No one talks about .357 Mag. 158gr. LSWC

"ISP2605 - - In what handgun are you shooting that load? I went that high in my experiments but it was WAY too hot in my Model 19 and an old Colt .357 (pre-Trooper.) My max is a full grain under yours. "

Normally my Mod 28 however I carried it in my 2.5" Mod 19 as my 3rd back up in my squad. Didn't shoot too many thru it, it was my carry load until I fired it at night once. Way too much flash. Use to find that load of 2400 as the max loading in some manuals many years ago. It was suppose to replicate the original .357 load. It's way too hot and would not recommend it in a K frame.
Sorry for not including the caveat earlier. I usually do. I don't recommend that loading anymore. Just way too hot and I believe all the reloading manuals today back off that loading by a grain or 2.
 
handling lead

I too reload and use lot's of lead swc. All the talk nowadays of handling lead does anyone take any precautions. Just wondering
 
On the lead issue.

Wash your hands, face and arms after handling lead.

Don't smoke, eat or swallow bullets or the white stuff that is on them.

Don't tumble your brass by the kitchen sink or stove.

If you use rice as your tumbling media, do not eat it afterwords....




Seriously, just wash up WELL, and I mean really WELL and don't eat or smoke while you are working with the bullets or primers. My research and reading has lead (bad pun) me to believe that most of the problem is your tumbler. Keep your kids away from it and outside if at all possible.
 
can a lead 357 mag bullet be fired at 1200+fps (safely and without damage) from a 4" rev? are or were there commercial offerings of such bullets??

and the term 'leading' ? what does it mean (is it a true phenomena?) and if you clean your gun after every firing is/would it be a problem
 
if a lead bullet can be pushed over 1200fps is there a hardness or composition in a hollow point design that could reliably expand to half an inch?

thanks
 
that's bout all I shoot if at the range. powdercoated and loaded light. I am actually starting to dislike the big holes though, especially at distance using shoot-n-see's, it makes like a 3" yellow circle for some reason. I think the reason people don't talk it about much, is because it's been around forever and talked to death, but I think most of us all use them in one capacity or another
 
The ideal defense bullet would expand rapidly and stop just inside the target's body.
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Perhaps you meant it should expand rapidly, traversing the entire body cavity, and stop just inside the target's body, on the FAR SIDE?
 
If my memory is correct the original 357 loading by winchester was a lead 158 gr lead bullet. I think I still have a partial box around somewhere.

After shooting a couple of cylinders of this load, original HI pressure load, you needed to spend a bunch of time cleaning the lead our of the barrel. The bullet needs to be hard to withstand 35,000 cup pressure. This is not what was originally loaded as they wanted the bullet to expand.

Jacketed bullets were the way to get soft lead, and no barrel leading in the 357. You can use minimal copper, a Gas Check to help control the leading. Or go to harder lead bullets and get no leading / no expansion.
 
My favorite load with the 357 mag is a cast 158 gas check that I pour myself. You will run into pressure trouble long before that bullet causes any leading issues due to velocity. Very accurate and good for about all revolver applications except for maybe light target shooting as that is a waste of gas checks.
 
Just finishing my last box of Bull-X 158gr hard cast SWCs I bought in the 80's. I've been loading them to full power heavy magnum level since that time, and shooting from a 6" GP100. I don't get leading, and they are far more accurrate than my eyes at 50 yards. I load them over 8.0 gr Unique or get slightly better over 16gr 296/110. These aren't starting loads, and I'm hopeful Missouri Bullet co. bullets will do as well.
 
Nobody really talks about it because it's so well established and classic. And those lead bullets are a lot easier on the bore than jacketed ones.
 
It was supposed to be kept secret for only those in the know. Shhhhh don't tell everyone. It could create a shortage for those that do not cast their own.:p

It is just that it is like asking why people do not talk about using 200 grain LSWC for .45 ACP target loads.
 
Seems like a load with a lot of penetration.

Might be good for punching paper, silhouette, and maybe bowling pins, but for self-defense against man or beast there are far better options. I'd much rather have a bonded JHP 158 grain .357 magnum load for defense against man or beast, unless it was against a very heavy and large animal whereupon I would skip the .357 and head up to a .41 or .44.
 
I've shot the Lee version with gas check since I bought the mold in 1982, mostly in a S&W M19, but a few in a M27. Use 'em in an LCR 38 spec and a M60 Smith, now. BTW, with a few repairs/improvements over the years, and some care while casting, the Lee mold still puts out decent boolits.
 
My favorite swc boolit is the Lyman 358156. I like the two crimp groove options.
Seated normal for standard 357/38sp loads. Can also seat them out longer for heavy 38 special loads in a 357 mag gun.

In 357 mag loads I gas check and load them ahead of 10gr of Blue Dot.
 
and the term 'leading' ? what does it mean (is it a true phenomena?) and if you clean your gun after every firing is/would it be a problem
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"Leading" is the occurrence of lead deposited in the bore from un-jacketed bullets. The theory accepted by most dedicated cast-lead bullet shooters (including rifle), is that leading does not occur when using the correct loads. Either one is pushing a bullet to fast for the alloy, or the bullets are not the correct size for the bore. Leading caused by incorrect loads will and can happen despite routine cleaning. Leading in general is not all that difficult to remove using copper or brass scouring pad strands wrapped around a brass cleaning brush. But, as stated, if leading occurs, find out why, and adjust your load (harder alloy, bullet sized to plus .001-.003 over groove dia. of the bore).
 
Seems like a load with a lot of penetration.

Might be good for punching paper, silhouette, and maybe bowling pins, but for self-defense against man or beast there are far better options. I'd much rather have a bonded JHP 158 grain .357 magnum load for defense against man or beast, unless it was against a very heavy and large animal whereupon I would skip the .357 and head up to a .41 or .44.
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I'd agree with you on that. I use them for practice because they are far, far cheaper than XTP bullets, but hit the paper in the same place at 50 yards.
 
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