I really like my 357 Magnum revolvers, and I'm thinking about picking up a new 686+, but, yamahama! ammo is expensive! Those of you who regularly shoot 357, do you buy factory ammo, or reload for it?

Ive not tried reloading it yet, but might try it this year - it sure is an expensive round for as fast as i go through a box

Bought enough to have a stock of brass. Reloads after that. No artificial extra cost.

I used to reload it years ago, but now just buy it. Not an issue for me since I shoot .357 much less than I used to.

Planning for a uncertain political future, I have begun stock piling ammo for all the guns in the safe. I also bought reloading dies and supplies for every gun.
If I can't buy it in the future I will make it for myself or family.
357/38 is one of them.

H110 or 296 for full power loads while hiking. 2400 for other loads.

PC

Only 357 is a 66 from the 1970s and rarely shoot it. I do reload for it.

It's been at least 40 years since I bought a factory round of .357 magnum ammo (same for .45 Colt and .44mag)...reload all the way from mild (the norm) to wild...you don't have to beat yourself or the firearm up to enjoy the various "magnum" cartridges...it's all for fun when you think about it ...being this is the "real world" 99.9% of the time.

I don't shoot it much. I do not like reloading 357 because of the skinny cases. Factory ammo is expensive, although I recently tried some Tula steel case ammo which is quite affordable. Unfortunately, sticky extraction makes it best for single action revolvers and not DA with swing-out cylinders. I will buy factory ammo if I find any good deals.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GaryBF,

There are some deals out there. I have good luck buying from Ammo To Go or SG Ammo. And on sale to cut into the shipping bite. I plink with
.38 and only do 100 rounds a gun per year of .357

Reload. It's definitely one of those calibers that will save you money. Most of my .357 loads are 296/H110, and for plunking stuff I just shoot .38s. I have several revolvers that I've never shot factory ammo through.

Reload for all of my centerfire handguns.

quote:

Originally posted by 4x5:
I really like my 357 Magnum revolvers, and I'm thinking about picking up a new 686+, but, yamahama! ammo is expensive! Those of you who regularly shoot 357, do you buy factory ammo, or reload for it?

Being a revolver then brass is very easy to keep track of so reloading for a revolver is quite economical. Plus the .38 & .357 brass lasts a long time if not abused.

I haven't bought a factory .38 or .357 for probably 40 years now.

Somewhat of a breakdown...

.357 brass...zero from the range leftovers I have picked over the years (I'm not picky...if it ain't split or weirded out in another way I reload it)...FREE

130 grain coated FNRP bullets from Donnie Summers @ $140 per 2000 shipped...(cheaper if I cast my own from range scrap not counting my time of which I have a shitpot full if the weather is OK...but not really worth the effort until times change/tighten up)...

https://www.summersenterprises...tek-38-130gr-500.htm

Primers (whatever price you can buy them locally or bulk)...I'm doing $33.53 per K with tax for WSPP locally at my LGS...

3.5 grains per round with Hodgdon Clays (or Alliant Clay Dot)...2000 rounds loaded per pound of powder...as with everything YMMV on powder costs...

I stopped counting my equipment costs so many years ago...I have been doing this so long...Dillon RL450 from the middle 80s...LEE dies from 30+ years ago...like I said YMMV depending on how long you have been rolling your own.

This breakdown is subject to change with the times...but I'm glad I reload these common calibers

Like fredJ338 says in his tag line "IF YOU AREN'T HANDLOADING, YOU AREN'T SHOOTING ENOUGH!"

I reload for most all my calibers. I'm currently own one 357 mag - a Smith model 19 and I just don't feel comfortable shooting lots of 357 through it. I'll get an L frame or a Ruger GP and continue shooting 38 spl in my 19. I have other 38 revolvers so there's always a stash of reloads here for them.

quote:

Originally posted by jackimoe:
I reload for most all my calibers. I'm currently own one 357 mag - a Smith model 19 and I just don't feel comfortable shooting lots of 357 through it. I'll get an L frame or a Ruger GP and continue shooting 38 spl in my 19. I have other 38 revolvers so there's always a stash of reloads here for them.

On the 19...it's not the run of the mill .357 that takes it's toll on the forcing cone...it's the 125 grain stuff that leads to issues over the long run (cracked forcing cones and all)...I load middle loading data towards cowboy action stuff and my Model 19s have rocked on for 30 years...it's a pleasure for me and the Smiths (course I feel the same with full house Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 mag loads in the 29)...L frames just say "whut"

I buy .357 defensive rounds, but load and shoot .38 specials.

I buy a little, and reload a lot, for the .357 Magnum -- mine are a 586 L Comp and 686-6 Plus 3".

Black Hills 125 grain JHP @1500 fps is my SD ammo and reference base for "hot" .357 ammo. I keep a box on hand, and shoot maybe one box of it per year. I do not hand load to that level, but rather load to make accurate and mostly moderate ammo.

I do enjoy hand loading a small number of .357 Magnum rounds with Power Pistol though -- 125 gr JHP over 10 grains PP. It usually makes people on the range pause firing for a short interval, and the fireball is the size of a basketball. And it is very accurate, too.

Also, much cheaper than the store-bought stuff.

I've been reloading for 28+ years now, and have reloaded for everything I shoot. Handguns, rifles, etc.

Calibers include .380, 9mm, .38/.357, .45, .44, etc.

Other than factory shotgun and .22lr ammo, I have not bought a single box of factory handgun ammo in all those years.

H110 and 158gr bullets are my standard full power .357 loads.

For .38 loads, I use Bullseye.

I do both

I have hand loaded tens of thousands of rounds of 357 Magnum over the decades. I will sit and hand load a few thousand of a specific configuration over a weekend then load something else the next weekend.

My cleaned and sorted brass sits in more than a dozen closed pretzel jars waiting for it's turn on the loading press



Much like 92fstech, I have many firearms that have never seen a single round of factory loaded ammunition.

However when a deal comes along on 357 Magnum ammunition, I will buy it from time to time.

There was a GREAT deal on Remington 110 SJHP some time back when all the revolver guys got scared of shooting light weigh bullets in there Smith and Wesson K-frames. Well my Lever action LOVES the stuff and it was way cheap, I could not have hand loaded it for much less

Also all of my personal defense ammunition is Premium Factory loaded ammunition