.357mag loading

[6MT]

I recently purchased a Uberti Colt replica SA in .357mag. It is a Cattleman Drifter model with the 5-1/4" octagonal barrel. I already shoot this caliber in my Winchester 1873. With the rifle, I use H-110. So I thought I would try it with the revolver. I'm using 125gr FCP/TC plated bullets. (And sometimes I use XTP's in the same weight.) I'm using Starline brass and SP magnum primers.

Using Hodgdon data, I started with a hundred rounds at a 21.0 grain charge. Their minimum for H-110 in a revolver and that weight bullet. Talk about a flame throw'n, shoulder kicking, hand shattering load. The muzzle flash was so big, I had people coming over to me at the range that thought I was shooting a 454 Casull.

Thus ended that experiment. I chose Titegroup to continue on my journey with the revolver. I loaded 50 rounds at 6.8gr, and 50 rounds at 7.0gr. What a difference! I liked the 6.8gr charge better. It's easy to shoot. And pretty accurate too. It is cleaner as well. And spent casings just fall out of the cylinder, unlike the H-110 loads that needed help to be removed.

Here's my question(s). Can I load down with Titegroup? How low can you go? What kind of speeds should I expect with the 125gr bullet and lower charge weights?

I don't compete in Cowboy Action, but I may one day.

[August]

Primers start backing out (fail to reseat) at somewhere around 3.2 grains of Titegroup.  I run at 3.5 to be be on the safe side and avoid a stoppage.

[wildman1]

I recently purchased a Uberti Colt replica SA in .357mag. It is a Cattleman Drifter model with the 5-1/4" octagonal barrel. I already shoot this caliber in my Winchester 1873. With the rifle, I use H-110. So I thought I would try it with the revolver. I'm using 125gr FCP/TC plated bullets. (And sometimes I use XTP's in the same weight.) I'm using Starline brass and SP magnum primers.

Using Hodgdon data, I started with a hundred rounds at a 21.0 grain charge. Their minimum for H-110 in a revolver and that weight bullet. Talk about a flame throw'n, shoulder kicking, hand shattering load. The muzzle flash was so big, I had people coming over to me at the range that thought I was shooting a 454 Casull.

Thus ended that experiment. I chose Titegroup to continue on my journey with the revolver. I loaded 50 rounds at 6.8gr, and 50 rounds at 7.0gr. What a difference! I liked the 6.8gr charge better. It's easy to shoot. And pretty accurate too. It is cleaner as well. And spent casings just fall out of the cylinder, unlike the H-110 loads that needed help to be removed.

Here's my question(s). Can I load down with Titegroup? How low can you go? What kind of speeds should I expect with the 125gr bullet and lower charge weights?

I don't compete in Cowboy Action, but I may one day.

The Hodgden reloading manual list for H110 and that bullet weight is 22gs MAXIMUM there is no minimum listed in their manual.
Check the Lyman manual for starting loads.
wM1

[Froogal]

5.5 to 6 grains of Unique works very well, or about 4.5 grains of TrailBoss.

[ira scott]

To answer your original question,  it looks like to me that 6.8 is the recommended "starting load" with a 125 grain XTP-velocity of 1425 fps.  This is in a 2019 edition of Modern Reloading by Richard Lee.  It is not generally recommended to go below the staring load.  My most recent Hornady book and the Lyman 50th Anniversary manual do not even list Titegroup with jacketed bullets in the .357 Magnum which is possibly an indication it didn't work very well for them? As far as H110 21 grains is the starting load in the Lyman book,  but the Hornady book shows the starting load at 17.4 grains @ 1250 fps with a MAXIMUM of 19.9 @ 1500fps.
My recommendation FWIW (possibly nothing) would be to load .38 Specials if you want a lighter load,  I do get that you want the same load in rifle/revolver.

B.N.Scotty

[6MT]

Yeah, loading down with H-110 is not really what one should do. All I was looking for was a better manageable load for the Uberti. I think I found it. I loaded slightly down to 6.5gr of Titegroup and seem to have found my happy place. I haven't chrony'ed the load yet.

[Peyote Pete]

With my new Uberti I've been using W-231 with 125gr LFP, I keep a lot on hand for the ACP. No appreciable recoil at 5.5grs. With jacketed bullets I've had good preliminary results with Unique and Winchester 158gr both in terms of accuracy and moderate recoil. I use Alliant 2400 for the fast stuff in all .357 bullet weights. W296 and H110 have a very narrow window and don't respond well to downloading. I have downloaded 2400 for magnum snubbies with good results.