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.357 Magnum (Hot) Reloads

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  • Ozzman

    Well-Known
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Aug 17, 2015
    1,256
    96
    El Paso, Texas
    Morning everyone.

    I would like opinions on the following scenario I got myself into.

    Earlier this February, I loaded 200 rounds of powder-coated 158 grain (LCSWC) with 16 grains of 2400 to be fired from lever action as a request from a friend. The outing went well and the rifle shot great with no issues or signs of overpressure. As hot as they were loaded, recoil was pretty tame and accuracy was ok.

    Here is the issue:

    I still have about 90 of them sitting on the shelf, and this weekend I was supposed to pull them down and reduce the milder charge to 13.5 grains so that I can shoot them out of my S&W 686 next weekend. As always, my wife had other things in store for me and my "honey-do" list kept me from doing anything gun-related; I didn't get around to it.

    Looking at the latest load data for 158 lead grain (powder coated) the max load is 15.3 grains of 2400, I did see online that there is older data that shows 16 grains as the max. I don't have a lever-action .357 rifle to shoot them with I am pondering leaving them as-is for next Saturday.

    What do you fellow reloaders think?:

    - Find time this week to knock down the charge to 13.5 grains of 2400 (pretty much don't be foolish)
    or
    - Ride the additional 2.5 grains out.
    Military Camp
     

    Ozzman

    Well-Known
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    1   0   0
    Aug 17, 2015
    1,256
    96
    El Paso, Texas
    Yea... I know what I have to do.
    I have always known. I have to find the time to pull them down.

    I will start a few today get them done a little each day after work.
     

    Ozzman

    Well-Known
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Aug 17, 2015
    1,256
    96
    El Paso, Texas
    Well.. they worked fine.

    Instead of pulling them down, I ended up working up the load to see how the revolver would behave.

    Started with 14 reloads with 158 grain Lead Cast SWC over 13.5 grains of 2400 (all shot well, with minor recoil, normal performance)

    Made 7 with 14 grains (no signs of overpressure, mild recoil, accuracy was excellent)
    Made 7 with 14.5 grains (no signs of overpressure, starting to notice the recoil, accuracy was excellent)
    Made 7 with 15 grains (no signs of overpressure, stout recoil, accuracy was good)
    Made 7 with 15.5 grains (primer starting to show minor signs of pressure, no change in noticeable recoil, accuracy was just ok)

    Shot all remaining 16 grain 2400 loads out of the 4" S&W 686 update
    - Cases were showing some signs of pressure near the base.
    - Only two cases failed (split at the mouth) and were scrapped.
    - Recoil was stout and wore a blister in my hand. No biggie it will heal.
    - Lot's of soot and carbon all over the cylinder
    - Consistent accuracy was difficult at 20' (shooting high and left), but 10' was just ok and was surrounding the POA.
    - I didn't bring the chrony (:facepalm:), but these were zipping.
    - Penetrate through (4) consecutive 2x4s with ease. I didn't have a 5th to check.

    Although I won't be making these again, it was good to see that the 686 handled the loads.
     

    HCS

    Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Oct 8, 2020
    198
    26
    Llano, TX
    also note that a steady diet of really hot loads can eventually lead to stress cracks in the frame of firearm and then eventual failure.

    another note is that temperature at which loads are fired also affect pressure, a load fired on a 75* day vs load fired on a 100* day can have an extremely wide pressure variance on the hotter day
     

    candcallen

    Crotchety, Snarky, Truthful. You'll get over it.
    Emeritus - "Texas Proud"
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Jul 23, 2011
    21,358
    96
    Little Elm
    Well.. they worked fine.

    Instead of pulling them down, I ended up working up the load to see how the revolver would behave.

    Started with 14 reloads with 158 grain Lead Cast SWC over 13.5 grains of 2400 (all shot well, with minor recoil, normal performance)

    Made 7 with 14 grains (no signs of overpressure, mild recoil, accuracy was excellent)
    Made 7 with 14.5 grains (no signs of overpressure, starting to notice the recoil, accuracy was excellent)
    Made 7 with 15 grains (no signs of overpressure, stout recoil, accuracy was good)
    Made 7 with 15.5 grains (primer starting to show minor signs of pressure, no change in noticeable recoil, accuracy was just ok)

    Shot all remaining 16 grain 2400 loads out of the 4" S&W 686 update
    - Cases were showing some signs of pressure near the base.
    - Only two cases failed (split at the mouth) and were scrapped.
    - Recoil was stout and wore a blister in my hand. No biggie it will heal.
    - Lot's of soot and carbon all over the cylinder
    - Consistent accuracy was difficult at 20' (shooting high and left), but 10' was just ok and was surrounding the POA.
    - I didn't bring the chrony (:facepalm:), but these were zipping.
    - Penetrate through (4) consecutive 2x4s with ease. I didn't have a 5th to check.

    Although I won't be making these again, it was good to see that the 686 handled the loads.
    How old was the revolver?
     

    HCS

    Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Oct 8, 2020
    198
    26
    Llano, TX
    Well.. they worked fine.

    Instead of pulling them down, I ended up working up the load to see how the revolver would behave.

    Started with 14 reloads with 158 grain Lead Cast SWC over 13.5 grains of 2400 (all shot well, with minor recoil, normal performance)

    Made 7 with 14 grains (no signs of overpressure, mild recoil, accuracy was excellent)
    Made 7 with 14.5 grains (no signs of overpressure, starting to notice the recoil, accuracy was excellent)
    Made 7 with 15 grains (no signs of overpressure, stout recoil, accuracy was good)
    Made 7 with 15.5 grains (primer starting to show minor signs of pressure, no change in noticeable recoil, accuracy was just ok)

    Shot all remaining 16 grain 2400 loads out of the 4" S&W 686 update
    - Cases were showing some signs of pressure near the base.
    - Only two cases failed (split at the mouth) and were scrapped.
    - Recoil was stout and wore a blister in my hand. No biggie it will heal.
    - Lot's of soot and carbon all over the cylinder
    - Consistent accuracy was difficult at 20' (shooting high and left), but 10' was just ok and was surrounding the POA.
    - I didn't bring the chrony (:facepalm:), but these were zipping.
    - Penetrate through (4) consecutive 2x4s with ease. I didn't have a 5th to check.

    Although I won't be making these again, it was good to see that the 686 handled the loads.


    the 686 is a great revolver and very strong, regular diet of hot loads was one of the factors leading to the development of the L frame, due to people shooting a lot of hot loads thru the K frame models, resulting in stress cracks in the frame / cylinder
     

    Mills

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Mar 22, 2020
    3,681
    96
    Texas
    Better get a model 27 or 28 .
    8D1E6C7C-8E55-415E-9C18-19AE8CDD29D7.jpeg
     
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