357mag any 158gr fans?

T

timothy75

New member
I know 125 is the magic number in this cal but was wondering if any of you prefer 158's and why? I've heard weight slows down the already hard to expand .35 hp I know 158's are good for hunting but what about SD? Thanks
 
I'm interested too. I just bought some 158 GR. Buffolo Bore bullets. Haven't taken them to the range yet but they are supposed to be pretty stiff. I lik the idea of a heavy all around bullet.
 
I've used 158 gr. hollow points as a self-defense round for years. I just purchased some Gold Dots from Georgia Arms which shows velocity at 1200 fps at 15 feet from the muzzle in a non-vented 4 inch barrel. The Gold Dots should expand reliably at this velocity.

http://www.georgia-arms.com/shear.htm
 
I like 158's

I have preferred the 158 grainers for a long time. My way of thinking is that shot placement is, above all else, most important and after that penetration is next in importance. I don't see the bullet that passes throught the BG as wasting energy, rather I see it as creating another bleeding wound through which vital body fluids can escape and air can enter. I believe the notion of over-penetration creating a danger to innocent bystanders to be, in theory, valid, but much less of a concern than stopping the BG. The greatest danger to bystanders isn't going to come from over-penetrating rounds that passed through the BG, but from bullets that miss and strike elsewhere with full force.

L8r . . .
 
I'm thinking about picking up a 357mag snubby for CCW. If so, I plan to carry a 158gr magnum load. Heh, for me, that's light. I carry 180gr loads in my GP100 (camping/hunting gun, not CCW).

Chris
 
Georgia Arms Gold Dots

My CWP instructor who is a Master instructor for the NRA too, listed Georgia Arms Gold Dots as the premier defensive round, better than Federal or the others. Range instructor demostrated one in 40cal on a gallon plastic jug of water. One shot, no water in jug...in fact...no jug.
 
Been using 158gr SWC's for many years in my 4 and 6" revolvers, even made up a hollow pointer for them. But with old age comes an appreciation for 125grainers in my 2-1/4" SP-101.
 
Back in the stone age I was issued 158 rem JHP's. They worked, punched right thru bad guys. Most of use carried W-W Silvertips 145 GRN ( I still do) They work well. Alot of good is said of 125's as has already been noted. From my years on the street a good 357 HP is hard to beat. Shot placement is king. That being said, anybody that I saw hit more the once with a 357 was DRT, and once they no longer wanted to play. Sure nothing is 100% but......:cool:
 
I haven't been reloading the 38/357 very long, but all I use is 158 grain. My revolver is a 3" and heavy bullets do well out of short barrels. I also go with EastKY_DO's thinking about more/bigger holes.
 
NB4ZOT,

I've seen that Remington site. Note that the 165 and 180 grainers are tested using a 8-3/8" barrel while the rest use 4".

I still use the Rem Express 158g for hunting in my Dan Wesson, as they are the most accurate factory load I've been able to find for that gun.
 
I find the 158gr loads to be very useful. The standard 158gr. load @ 1240fps for defense. I usually load them to about 1400fps and use a GD bullet for deer and a JSP for elk if not using a 180gr. The 357Mag was basically designed with a 158gr weight in mind. The original load was a 158gr. bullet @ 1550fps for about 840ft/lbs of energy.
 
General question - All else being equal, will heavier bullets have greater felt recoil than lighter ones? If I fire 158gr or 180gr factory .357 loads then fire the 125's, which is snappier to the hand?

I shot some federal classic 125 grains today out of a 6" Dan Wesson and a 6" Trooper. Quite a bit different feel than the .38's or .38 +P's, but not really uncomfortable either. Kinda fun!

I'm real curious how nasty .357's are out of a SP101 though... :)
 
Generally the heavier bullets recoil more because they have more momentum. The formula for momentum is bullet weight in grains x velocity in FPS divided by 7000. This will give you a good idea how powerful a certain cartridge. Recoil is also very subjective and depends on a lot of factors. Power charge, pressure, weight of gun, recoil characteristics themselves. Some loads push while some snap etc.
 
I got a .357 just so I could hand load some Elmer Keith class ammo for it.

If you drive a 158 grain hollow bullet fast enough it will expand and it will tear a big hole on the way through. Full house Elmer Keith loads drive a 158 grain bullet over 1200 fps from a 4 inch barrel.

I imagine that the 125 grainers are popular because you can probably drive them fast enough to get reliable expansion and control a smaller, j frame class pistol in the process.

I could not imagine shooting full house .357 rounds out of anything less than a 35 ounce revolver. Every time I see one of those 11 ounce .357 j frames I have to laugh.

I shoot mine from a 4 inch ruger GP100. They are easily controllable and make for easy consecutive shots. I can also shoot a couple hundred at the range and my hand is not sore. But its all in the weight of the revolver.
 
Full house Elmer Keith loads drive a 158 grain bullet over 1200 fps from a 4 inch barrel.
Click to expand...

More like 1300-1400fps, which is what I load mine to. A standard factory load easily does 1200fps some are actually faster. l've chronoed some Winchester loads as fast as 1280 from my 4" GP100.
 
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I'm real curious how nasty .357's are out of a SP101 though...
Click to expand...

I fired some Win. 180 gr. Partition Golds thru a SP101.......and I felt the recoil thru the next day. I fired 10 rounds, at a pesky paper plate at 7 yards. My wrist(s) ached for the next 24 hours. It was a hOOt to shoot once.
Just my 10 round experince fwiw.
 
158 gr JHPs are the only type of .357 Mag ammo I buy any more. They work very well in my Marlin 1894C carbine as well as my GP-100 and 586 revolvers. For hunting deer I would switch to JSPs, but I have other rifles better suited for that purpose.
 
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