View Full Version : Which medium burning .357 powder?
I'm gathering powder for reloading .357 magnum. I haven't bought the gun yet, and while it may seem like putting the cart before the horse, I think powder and primers will be harder to come by than revolvers in the near future.
I've got my H110 needs covered for a LONG time, and I've got some small quantities of HP-38, 700x, True Blue, and Power Pistol on hand for 9mm. I'm looking for a good powder for moderate .357 magnum loads using 125 gr to 160 gr projectiles (jacketed & cast). The ability to be used in both 9mm & .357 is a plus, but not a priority. I'd be willing to double down on any of the 9mm powders or get a new powder just for .357. Unique and 2400 are very hard for me to find.
Any suggestions?
Yep.
Consider AA9.
It has been my accuracy powder in .357, .41, .44, and +P .45 Colt with cast bullets.
It will come up short to 296/H110 for top velocity, but just.
Unlike H110, you can use reduced loads successfully.
Caveat; I experienced hang fires in .45 Colt with reduced loads.
Using magnum primers "cured" this issue.
I use magnum primers with any and all AA9 loads now, even though my AA's load data says to use standard primers.
Another good powder is HS-6/Win 540.
It is similar to AA9 in that is great for moderate to semi hot loads.
It has never demonstrated a need for other than standard primers IME.
Winchester W231 and Hodgdon HP-38 (the same powder branded differently) work well for everything from 9mm to .44/.45 except magnum stuff.
I have loaded a bunch of 45 Colt using True Blue. This was using moderate loads under cheap 180-185 gr ACP bullets.
The results were surprisingly good. No hangfires with very mild loads and partial case fill, using even regular primers. It burns clean and meters exceedingly well.
I've never loaded any .357's with it but VV N340 is a good medium burn powder.
Unique and 2400 were the first powders that came to mind.
I've heard good things from friends about AA #9 in several magnum revolver cartridges.
Hodgdon's Titegroup and Alliant's Power Pistol have both given me good results in 9mm and have also worked well for midrange loads in .357 and .44 mag.
Unique or HS6 should work for what you're wanting.
HS6 will meter through powder measures more precisely than Unique and burn cleaner also. Otherwise, both work very well.
This is not going to be popular, and a lot of guys are going to poo-poo my suggestion...........as the load data for this powder is old, and hard to find, and this powder meters like crap and does NOT make for fast and efficient loading. But I use this powder all the time because it's cheap, easy to find when other popular powders (like Bulls eye, W231, etc...) are not. But it's a medium burning powder, and works for me in 9mm, 357mag,and 45acp..............the powder:
800x
Hodgdon's data for this powder is terrible and innacurate for handgun use. I use some older IMR data I was given for this powder, and even with current production 800x it works, and I have no issues with it reguarding pressures, etc....so I load it with the old data.
I use 6.5 grains of it behind 115grain RN extreme's in 9mm seated to 1.130" with magnum spp, and a "firmer" but not excessive, taper crimp than most would run......it's not ideal 9mm powder, esp, in short barrels, as it leave behind a few flakes of un-burnt powder, but it works. I get acceptable accuracy with this load for plinking/training, and typically 1075-1100 FPS, and it functions my guns 100%, with no pressure signs. This is a compressed load in 9mm, and the 6.5grs is listed as max in my load data, so I won't be going any higher.
I use 7 grains of with 230 gr. RN extreme's in 45acp....seated to 1.250, and use standard LPP's, and also a little "extra" crimp. My 1911's LOVE this load for both accuracy and function, the un-burnt powder is not nearly as bad with full 5" gov't 1911's as it is with the 3" +4" 9mm guns I have. This is a mild load IMHO for a 1911, with 16lb recoil springs in my guns, it feels softer than most store bought plinking fodder, and with an 18lb spring, it's down right a dream to shoot as it is very soft.............and it functions 100% with both springs. Although with the 18lb spring brass ejection patterns are pretty close to telling me that it's about the minimum charge that will run. I get 840-860 FPS on average from this load. I have not bumped it up any yet as even the old load data I have for this powder shows 7.3gr as max.
I have been using 8.9 grains of this in .357 over a 158 grain Berry's RN, with magnum SPP, seated to 1.580" in my lone 357, a 5.5" uberti cattleman (soon will add a Henry big boy lever gun to try it in that too). My old load data shows this as max load in .357, but it's kind of weak feeling, only giving me around 1175 FPS out of the uberti. But it's very nice to shoot, and accurate, and I don't plan on pushing it any faster with the plated bullets. I'll probably have to knock it down a little for the lever gun when the time comes.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I appreciate them, so keep them coming.
While good metering is a plus, bad metering isn't necessarily a deal breaker for me because I use a Chargemaster to dispense powder.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I appreciate them, so keep them coming.
While good metering is a plus, bad metering isn't necessarily a deal breaker for me because I use a Chargemaster to dispense powder.
LOL..............800x is bad metering on it's best days.........you don't even want to know how I measure and load it. The flakes are the size of small car tires. Like I said, it's not going to be a popular option, but it's an option.
800X is a good choice for the man who uses it to reload shotgun shells because he already has it. The powder has had an excellent reputation for accuracy in handgun loads, but it's true as stated above that now days you don't see much handgun load data for it.
800x works great. I have never had issues using it, and it's my favorite heavy bullet 9mm powder, and one of the more revered .41 powders.
I understand people have issues with it bridging, but I don't.
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