[Adam5]

I’m looking at changing my loads for full power .357 Mag rounds. My full power loads have been a 158gr Hornady XTP over 15.8gr of W296 and a magnum primer. My friend that taught me to load and that I load with has been using this load for many years in longer barrel revolvers. It’s great for those, but is a handful in my smaller and lighter Colt King Cobra with its 3” barrel.

I’ve been researching load data for shorter barrels, but am coming up blank. Lyman lists it’s data as being from a 4” which is close. Everyone else uses 6”-8” barrels for testing. Hodgdon even uses a 10” barrel for their .357 Mag test data.

Does anyone have a good data source for shorter barrels?

 

[Rock_Crawler_Jeep]

I’m looking at changing my loads for full power .357 Mag rounds. My full power loads have been a 158gr Hornady XTP over 15.8gr of W296 and a magnum primer. My friend that taught me to load and that I load with has been using this load for many years in longer barrel revolvers. It’s great for those, but is a handful in my smaller and lighter Colt King Cobra with its 3” barrel.

I’ve been researching load data for shorter barrels, but am coming up blank. Lyman lists it’s data as being from a 4” which is close. Everyone else uses 6”-8” barrels for testing. Hodgdon even uses a 10” barrel for their .357 Mag test data.

Does anyone have a good data source for shorter barrels?

Call Hodgdon Customer Service and talk to a tech.

 

[fredj338]

With revos, forget the vel numbers you see in any data point. I have 5 diff 4” 357mags, all give diff vel with identical loads. Some as much as 100fps off.
Just drop to a medium burner for less blast but you also get less vel too. 2400 is a good slow powder for snubs, more range than w296, but something like Unique, aa#7, cfe pistol, will be a better fit in a sub 3”.

 

[sig357fan]

I recently picked up a pound of H110 for 44 mag hunting loads, I want to push XTP 300 grainers to max velocity, hence the H110 (or 296). I've also got some No. 9 on hand I use for 357 Sig and have had good results in 357 mag. but my go to powder for anything magnum has always been 2400, its very versatile in shorter barrels and cast bullets, but not top velocities as with H110/296/No. 9.

 

[LaneP]

Speer offers load data specific to shorter barrels but not for 158's that I see. In most cases, you just deal with loss of velocity (sometimes alot) when pushing slow powders through short tubes. I use 2400 for such scenarios in my 1-7/8" bbl Ruger LCR, but testing with a chronograph is your best bet.

357_Magnum_135_GDHP_SB.pdf (speer.com)

 

[rvrrat14]

S&W 66; Wife uses it mainly. Wanted a load that was hotter than +p 38’s but less than full power 357.

Win 231 powder, WSP primers, 125gr. JHP.
I shoot just slightly under book min. for 125gr JHP w/ 231.

Load has been safe in my firearms for over 30 years. Work up your own loads and monitor for pressure.

 

[Planter21]

I don't have load data, but light bullets seem to recoil much less. I've been shooting some 110 grain 357 magnums out of a Taurus 605 and the recoil is very manageable. Not much worse than a heavy lead bullet 38 load.

 

[arkdweller22]

With revos, forget the vel numbers you see in any data point. I have 5 diff 4” 357mags, all give diff vel with identical loads. Some as much as 100fps off.
Just drop to a medium burner for less blast but you also get less vel too. 2400 is a good slow powder for snubs, more range than w296, but something like Unique, aa#7, cfe pistol, will be a better fit in a sub 3”.

Indeed. In my snubbies I get very good performance using AA7 under a 158 Gr FMJ.

 

[papershoot]

Less recoil if you drop the bullet weight. I am shooting mostly coated lead bullets in .357 to hold down cost. Zero Bullets from Roze Distribution for jacketed bullets.

If you are wanting to carry your handloads, I would look for another bullet like Gold Dot 4009 due to the XTP's reputation for poor expansion at lower velocities. Out of stock everywhere now. I carry factory loads, but like to keep some bullets put back, just in case. That AA7 powder is flash suppressed. Of the powders in my stock, I would go with 231 or Unique. I never see load data specically for short barrels. Plus two on using a chrongraph for working up your new load.

 

[fredj338]

Less recoil if you drop the bullet weight. I am shooting mostly coated lead bullets in .357 to hold down cost. Zero Bullets from Roze Distribution for jacketed bullets.

If you are wanting to carry your handloads, I would look for another bullet like Gold Dot 4009 due to the XTP's reputation for poor expansion at lower velocities. Out of stock everywhere now. I carry factory loads, but like to keep some bullets put back, just in case. That AA7 powder is flash suppressed. Of the powders in my stock, I would go with 231 or Unique. I never see load data specically for short barrels. Plus two on using a chrongraph for working up your new load.

There really is no short bbl data. Its just a vel reduction. If one wants to KNOW the vel, you need to chrono. Had a 2 3/4” ruger ss, it was fast. I would often get the same vel as my 4” guns. So many variables in a revo.

 

[Uncle Don]

S&W 66; Wife uses it mainly. Wanted a load that was hotter than +p 38’s but less than full power 357.

Win 231 powder, WSP primers, 125gr. JHP.
I shoot just slightly under book min. for 125gr JHP w/ 231.

Load has been safe in my firearms for over 30 years. Work up your own loads and monitor for pressure.

Agree - the only thing I add is that in a .357, I like to use .357 cases regardless of how I load them,. That way, I don't have to try to scrub out a carbon ring. Less bullet jump to the forcing cone too.

 

[Adam5]

I ended up going to a lighter bullet and a faster powder. I also stayed off the max load.

I went with a Hornady 125gr XTP over 9.5gr of Power Pistol. They should run just shy of 1300fps from a 3” barrel.

 

[sourdough44]

In short barrel 357’s I like 38 +p or the lightest of 357 mag loads. I’ll do the same even with carry, unless needing more with deep woods uses. For me it’s usually with a powder on the faster side, medium. That could be from Titegroup to H Universal.

 

[RedTeam98]

Went thru Law Enforcement Rookie School Qualfications with SW 66 in 2.5” back in 1982 in NC. Passed that beautiful revolver onto my brother. I too carried 38 Spc +P 125gr in my 357 Mag. Had a great instructor John Boyd a retired SBI agent turned college teacher.

 

[fredj338]

I ended up going to a lighter bullet and a faster powder. I also stayed off the max load.

I went with a Hornady 125gr XTP over 9.5gr of Power Pistol. They should run just shy of 1300fps from a 3” barrel. View attachment 1097617

PP works but the blast is horrible in short bbls. I would look at WSF or aa#7 or cfe, universal would work too.

 

[Borg Warner]

I’m looking at changing my loads for full power .357 Mag rounds. My full power loads have been a 158gr Hornady XTP over 15.8gr of W296 and a magnum primer. My friend that taught me to load and that I load with has been using this load for many years in longer barrel revolvers. It’s great for those, but is a handful in my smaller and lighter Colt King Cobra with its 3” barrel.

I’ve been researching load data for shorter barrels, but am coming up blank. Lyman lists it’s data as being from a 4” which is close. Everyone else uses 6”-8” barrels for testing. Hodgdon even uses a 10” barrel for their .357 Mag test data.

Does anyone have a good data source for shorter barrels?

Any load that is optimum in a long barrel will be optimum in a short barrel. If you want a load that is less than a "Handful" in your smaller and lighter 3" Colt King Cobra, I would suggest using the same slow burning powder (AA9) but reducing the bullet weight to 125 grains an gradually working.up a load that is most accurate in your gun and focus on accuracy rather than maximum velocity.

I would also suggest that you get a Loadbooks USA manual for the 357 magnum. Also, try both magnum and non magnum primers with AA9 but do not use magnum primers with 2400 powder. Some people subscribe to the notion that faster burning powders are better for short barrels but it's the slow burning powders in magnum cartridges that provide the highest velocities with the lowest pressure regardless of barrel length although a longer barrel will almost always give higher velocities with any load depending on the individual barrel.

 

[searlock]

The wife and i both have Ruger LCR 357 mag. My load is Speer 135 grain gold dot short barrel hollow point, new WW brass, overall length 1.590, CCI 500 primers, Vihtavuori N350 powder 9.9 grains. Very accurate load, clean burning, 5 shot average velocity is 1,260 fps. Load is safe in my two revolvers but i can't say about yours so start lower and work up.

 

[crkckr]

The shortest barrel I have in 357 is 4 inch but I use a load of enough 4227 to get the 135 GDHP SB going about 1200 fps with zero muzzle flash, which is my main reason for using it. All the other "standard" powders (Unique, 2400, 231, HS6, etc) produce a massive and brite white muzzle flash, even with reduced loads! That's not to say it will work in a snubbie, that I just can't say. But I think it would be worth trying!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[RedTeam98]

Look toward HP-38 for your load
Concentrate on Accuracy with 125gr Speer Gold dot and LP primers not magnums. You need a fast burning powder in that short barrel and not a flame thrower ! Used it for years in my 2.5” Python.

 

[Borg Warner]

The shortest barrel I have in 357 is 4 inch but I use a load of enough 4227 to get the 135 GDHP SB going about 1200 fps with zero muzzle flash, which is my main reason for using it. All the other "standard" powders (Unique, 2400, 231, HS6, etc) produce a massive and brite white muzzle flash, even with reduced loads! That's not to say it will work in a snubbie, that I just can't say. But I think it would be worth trying!
Cheers,
crkckr

try using AA9 instead of 2400 or 4227. AA9 is the same burn rate as 2400 and is a flash suppressed powder and so is AA7 which is the same burn rate as Blue Dot.