357 reloads

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The wife and I went shooting today. I had 250 rds of ammo that I put together with the slugs that I'm casting. On another site that is devoted to casting and reloading I have observed that they seem to see a difference in accuracy between water quenched slugs and air cooled in the lower pressured milder loads. I had 50 water quenched and fifty air cooled slugs for each powder charge that I loaded. The first was 5.5 gr. unique and saw no difference and both were ok and I will try some lower chargers next. I also tried 4.5 grs of red dot and they kind of sucked. I also had 50 rds of magnums using 14 grains of 2400 and they were splendid, never shot the old ladies colt so well I plan on devoting the next 500 water quenched that will be ready for sizing this week to that charge. 6 rd tight cluster after 6 rd tight cluster. It doesn't surprise me because I have had such good luck with that powder over the years. I also had my blackhawk 45 along and that gun positively loves 6 gr.s of red dot with a 270 gr. SWC. I still want as my wife wants a mild 357 special load so with what I have which is unique and bullseye something will click. I think I'll try 3.5 grs of bullseye next.
"Hillary Clinton is the finest, bravest, kindest, the most wonderful person I've ever known in my whole life" Raymond Shaw

Re: 357 reloads

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I was into blacksmithing for a time and learned about keeping metal soft by slower cooling and decreasing malleability by quenching. That could be the reason for the difference in the two processes and the variations in accuracy.
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Puffing up is no substitute for smarts but it's a common home remedy

Re: 357 reloads

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What's the weight of your .357 rounds?

I reload 125gr and use 7.8gr of 231, seems stiffer than the WWB stuff and shoots well. I also use 8.8gr of Power Pistol, which only is listed for 110 and 125gr and not heavier. PP is really targeted at 9mm and the like - that is small case, high pressure rounds. eelj, or anyone have any theories why it might not be used for heavier bullets? I'm just curious. I've used it for .38 but seems very sooty for that application. Works great in Mak reloads though. Both 231 and PP seem a little sooty all the time, but nothing on the gun that requires more than a wipe to clean.

Edit doh nevermind, I found some PP formulas out to 180gr. on Handloads.
When only cops have guns, it's called a police state.
I carry due to toxic masculinity.......just other people's.

Re: 357 reloads

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These are 158 gr. round nose flat point, very reminiscent of a Veral Smith design. I have a Lee 6 cavity mould. The reason the posters on the other sight claim is a softer straight wheel weight alloy will catch the rifling better. I saw no difference and detected no leading to bitch about in other words after a couple of hundred rounds a couple of passes with the brush and hoppes #9 cleaned it up. Before I buy any more powder I will exhaust my testing patience with what I have. Although 14 gr.s which is not max. for this bullet with 2400 is splendid I also intend to experiment with IMR 4227, might buy some mag. primers and fart around with 296. But I do want a mild load that I can load up so I have about a 1000 on hand at all times. This bullet I'm casting with the Lee mold is good enough that I'm going to melt the rest of the bullets that I bought quite some time ago and cast them up with the new mould. Next month I have a line on a custom 4 cavity mould in 44 that I'm going to buy for the 44s I own. I think I'll need more WWs sooner than i thought.
"Hillary Clinton is the finest, bravest, kindest, the most wonderful person I've ever known in my whole life" Raymond Shaw

Re: 357 reloads

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Damn that 2400 has a lot of weight in it's formulas - but I see a lot of larger/mag loads using it. Is it just heavy or does it take up a lot of volume as well?
When only cops have guns, it's called a police state.
I carry due to toxic masculinity.......just other people's.

Re: 357 reloads

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Antiquus wrote:Damn that 2400 has a lot of weight in it's formulas - but I see a lot of larger/mag loads using it. Is it just heavy or does it take up a lot of volume as well?
Its the burn rate, it burns slow so you can fill up the case more with out the pressure spike that you get from fast burning powder. 296 and H110 is so slow burning that a lot of the data for them shows a compressed charge. A pound of 2400 is the same by volume and size as bullseye or 231.
"Hillary Clinton is the finest, bravest, kindest, the most wonderful person I've ever known in my whole life" Raymond Shaw

Re: 357 reloads

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JoelB wrote:Wheel weights are usually hard enough without quenching.
I don't have a hardness tester, from what I have read WW are generally around 9 or 10 BH, quenching brings them up to between 15 and 18. I figure on using quenched for magnum loads and air cooled for everything else. Eventually if I can find an inexpensive source for adding tin an antimony like magnum shot Iwill just smelt my own different alloys, I find the process fun and interesting.
"Hillary Clinton is the finest, bravest, kindest, the most wonderful person I've ever known in my whole life" Raymond Shaw

Re: 357 reloads

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eelj wrote:I don't have a hardness tester, from what I have read WW are generally around 9 or 10 BH, quenching brings them up to between 15 and 18. I figure on using quenched for magnum loads and air cooled for everything else. Eventually if I can find an inexpensive source for adding tin an antimony like magnum shot Iwill just smelt my own different alloys, I find the process fun and interesting.
My ac ww are in the 12 - 13 bhn range which ain't bad. If I remember correctly, Elmer Keith would use 11 bhn in his hot loads.

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