I loaded some loads for the 357 the other day using 158gr Dardas cast round nose bullets on top of 3.5gr and 4gr of Titegroup. Both loads were very light to say the least, nothing like factory loads. The max is 4.1grs of Titegroup. I loaded a few with 231 now at 5gr but haven't had a chance to try them yet. Is there a better powder to use in the 357Mag?

Those sounds like good plinking loads to me. A friend is trying Trail Boss in his .357s for plinking and plate matches but I'm not sure of his results yet.

with lead bullets you might want to keep the velocity low unless you are using gas checks. I don't shoot lead anymore - used to spend the better part of a day cleaning up after shooting fast loads with lead bullets.
I think you can use more velocity with well sized hard cast bullets but I could never get decent accuracy with the lead at the velocities I was after.
Now, with my back I am dropping back to the low velocity loads so I can shoot again. I will be using Titegroup and HP-38 with 158 grain bullets.

They are good plinkers, hardly any recoil, and very quiet.

for my .357 mag loads, I use :
2.8gn RedDot with 137gn BNWC lead on my SW686 for competition target CenterFire shoots.

4.0 gn ADI AS30 with 137 BNWC lead on SW686 for Service Pistol Shoots

15.7gn WIN296 on 157gn HP Sierra on my Rossi Puma for hunting pigs in scrubs.

All are very accurate loads.

I called my buddy about the Trail Boss loads and he said he'll be using them for the plate matches. He likes the fact that the powder fills the case too.

Well Wiersay...back in the day when I was shooting pistol, I loaded a couple of different loads for my S&W 586 .357 Mag:

Service Pistol (sorta like PPC) 3.6gn of Winchester WST pushing a 158gn SWC...nice and clean and a very comfortable load to shoot, although it factored in at 127.

Centrefire Match loads were either ADI AS50 can't remember the load...too long ago... or again WST pushing a 124gn 9mm Conical bullet... also a nice comfortable load to shoot. AS50 is a shotgun powder.

For the EarSchplittenLoudenBoomer...15gn ADI AS2205 pushing a 158gn SWC Hard Cast (No GC). Surprisingly I didn't have what you would call a major leading problem and they were fairly accurate over 50m.

My early loads for the 158gn JSP I used Hercules 2400 and again...too long ago to remember the load...but it was also a very good powder, and more forgiving than W296.

As for the other powders mentioned above...I have never used them so I can't comment.

Cheers, Vince

I know this might seem very basic, but for what gun and to what purpose? The 357 can be several different cartridges depending on the gun and what you want it to do with the load.
Best,
Ed

My favorite load for my .357's is a 160gr semi jacketed, semi wadcutter over 16.5gr of Lil'Gun (which is also a shotgun powder) with CCI SPM primers and a heavy crimp. I use this load in both my revolver and my Marlin carbine. I practically one hole at 50 yards with my carbine with this load. With my 6" barreled revolver, according to my chrony, I get about 1240fps and about 1740fps with my carbine.

I haven't decided to take it hunting yet so I guess it's mostly shooting targets, and makes a nice home insurance policy.

Who would of guessed it .............another shiny roller !!!

Shooting that light of a load I prefer to use the .38 case.
My light mag loads use 5.9gr of Titegroup with 158gr XTP (357 case)

Yup, he seems to like the shiny ones.

I have always been drawn to pretty shiny things.

5.9gr of Titegroup????? I don't have anything close to that. Guess I have to do more research.

Wiersy,
for your "home insurance policy", I highly suggest that you use factory loads.
It will lessen a lot of grieve should you (heaven forbid) ever need to use them.

gelandangan wrote:

Wiersy, for your "home insurance policy", I highly suggest that you use factory loads. It will lessen a lot of grieve should you (heaven forbid) ever need to use them.

I'm with ya on that I keep some pretty stout factories around for uninvited guests, plus two mags for the .45.