prime all the cases on a single state press first so I can check each one for splits or cracks, so a damaged case should never get to the fully loaded stage.

[Daryll]

If you're loading low pressure rounds, .357 cases should last almost indefinately...

I've only just thrown out about 500 starline cases as the primer pockets were starting to get loose. These were cases i bought when i started loading for my S&W686 in 1987...!!

They must have been reloaded over 60 times for the 686, and latterly for my Marlin, but it was time to say goodbye...

My current load for the Marlin is 4.4gn of N320 behind a 158gn truncated cone bullet. For my Taurus LBR I used 3.3gn of N320 behing a 148gn HBWC.

[markreid]

Rossi .357 20” octagonal barrel

158grn lswc .4.5grn bullseye

shoots nice tight groups at 25yrd , smooth to shoot

[weebeestie]

Well I had limited range time yesterday but did manage a few rounds down range.
Shooting a Taurus 66 revolver I decided to go down the 38 spl case load to start with.
Red Dot in 2 gr increments from 2.5 to 3.5 behind 143gr truncated cone.
Supposed to be 140 gr but all within 143 +/_ 0.5.
3gr was nice to shoot but all over the place
Up to 3.5 was punchy and not what I'm after.
The 2.5 was nice and easy, a pleasure to shoot and not to bad accuracy wise.
I may increase by a few tenth of grain for better accuracy next week.

[Simon_S]

I use 3gr tightgroup and 180gr tc in my Rugger 77/357 works nice groups are not bad

[Richard52]

.357 brass is slightly thicker/stiffer, so it may not maintain a consistent crimp for as long as .38 brass. For target loads, .38 cases are more than adequate (and a lot cheaper), so I'd suggest using them unless your lever-action cycles more reliably with the longer case. Popular wisdom is not to put very light loads in .357 cases because of the larger case volume (risk of detonation?), but I've never heard of any specific issue in this respect.

I use 2.5gns BA10 behind a 158 T/C hardcast bullet in my .357 Taurus using a .38 case. 2.7gns of CSB5 also works well, and CSB5 is easier to source than BA10 these days.

[223AI]

Rossi .357 20” octagonal barrel

158grn lswc .4.5grn bullseye

shoots nice tight groups at 25yrd , smooth to shoot

Almost identical to the load I use which is 4.6 gr