Too many choices - .357 and .41

Jart · June 4, 2007, 09:50 PM

I'm expanding my noobish repertoire to include .357 and .41 mag.

Unlike 12Ga trap loads and Cowboy mousefatulance, the choice of powders is proving overwhelming.

If the objective is the duplication of factory loads, say Winchester "X", what's a good powder to start with?

Secondary objective is metering. I intend to stick with the Dillon thingamajig for the time being. I would prefer that the metering be somewhat more accurate than that which is exhibited with the Trail Boss "donuts".

The plan is for Hornady XTP bullets for both the .357 and .41 - 158 and 210 grain, respectively. I'm not particularly attached to the brand or weight, so if I'm messing up, feel free to say so. Brass will be Starline, primers "small pistol magnum" for the .357 with possible adjustment if the load requires the non-magnum type.

Most will be through a 6" barreled revolver, a lesser number through a 4" None will be through a snub.

It seems that H110, Unique and Lil'Gun come up the most when I do a search. Is it just me, or does Lil'Gun appear to be getting by too well with respect to pressure/velocity? Can I expect them all to melt down as soon as I buy a chronograph?

Could I ask any more questions in a single post?

BillCA · June 4, 2007, 11:27 PM

I've used H110, Unique, 2400, Blue-Dot, and 630 ball powders for both. My favorite is Unique as it seems to produce stable velocities with less unburned powder in 4" barrels.

I was never quite able to get as accurate a load using 630 as I could with the Hercules (now Alliant) powders.

Unique was a bit more cost effective for me too, since it can be used in cartridges from .32 S&W Long up through .45 Colt.

Your 210gr XTP bullets are a good choice. You might want to experiment with other weights if you plan on hunting with the .41 Mag. The original .41 Mag 210gr (Remington) JSP load flew at 1300 fps (6") and was very accurate at 25 - 50 yards.

mrawesome22 · June 5, 2007, 12:01 AM

My 44Mag loads with H110 make factory loads look wimpy at best.

Not sure about H110 metering well. I weigh each charge. But it's a ball powder and I've heard ball powders go through a measure well

H110 fills up the case so a double charge is not possible.

I love XTP's also. I can't wait to try a 180gr on deer this year.

So H110 is working great for me out of my 7 1/2" SRH. They also shoot great out of my Deerfield Carbine.

Jart · June 5, 2007, 09:43 AM

Hmmm.

Unlike IMR I note that Alliant doesn't show a "range" for Unique with a 158 .357. It shows 7.8 grains - period. Is this supposed to be a "maximum"?

It also lists a Federal 200 primer, while another site lists 7.8 grains but a non-magnum primer.

I'll check the Speer manual when I get home. I guess I shouldn't be surprised if it shows something different from the 7.8 with indeterminate primer.

How do you guys sort through that stuff? Specifically, if you get conflicting primer types, magnum vs standard, from two reputable sources, which does one choose - does it even make much of a difference? TIA.

Scorch · June 5, 2007, 12:59 PM

Don't rely solely on the information on the manufacturer's web site. Any good reloading manual lists a range of charges for most powders. I have used Uniques for over 30 years in 9mm, 38 Special, 357 Mag, 40 S&W, 44 Mag, 45 ACP, and 45 Colt. It is the most versatile powder I use.

BTW- 7.8 gr of Unique with a 158 jfp will give you about 1,050-1,100 fps. I load 7.7 gr for normal shooting, and more for hotrodding. My loads are right out of a relaoding manual, so they are not invented in a spasm of alcohol-induced insanity. They are safe and accurate.

Jart · June 5, 2007, 08:28 PM

OK, the Speer reloading manual is showing 7.7 Unique as "maximum" with a starting point of 6.9.

However, Speer is showing non-mag primers vs. Alliant showing the magnum version.

So, given a discrepancy between Speer and Alliant, I presume Alliant should take precedence and I'm buying magnum primers?

In searching the forum this jumped out at me:

Quote:

If you go look at the load books or some of the online posts, the mag vs. no mag primer question for the 357 seems to be an on again off again thing. I don't think there is a consistent answer for it so far.

I guess I might as well go with the magnum primers - I'll need 'em if I use H110 and they (presumably) don't hurt with Unique although not being needed.

crowbeaner · June 5, 2007, 08:53 PM

I used to shoot a LOT of .41 and I think it is still one of the most effective and maligned calibers ever created. If you shoot lead, use the RCBS 41-210-SWC or the LYMAN 410459 over 10.0 gr. of SR4756. For full power use the same bullets over 19.0 of 2400. You can use the LYMAN 410610 over 17.5 of 2400 or 20.4 of 296. Be aware that the RCBS bullet may not chamber all the way in a RUGER because the front band is too wide to seat in the shorter chambers in the cylinder. I had no problems with any of the numerous Smiths I have owned however. Everybody likes to recommend Unique, but I found it to be really dirty unless loaded to near max. Just be sure to fully seat your primers, trim your cases, and use a firm crimp. Seat your bullets in one step, and crimp in a seperate step. Use standard primers with all powders except 296. Use magnums with 296. If you want to have some fun, load some Sierra 170 JHC over 24.0 of H110.

BillCA · June 6, 2007, 11:18 AM

My older Speer manual shows 7.8 gr of Unique with a non-magnum primer providing 1119 fps and 7.3 grains for 1033 fps. I recall learning that the use of a magnum primer should be considered equivilant to adding an extra 0.1 grains of powder. Max loads for a non-magnum primer should be backed down by 0.1gr (or 0.2gr) when using magnum primers.

crowbeaner - Those loads you show appear to be maximum loads. In the case of the SR4756, your load exceeds an older published load I have by 0.5gr.

For what it's worth, 2400 works well in 6" barrels but it tends to leave unburned powder in a 4" barrel as well as showing a pretty good muzzle flash.

Brian Williams · June 6, 2007, 12:29 PM

My favorite load for 357 is 6gr of 231 pushing a 158gr LSWC. My hot load I use either 2400 or Lil'Gun. Hot loads of Lil'Gun is 18gr under 158gr LSWC or XTP and 15gr under 180gr XTP.

Jart · June 6, 2007, 12:45 PM

Thanks. I might be starting to get a handle on this... a little.

I'll only be fiddling about with .357 to start - Starline was out of .41 and I have no brass from factory loads.

So...

H110 w/158 grain Hdy XTP for the 686-6".

Unique w/125 grain Hdy XTP for the 66-4"

I hadn't previously considered variations in barrel length but I'm paying attention to the remarks concerning unburnt powder and flash - is the above suitable? I was thinking H110 for the 6" as it'll be easy to see a squib and a double would be obvious.

I'll run several hundred through the 686 before starting with the Unique which appears to be harder to viusally verify due to the small volume. If local dude doesn't have H110, 2400 looks similar. Charge weights start at just over Speer "minimum" or 10% under Alliant's "nominal".

I'd like the 686 to last a long time and assume it'll take a steady diet of factory loads and that those shown as "maximum" or "nominal" for handloads don't exceed factory pressures or if they do, not by much. (?).

Edited to add: Brian, I must have been typing (slowly) while you were posting. No leading problems with the 231? Does "hot" mean something that will shake apart an "N" frame or just "hotter than target loads". This latter sounds like a dumb question to me but I haven't found much searching that quantifies "hot".

**Mike Irwin** · June 6, 2007, 01:48 PM

For .357 Mag. I use 231 for lesser loads and 296 for full bore loads.

For .41 Mag. I use 231 for light plinkers, 296 and AA 7 for full bore loads.

crowbeaner · June 6, 2007, 04:34 PM

BillCA Sorry. Forgot to put in the usual disclaimer. I got the 10.0 gr. load from an old Montana cowboy long ago. If you check an old Dupont guide from the late 1970's you'll see higher charges for SR4756. Have they perked up SR4756? Seems the data has been lowered over the past 30 years. Maybe IMR is trying to be lawyerproofing the factory data. The loads I use worked fine in my guns, but all guns are a law unto themselves.

pumpkinheaver · June 6, 2007, 06:44 PM

H-110 in both the .357 and .41 magnum is great. It's a ball powder so it meteres very well through powder measures.

BluesBear · August 13, 2007, 12:36 AM

Jart, the .41 Remington Magnum is my favorite handgun cartridge.
But there's a lot more to it than high power magnum loads.
It's one of the most versatile calibers around.

Try to locate a copy of issue #242, Handloader Magazine.
Mike Venturion wrote a great article on loading what he calls the .41 Magnum Lite. While he used lead boolits it's a good article on getting a handle on the .41. For mid-range loads I (like Mike) think HP-38 is a great powder.

There seems to have been a rash of good magazine articles on the .41 lately.
Most of them published loading data for high end loads so there's a lot of info to choose from.

After years of using BLue Dot, lately I have been experimenting with True Blue, Accurate #7 and Power Pistol. I am getting good results with all three.

Speaking of Cheerios, try 6.5 gr of Trail Boss under a 215-220 lead SWC.

Welcome to the Clan of the .41 Mag.

Jart · August 13, 2007, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Try to locate a copy of issue #242, Handloader Magazine.

Thanks. Back issue still available on their website. I'll check it out.

By coincidence, last night was the first I dug the box of .41 brass out since it arrived - the .357 kept me occupied and all the .357 I loaded was near max, but one gets little choice with H110. Getting flexible with the .41 seems like a great idea.

**Mike Irwin** · August 13, 2007, 12:15 PM

I tried a number of book and homemade recipes for a light .41 "special" round using .41 Mag. bullets and cases.

The one thing I discovered is that as the charges became lighter, groups opened up considerably.

mtnbkr · August 13, 2007, 01:01 PM

Of those two, I only load 357mag.

I use Bullseye for light loads, PowerPistol or Unique for medium, and H110 with 180gr bullets for the heavy loads.

BTW, I really like PowerPistol for the medium level stuff. It's clean, meters well, and works great with 158gr jacketed bullets.

Chris

**Mike Irwin** · August 13, 2007, 01:33 PM

"Of those two, I only load 357mag."

Not for lack of opportunity...

Redneck with a 40 · August 13, 2007, 07:39 PM

My current 357 load is 9 grains of Unique behind a Remington 125 grain SJHP, with standard magtech primers, gives me 1330-1360 consistently on the chrono.

I'll take that.

caz223 · August 14, 2007, 12:20 AM

I can certainly recommend H-110 and 2400, CCI 350 primers, starline brass, and XTP bullets, you can't go wrong if you use those components.
2400 for everything from 'that was cool' to 'WOW! what a fireball' loads.
I use H-110 for longer ranges and heavier bullets, because if you shoot that powder too close, it may light your target ON FIRE!!!!!!!! J/K
H-110 can't be reduced, so 2400 is more versatile, and just as accurate.
2400 winds up being a tiny bit cheaper, as you use less per cartridge, and I suspect you get a skotch more in a pound. Not much, but some.

T. O'Heir · August 14, 2007, 12:27 AM

"...small pistol magnum..." You don't need magnum primers for either just because the word 'magnum' is in the name. Magnum primers burn a bit hotter for a bit longer than regular primers. They're for lighting hard to ignite powders and for extreme cold weather shooting with any cartridge. You only need them if you manual says to use them. Regular small pistol primers will do nicely for the .357. Large pistol for the .41.
You'll likely get over using jacketed bullets if you shoot a lot. They're far more expensive than cast or plated bullets.

BluesBear · August 14, 2007, 12:51 AM

I have found through the years that Magnum primers work better with Hodgdon H-110 powder in .41 and .44 cartridges.

But with 2400, using Magnum primers actually gave me WORSE accuracy and more erratic velocities than standard primers.

Speer discovered the same thing when they reshot their 2400 data for the #13 manual. Their newer data shows higher velocities with lower pressures when using standard primers.

caz223 · August 14, 2007, 12:59 AM

H110 calls for magnum primers in .41 mag. If you're gonna use H110, I would advise magnum primers.
Whether to use magnum primers with 2400 in large calibers depends on the weather you're expecting.
If there's a chance your rounds might be shot below freezing, definately use magnum primers. I use magnum primers with ball powders in anything that takes large primers. That's not a hard and fast rule, that's just my common sense patch to the books. I shoot in cold weather.

I don't use H110 for .357, I prefer 2400 in smaller calibers like .357, it works fine with standard primers. Magnum primers in .357 (With 2400) will open up your groups, so unless the book calls for magnum primers, I wouldn't use 'em.

Confusing, huh?

***EDIT*** The bear is quicker on the draw than I, but we both said about the same thing.....

Jart · August 14, 2007, 09:00 AM

I finally got a single stage so I'll likely be "dabbling" a bit more with the .41 than I did with the .357.

The .357 with 158 grain XTPs, H-110 and SPMag primers was probably not a good choice to start off with. First off, Speer 12's max load was under Lyman 3's min load and Hodgdon warned against going below minimums. I let Hodgdon's web site play "tie-breaker". Much like sausages and legislation, coming up with a "production" load was a process likely better left unobserved. I ran 5 or 6 hundred and still have some to shoot up before I put the 357 toolhead back on.

I anticipate no similar "interesting times" with .41 Mag - Lyman 3 shows all powders with the WLP "one size fits all primer" which, by happy coincidence, was the only LP primer I could find at Sportsman's Warehouse. It seems the current shortages will make a number of my choices for me.

I should've gotten the single stage a long time ago - suddenly working up 10 round batches for the chrono is fun.

June 5, 2007, 12:59 PM	#5
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Don't rely solely on the information on the manufacturer's web site. Any good reloading manual lists a range of charges for most powders. I have used Uniques for over 30 years in 9mm, 38 Special, 357 Mag, 40 S&W, 44 Mag, 45 ACP, and 45 Colt. It is the most versatile powder I use. BTW- 7.8 gr of Unique with a 158 jfp will give you about 1,050-1,100 fps. I load 7.7 gr for normal shooting, and more for hotrodding. My loads are right out of a relaoding manual, so they are not invented in a spasm of alcohol-induced insanity. They are safe and accurate. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services Last edited by Scorch; June 6, 2007 at 12:31 AM.

June 6, 2007, 11:18 AM	#8
BillCA Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2004 Location: Silicon Valley, Ca Posts: 7,117	My older Speer manual shows 7.8 gr of Unique with a non-magnum primer providing 1119 fps and 7.3 grains for 1033 fps. I recall learning that the use of a magnum primer should be considered equivilant to adding an extra 0.1 grains of powder. Max loads for a non-magnum primer should be backed down by 0.1gr (or 0.2gr) when using magnum primers. crowbeaner - Those loads you show appear to be maximum loads. In the case of the SR4756, your load exceeds an older published load I have by 0.5gr. For what it's worth, 2400 works well in 6" barrels but it tends to leave unburned powder in a 4" barrel as well as showing a pretty good muzzle flash. __________________ BillCA in CA (Unfortunately)

June 6, 2007, 12:29 PM	#9
Brian Williams Senior Member Join Date: September 4, 2001 Location: Lancaster, PA Posts: 1,288	Use these loads with caution and work up from 10% lower. My favorite load for 357 is 6gr of 231 pushing a 158gr LSWC. My hot load I use either 2400 or Lil'Gun. Hot loads of Lil'Gun is 18gr under 158gr LSWC or XTP and 15gr under 180gr XTP. __________________ Brian <><

June 6, 2007, 01:48 PM	#11
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	For .357 Mag. I use 231 for lesser loads and 296 for full bore loads. For .41 Mag. I use 231 for light plinkers, 296 and AA 7 for full bore loads. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

August 13, 2007, 12:36 AM	#14
BluesBear Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Location: Mill Creek, Washington (The Great Pacific NorthWet) Posts: 378	Jart, the .41 Remington Magnum is my favorite handgun cartridge. But there's a lot more to it than high power magnum loads. It's one of the most versatile calibers around. Try to locate a copy of issue #242, Handloader Magazine. Mike Venturion wrote a great article on loading what he calls the .41 Magnum Lite. While he used lead boolits it's a good article on getting a handle on the .41. For mid-range loads I (like Mike) think HP-38 is a great powder. There seems to have been a rash of good magazine articles on the .41 lately. Most of them published loading data for high end loads so there's a lot of info to choose from. After years of using BLue Dot, lately I have been experimenting with True Blue, Accurate #7 and Power Pistol. I am getting good results with all three. Speaking of Cheerios, try 6.5 gr of Trail Boss under a 215-220 lead SWC. Welcome to the Clan of the .41 Mag. __________________ ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΈ, Y'all The "Fashion Calibers" seem to come and go but when all is said and done everybody comes back to the forty-five. (Chris Curino - Kimber Mfg. Co.) __________________ Airplane Pictures

June 4, 2007, 09:50 PM	#1
Jart Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2001 Location: Grand Prairie, TX Posts: 1,647	Too many choices - .357 and .41 I'm expanding my noobish repertoire to include .357 and .41 mag. Unlike 12Ga trap loads and Cowboy mousefatulance, the choice of powders is proving overwhelming. If the objective is the duplication of factory loads, say Winchester "X", what's a good powder to start with? Secondary objective is metering. I intend to stick with the Dillon thingamajig for the time being. I would prefer that the metering be somewhat more accurate than that which is exhibited with the Trail Boss "donuts". The plan is for Hornady XTP bullets for both the .357 and .41 - 158 and 210 grain, respectively. I'm not particularly attached to the brand or weight, so if I'm messing up, feel free to say so. Brass will be Starline, primers "small pistol magnum" for the .357 with possible adjustment if the load requires the non-magnum type. Most will be through a 6" barreled revolver, a lesser number through a 4" None will be through a snub. It seems that H110, Unique and Lil'Gun come up the most when I do a search. Is it just me, or does Lil'Gun appear to be getting by too well with respect to pressure/velocity? Can I expect them all to melt down as soon as I buy a chronograph? Could I ask any more questions in a single post?

June 4, 2007, 11:27 PM	#2
BillCA Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2004 Location: Silicon Valley, Ca Posts: 7,117	I've used H110, Unique, 2400, Blue-Dot, and 630 ball powders for both. My favorite is Unique as it seems to produce stable velocities with less unburned powder in 4" barrels. I was never quite able to get as accurate a load using 630 as I could with the Hercules (now Alliant) powders. Unique was a bit more cost effective for me too, since it can be used in cartridges from .32 S&W Long up through .45 Colt. Your 210gr XTP bullets are a good choice. You might want to experiment with other weights if you plan on hunting with the .41 Mag. The original .41 Mag 210gr (Remington) JSP load flew at 1300 fps (6") and was very accurate at 25 - 50 yards. __________________ BillCA in CA (Unfortunately)

June 5, 2007, 12:01 AM	#3
mrawesome22 Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: Ohio, Appalachia's foothills. Posts: 3,779	My 44Mag loads with H110 make factory loads look wimpy at best. Not sure about H110 metering well. I weigh each charge. But it's a ball powder and I've heard ball powders go through a measure well H110 fills up the case so a double charge is not possible. I love XTP's also. I can't wait to try a 180gr on deer this year. So H110 is working great for me out of my 7 1/2" SRH. They also shoot great out of my Deerfield Carbine.

June 5, 2007, 09:43 AM	#4
Jart Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2001 Location: Grand Prairie, TX Posts: 1,647	Hmmm. Unlike IMR I note that Alliant doesn't show a "range" for Unique with a 158 .357. It shows 7.8 grains - period. Is this supposed to be a "maximum"? It also lists a Federal 200 primer, while another site lists 7.8 grains but a non-magnum primer. I'll check the Speer manual when I get home. I guess I shouldn't be surprised if it shows something different from the 7.8 with indeterminate primer. How do you guys sort through that stuff? Specifically, if you get conflicting primer types, magnum vs standard, from two reputable sources, which does one choose - does it even make much of a difference? TIA.

June 5, 2007, 08:53 PM	#7
crowbeaner Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,943	I used to shoot a LOT of .41 and I think it is still one of the most effective and maligned calibers ever created. If you shoot lead, use the RCBS 41-210-SWC or the LYMAN 410459 over 10.0 gr. of SR4756. For full power use the same bullets over 19.0 of 2400. You can use the LYMAN 410610 over 17.5 of 2400 or 20.4 of 296. Be aware that the RCBS bullet may not chamber all the way in a RUGER because the front band is too wide to seat in the shorter chambers in the cylinder. I had no problems with any of the numerous Smiths I have owned however. Everybody likes to recommend Unique, but I found it to be really dirty unless loaded to near max. Just be sure to fully seat your primers, trim your cases, and use a firm crimp. Seat your bullets in one step, and crimp in a seperate step. Use standard primers with all powders except 296. Use magnums with 296. If you want to have some fun, load some Sierra 170 JHC over 24.0 of H110.

June 6, 2007, 12:45 PM	#10
Jart Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2001 Location: Grand Prairie, TX Posts: 1,647	Thanks. I might be starting to get a handle on this... a little. I'll only be fiddling about with .357 to start - Starline was out of .41 and I have no brass from factory loads. So... H110 w/158 grain Hdy XTP for the 686-6". Unique w/125 grain Hdy XTP for the 66-4" I hadn't previously considered variations in barrel length but I'm paying attention to the remarks concerning unburnt powder and flash - is the above suitable? I was thinking H110 for the 6" as it'll be easy to see a squib and a double would be obvious. I'll run several hundred through the 686 before starting with the Unique which appears to be harder to viusally verify due to the small volume. If local dude doesn't have H110, 2400 looks similar. Charge weights start at just over Speer "minimum" or 10% under Alliant's "nominal". I'd like the 686 to last a long time and assume it'll take a steady diet of factory loads and that those shown as "maximum" or "nominal" for handloads don't exceed factory pressures or if they do, not by much. (?). Edited to add: Brian, I must have been typing (slowly) while you were posting. No leading problems with the 231? Does "hot" mean something that will shake apart an "N" frame or just "hotter than target loads". This latter sounds like a dumb question to me but I haven't found much searching that quantifies "hot".

June 6, 2007, 04:34 PM	#12
crowbeaner Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,943	BillCA Sorry. Forgot to put in the usual disclaimer. I got the 10.0 gr. load from an old Montana cowboy long ago. If you check an old Dupont guide from the late 1970's you'll see higher charges for SR4756. Have they perked up SR4756? Seems the data has been lowered over the past 30 years. Maybe IMR is trying to be lawyerproofing the factory data. The loads I use worked fine in my guns, but all guns are a law unto themselves.

June 6, 2007, 06:44 PM	#13
pumpkinheaver Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2006 Location: Missouri Posts: 294	H-110 in both the .357 and .41 magnum is great. It's a ball powder so it meteres very well through powder measures. __________________ Just because your paranoid don't mean they aint out to get ya.

August 13, 2007, 12:15 PM	#16
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	I tried a number of book and homemade recipes for a light .41 "special" round using .41 Mag. bullets and cases. The one thing I discovered is that as the charges became lighter, groups opened up considerably. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

August 13, 2007, 01:01 PM	#17
mtnbkr Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2000 Location: Manassas, Virginia Posts: 914	Of those two, I only load 357mag. I use Bullseye for light loads, PowerPistol or Unique for medium, and H110 with 180gr bullets for the heavy loads. BTW, I really like PowerPistol for the medium level stuff. It's clean, meters well, and works great with 158gr jacketed bullets. Chris

August 13, 2007, 01:33 PM	#18
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	"Of those two, I only load 357mag." Not for lack of opportunity... __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

August 13, 2007, 07:39 PM	#19
Redneck with a 40 Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2006 Posts: 336	My current 357 load is 9 grains of Unique behind a Remington 125 grain SJHP, with standard magtech primers, gives me 1330-1360 consistently on the chrono. I'll take that.

August 14, 2007, 12:20 AM	#20
caz223 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,429	I can certainly recommend H-110 and 2400, CCI 350 primers, starline brass, and XTP bullets, you can't go wrong if you use those components. 2400 for everything from 'that was cool' to 'WOW! what a fireball' loads. I use H-110 for longer ranges and heavier bullets, because if you shoot that powder too close, it may light your target ON FIRE!!!!!!!! J/K H-110 can't be reduced, so 2400 is more versatile, and just as accurate. 2400 winds up being a tiny bit cheaper, as you use less per cartridge, and I suspect you get a skotch more in a pound. Not much, but some. __________________ I'm not just a gun. I'm YOUR gun. (Hold me.)

August 14, 2007, 12:27 AM	#21
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...small pistol magnum..." You don't need magnum primers for either just because the word 'magnum' is in the name. Magnum primers burn a bit hotter for a bit longer than regular primers. They're for lighting hard to ignite powders and for extreme cold weather shooting with any cartridge. You only need them if you manual says to use them. Regular small pistol primers will do nicely for the .357. Large pistol for the .41. You'll likely get over using jacketed bullets if you shoot a lot. They're far more expensive than cast or plated bullets.

August 14, 2007, 12:51 AM	#22
BluesBear Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Location: Mill Creek, Washington (The Great Pacific NorthWet) Posts: 378	I have found through the years that Magnum primers work better with Hodgdon H-110 powder in .41 and .44 cartridges. But with 2400, using Magnum primers actually gave me WORSE accuracy and more erratic velocities than standard primers. Speer discovered the same thing when they reshot their 2400 data for the #13 manual. Their newer data shows higher velocities with lower pressures when using standard primers. __________________ ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΈ, Y'all The "Fashion Calibers" seem to come and go but when all is said and done everybody comes back to the forty-five. (Chris Curino - Kimber Mfg. Co.) __________________ Airplane Pictures

August 14, 2007, 12:59 AM	#23
caz223 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,429	H110 calls for magnum primers in .41 mag. If you're gonna use H110, I would advise magnum primers. Whether to use magnum primers with 2400 in large calibers depends on the weather you're expecting. If there's a chance your rounds might be shot below freezing, definately use magnum primers. I use magnum primers with ball powders in anything that takes large primers. That's not a hard and fast rule, that's just my common sense patch to the books. I shoot in cold weather. I don't use H110 for .357, I prefer 2400 in smaller calibers like .357, it works fine with standard primers. Magnum primers in .357 (With 2400) will open up your groups, so unless the book calls for magnum primers, I wouldn't use 'em. Confusing, huh? *EDIT* The bear is quicker on the draw than I, but we both said about the same thing..... __________________ I'm not just a gun. I'm YOUR gun. (Hold me.)

August 14, 2007, 09:00 AM	#24
Jart Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2001 Location: Grand Prairie, TX Posts: 1,647	I finally got a single stage so I'll likely be "dabbling" a bit more with the .41 than I did with the .357. The .357 with 158 grain XTPs, H-110 and SPMag primers was probably not a good choice to start off with. First off, Speer 12's max load was under Lyman 3's min load and Hodgdon warned against going below minimums. I let Hodgdon's web site play "tie-breaker". Much like sausages and legislation, coming up with a "production" load was a process likely better left unobserved. I ran 5 or 6 hundred and still have some to shoot up before I put the 357 toolhead back on. I anticipate no similar "interesting times" with .41 Mag - Lyman 3 shows all powders with the WLP "one size fits all primer" which, by happy coincidence, was the only LP primer I could find at Sportsman's Warehouse. It seems the current shortages will make a number of my choices for me. I should've gotten the single stage a long time ago - suddenly working up 10 round batches for the chrono is fun.