What's your .357 Magnum Carry Ammo?

[Ghost Dog]

Figured many missed this .357 HST Data (along with .327 HST, Modern 147 HST, and 9mm Punch data too)
Here you go. Official. Organic.
You will have to decipher
.327 HST listed on top
.357 HST on bottom
Included some recent 9mm because figured this is all of interest to those on here.

HST Magnum Revolver

327 Federal

357 Magnum



Bullet

104gr HSP HP

154gr HST HP



Test Barrel Velocity

1525

1340

4" Barrel

Gun Avg Velocity

1450

1250

Bare Gel Penetration

11.7"

15.5"

Bare Gel Expansion

0.683"

.648"

Heavy Cloth Penetration

12.7"

16"

Heavy Cloth Expansion

0.609

0.587"

Snub nose

Gun Avg Velocity

1225

1080

Bare Gel Penetration

12.2"

14.8"

Bare Gel Expansion

0.681"

0.657"

Heavy Cloth Penetration

14.5"

16"

Heavy Cloth Expansion

0.546"

0.565"



124gr Punch 9mm (Shot from G43)

Heavy Clothing 13.4 pen, 0.614 exp

Bare Gel 13.1 pen, exp 0.634



Current 147gr HST 9mm (Shot from Glock 47)

Heavy Clothing 14.6 pen, 0.605 exp

Bare Gel 13.5 pen, 0.691 exp

[JTMcC]

About 80% of our .357 rounds are loaded as fast as we can drive them, if for no other reason than because it's fun.

And about 100% of them are either a hard cast SWC or an XTP, both at 158 or so. That's because I have big boxes full of those, if I ever use them up I'll probably try some heavier cast bullets but I'm pretty sold on 158 gr. XTP's. Maybe try the Barnes XPB, maybe not.

In .44 mag (that I shoot a lot more of now than .357) I'm pretty content with middle of the road velocities.
We grew up shooting Dad's .357's and he didn't scrimp on the powder charge , when we were little rugrats he loaded some light loads for us or used .38 Specials.

All of the .357's I shoot are full size steel guns, we don't shoot them thru carbines. I'm frequently around larger dangerous animals and have no concern for what people term "overpenetration".