.357 mag SD ammo for 3” revolvers

[4given]

Does it need to be a .357 Magnum load, or just something that works well?

It does not need to be a .357 mag load but it would be fun to explore that possibility.

I do have a small supply of Speer GD 135gr +P .38 Special that will probably work just fine. It won't take many rounds to see if it shoots POA or close to it.

I also have some Hornady Custom 158gr XTP but I am pretty certain they would over penetrate. I think I will save those for my lever gun.

[4given]

The King Cobra and the Remington Golden Saber “midrange” 125 load are pretty much made for each other.

I have heard this is good stuff. I'm not sure Remington is making ammo again yet

[revchuck38]

I have heard this is good stuff. I'm not sure Remington is making ammo again yet

They are, but I don't know if they're making that specific load.

[03RN]

Currently 170gr swc @1200fps

My alternatives are 140gr xtp at 1150 and I just experimented with 158gr xtps at 1200fps

[Baldanders]

https://www.sgammo.com/catalog/pisto...57-magnum-ammo

.357 Silvertip and Critical Duty in stock as of time of posting. Not cheap, but available.

I'm curious about the Critical Duty load, and how it compares to he 135gr .357 Gold Dot... Never tried it though.

I've ran both through my "Redneck Ballistics" protocol. Take the following "data" with a salt mine or two.

In water, the Gold Dot jacket "spaghettified," the Critical Duty had moderate expansion. Both stopped in the 4th milk jug. Shot from my 2" 640.

Sample of one in each case. But I think it's reasonable to say, given overexpansion in water, the Critical Duty probably penetrates deeply in organic matter (as @BehindBlueI's has observed), while .357 Dots are more of a warm 9mm+p equivalent.

For comparison, every .38 and 9mm premium load I have shot into milk jugs has gone 3-4 jugs, aside from Critical Defense 9mm and .38+p, which only went 2.

The Gold Dot load is noticeably milder in recoil. Keep in mind, shot in a 2" j frame. I would be OK with carrying it, but I am faster with the .38+p version.

The Duty load would be cool in the family 6" GP-100 for human- and critter-problems on our land. Just a hair under the Silvertip in power. But I am relatively unconcerned about overpenetration.

Keep the salt mines in mind.

[4given]

Currently 170gr swc @1200fps

My alternatives are 140gr xtp at 1150 and I just experimented with 158gr xtps at 1200fps

Sounds like a handful! So you are one of the few using handloads for SD?

[03RN]

Sounds like a handful! So you are one of the few using handloads for SD?

Recoil isn't bad. Way less than 125gr Remington sjhp.

[4given]

Recoil isn't bad. Way less than 125gr Remington sjhp.

I've got some XTP 140's. Care to share your load data?

[03RN]

I've got some XTP 140's. Care to share your load data?

9gr unique. All my load data is in the reloading section. Still expands from my 2.75" m66

I get 1627 fps from my 20" m92 and it still holds together through milk jugs.




9gr is max in a few books and over max in some too fwiw

[03RN]

It does not need to be a .357 mag load but it would be fun to explore that possibility.

I do have a small supply of Speer GD 135gr +P .38 Special that will probably work just fine. It won't take many rounds to see if it shoots POA or close to it.

I also have some Hornady Custom 158gr XTP but I am pretty certain they would over penetrate. I think I will save those for my lever gun.