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38/357 mag loads

rjv140
i have a ruger blackhawk single action .357 mag pistol and i am looking for a accurate load that i can load up 38 special rounds just to plink around and shoot targets. Also what is a good deer load for the 357 mag cartridge?
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Comments

7 comments

Date Votes
  • JAK71454
    3.2 grains of W-W 231. Excellent accuracy at 50 yards. 2.6 is great at 25 yards. Little recoil for both. Jim

    Jim Kammerer
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  • rjv140
    isnt that 231 a pretty fast burning powder? maybe too fast for a 38 special. what heads do you use for your loads?
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  • Cooch
    I used the same load of 3.2 gr of 231 when I shot bullseye competition with my Security Six and loved it. Low recoil and accurate as hell...at least at 50 feet!!

    NRA Life Member
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  • JAK71454
    The 3.2/2.6 grains of 231 was with the hollw base wadcutter. More accurate than most can shoot. 231 is very fast burning almost as fast as Bulleye, which was the standard.

    Jim Kammerer
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  • Colonel Plink
    Never shot a Blackhawk in .357, but it's near the top of my list.
    My pet load for my Model 28 S&W is 5.5 gr of HP38 with 158-gr lead SWC's. Since I don't know how or if the twist rates in the two guns differ, I can't say what you'd get for accuracy; I just know it's a really accurate, mild and fun load for me.
    -Andy

    "When the going gets weird, the Weird turn pro"
    Hunter S. Thompson"
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  • gunnut505
    Those are all good recipe for the 38 SPECIAL (nobody mentioned that, and I thought I'd help); but for deer I use a 180gr Barnes on top of 13.7 grains of H110 for around 1350fps at 5500' elevation out of my 6" GP100.
    That same load will reach 1370fps in a 10" Contender. It shoots 'em into a Quarter-sized hole at 75yds.
    My Taurus 608 wears a 8 3/8" barrel, and I haven't chrono'ed that one in it yet.

    "Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit" --OVID
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  • GUNFUNCO
    My favorite 357 load is 14 grains of Alliant 2400 with a CCI 550 small pistol magnum primer and a Speer 158 grain Soft point. It is a little less than a maximum load (you can usually get to 14.5 grains without showing excessive pressure signs in most guns) and is usually accurate in any gun I've shot it in. It pays to double check any load given to you with a reliable reloading manual as typo's do happen. I like the soft point over a hollow point as it will hold together better on deer if you hit a rib. I like a 357 for deer also but a lot of people think it is a little light. Best wishes with the reloading.
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