Are these rounds ok?

[EMC45]

That is a light load for a .357 Magnum. That is also a 158gr. Lee bullet WITHOUT a gas check. This bullet is designed to be used with a gas check and it may suffer in the accuracy dept. if they are fired as is. Also you may get barrel leading as well. They are seated to deep as you may well have assumed. They are NOT cimped in the crimping groove, nor is there any lube in the lube grooves. That is a big no no right there. I would pull all the bullets and salvage the components and reload them correctly.

 

[Clarke123]

Hmmm ... From what I see, they should be OK to shoot. They may not perform optimally, but they should be safe.

As for seating too deep, as long as there is an equivalent non-compressed .38 Special load ("Plus" included) I wouldn't worry about them.

Keep in mind that typical 148 Grain Wad-Cutters are seated "flush" with the case rim!
AND a number of people have loaded Hollow-Base Wad-Cutters inverted "hot" over a gas check .. as a defensive load that
is awesome beyond belief!

 

[Petro_58]

...........................Hollow-Base Wad-Cutters inverted "hot" over a gas check .. as a defensive load that
is awesome beyond belief! ......

I keep a box of these in the drawer with My Dan Wesson .357mag. Your right, what an Awesome Load!

 

[a__l__a__n]

Probably close enough, now for a 38+P Alliant lists 3.9gr Bullseye, Min. OAL 1.44, so more like you said a HIGH LOAD 38+P, not sure what you'd have going on with the Pressures though. I don't load with Bullseye. I do have a question about the Nice Close up picture of the Nickle Brass though. Looks like a couple small Cracks in the side or are they just scratches? Remember also Nickel Brass Usually doesn't last as many reloads as Regular Brass or at least in my experience.

Examined with a magnifying glass -- just a few superficial scratches. It's been fired a couple of times, reloaded twice I think. Rim is nice and clean.

 

[a__l__a__n]

That is a light load for a .357 Magnum. That is also a 158gr. Lee bullet WITHOUT a gas check. This bullet is designed to be used with a gas check and it may suffer in the accuracy dept. if they are fired as is. Also you may get barrel leading as well. They are seated to deep as you may well have assumed. They are NOT cimped in the crimping groove, nor is there any lube in the lube grooves. That is a big no no right there. I would pull all the bullets and salvage the components and reload them correctly.

I have read that LSWC only require a gas check if loaded to around 1000 fps or higher. I think this one is in the 800's, max... and probably less in my snubbie.

As for lube, it was there. I removed it along with the powder after removing the bullet in my inertia bullet puller.

 

[Petro_58]

Shooting Low Power Loads the cases will last alot longer anyway. But Nickel cases, still usually don't last quite as long as brass cases do. Nice closeups of the case though.

 

[45cal]

Too deep and needs a good roll crimp and crimp ring

 

[a__l__a__n]

I shot a few cylinders of these in my Taurus 617 yesterday and thought folks might like to hear how it went. I had no problems with these rounds. In fact I shot my best groups of the day with these (I'm not exactly expert but I could tell these were more consistent than the walmart winchester range rounds). Recoil was manageable in my 2" Taurus 617.

I'm going to reload these in 4gr BE with 158gr SWC from Red Rock Bullets, but I'll seat them less deeply so they will crimp in the cannelure.

I also shot some hand loads I made in 38 special, same bullet as above but with 3.5gr BE. Those felt about like the walmart range rounds -- very mild.

 

[Going Postal]

Glad they worked out for you. I didn't think you would have any problems with them. Not quite the same but I have been loading a 158 grain Keith Type bullet for years, looks the same but doesn't have the indention for the gas check!