pet loads for .357 herrett ?

blaser.306 · July 17, 2011, 07:43 AM

Does anyone here shoot and load for the .357 herrett ? I checked with the Hodgdon manual and website and found only a few loads! I prefer cast but will take a look at any / all . Most of them seeming to be rather "anemic" I will be using a 10" bbl tc contender . Obviously any "direction" would be given a close look and all loads would be started low and worked up to . Thanks in advance .

full case load · July 17, 2011, 10:24 AM

A long time ago I did, don't have the 14 inch barrel or dies anymore. I used 4227 by both IMR (Dupont) and Hodgdon behind a 140 gr. bullet with a LR primer. I favored H4227 just a little. You could substitute IMR loads for Hodgdon but not Hodgdon for IMR, (Hodgdon was a little "hotter" than IMR). I burned 31 gr. of IMR 4227 and 28.5 gr. of H4227 (both were then listed as mid-range charges). Speer Number 10 and Hodgdon's number 23 reloading manuals have other starting/max loads listed. Seems like I remember Thompson Center listing a few loads with the paperwork that came with the barrel, have you checked there? I recall quite a bit of satisfaction in making that case from a 30-30 case. Not an easy feat, especially hand trimming a quarter inch off after necking up to .357. Then a 10% load reduction for fire forming the case. Next I'd get maybe 3 or 4 firings per case before the disappointing bright ring started about 3/16" above the rim. The dreaded case head separation! You can bend a paperclip and feel it inside the case. The round should headspace on the shoulder, not the rim. Trying to get longer case life I indexed each round as I loaded it in the chamber and only neck sized making sure not to set the shoulder back at all. I think it helped some. Hard hitting, accurate, hard recoil, with poor case life is the way I remember 357 Herrett. Very worth the experience though. Good luck!

Lemmon · July 17, 2011, 12:12 PM

I had to dig out my 357 Herrett cartridge box to find the load I used for a 200 gr Remington Round Nose Soft point. It was very accurate and I used it to hit targets at 200 yards with Iron sights many years ago. The load was 34 grains of N200. Not sure if you can find the N200 any more. It was very accurate. Have fun
Lemmon

July 17, 2011, 07:43 AM	#1
blaser.306 Junior Member Join Date: October 18, 2009 Posts: 5	pet loads for .357 herrett ? Does anyone here shoot and load for the .357 herrett ? I checked with the Hodgdon manual and website and found only a few loads! I prefer cast but will take a look at any / all . Most of them seeming to be rather "anemic" I will be using a 10" bbl tc contender . Obviously any "direction" would be given a close look and all loads would be started low and worked up to . Thanks in advance .

July 17, 2011, 10:24 AM	#2
full case load Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2010 Posts: 166	A long time ago I did, don't have the 14 inch barrel or dies anymore. I used 4227 by both IMR (Dupont) and Hodgdon behind a 140 gr. bullet with a LR primer. I favored H4227 just a little. You could substitute IMR loads for Hodgdon but not Hodgdon for IMR, (Hodgdon was a little "hotter" than IMR). I burned 31 gr. of IMR 4227 and 28.5 gr. of H4227 (both were then listed as mid-range charges). Speer Number 10 and Hodgdon's number 23 reloading manuals have other starting/max loads listed. Seems like I remember Thompson Center listing a few loads with the paperwork that came with the barrel, have you checked there? I recall quite a bit of satisfaction in making that case from a 30-30 case. Not an easy feat, especially hand trimming a quarter inch off after necking up to .357. Then a 10% load reduction for fire forming the case. Next I'd get maybe 3 or 4 firings per case before the disappointing bright ring started about 3/16" above the rim. The dreaded case head separation! You can bend a paperclip and feel it inside the case. The round should headspace on the shoulder, not the rim. Trying to get longer case life I indexed each round as I loaded it in the chamber and only neck sized making sure not to set the shoulder back at all. I think it helped some. Hard hitting, accurate, hard recoil, with poor case life is the way I remember 357 Herrett. Very worth the experience though. Good luck! __________________ live and let live

July 17, 2011, 12:12 PM	#3
Lemmon Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2009 Location: Rural South Carolina Posts: 445	Had to dig out my 357 Herrett cartridge box I had to dig out my 357 Herrett cartridge box to find the load I used for a 200 gr Remington Round Nose Soft point. It was very accurate and I used it to hit targets at 200 yards with Iron sights many years ago. The load was 34 grains of N200. Not sure if you can find the N200 any more. It was very accurate. Have fun Lemmon