Lil fun loads for .357

[Twotone]

Hi there,
Anyone have any accurate loads for lil gun under 158 rnfp plated or jacketed bullets?

[CT_Shooter]

Anyone have any accurate loads for lil gun under 158 rnfp plated or jacketed bullets?

Twotone, do you own or have access to any reliable reloading handbooks? I ask that to say, be careful. Any and all internet information should be treated with suspicion, even if it comes from a forum like ours (though this is less likely to be harmful than some others). Loads for plated and jacketed bullets will be quite different, plated using a much smaller charge.

Please get access to legitimately published data from reliable sources like Hornady, Lyman, Speer, Lee, or Hodgdon, the Lil' Gun powder manufacturer. It's always best to have a few (or more) references on your reloading bench to correlate the often differing information. You'll be happier -- and safer, if you do.

Good luck!

[Mgr2]

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle

[Twotone]

Hi yep, but cant find load data for lil gun , seems very little out there, have a couple of manuals but no info I can find.
The bullets i have are copper plated rnfp. 158 gn , just looking for a safe starting load,

[clovishound]

Hogdgon has data for 158 grain jacketed in .357 on their website. They don't list anything in the .357 magnum rifle, only pistol.

[Twotone]

I saw that, but it only mentions XTP bullet. Wondered if I am ok using plated rnfp 158 gn bullet and starting at 16 gns? I have checked my manuals and been looking online but cant find any load data for the bullets i have available.
I also have aome 158 gn lswc in 158 gn To hand .

[JEBar]

most pistol bullets are designed for use a pistol velocities .... decades ago when I was loading 44 Mag ammo for use in a Ruger Blackhawk and carbine, I found out that Nosler's pistol bullets are over built so that they perform well at the higher velocities .... examining their 357 & 44 caliber bullets that have taken big game have proven to us that they live up to their billing ... not to say Nosler is the only company doing so, but I do know they are a company that does so

[Twotone]

Hi Je bar
You have ao many choices over there when it comes to bullets and ammo . In .223,.308 etc here its ok but .357 there is very little choice.
I managed to get hold of aome rnfp copper plated bullets in 158gn and have some lil gun powder now but no idea where the start load or max is. Looked on Hogdon's site and my manuals but only found one listing using an xtp bullet, thats it, no other load data I can find on this powder anywhere. I am left wondering where to start, 15 gns, 16 gns,? For xtp bullet it says 16-18 ,

Trev

[clovishound]

I saw that, but it only mentions XTP bullet. Wondered if I am ok using plated rnfp 158 gn bullet and starting at 16 gns? I have checked my manuals and been looking online but cant find any load data for the bullets i have available.
I also have aome 158 gn lswc in 158 gn To hand .

Most plated bullet manufacturers recommend using max lead data, or mid jacketed. I am rather conservative, so I don't exceed max lead with my plated. That means I choose a powder that has overlap between lead and jacketed data. IOW max lead data is close to or exceeds mid jacketed data. I have found that using max lead data for powders that have a gap between max lead and start jacketed usually results in poor performance.

As to there being no data for lead bullets with this powder, there is usually a good reason why data is not available for certain bullet/powder combinations.

[Mgr2]

Hogdgon has data for 158 grain jacketed in .357 on their website. They don't list anything in the .357 magnum rifle, only pistol.

That is not correct, they have rifle data for .357 magnum here http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle.

[Twotone]

I can see rifle loads in .357 but nothing for lil gun which is what i am trying to use.

[clovishound]

What I meant was they had no data for lil gun in .357 magnum rifle.

Yes, they do have data for other powders in .357 magnum rifle. I use that data for my BBS.