Please critique this load

[Cap Magillicutty]

I've been experimenting with Bullseye in .357 and have settled (unscientifically) on the following load for CAS:

158 grain LRN
2.4 grains Alliant Bullseye
Federal Small Primers

I'm interested in hearing what others with much more reloading experience than I think about this. Do you think it's under powered? I have no method of checking velocity but it seems to be a nice compromise between a light load and enough performance to get the job done. I have not tested it in my lever gun yet, just pistols.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

[Doc Shapiro]

How does it group?  That's the bottom line. 

A light load that groups well will perform just fine.  A light load that doesn't will create misses just based on the pattern that it puts on paper.  First and foremost, you need a load that groups well.  If you can come up with a comfortable one that groups well then you are in good shape.

If your load prints at 3 inches at 10 yards, then that 16 inch target just became a 13 inch target.

Doc

[Bitterwheat]

I use 3.2 grs. in my .38's and I shoot it in both my pistols and rifle. Bullseye is real fine pwder and doesn't fill the case up. it just might be to light of a load for .357

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[Curley Cole]

I agree with Bitter, I have been usin bullseye for 38/357 for about 30 years, and your powder is on the real low side especially for 357. I load my 38's with 3.3gr Bullseye behind Bearcreek 154gr RNFP
I forget my 357 load (am at work so can't look it up) If you want my other load info, email or PM me and will get it to you to compare....I also shoot my 38's in both my pistols and rifles (GW2, Old Dakotas, Rossi 92 and an EMF 66 Yellowboy) the loads work fine in all of them and cycle real well in the rifles...

good shootin.
cc

[Curley Cole]

Oh I forgot, you don't really want to do a LRN in your rifles. You need to use a flat point. (The RN will sit on the primer of the round in front of it and can have some serious problems.) what ever brand of bullet you settle on go with a RNFP (round nose flat point)

cc

[Cyrille]

I reload .45 LC and stay toward the middle of the powder loads suggested in a reputable loading manual. I have shot my reloads through both my rifles and six-guns and have encountered no problems with the loads that I use in either the long guns or revolvers except that I have had a few nickel coated brass split in my revolvers (4 splits so far with the N.C. brass), but that is because those brass were weak and not due to under/overloads.

[Delmonico]

Simple, if it is from data published in a reliable loading book it should be fine, if it ain't, well get one, read it from cover to cover and never load under their minimum or over maximum, those folks know more about loads than you do.  There are reasons why not go go below minimum to complicated to explain in a simple post, even though many don't belive it.

[Cap Magillicutty]

Thanks for all of the advice.

I shot a match last weekend with the 2.4's and they perormed admirably with all three guns, but I may up them a little just for piece of mind.

Curly, I'm finishing out that last of a box of LRN's which have been replaced with 158 grn SWC's, I've also got a box of 128 grn RNFP's to play around with.

Regards,
Cap

[Delmonico]

So are they from lab developed data? 

[Curley Cole]

Cap

Ya still want to go with the RNFP (round nose flat point) especially for a rifle with a tube magazine.

good shooting
cc

[Cap Magillicutty]

CC, the 128 grn are RNFP's - that was a typo and I've corrected it.

I know a lot of guys that shoot LRN's through their rifle and that's what was suggested to me early on, when I made my second purchase of lead I switched to all flat nosed.

[Chance]

Back in the 'Good Old Days' (when we still had cartridge handguns) I loaded 3.4 grs  of Bullseye in .38sp and 6 grs in .357 for a S&W 686 revolver. Never had a rifle in this calibre as it ain't historically correct for the period.

[Cyrille]

If any o y'u shootests buy or subscribe to "Rifle's Handloader Magazine" read the "Skepticism" artical by Dave Socvill on pg. 6, of the June- July 2006 issue might make for an interesting topic---.