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Old June 9, 2008, 11:10 PM   #1
mnhntr
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help a new reloader

reloading a 357sig i am finding the correct bullet diameter is .355. why are there 9mm in .355 and 357sig in .355 and are they interchangable? i also find 38 super/357sig in .356 diameter. i am confused as to the difference. i want to find some 147gr full metal jacket bullets. also if anyone has any loads they use in their 357sig i would like to hear them
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Old June 9, 2008, 11:49 PM   #2
Nnobby45
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You can check any good reloading manual to see exactly would the bullet diameters should be.

9mm is .355, and so is .357 SIG (in spite of it's designation), and so is .38 Super. Do not use larger .357 diameter bullets for these calibers.

.38/.357 are .357 diameter bullets.

The diameter of lead bullets ('cause they're softer) run .001 more than the diameter for Jacketed bullets of the same caliber.

In the .357SIG, do not use long NATO style noses, since so little of the bullet is in contact with the very short case neck, when seated to spec, that the bullet can get pushed back into the case during recoil. Longer necked 9mm cases present no problem.
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Old June 9, 2008, 11:55 PM   #3
Scorch
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The correct bullet diameter for 357 SIG is .355", same as 9X19mm (9mm Luger) and 380 ACP. Correct bullet diameter for 38 Super is .357", same as 38 Special and 357 Magnum. In general, the metric cartridges get the .355" bullets, but names can be deceiving.

The 357 SIG is so named because it will launch a 125 gr bullet about as fast as a .357 S&W Magnum.
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Old June 10, 2008, 05:18 PM   #4
mnhntr
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i understand what you have said so far but if i want to load a 147gr FMJ/TMJ to practice instead of the more expensive 147gr Hornady bullets i shoot for defense loads then is it safe to use any.355 FMJ bullet
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Old June 11, 2008, 12:07 AM   #5
Nnobby45
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Quote:
...... Correct bullet diameter for 38 Super is .357", same as 38 Special and 357 Magnum...........
Scorch, I'm looking at my Speer #13 Manual as I type this and reading very clearly that the diameter of the .38 Super is .355. Consider yourself as now standing corrected.

If anybody out there has ever used a .357 bullet in a gun designed for .355, (and is brave enough to admit it), hope you'll let us know how well it swaged itself down, or if it even chambered.

You know, details like high pressure signs, damaged gun, brass flying 40 ft.---stuff like that.

Quote:
reloading a 357sig i am finding the correct bullet diameter is .355. why are there 9mm in .355 and 357sig in .355 and are they interchangable? i also find 38 super/357sig in .356 diameter. i am confused as to the difference. i want to find some 147gr full metal jacket bullets. also if anyone has any loads they use in their 357sig i would like to hear them
My Speer manual shows the 147 gr. Speer TMJ interchageable between .357SIG and 9mm as well as .38 Super.

For JHP, the 9mm and .38 Super both use a 124 gr Gold Dot HP. This was designed for 9mm+P velocities.

The.357 SIG uses a 125 gr. Speer Gold Dot HP, which was designed for the higher velocities associated with the .357 SIG.

Yes, you can use any 147 gr. .355 bullet that are appropriate for any of the 3 calibers mentioned above interchangeably. Order some bulk bullets from Midway, Dillon, etc.,

If you order them from Dillon, you can explain what you're doing and get competent advice as to what you need.
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Old June 11, 2008, 01:07 AM   #6
Scorch
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Consider yourself as now standing corrected.
Oh, my. Now I'm embarassed. Thanks for pointing that out.
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Old June 11, 2008, 09:52 PM   #7
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Super .38 bullet diameter

No need to be embarrassed, Scorch. It's a natural mistake, especially since the Super .38 arrived in 1929, when metric bullets were not popular in the USA.

Nnobby45's point about the Super .38 taking the .355" bullet tallies with my research. Two different editions of the Speer manual, and the Lyman Handbook agree on the proper size. In addition, I measured the only two factory Super brands I have on hand - - Aguila from Mexico, and MAGTECH from brazil. Both use .355 bullets.

I've just started loading for Super .38 again. My former efforts, some 20 years ago, were very limited. So far, I've found only one accurate, fairly soft load using 125 FMJRN bullets. The .357 SiG practice bullet, a plated 124 truncated cone, hasn't been accurate for me. Next up: Hornady XTP bullets in 124 and 147 weights.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nnobby45
If anybody out there has ever used a .357 bullet in a gun designed for .355, (and is brave enough to admit it), hope you'll let us know how well it swaged itself down, or if it even chambered.

You know, details like high pressure signs, damaged gun, brass flying 40 ft.---stuff like that.
Not me, nosir. I have one friend, though, whose favorite handgun of all time was the Colt Commander in Super .38. 'Way back then, there were no 9mm HP bullets available in the US. Wanting something really strong, my pal bought the then-new Remington .38 Special 125 gr. JHP ammunition. He pulled the bullets and handloaded them over a bunch of Unique and shot them (sparingly) in his Commander. I asked the results, knowing that the bullets were some .002 over size, in a high pressure loading. He claimed his hybrid load was quite accurate and certainly very destructive on small game and varmints. He also admitted that he found very little of his brass, but he didn't want to reload it anyway.

mnhntr, I apologize for letting the thread veer this far from your original question. It's already been mentioned that you'll not have good results using the long-nosed RN bullets in the .357 SiG. The truncated cone 124 and 147 bullets tend to have enough bearing surface for the little bottleneck case to get a good hold on them, though.

Good luck to you
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Old June 12, 2008, 01:36 PM   #8
mnhntr
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thanks guys. i am shooting for defense loads the hornady JHP in 147gr and just wanted to load the same weight bullet in a FMJ/TMJ to practice with.
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Old June 12, 2008, 04:07 PM   #9
dmickey
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Ok guys! Now to really confuse the issue! In the Nosler manual it calls for a .357 diameter bullet for the .38 Super. Sierra calls for a .256 diameter bullet and as was noted before the Speer manuals call for a .355 diameter bullet! Any questions??
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Old June 12, 2008, 08:17 PM   #10
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I load .355 diameter bullets in .380 Auto, 9 mm Luger, and .357 Sig cases - no problems.

I even load Berry's, which are .356, and have had no problems (I don't put them in .357 Sig - too fast for a plated bullet, gotta keep velocities under 1200 fps).

In case you didn't know, a 357 Sig is made from a .40 SW, that's been necked down to accept the .355 diameter bullet - that's why it is so fast. But, I understand, you can't make one at home by necking down a 40 SW case, something about the case length being wrong.

Hack
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Old June 12, 2008, 09:20 PM   #11
2spurrs
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Guys
May I remind you that the barrel of the gun sets the bullet diameter – not what a book says. There are various ways to check what a barrel interior diameter is. It’s not a bad idea to start with what the books say is the proper diameter. If the accuracy & velocity are what you want then all is good. IF you are not happy with the results, then become a Handloader and start checking what your gun needs to perform its best.
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