Thread: Reloading .357mag

Hi guys, just picking your brains before I get started. I've loaded lots of rifle ammo before but no pistol ammo. I'm thinking of using AP70N, 158gr Honady's, Starline brass but haven't decided on primers yet.

Rifle is a Henry Big Boy Carbine .357
Type of shooting.....plinking no hunting, 25-100m
Press is a Dillon XL650

My questions:

1) Any other recipes would be much appreciated particularly lever gun shooters. They must feed.
2) Any special technique over and above that for rifle? I see the cold-hot range is much tighter...more risk.
3) Standard or Magnum pistol primers, what brands?

Cheers James.

Originally Posted by omegaspeedy

Hi guys, just picking your brains before I get started. I've loaded lots of rifle ammo before but no pistol ammo. I'm thinking of using AP70N, 158gr Honady's, Starline brass but haven't decided on primers yet.

Rifle is a Henry Big Boy Carbine .357
Type of shooting.....plinking no hunting, 25-100m
Press is a Dillon XL650

My questions:

1) Any other recipes would be much appreciated particularly lever gun shooters. They must feed.
2) Any special technique over and above that for rifle? I see the cold-hot range is much tighter...more risk.
3) Standard or Magnum pistol primers, what brands?

Cheers James.

If just plinking there are plenty of options. And it can be done reasonably cheap.
I just use cast or jacketed 150-158 gr projectiles small rifle primers and trailboss in my pistol.
Belmont magnum is pretty good cheap powder as well for full power loads.




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If you are going with AP70 any small primer is ok magnum primers with ball powders if you want more velocity AR2205 is the one to use
158 grain cast or jacketed will be fine for most uses, I use a 166 grain cast with 7.3gr AP70 in a pistol can shoot it all day make major power factor
for IPSC, Starline brass is the best only one I buy now.

Awesome, thanks guys!! Off to get some die and resources.

There are some.357/.38 dies on TM stay away from Lee, I think there is a Lyman 4 die set I can highly recommend them very well made,

Originally Posted by shooternz

There are some.357/.38 dies on TM stay away from Lee, I think there is a Lyman 4 die set I can highly recommend them very well made,

I read somewhere that Lee has the best crimp die method which is pretty important with tube mag and autos. Have you found that they are no good for pistol loading? I've used them for rifle and only complaint was seating high BC target bullets where they were not seating true.

The lee crimper is the best there is I reckon, with low power loads in a 357, i dont even have to resize, just deprime refill and pop the new boy in then crimp. Trailboss works fine for this.

Originally Posted by omegaspeedy

I read somewhere that Lee has the best crimp die method which is pretty important with tube mag and autos. Have you found that they are no good for pistol loading? I've used them for rifle and only complaint was seating high BC target bullets where they were not seating true.

The problem I have with Lee pistol dies is the expander it is not a proper expander it only flares the mouth of the case, with lead bullets it scrapes lead
off the bullet, The lyman dies are designed for cast bullets with a far better expander and their crimp dies are all that is needed, I have seen the Lee crimp die damage bullets if not adjusted properly

Originally Posted by shooternz

The problem I have with Lee pistol dies is the expander it is not a proper expander it only flares the mouth of the case, with lead bullets it scrapes lead
off the bullet, The lyman dies are designed for cast bullets with a far better expander and their crimp dies are all that is needed, I have seen the Lee crimp die damage bullets if not adjusted properly

Just flare the case mouth a bit more so it doesn't shave lead.

Any crimp dies can damage bullets if not adjusted properly.

I think you need to read the instructions properly.

I've reloaded thousands and thousands of .38 and .357 rounds on Lee dies over the last 25 or so years and never had a problem with anything from flush seated wadcutters in a S&W K38 to .357 max loads of 296 in a Rossi 92.

Thankfully Im sitting down as I write this, I must agree with Systolic on this. Lyman, rcbs etc all make excellent dies. Lee dies are in my experience every bit as good at half the price.

I load for 38 special and 357 using lee gear and have good results .

Then again, if you're going to be loading on a Dillon 650, you may as well spend the money on the Dillon dies so you can use the powder thrower on the press.

I've never used Trailboss with the Dillon measure, but the Belmont Magnum powder recommended by R93 is the same powder as WIN296 and H110 and will meter well.

Originally Posted by Driverman

I load for 38 special and 357 using lee gear and have good results .

Same. Never had an issue with cast projectiles and don't use much of a flare or crimp either.

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You guy's are lucky, I have had Lee die sets in 6.5x55 and 9mm both were total rubbish, They may have upped their quality lately but I prefer not to take the chance,
I have 3 of their push through dies for cast bullets I had to reshape and polish them to get them to work properly, now have them custom made in the States for the same
price as the Lee, Hands down the only expander worth using is the Lyman M die it expands the case properly not just flaring the mouth,

Thanks for all the info guys, I'll start the .357 journey on my little Lee press then when funds allow, transfer the operation to the Dillon.

Cheers again.