What is / is there a good powder for .38sp and .357 magnum?

[Hornet35]

New to pistol calibre reloading but I have a Rossi conditioned for target, vermin and AOLQ.

I would like to load 158 gr cast for gallery rifle that will be slow enough to lead foul the barrel, 110 gr hornady XTP for vermin as fast as I can and 140 grain Hornady FTX fast enough to be small deer legal for anything else.

Locally i can source Viht, Alliant and Hodgdon powders easily, I'd like to stick to 1 powder as its a smaller outlay and keeps things simple, I have read on a few forums across the pond that Lil gun at 16-18gr is a possibility for the FTX so that gives me one option for that load but I'd still like a powder for all 3 if possible.

Anyone doing something similar and what with?

[dodgyrog]

Viht 340 for magnum loads - look up the loads from the Viht website

[Daryll]

I think you're asking too much from one powder.... shooting 158gn lead at Gallery Rifle velocities is normally done with smallish amounts of a fairly quick pistol powder, e.g. Bullseye, Red dot, Vit 310 or 320, whereas Magnum loads need bigger loads of a slower powder.

I must admit I never load to magnum levels so know little about suitable powders, but I'd guess you're going to end up with at least 2 powders.

[mag41uk]

Either N340 or N110 for magnum and N310 or N320 for gallery loads.
You will need two powders IMHO.

[ColinR]

I use 12.5 grains N110 for magnum with a 158 grain FMJ giving around 1650 fps. For gallery I use 5.4 grains GM3 for a 158 grain flat point lead bullet at 1200 fps - probably a bit fast for gallery but it is accurate and soft shooting. These loads were worked up for a Marlin U/L so do the same for your Rossi.
It is very unlikely one powder can work efficiently at both ends of the spectrum so you'll need two powders to get the best results. Both these loads use magnum cases.

[DavidRees]

For 158gr lead bullets, either GM LTC or GM LRNFP, I found 4.7gr N340 gave a very accurate load at 25m and 50m in my Marlin .357. 890fps, 258 ft-lb.

10 shots in 32mm @25yds, edge-to-edge. Not too shabby.

Others at my club have used this load too, and they are now in the Scottish and British GR Squads.

2013 09 18 .357 Marlin 25yd GM 158gr LTC 4.7gr N340 Rem 1.5 Zero xT1.PDF

(176.8 KiB) Downloaded 227 times

For faster loads, N340 data from the Viht manual (available free, on-line) is the way to go. I think you can get away with one powder if you use this one...

[ColinR]

Hornet I just re-read your original post. What do you mean by 'slow enough to lead foul the barrel'?

[ColinR]

For 158gr lead bullets, either GM LTC or GM LRNFP, I found 4.7gr N340 gave a very accurate load at 25m and 50m in my Marlin .357. 890fps, 258 ft-lb.

10 shots in 32mm @25yds, edge-to-edge. Not too shabby.

Others at my club have used this load too, and they are now in the Scottish and British GR Squads.

2013 09 18 .357 Marlin 25yd GM 158gr LTC 4.7gr N340 Rem 1.5 Zero xT1.PDF

Is that in magnum cases or .38 spl?

[DavidRees]

Is that in magnum cases or .38 spl?

.357 cases.

A load for .38SPL cases could be developed, using slightly less powder. Start at 4.0gr N340, and work up.

One possible caution is that this load, in .38SPL cases, might be getting on the hot side for .38SPL guns. Fine in .357s, and since most of us lost our .38SPL pistols a while ago, it may not be an issue -- but worth thinking about if you have a .38SPL gun in your cabinet.

[ColinR]

Is that in magnum cases or .38 spl?

.357 cases.

A load for .38SPL cases could be developed, using slightly less powder. Start at 4.0gr N340, and work up.

One possible caution is that this load, in .38SPL cases, might be getting on the hot side for .38SPL guns. Fine in .357s, and since most of us lost our .38SPL pistols a while ago, it may not be an issue -- but worth thinking about if you have a .38SPL gun in your cabinet.

I was interested because I never use .38spl cases as the .357 cases chamber much more smoothly in a Marlin I find. Especially since I modified the carrier to take GM 158 grain TC's crimped properly into the cannelure - previously they were a couple of thou too long and jammed, so I filed off a bit of the carrier at the back to take a longer cartridge, sweet as a nut now! I have some N340 so I will give it a try. Thanks for the info.