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Your most accurate .357 reloads

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Your most accurate .357 reloads

Post by Mistered » Mon Jan 01, 2018 10:39 pm

Just wanting to know what everyone is finding to be your most accurate loads out of your BB - What is the bullet and powder combo. Thanks.
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Re: Your most accurate .357 reloads

Post by JEBar » Mon Jan 01, 2018 11:31 pm

#1 .... 14.8 gr of W296 pushing a 158 gr Nosler JHP .... I haven't found that the brand of small pistol magnum primer or brand of shell casing makes any difference .... that said I usually use CCI primers and Starline brass

#2 ... if I can't get W296, 15.9 gr of H110 pushing the same 158gr Nosler JHP

Note: both are maximum loads .... info from Nosler Reloading Guide Vol 8
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Re: Your most accurate .357 reloads

Post by Mgr2 » Wed Jan 03, 2018 3:35 am

9.5 grains Hodgdon HS6 under a 158 grain Hornady XTP is my favourite. Accuracy 1.5 moa at 100 meters from the Big Boy Steel.
COL 1.580". CCI550 primers, CBC brass.

This is the maximum load according to the Hodgdon reloading website.
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Re: Your most accurate .357 reloads

Post by Abnermal » Wed Jan 03, 2018 6:18 am

For ripsnortin' loads H110/W296 is your friend. Used to hunt groundhogs with an 1894C using 296 and 125gr hollow points. As Dirty Harry would say "Sift the remains to find the fingerprints!" For a plinking load Unique and a 158gr cast in a .38 Special case works well. Shot a lot of those in Cowboy matches.
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Re: Your most accurate .357 reloads

Post by Steve51 » Wed Jan 03, 2018 7:02 am

I have my BBS .357 sighted in at 50 yds. I rarely shoot distances beyond 75 yds. I have settled on two loads that have same POI at 50yds and am happy with either one depending on available powder (2400 was impossible to find for a while in this area).

240 grain Hornady XTP JHP over 14.5 grains of Alliant 2400

240 grain Hornady XTP JHP over 14.2 grains of AA#9 (Accurate #9 - Western Powders)

I like the 240 grain XTP JHP and have considered trying the Nosler 240 grain JHP but some say the lead is soft and some reloading dies distort the lead so I have never tried it.
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Re: Your most accurate .357 reloads

Post by JEBar » Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:00 am

Steve51 wrote:I have my BBS .357 sighted in at 50 yds.

240 grain Hornady XTP JHP over 14.5 grains of Alliant 2400

240 grain Hornady XTP JHP over 14.2 grains of AA#9 (Accurate #9 - Western Powders).
240 gr in a 357 :?: :?: :?:
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Re: Your most accurate .357 reloads

Post by Mistered » Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:08 am

Thanks for the responses. I should have explained myself a bit more. My Henry is my 2nd .357 rifle (Winchester trapper was the first) and I am finding both seem to prefer higher end loads. Nothing crazy or beyond published data but I have found 16 grains of 296 with a 158 gr JFP as being the most accurate with the Henry as it was with the Winchester and as a couple of you have posted similar loading it appears .357 rifles seem to prefer higher end loads. In all fairness I have not shot mine enough to try any midrange .357s or even .38 Specials but I was just wanting a consensus from a few other .357 shooters! Thanks.
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Re: Your most accurate .357 reloads

Post by clovishound » Wed Jan 03, 2018 12:05 pm

I load target rounds almost exclusively. My normal load is a 158 grain plated HP. These are xtremes with the heavier coating that is rated for 1500 fps. I load them in the middle to upper middle of the range for Universal. They are not quite as accurate as the 158 jacketed rounds I have loaded using the max 4227 load that will allow me to comfortably seat a bullet without compressing the load. Still well under the max data. Since the local range maxes out at 25 yds, and we shoot a fair number of rounds each week, I opt for the slightly less accurate, but much less expensive round to load.

For hunting I use American Eagle 158 gr SPs. This is factory ammo and runs 1800 fps over my buddy's chrony.
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Re: Your most accurate .357 reloads

Post by Steve51 » Wed Jan 03, 2018 4:01 pm

JEBar wrote:
Steve51 wrote:I have my BBS .357 sighted in at 50 yds.

240 grain Hornady XTP JHP over 14.5 grains of Alliant 2400

240 grain Hornady XTP JHP over 14.2 grains of AA#9 (Accurate #9 - Western Powders).
240 gr in a 357 :?: :?: :?:

Sorry about that - you are correct to call me on that. I meant to say Hornady 158 grain XTP JHP for both of those loads.

I also use both of those powders with the 240 grain XTP JHP for .44 magnum loads. Somebody needs to keep us old folks from being dangerous. Thank JEBar.
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Re: Your most accurate .357 reloads

Post by CT_Shooter » Wed Jan 03, 2018 4:59 pm

In most things, I'm a middle of the road kind of guy; and I want to use the same load for my SA revolver and my Henry, so early on I settled on 13.9 grains of H110, a WSPM primer, and a ZERO 158 JHP bullet.

Hornady's 9th says that that combination it will produce 1100 fps out of an 8" Colt Python revolver and 1550 fps out of a Rossi 16" rifle. It's the middle of the range for the revolver and at the low to middle end for the rifle, but it's a happy medium and I really like it in both of my guns.
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