How much performance difference in various 158 grain ammo in my .357 Henry?

[Chunkychuck]

I was wondering what performance differences forum members had seen among various manufacturers standard 158 grain offerings in .357?

[2fewdaysafield]

I was wondering what performance differences forum members had seen among various manufacturers standard 158 grain offerings in .357?

When I shot factory ammo in my .357 Big Boy I never ran any of it through a chronograph so I can't crunch any numbers for you but I'll give you my "Average Joe" observations.

I used to shoot a box of .357 through it just about exactly every 2 weeks. So right about 1,300 rounds per year and I shot just factory ammo and that meant buying whatever ammo I could get the best deal on. So I shot a lot of lesser known brands. Most everything I bought was 158 grain. (Practice with what you hunt with). All brands cycled flawlessly. All brands grouped well. Or at least well for a levergun being shot with open sights. When shooting from a bench at the range I never used a lead sled or anything like that, I'd just put a cushion on the bench and shoot. All shots at 50 or 100 yards. So you can see I wasn't trying to shoot a mosquito off an elephant's nose. Not that I could if I tried. But at 50 yards most everything I shot would keep 3 shot groups in the top of a soda can at 50 yards. Naturally groups were larger at 100 yards. But everything I shot easily achieved "minute of deer lungs" at 50 or 100 yards with open sights. The only notable exception was the fancy and expensive leverevolution plastic-tipped stuff. That stuff grouped more like a cylinder bore shotgun. That is not meant as a knock on Hornady. I've talked to several people who are much better shots than I am who have used that ammo in various guns and they all seem to say that it shoots lights out in some guns and not worth crap in others. I've tried it in both my HRA 30-30 and my .357 and was not impressed but then I don't need to spend that kind of cash to shoot at the range nor do I need it to put a deer down at 100 yards or less.

If you are looking for pinpoint accuracy and intend to shoot factory ammo you will need to try several brands and by trial and error find out what shoots best in the gun you have. Different individual rifles--even the same model from the same manufacturer--seem to just prefer certain brands of ammo. Just like some guys like blondes and others prefer brunettes.

[North Country Gal]

My experience with those standard 158 grain 357 factory loads has been pretty decent out of both my revolvers and my rifles. The standard more affordable stuff like the PMC and Mag-tech JSPs and JHPs have given me good enough accuracy to test the accuracy of my guns. Plenty accurate enough for my all recreational shooting, these days, and I'd even be confident in their accuracy for hunting if I still hunted. Almost all the groups I post on my range reports, regardless of cartridge, are with this level of factory ammo.

Will the premium 357 hunting loads like the Barnes and Hornady XTPs give me smaller groups? Most of the time, yes, I can see the difference in group size, but the accuracy difference in not really enough to justify spending the money on these pricey loads just to punch paper. Now and then I will use them when I'm in the mood to go after those wall hanger kinds of groups, but the truth is, I'm plenty happy with the more affordable factory ammo for my paper punching.

Now, for self-defense on my woods carry guns - and I do carry a 357 at times - I load only the premium stuff. That's not the time to pinch pennies. Same for hunting if I still hunted.

P.S. My experience with those Hornady gummy tip lever loads mirrors what you mentioned. In some of my Marlins, they''ve been horrible; in some of my Marlins, they shoot lights out. Never know what to expect until I try them in a particular gun. Hornady XTPs, on the other hand, shoot consistently well in all my guns.

[2fewdaysafield]

My experience with those standard 158 grain 357 factory loads has been pretty decent out of both my revolvers and my rifles. The standard more affordable stuff like the PMC and Mag-tech JSPs and JHPs have given me good enough accuracy to test the accuracy of my guns. Plenty accurate enough for my all recreational shooting, these days, and I'd even be confident in their accuracy for hunting if I still hunted. Almost all the groups I post on my range reports, regardless of cartridge, are with this level of factory ammo.

Will the premium 357 hunting loads like the Barnes and Hornady XTPs give me smaller groups? Most of the time, yes, I can see the difference in group size, but the accuracy difference in not really enough to justify spending the money on these pricey loads just to punch paper. Now and then I will use them when I'm in the mood to go after those wall hanger kinds of groups, but the truth is, I'm plenty happy with the more affordable factory ammo for my paper punching.

Now, for self-defense on my woods carry guns - and I do carry a 357 at times - I load only the premium stuff. That's not the time to pinch pennies. Same for hunting if I still hunted.

P.S. My experience with those Hornady gummy tip lever loads mirrors what you mentioned. In some of my Marlins, they''ve been horrible; in some of my Marlins, they shoot lights out. Never know what to expect until I try them in a particular gun. Hornady XTPs, on the other hand, shoot consistently well in all my guns.

Thank you for the comment on the Hornady leverevolution. It mirrors what I've been told by several other people. That ammo just seems to LOVE some guns but dislike others. But all I do with my .357 is casual target shooting and hunting deer in heavy woods where 100 yards is a long shot and my handloads handle those jobs just fine. I didn't take up handloading to drill tacks but rather just to make sure I always had plenty of reasonably-priced ammo. Factory .357 was hard to find for quite a while.

[Chunkychuck]

Thanks everyone. I got a good deal on some PMC jacketed soft point and if it shoots well that may be all I ever purchase. My guns are meant to be shooters, not match guns. I

[2fewdaysafield]

Thanks everyone. I got a good deal on some PMC jacketed soft point and if it shoots well that may be all I ever purchase. My guns are meant to be shooters, not match guns. I

Excellent! If your experience is similar to mine you'll find that generally standard .357 factory ammo at 158 grains from any manufacturer will shoot pretty much the same for your purposes. I reload .357 now but only because it saves me some money. I don't try to reload for pinpoint accuracy.

[Mgr2]

Magtech 158 grain FMJ factory ammo is pretty potent. I get around 1730 fps out of mine.

[Petey]

Thanks everyone. I got a good deal on some PMC jacketed soft point and if it shoots well that may be all I ever purchase. My guns are meant to be shooters, not match guns. I

Curious to know how that pmc worked out for you.
I've been shooting the PMC 158 sjsp for some time and just love em.
At fifty yards and using a Skinner peep , they are very accurate. In a five shot group , I will usually have at least three holes touching.

Happy Shootin!
Petey