357 Magnum Wadcutters

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dontcatchmany

New member
Any of you ever shot these? If so what are your impressions.

I just ordered 150 rounds of 158 grain SWC.

I have recently ordered some 38 Special LSWCHP 158 gr +p and got to thinking about the same in 357 Magnum so I had to try them. Will know in a few days.

No, I do not load my own ammo and do not plan to.
 
158 grain LSWC's and plated SWC's are pretty much all I shoot out of my 38's and 357's. I do load my own.
 
dontcatchmany said:
Any of you ever shot these? If so what are your impressions.

I just ordered 150 rounds of 158 grain SWC.

I have recently ordered some 38 Special LSWCHP 158 gr +p and got to thinking about the same in 357 Magnum so I had to try them.
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Who loads those? Thanks.
 
My mold is designated as 158 gr SWC. my actual cast bullet weighs in the line of 165 gr due to my soft alloy (more lead in it).

That is about all I have shot in it since the late 70s.
 
158 grain cast bullets, both SWC and wide flat-nose, are about all I shoot in .357. (I shoot a lot more .38 Specials than .357, and I use the same bullets there too) 148 grain cast full wadcutters also work well, but I don't load then nearly as hot, and not as often.
 
74A95,

Choice Ammunition. They have a sale on them now, 19.99.

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I am enamored with 357 Magnum and with a pistol range in my back yard I shoot a lot.
 
158 grain LSWC's and plated SWC's are pretty much all I shoot out of my 38's and 357's. I do load my own.
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Ditto.
I use them nearly all the time.
Prefer the Hornady - due to the knurled design of the bullet and the type of lube they use. They can be loaded pretty stiff and not lead the barrel.

Good stuff - - all you really ever want or need in a .38/.357 mag. for most of the stuff that you want to shoot.
 
This was probably the only load available for decades after development. The cartridge was designed using three separate lswc designs. Remember that it was many years still before the revolver had jacketed bullets available.
 
I would think hard cast wadcutters would be better at 357 velocities.
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They are okay at close range, running about 1000 to 1200 fps. I don't know how they do at long ranges; I haven't tried that. Probably not great because of the aerodynamics. You're best bet is to probably keep them at least a little bit subsonic.
 
briandg said:
This was probably the only load available for decades after development. The cartridge was designed using three separate lswc designs. Remember that it was many years still before the revolver had jacketed bullets available.
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Remington had metal point bullets in the 357 Magnum and several other revolver cartridges in the 1930s.
 
"...hard cast wadcutters..." An SWC isn't the same thing as a WC, but hardness makes no difference. Drive any cast bullet too fast and you'll get leading. Mind you, there are lots of cast bullet loads, both factory and hand loading, for the .357 that work just fine.
An HP on a cast bullet is pointless. A cast bullet will expand without the cavity.
 
An HP on a cast bullet is pointless. A cast bullet will expand without the cavity.
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Do you have a whole lot of experience testing the expansion of hollow point cast lead bullets made of very hard alloys like linotype?
 
LSWC v. wadcutters

Just checking to make sure the OP realizes that a "wadcutter" and a "LSWC"
(lead semi wadcutter) are not the same thing.
 
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