loads for a .357 and the CAS

[Lewie Girardeau]

       HIYA Everyone;


            I just bought my first revolver ( two guns bought, two to go ) and I was just wondering....

     When shooting a .357 MAG do most shootist use 38 spl, or the mag brass and what would be a good beginning load to use that will fall with in the CAS guidlines as far as bullet speed ?
     I have read someplace that you fill a case and subtract the area the bullet takes up when loading with black powder.
     Having never shot a black powder case before I have no clue.
     Also is true black the way to go or is a sub better for the beginner?

     I tried the subs with my front loaders and ended up pouring them into a pile and lighting off poor mans fire works and never looked back from Goex!!

                                                                      Thanks,

                                                                               Louie Girardeau

[fourfingersofdeath]

I shoot the bigger calibres, but from what I have seen, virtually all of the shooters her in Australia that shoot 38/357s use the 38 brass. 38  brass is all I ever used in precision and combat shooting before I started shooting big bores in Cowboy.

I use black powder and no fillers, but most shooters do use fillers.

Darstardly Dan put me onto the 'big lube rule of thumb.' Fill the case with enough black powder so the the boolit compresses the powder exactly to the point where the crimp groove lines up with the mouth of the case when pushed in by the thumb.

For the dollar or two saved on a day's shooting it is not worth the effort farting about with fillers I feel.

Mo powder, Mo smoke, Mo bang, Mo flames, Mo fun!!!

[Charlie Bowdre]

Hay Lewie
I shoot a pair of Ruger NV in .357  , as well as a Uberti 73 in the same cal.
In the RNV's for plinking and playing I shoot 38 brass.in all but the 73 .


Plinking and Playing
38 brass in RNV's
BP loads
18gr of 2 ff Goex ,same boolit ,  no filler but I put a nitro over powder wad in over the BP .. I don't know why , just keep thinking about the lube maybe migrating to the BP. Loves the BP I do!

Shooting for Glory!!
.357 brass in all RNV's and the 73

BP LOAD
20 grains of 2ff Goex , nitro over powder wad , no fillers

Now before half the FORUM jumps all over me , these work for me and I'm comfortable with them.

I do like shooting the BP but find the Rugers bind real quick .

When we do real old timey BP shoots I use a brace of 38 cal Uberti 51 Navies , RM Conversions by Cimmeron FC with the BP . They eat it up.

Have fun , enjoy
Dutchy

[Dick Dastardly]

For trouble free SASS match duty, I'd recommend either a .38 Special or .357 Magnum case with compressed FFFg Holy Black under a Snakebite Greasewagon 158 grain Big Lube® bullet.  For the .38 Special, compress the powder and crimp in the crimp grove to yield .357 Magnum SAAMI OAL ammo that will run in your .357 Magnum rifles and pistols.  For .357 Magnum cases, seat the bullet on the same amount of Holy Black, about 1/8" deeper and crimp on the bullet ogive.

You'll find that .38 Special brass is cheaper and serves your SASS match use just fine.  But, if you have already got .357 Magnum brass, you can use it just as well.  .38 Special range brass is about as cheap as it gets.  Snakebite, the designer of the bullet that has his name, designed that Big Lube® bullet for exactly the mission you have stated.  I now have Snakebite Big Lube® molds in stock again.

DD-DLoS

[Noz]

I don't see that anyone has mentioned one of the drawback to shooting 38s in a 357 chamber gun.
If you shoot 38s and want to go to a 357 case, YOU MUST clean the chamber/chambers thoroughly.  The 38s will leave a fouling ring at the mouth of the case and cause poor or incomplete chambering of the 357 case. I spent 45 minutes with a 50 cal bore brush(only one available) at a shoot cleaning my grandsons revolvers. He had been shooting 38s but brought only 357 cased rounds to the shoot.

[Jefro]

Stick with the .38, much easier with the 158gr Snakebite and real BP fffg, great load. The Snakebite is designed to give the OAL of  357 in a .38, so as DD said you need to seat it deeper in the .357 to feed relialbe. Good Luck.

Jefro

[Montana Slim]

I don't see that anyone has mentioned one of the drawback to shooting 38s in a 357 chamber gun.
If you shoot 38s and want to go to a 357 case, YOU MUST clean the chamber/chambers thoroughly.  The 38s will leave a fouling ring at the mouth of the case and cause poor or incomplete chambering of the 357 case. I spent 45 minutes with a 50 cal bore brush(only one available) at a shoot cleaning my grandsons revolvers. He had been shooting 38s but brought only 357 cased rounds to the shoot.

Very true.... but, hopefully Lewie's revolvers will get a regular cleaning after each BP shooting session 
Regards,
Slim

[fourfingersofdeath]

How many of those snakebite 38 loads can you fit in a 20" 357 Rossi mag tube? I sort of remember that I couldn't fit 10 357s in it. My wife will be using it and I think she will be running BP, she is a new shooter and is very impressed with the boom, flames and smoke!

[Cuts Crooked]

How many of those snakebite 38 loads can you fit in a 20" 357 Rossi mag tube? I sort of remember that I couldn't fit 10 357s in it. My wife will be using it and I think she will be running BP, she is a new shooter and is very impressed with the boom, flames and smoke!

I can load 10 rounds of .357 manglem in my 20" Rossi and 10 38 Snakebites too. However, my Rossi is a much older one. Seems like I recall that they changed the follower on the later models and they need to have the follower replaced to assure that 10 wiill fit?

[Noz]

Very true.... but, hopefully Lewie's revolvers will get a regular cleaning after each BP shooting session 
Regards,
Slim

Yup. Kid was shooting smokeless. Still fouled it out without heavy scrubbing

[Charlie Bowdre]

Noz
Something to watch for I'm sure.I know my Uberti 73 does NOT like 38's no matter How much I play with them . So for Match shooting I use it and my RNV's with 357 rounds.
I'm a bit paranoid so I always clean my firearms after ever trip no matter how many rounds I fire .. 35 years in harness is hard to forget.
Cheers
Dutchy

[Montana Slim]

Dutchy, Have you tried long-seating a bullet into the .38 case as I described?
That is what most folks in these parts use, particularly in the 1873.
.38 brass is cheep compared to .357 magnum.... & practically free compared to the .44-40s I use.

Regards,
Slim

[Charlie Bowdre]

Montana Slim
Hello, Yeah I played with different sizing's a bit then said to heck with it , As I'm shooting 357 in everything , it was easier to go with the 357 brass and Snakebite. Now having said that it is harder t get brass out of the suppliers in the US , I should say impossible with the new export fees. So I have 3 or 4 thousand 38 brass sitting in bags . This conversation has got me thinking again . I may give it another try. Always fun to fool around anyway Tks
Enjoy
Dutchy

[Lewie Girardeau]

              Well you know......


                     I would tend to think that more shooting is more prctice.
           Sorta like unlce sam teaching and reteaching until you can recite it while you have been doing it for hours on end!!!
            But on a serious note thank you all for the help, like I mentioned a front loader is like kindergarden and having no experience what so ever with a cartrage gun.
     I truely look forward to this, In fact I hope to work up a good shooting iron before I have to go over to the other side of the pond!!
     This will depend on how much time uncle gives me before I go to Afganastan in JAN 2011!

      I just hope I am able to return and finish the project......... god willing.

                   Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless-Service

                                                 Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage
           WHEN IN DOUBT CALL IN AN ARTILLERY STRIKE,   
               Artillery, the KING o battle

                                                                                             Rob Wright
                                                                           
                                                                                     Louie Girardeau,


                                                           Louie Girardeau

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Infantry is the queen of battle

Artillery is the King of battle

who puts his balls

Where the queen wants 'em!

UBIQUE!