.357 Plinking load?

[encore4me]

I have ben using jacketed rounds in my 50th ann. .357 but I want to start using cast loads. I think I want to get Laser Cast from Cabela's. I have never used cast and I am afraid of leading my barrel. What weight bullet and starting powder type and load should I use.
I want something light, my 50th ann. .44mag is my hunting gun so this would be just something fun to shoot (cheep).


Thanks Matt

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I use Rainier soft copper plated bullets mostly and don't worry about leading, lube, smoke or even what my charge is as long as it is reasonable because they don't leave any lead in the barrel at all. They are reasonably priced. 158gr bullet and 5.0gr of Universal or HP-38 makes a great plinking load in a 357mag shell.

I think you will find those Laser Cast bevel base bullets very hard and needing to be driven hard. Good luck.

...Jimbo

 

[marlin1881]

Jimbo's got this exactly correct. Rainier bullets are good, but I use TiteGroup for my low-midrange loads. Don't push them too hard or the jacket/plating will separate from the core.

And, the LaserCast bullets are very hard. In fact, I load them in my 44mag exactly like I'd load jacketed bullets, and they perfect much better than low-midrange pressures. I expected to have lead smeared down the entire bore, but with full-load H110 rounds, LaserCast performed very well. The bore was clean as can be. And, quite accurate. I was surprised.

 

[revhigh]

I load them in my 44mag exactly like I'd load jacketed bullets, and they perfect much better than low-midrange pressures. I expected to have lead smeared down the entire bore, but with full-load H110 rounds, LaserCast performed very well. The bore was clean as can be. And, quite accurate. I was surprised.

Agreed .... I do the same thing with full house 2400 loads in 44 mag.

Laser cast bullets are good stuff.

REV

 

[bearcreek]

i like using 11 gr. 2400 with 158 lead swc, easy on you and the gun

 

[8emem]

I have had great accuracy with a couple of .357 practice loads. On the low end, I use a hard-cast 158 gr LRN with 4.8 gr 231 and CCI Small Pistol primer. I have used the Midway brand bullet (doesn't seem to be offered anymore) and National Bullet (now defunct). Something like Meister should do the trick as an available substitute. For mid-range, I use a 158 gr JHP and 9.0 gr HS6 with the same CCI Small Pistol primer. I last used a Magtech bullet. All my .357's love these loads, to the tune of 1.0 - 1.5 inch groups benchrested at 25 yards.

 

[mattsbox99]

With most cast bullets you should stay below 1000 FPS, I use 5.0 grains of Red Dot or TiteGroup, but there are numerous suitable powders.

Check out Missouri Bullets, and SNS Casting for cheap plinking bullets.

 

[btrumanj]

My light load for the .357 is 7 to 7.5 grs of HS6 under most any brand of 158 gr commercial cast bullet. Sure, I get a bit of leading at times but it is not a big deal. 6 or 8 swipes with a few strands of Chore Boy on an old brush takes care of it

 

[Mobuck]

Unless you have some powder you like, I'd recommend Titegroup. It is not position sensitive. With the small charges used in 357 target loads, the position of the powder in the case can cause variations. Titegroup mostly negates this variation. One of my manuals says just use 38 Spec loads with the 357 cases. I loaded some 158 swaged HP to about 900 fps to use for varmints with good results. They are pretty soft and will actually expand at this speed. Less likely to bounce or shatter than harder cast bullets.

 

[Bucks Owin]

With most cast bullets you should stay below 1000 FPS....

Oh? I reguarly push mine to 13-1400 fps.... :wink: (Sometimes without a GC! :shock: ) As do most bullet casters....FWIW, Dennis

 

[miatank]

I use the 125 gr CN moly coated cast bullet from this source:
http://www.billybullets.com/Bullets.aspx

Behind the bullet is 5.3gr of PowerPistol. I worked up the load for the scandium S&W snubnose.
Leading is not an issue. I don't understand why it is such a touchy subject anyhow. As already noted, a few strands from a Chore Boy around an old brush works fine. Getting rid of copper fouling from high velocity ammo in a rifle barrel is a bigger pain.

dave - and that bullet works well in the LCR

 

[Rclark]

Plinking loads? I like 5g of Trail Boss pushing 125g TC bullet. What I use. No leading in my .357s....

http://www.rimrockbullets.net/catalog/i ... ducts_id=5

 

[tomiswho]

I'd like to put in a plug for my neighbors (6 miles down the road) at Georgia Arms. http://georgia-arms.com/lead%20bullets.pdf

All with #2 Lyman alloy (Brinnell eighteen) Phone orders only. I regularly buy .38 HBWC($30/500; $58/1000) and SWC ($29/500; $56/1000)and .45 RNFP ($28/300; $81/900).

Phone: 888-623-6861
Fax: 770-459-1904

 

[rwnielsen]

158 LSWC, 6.2 Unique, 1000+fps or...5.2 HP-38 for almost 1000fps
Both are good plinkers, and cheap

 

[Lo-Bo]

My favorite .357 plinker load is a cast wadcutter with 4 grains of Bullseye , .357 brass and standard primer . Has to be exactly 4 grains. Tried going up and down on the powder charge for several guns and 4 is the magic number.

 

[GP100man]

3.3 grs of CLAYS under a lee rnfp , 14 oz to the can , you do the math.

This load runs at 750 fps & still produces a clean burn.
on the lot i`ve tested the extreme spread was only 22 fps.
& clays is the least case position sensitive powder I`ve shot!

 

[mattsbox99]

With most cast bullets you should stay below 1000 FPS....

Oh? I reguarly push mine to 13-1400 fps.... :wink: (Sometimes without a GC! :shock: ) As do most bullet casters....FWIW, Dennis

There are some cast bullets you can get away with pushing them that hard, most commercial cast bullets are undersize and will lead terribly if pushed too hard. 1000 FPS is a good point to stop. I've cast and shot a lot of lead bullets through the years and don't know many people that push soft wheelweights much harder.