Bullets? Lead, jacketed, type, etc..

[Crestliner]

OK, I've decided to start reloading for my .357 SP101 and my son's GP100 (same caliber). I think can manage my way thru the information on powders fairly well (would appreciate suggestions as well); however, with the plethora of bullets available, I'm having difficulty narrowing my selection to 2 or 3 types to start off with, for the following purpose. I think I'm going to keep a box or two of (factory loads) Speer Gold Dots, 125 JHP's, for my carry load. This, I decided, due to some legal speculations being bandied about here & there. Regardless, what I want is a reload that is both reasonably economical to shoot and which will replicate near full PD cartridge performances on the range. I want to be able to practice frequently (twice a week at least) at the range. I'm not sure just how close to these PD rounds I want or need to be. What I really need is to be able to shoot, knowing that I will have confidence, in myself, in a real life situation. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Sevens]

The actual question in your post-- is kind of vague!

Here's what I think: you will need to buy jacketed bullets of the same weight as your defense load to try and build ammo that reproduces how your defense loads feels and acts when you shoot it. There will be two different ways you can come up with this load... trial and error, by shooting factory rounds and then reloads one after another and comparing, tweaking the reloads as you test... or by using loading data which (hopefully) sends the same weight and style bullet out of the gun at relatively the same velocity.

So no matter how you get there, you will need to use jacketed bullets of the same weight as your factory defense loads. And know going in that jacketed bullets are the most expensive bullets you can buy of the three common bullet types... and, don't forget that bullets are also the most expensive part of the reloading equation.

You will still save a HEAP by reloading your practice ammo over shooting factory ammo, but it will be some of the most expensive of all your reloads.

In my opinion, however, being a good shot with a handgun is simply something that takes a whole lot of practice. And there isn't going to be any practice that is BAD for you. In other words, if you make a whole bunch of light loads using .38 special brass and wadcutters, and you shoot them a lot, it too will help make you a better, more accurate and more confident shooter.

The defense loads, either factory fodder or your best attempt at recreating it with handloads are going to be loud, heavy, recoiling, muzzle-blasting rounds. If you never shoot more than 50 of them at each outing because they wear you down, then shooting 200 rounds of powder puff wadcutter rounds is going to benefit you all that much more.

So, I say that YES, you should try to create reloads that mimic your defense loads so that you can practice with them. But don't let yourself believe that practice with different ammo won't also help you tremendously. The more shooting you can do, the better you will be with your revolver. And for many of us, you can do a heckuva lot more shooting with cast lead bullets at a slower velocity and ridiculously cheaper cost than you can do with hot-loaded, expensive jacketed bullet reloads.

[SL1]

I second everything that Sevens just posted, especially the benefits of practice with lighter loads. They really help you avoid getting a flinch habit with a light revolver.

One thought you might consider: Switching between lead and jacketed bullets may cause you some accuracy issues due to the different metals fouling your barrel. If so, then you would need to do a lot of extra cleaning. One way to get around that is to use plated rather than exposed lead (swaged or cast) bullets for your lighter loads. They are not as cheap as cast, so it would be a cost for convenience trade-off. Ranier, Berry's etc. produce decent plated bullets that can be driven to reasonably high velocities. (But, stay away from National Bullet Company!) I don't know that they can reach full-house 357 magnum pressure and velocities, but they might. If they don't, you can still use cheaper jacketed bullets than the Speer Gold Dots for practice ammo. Zero makes good jacketed practice bullets.

SL1

[TexasSeaRay]

I rarely load Magnum rounds with lead/cast bullets. And when/if I do, they are significantly reduced loads.

Anything Magnum gets a jacketed round.

As I experiment more with alloys and mixtures in my casting journey, that may change, but when I first started reloading, if it was Magnum, it was Jacketed.

Saved me a whole lot of frustration early on.

Jeff

[Crestliner]

Thanks folks! Sorry for any previous confusion. So, to sumerize a bit; I should go with a cast lead bullet (of some configuration) and just load it up a bit. I still won't achieve full magnum loadings/performance, but the benefit from shooting these practice rounds will, in the long run, improve my overall shooting ability. I'm with you so far. My problem still exists however; as far as which bullets and/or types I should be looking for, for these practice rounds? Hard or soft cast? WC or RN, semi-WC, or SWHP's? Gas checks or no gas checks? See where I'm confused? So many kinds...so little time! (That's a fishing slogan!) Once I've select two or three bullets to start off with (for the practice loads), then I can select a powder and start working them up. I hope that is not a wrong course of action? And yes, I know I should probably get some JHP's as well, to replicate my PD rounds. I know I won't be shooting them often either, even though they are reloads. My no. 1 objective is that I want to know that when/if the time comes to pull my SP, that I'm comfortable knowing where my bullet(s) are going to go. I want to have to focus solely on the BG. Thanks again!

[SL1]

You said you wanted to use 125 gr full-power loads for carry. (Actually, I think you will find that factory 125s are not really full-power.) Anyway, you will want to develop a practice load that shoots to the same point of aim as your carry ammo, at least at the ranges you use for practice. Shooting the same weight bullet at the same velocity will achieve that. But, a lighter load with the same bullet will shoot higher at close ranges due to longer barrel residence time with the slower bullet (so the recoil flips the muzzle higher before the bullet leaves), but shoot lower at very long ranges (because the slower bullet is in-flight longer and drops farther before reaching the target).

So, any practice ammo is going to be a compromise if it isn't exactly like your carry ammo. If you are shooting close ranges (say inside 25 yards), then a lighter bullet (say 110 grains instead of 125 grains) with a charge that gives about the same muzzle velocity as the 125s might get you reduced recoil with the same impact point. You will just have to experiment. Or, you might ask here what practice loads people have found that give the same point of impact as your carry loads from a similar gun. Maybe somebody has already done the experimentation for you.

SL1

[GP100man]

i loaded every thing i could melt & pour in a mold over a 5gr. reddot load when younger.
wheel weights trembled when i walked by cars!!!!LOL
that load was`nt full mag but it warent no bunny poot load either,killed a few deers with it tooo.
but it was dirty compared to todays powders !!!
i load 4.5grs. of clays under a homecast lee 158gr rnfp shoots nice .
tryin the same weight of tite group but it burns a little cooler & gettin very small flakes of leadin ,gonna try a few with 5 grs to see if that`ll seal it titer in the bore.
all my plinkin boolits are between 11bhn & 14 bhn ,the wheel weight blend of the day.
my serious stuff is a little harder though.& all my GPs love h110 & lil gun on any thing 180gr & heavier.

GP100man##