Since most responders to my other post say 296 is not that good for a 357 what are some powder suggestions. I shoot 125gr plated bullets out of a 6" barrel with mixed brass and Winchester small pistol magnum primers. I would like a flake powder if that is possible so that I do not get leakage from my Dillion 650 powder measure. 296 was so fine it made a mess so it is time for a change. Thanks to all
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Powder suggestions for 357 Mag
- Thread starter Poconolg
- Start date
NoSecondBest
New member
Flake powder? Wait until you start using that and you'll find a lot of variation in your powder charges. Something like Unique is a good powder, but in a Dillon you'll get variation. I don't think anyone told you 296 wasn't a good powder in a .357mag. In fact, most shooters of this caliber find it to be an outstanding powder, probably the best for magnum loads. Another good powder is 2400. You need to develop better loading practices with your components and learn a bit more about reloading. Good luck.
The four most common for magnum .357 loads would probably be Alliant 2400, Alliant #9, Hodgdon H110, Winchester W-296. H110 and 296 require Magnum primers and like to be loaded at the upper end. Reduced loads in those two can cause some undesirable issues. Less popular, but still good would be H4227, Ramshot Enforcer, Vit N350 and Lil'Gun.
Shooting plated bullets, I'd be surprised if you are loading the upper end of the range, and as such, you might be better bouncing back to .38 Spl. loads. Universal Clays, AA #5 and a few others can be used for lower pressure .357 Mag loads and higher end .38 spl. loads, but the magnum primers become irrelevant. In fact with 2400 and AA#9, magnum primers are not needed either.
Shooting plated bullets, I'd be surprised if you are loading the upper end of the range, and as such, you might be better bouncing back to .38 Spl. loads. Universal Clays, AA #5 and a few others can be used for lower pressure .357 Mag loads and higher end .38 spl. loads, but the magnum primers become irrelevant. In fact with 2400 and AA#9, magnum primers are not needed either.
I'm new to the cartridge and like 2400 and H-110 . I think the H-110 would be better for you if you were using a heavier bullet and that might be why some say it's not good for you . I think 2400 would fill that niche quite well . I haven't tried #9 but would think it's another good powder for those bullets .
Speaking of those bullets , do they have a crimp groove ? If not I'd recommend against loading them to max velocity . If they're not the thick plated type you shouldn't anyway so you may be good there just by default . 1250fps is the general max for plated bullets . In fact taking a quick look at the data , H110/296 start loads are likely well above 1250fps with start loads at 1800fps and they are topping out at 1900+fps . Now that's with a 10" barrel but I think you're still going to be well over max velocity with those powders even at start loads .
If you are restricted by velocity I'd go with 2400 for your magnum loads and something like CFE pistol , HS-6 , power pistol or even Unique for the mid range 357mag loads that should get you right up to or just past that 1250fps area .
Speaking of those bullets , do they have a crimp groove ? If not I'd recommend against loading them to max velocity . If they're not the thick plated type you shouldn't anyway so you may be good there just by default . 1250fps is the general max for plated bullets . In fact taking a quick look at the data , H110/296 start loads are likely well above 1250fps with start loads at 1800fps and they are topping out at 1900+fps . Now that's with a 10" barrel but I think you're still going to be well over max velocity with those powders even at start loads .
If you are restricted by velocity I'd go with 2400 for your magnum loads and something like CFE pistol , HS-6 , power pistol or even Unique for the mid range 357mag loads that should get you right up to or just past that 1250fps area .
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I like AA#7, but if you want a flake powder try Herco. 2400 is a good one but maybe not with plated bullets; you might drive them too fast and shed the plating. I've used all three of those powders. I mostly shoot lead bullets.
I would also check out Power Pistol, but I haven't tried that one yet (I have an unopened pound of it but haven't reloaded anything in a while)
I would also check out Power Pistol, but I haven't tried that one yet (I have an unopened pound of it but haven't reloaded anything in a while)
As others have said, don't use h110/296 for shooting plated bullets. Unless your using someone's thick plated bullets they won't take that pressure and velocity.
RMR sells thick plated bullets that will take 14-1500fps velocities but they don't have a cannular.
You have to roll crimp right into the brass plating. I experimented with these bullets and tried to cut through the plating with a roll crimp die and couldn't do it, but they weren't any fun to load.
H110/296 needs a lot of pressure to burn consistently and that take a good firm roll crimp.
It also only has a 1 grain of powder variance according to Lymans 49th edition and is running at 1357 fps. and 1506 for max. That is way to fast for anything but thick plated RMR bullets.
You will get copper fouling at those speeds also even with thick plated, the plating is not hard enough to handle that speed and not copper foul. Jacketed bullets are.
2400 will get you to 1400+ with 17.7 gr and can be downloaded to 1159fps with a minimum of 13gr. That is almost 5 grains of variance. It's not near as sensitive.
This is according to Lyman's 49th edition.
I don't know what you are trying to achieve for velocity/accuracy but your using the wrong components.
For mid range loads with plated bullets up to the 1200fps speed limit of most plated bullets, you can use any of the medium burning powders from Universal, BE-86, Power Pistol, Unique and so on and get up to at least 1100 with them with heavier loads. You probably won't make it to 1200 though if you follow your reloading manuals and stay in safe pressures.
If you are noticing a brown colored smoke when you shoot your H110 loads it's from incomplete combustion and you haven't felt H110s recoil yet.
RMR sells thick plated bullets that will take 14-1500fps velocities but they don't have a cannular.
You have to roll crimp right into the brass plating. I experimented with these bullets and tried to cut through the plating with a roll crimp die and couldn't do it, but they weren't any fun to load.
H110/296 needs a lot of pressure to burn consistently and that take a good firm roll crimp.
It also only has a 1 grain of powder variance according to Lymans 49th edition and is running at 1357 fps. and 1506 for max. That is way to fast for anything but thick plated RMR bullets.
You will get copper fouling at those speeds also even with thick plated, the plating is not hard enough to handle that speed and not copper foul. Jacketed bullets are.
2400 will get you to 1400+ with 17.7 gr and can be downloaded to 1159fps with a minimum of 13gr. That is almost 5 grains of variance. It's not near as sensitive.
This is according to Lyman's 49th edition.
I don't know what you are trying to achieve for velocity/accuracy but your using the wrong components.
For mid range loads with plated bullets up to the 1200fps speed limit of most plated bullets, you can use any of the medium burning powders from Universal, BE-86, Power Pistol, Unique and so on and get up to at least 1100 with them with heavier loads. You probably won't make it to 1200 though if you follow your reloading manuals and stay in safe pressures.
If you are noticing a brown colored smoke when you shoot your H110 loads it's from incomplete combustion and you haven't felt H110s recoil yet.
I am certain that 300MP falls in the same category as H110/WW296.
Alliant is smug about it, but talking to a Tech at Alliant put my thoughts into that mind set.
In other words, I wouldn't use it with plated or cast bullets. At least traditionally plated bullets.
Speer Gold Dots are plated but the plating is thick enough that they are considered the same as jacketed bullets.
Alliant is smug about it, but talking to a Tech at Alliant put my thoughts into that mind set.
In other words, I wouldn't use it with plated or cast bullets. At least traditionally plated bullets.
Speer Gold Dots are plated but the plating is thick enough that they are considered the same as jacketed bullets.
Ridgerunner665
New member
Ramshot Enforcer or Accurate 4100 (same powder, like H110 and 296).
Not a flake powder, but a very good one otherwise.
Not a flake powder, but a very good one otherwise.
2400 is the classic powder for the .357 Magnum. According to some, it was the powder the round was developed with. It was Hercules 2400 when I started using it.
In the .357, I run hard cast or jacketed, I don't bother with plated. Don't much care for them, though I have shot many in .38 Special.
Lots of powders will work. 2400 has been my go to for .357 for over 45 years, and I use CCI 550 primers. I don't load .357 down, its magnums only. If I want less, I shoot .38s.
In the .357, I run hard cast or jacketed, I don't bother with plated. Don't much care for them, though I have shot many in .38 Special.
Lots of powders will work. 2400 has been my go to for .357 for over 45 years, and I use CCI 550 primers. I don't load .357 down, its magnums only. If I want less, I shoot .38s.
Geezerbiker
New member
You can't go wrong with 2400 and it's a very versatile powder for many other rounds as well.
Tony
Tony
A2400 is one you can load down to significant degree, using standard primers. For plated though I would load midrange using AA#7. All of the magnum powders mentioned are very fine and powder measures will shed granules all over, par for the course. IMR 4227 is one that I favor and I don't recall any significant leaking with it. That powder for full velocity also delivers more of a push rather than a jarring punch that can limit how much you shoot and encourage a flinch. I like it. I use H110/W296 only with jacketed bullets, because there is little to no load data for lead bullets with it. Same with 300-MP...no data for anything but jacketed. I also stuck a lead bullet trying to extrapolate and cut back on the jacketed charge. A2400 doesn't care. I have loaded that over a wide range of test loads.
All of the magnum powders mentioned are very fine and powder measures will shed granules all over, par for the course.
I never noticed any "leakage" in the 40+ years I've been using my RCBS powder measure, nor did I see any in the years before that when using my Lyman/Ideal No.55 measure.
But, these aren't the measures used on progressive presses, so I won't say those don't "leak". I used a Dillion RL450 for a few years, never noticed any leakage, but then I only used it for a couple years before giving up on the progressive press as a bad idea, for me.
buck460XVR
New member
Since most responders to my other post say 296 is not that good for a 357 what are some powder suggestions.
As others have responded, W296/H110 is probably one of the best powders for use in .357 mag when one is looking for legitimate .357 ammo. It is not the best for what you are wanting to do. Comes down to using the right tool for the job. One of the most commonly asked questions on these types of reloading forums is "which one powder can I use for "X" caliber that does it all?" The answer is always the same........there is no one powder that can do it all when one wants to use a large range of bullet weights with different types of construction with varying velocities. While there may be one that works best for specific guns within a small parameter, there are just too many other variables and goals to achieve.
A very good source of which powder works best is a reloading manual. They generally tell which powder tested best for them in terms of accuracy and velocity with specific bullets. They also generally only list those powder/bullet/primer combos that work well together. I always tell folks, if you can find few or no published recipes for a certain powder/bullet combo, there is a legitimate reason. It may not be that it doesn't work, just that it doesn't work very well. When you find the same powder/bullet combos listed in several different published sources you can be assured it is a combo that works well together for the specific velocity intended. For what you want, there is a good amount of powders that will work, Unique, W231/HP38, HS-6, AA-9, etc. I would try to keep the velocity to under 1200 fps with the plated and use either a taper crimp or very light roll crimp.
I'm surprised the leakage was that bad. I'd have called Dillon to see if they could suggest a solution.
A reasonably good metering small flake powder I've used in my Dillon is Hodgdon Universal. Use Hodgdon's loads for the 125-grain cast LRNFP for a plated bullet. When I tune QuickLOAD to match pressure and velocity with Hodgdon's max load and then knock down its barrel length from 10" to yours, I get 1332 fps, which is plenty fast for a plated bullet.
A reasonably good metering small flake powder I've used in my Dillon is Hodgdon Universal. Use Hodgdon's loads for the 125-grain cast LRNFP for a plated bullet. When I tune QuickLOAD to match pressure and velocity with Hodgdon's max load and then knock down its barrel length from 10" to yours, I get 1332 fps, which is plenty fast for a plated bullet.
stillquietvoice
New member
When I started I used red dot for was cutters and semi was cutters and 2400 for 158 jacketed hps.
To be the oddball here, I like hs6 for 357. Excellent for mid loads that still equal real 357, but forgiving to download a little (not a lot, I'm convinced hs6 needs nearly 30k in pressure to behave) in the caliber. You could probably find a sweet spot that will work with plated bullets. It is not a flake powder though.
I use 2400 for warm to hot .357 mag loads under 158gr. hard cast (18 BHN) coated and standard LSWC and 180gr LWNFPGC. Both are good hunting loads. I use the 180gr. for hogs and black bears. For plinking/target loads I use 3.4gr. HP 38 under 158gr. coated LSWC (12 BHN). The 2400 and HP38 work well for the purposes I mentioned above. I have thought about changing to H110/296 for the 180gr. loads as I have read where it is better than 2400 for the heavier loads but the 2400 seems to work fine and it is more forgiving with a range of charge weights for different applications JMO. I am in the process of getting set up to load for 44 mag and plan on using 2400.