.357 Ammo?
- Thread starter IDriveB5
- Start date
with a 6" barrel you should do fine with .357 mag loads over .38's. (dont beleive the hype about extreme muzzle flash. not in a 6" or the blast either). I like fiotchhi 148 sjhp's or federal hydorshocks. winchester silver tips get a good review on here as well. I have not used the winchester's yet myself though. any hollowpoint .357 mag of a known brand should be good (for home defense). the above stated seem to shoot well and clean for me. I'd also select a brand for it's tendency to not overpenetrate but to expand and leave big hole.
Use some .38's for practice
I always use at least some .38's when practicing. Not only is the recoil tamer, but they cost less. I agree with Pezo as the 6" barrel will be a big help, but as bullet weight increases, so does recoil in my opinion. For HD, the hydrashocks would probably be your best bet. I think I've got some 158 grain ones that shoot well.
I always use at least some .38's when practicing. Not only is the recoil tamer, but they cost less. I agree with Pezo as the 6" barrel will be a big help, but as bullet weight increases, so does recoil in my opinion. For HD, the hydrashocks would probably be your best bet. I think I've got some 158 grain ones that shoot well.
CarbineCaleb
New member
Great choice of gun! I have the 4" 686P that I love, but the 6" is a more composed shooter and gives better practical accuracy with the longer sight radius. For indoor range, I really like the 125gr Winchester WinClean soft points - they come in .38 Special and .357 Magnum varieties. The .38 Special are an extra mild .38 load, while the .357s are a full power .357 load.
Every person chooses a different point on the accuracy&speed versus terminal effects curve. For my money, for defense, you are better off with a good .38 Special +P load - like the Speer Gold Dot, or maybe even the Corbon 125gr load. It's potent enough, and with that 6" revolver, you can shoot .38 +Ps both quickly and accurately.
Good luck,
Caleb
Every person chooses a different point on the accuracy&speed versus terminal effects curve. For my money, for defense, you are better off with a good .38 Special +P load - like the Speer Gold Dot, or maybe even the Corbon 125gr load. It's potent enough, and with that 6" revolver, you can shoot .38 +Ps both quickly and accurately.
Good luck,
Caleb
threefivesevenmag
New member
Hd.
For practice, use .38s and some .357s in whatever bulk, least expensive manner you can.
For home defense, I actually mostly use .38 +P in either 125 gr. Remington Golden Saber or 135 gr. Speer Gold Dots.
I still keep two boxes of .357 magnum around and shoot them regularly to keep up. For defense I trust the 125 gr. Remington Golden Sabers (.357) and I also started using 125 gr. Black Hills Hollowpoints which are really accurate as well. I guess it just depends whatever I feel like loading my gun with.
At the range I usually stagger a few cynlinders with .38 and .357 mag so I can control any extra flinching. It's really improved my accuracy. Long live revolvers.
For practice, use .38s and some .357s in whatever bulk, least expensive manner you can.
For home defense, I actually mostly use .38 +P in either 125 gr. Remington Golden Saber or 135 gr. Speer Gold Dots.
I still keep two boxes of .357 magnum around and shoot them regularly to keep up. For defense I trust the 125 gr. Remington Golden Sabers (.357) and I also started using 125 gr. Black Hills Hollowpoints which are really accurate as well. I guess it just depends whatever I feel like loading my gun with.
At the range I usually stagger a few cynlinders with .38 and .357 mag so I can control any extra flinching. It's really improved my accuracy. Long live revolvers.
For HD you can't go wrong with most major mfg's (Federal, Rem, Speer, Winchester) in either a 38 +P or .357 HP.
In a 38 +P my preference is either the Winchester 130gr SXT's or Silvertips, although I do like the idea of Buffalo Bore's hotter load in 158gr LSWCHP. I would like to see someone run some ballistic tests on those. Nice 158grn soft lead at 1000 fps out of a 2".
In .357 someone on the forum turned me onto the 125gr Golden Saber's which I currently load in my 4" GP100. After trying several mfg's it is defininetly one of the more milder .357 loads IMHO.
For practice I use 130gr Winchester white box in .38 mixed in with a few .357 rounds. I also stagger my rounds in the cylinder to correct flinching or bad habits.
My .02...
In a 38 +P my preference is either the Winchester 130gr SXT's or Silvertips, although I do like the idea of Buffalo Bore's hotter load in 158gr LSWCHP. I would like to see someone run some ballistic tests on those. Nice 158grn soft lead at 1000 fps out of a 2".
In .357 someone on the forum turned me onto the 125gr Golden Saber's which I currently load in my 4" GP100. After trying several mfg's it is defininetly one of the more milder .357 loads IMHO.
For practice I use 130gr Winchester white box in .38 mixed in with a few .357 rounds. I also stagger my rounds in the cylinder to correct flinching or bad habits.
My .02...
357 loads
If your Dad is already reloading, have him whip up some mild 357 loads for you. You'll save a lot of money and have a nice balance between power and recoil. For 357 mags I load 158gr Ranier JHP over 14.5 gr H110 with magnum primers. These run through my 357 Desert Eagle and also my 1875 Uberti revolver and are accurate in both guns. More ammo for less.
If your Dad is already reloading, have him whip up some mild 357 loads for you. You'll save a lot of money and have a nice balance between power and recoil. For 357 mags I load 158gr Ranier JHP over 14.5 gr H110 with magnum primers. These run through my 357 Desert Eagle and also my 1875 Uberti revolver and are accurate in both guns. More ammo for less.
For less expensive practice, you may try S&B 158grn JSP. I get it for about $12/box and rather like it. .38's just aren't as much fun anymore after you've had magnums. As to SD ammo, Clint Smith once said not to worry too much about which hollowpoint you put in your .357 because they're all good. I kinda like Remington 158grn SJHP.
P. Plainsman
New member
.357 Defensive:
- Win 158 gr SJHP
- Win 145 gr Silvertip JHP
- Rem 125 gr Golden Saber JHP (an "80% Magnum" load)
.38 +P Defensive:
- Win 158 gr lead SWCHP
- Win 130 gr SXT JHP (weirdly hard to find at times)
- Fed 129 gr Hydra-Shok JHP (soft-shooting; wouldn't use it in a snubby, but 6" should be fine; good accuracy)
.357 Plinking / Practice:
- Black Hills 125 gr JHP is surprisingly affordable for new ammo (around $17 / 50) and shoots fine
.38 Plinking / Practice:
- Fed 130 gr American Eagle FMJ -- cheap, clean, good quality, surprising accuracy
- Win 158 gr SJHP
- Win 145 gr Silvertip JHP
- Rem 125 gr Golden Saber JHP (an "80% Magnum" load)
.38 +P Defensive:
- Win 158 gr lead SWCHP
- Win 130 gr SXT JHP (weirdly hard to find at times)
- Fed 129 gr Hydra-Shok JHP (soft-shooting; wouldn't use it in a snubby, but 6" should be fine; good accuracy)
.357 Plinking / Practice:
- Black Hills 125 gr JHP is surprisingly affordable for new ammo (around $17 / 50) and shoots fine
.38 Plinking / Practice:
- Fed 130 gr American Eagle FMJ -- cheap, clean, good quality, surprising accuracy