Good load for 357 mag with lead cast bullets for a rifle?

[jeff43]

Anybody go some good loads for a rifle.158 gr bullets.Bulleyes,Power Pistol,Unique,SR7625 powder is what I have.
Jeff

[RED333]

If you dont have a reload boox, try the web sites for the powder you have.

Load rifle as you would pistol and work a load that works best.

I load .38 with TITEGROUP, works well, load all my pistol with it.

[jeff43]

I have several reloading books, but just wanted to hear from some people that loads.theres not a whole lot of lead bullet loads for a rifle.H ow much more velocity can you expect out of a 16 " rifle barrel when using pistol loads?

[Caster]

My best load for rifle ( I don't actually own a rifle, but I load them for a close friend and he LOVES them)
Would be a Lee 358-158-SWC, with a Hornady gas check, my own recipe for lube, sized .359, CCI magnum primer, RP brass and 15.0g of H110. Thats the starting charge for a 158g jacketed bullet that should give a little over 1600 fps. Imagine the cat bullet velocity might be a tad less as resistance and pressure are lower with lead.

Accuracy is excellent out of a Rossi lever gun. Edited March 14, 2013 by Caster

[jeff43]

I'm shooting a Rossi also .Wanting to keep it under 1200 FPS.I don't want to use gas checks.

[ttocswob]

FWIW - I've run Caster's load except without gas checks, Lee 158g tumble-lube WC, lubed with thinned Alox. Averaged 1599 FPS and no leading in my 18.5" Handi Rifle. Lube is the key. IMO, YMMV

[jeff43]

What I have right now is some Remington 158 grain SWC.I bought a couple of thousand a few years back.anybody use these? They are really dirty handling them,but shoot good in 38's.

[gregintenn]

Start with a light load of Bullseye, and work uo to where you like. If you aren't getting enough velocity to suit, start over with Unique and work up. I've read, but can't confirm, that shooting hollow base bullets in a rifle isn't a good idea. Semi wadcutters will probably feed o.k. in your rifle, but wadcutters likely won't. I like flat point round nose bullets in mine, because they feed well.

[jeff43]

I shoot 38's with SWC bullets and they feed fine.I don't have a chronograph .

[jeff43]

I shoot 38's with SWC bullets and they feed fine.I don't have a chronograph .I 'm using 3.5 grains of Bulleyes in the 38's

[ttocswob]

A little more info for comparison purposes. SN Snub Nose (LCR or Mdl 36) DW = Dan Wesson 6" HR = Handi Rifle 18.5"

 

.357 Magnum, 158g SWC, 6 grain of Unique: DW = 1026 fps  HR = 1278 fps.

 

.38 Special 128g LRN, 4.3g Bullseye: SN = 776  DW = 880 HR = 1108

 

And some factory ammo:

 

.357 Magnum Fiocchi 158g XTP  SN = 1033 DW = 1171  HR = 1496

 

VS. Hornady 158g XTP: DW = 1265 HR = 1655 (Yes the Hornady brand is considerably hotter.)

 

I've not shot my Rossi 16" much with the chronograph, but the velocities I've checked were less than 50 fps below the 18.5" H&R.

 

Generally I gain about 25% - 30% in the rifle vs. the 6" revolver. And I've yet to have any significant leading problems using Alox, with or without JPW. YMMV