Powder for 357 magnum in short barrel

[a__l__a__n]

I want to load some 158gr JHP 357 magnum rounds for a Taurus 617 (stainless steel, 28 oz, 2" barrel). I'm looking for a "reasonable" high end load for this gun -- not a super hot 357 but a real magnum load that makes sense in this revolver.

What would be the best choice of powder for my purposes? And what would be a reasonable expectation for muzzle velocity?

I've been loading 38 specials with Bullseye but conventional wisdom seems to be that it's not the best choice for magnum loads.

Thanks!

 

[kimchee45]

You pose an interesting question of loading full power loads into a short barrel gun.



If you have hair on your knuckles, this may burn off.



I have an article by Dick Metcalf in a 2002 edition of "Hodgdon's Annual Manual of Reloading", starting on page 34, that discusses your very desire.



As you already know, most all reloading manuals show loads for 4 inch and longer barrels.



I would summarize Mr. Metcalf's comments as, 'Try many different components until you find something you like.'



Yes, I know that is little help, but as he notes in his article, All the big Manufacturing Companies aim for the largest customer base, which is 4 inch or longer barrels in .357.

As a personal note, I once shot some full power loads of .44 Magnum in a derringer.

They performed just fine, if you don't add in the cost of the 'Band-aids'.

 

[tas6691]

Accurate Arms powder, AA9. Less muzzle flash and lower noise. Brian Pearce wrote an article about it in Handloader earlier this year. Much less flash and noise than 2400 per my experience.

 

[Petro_58]

You pose an interesting question of loading full power loads into a short barrel gun.



If you have hair on your knuckles, this may burn off.



I have an article by Dick Metcalf in a 2002 edition of "Hodgdon's Annual Manual of Reloading", starting on page 34, that discusses your very desire.



As you already know, most all reloading manuals show loads for 4 inch and longer barrels.



I would summarize Mr. Metcalf's comments as, 'Try many different components until you find something you like.'



Yes, I know that is little help, but as he notes in his article, All the big Manufacturing Companies aim for the largest customer base, which is 4 inch or longer barrels in .357.

As a personal note, I once shot some full power loads of .44 Magnum in a derringer.

They performed just fine, if you don't add in the cost of the 'Band-aids'.

That would make a good Sig line:
"As a personal note, I once shot some full power loads of .44 Magnum in a derringer.
They performed just fine, if you don't add in the cost of the 'Band-aids'."

 

[a__l__a__n]

You pose an interesting question of loading full power loads into a short barrel gun.



If you have hair on your knuckles, this may burn off.



I have an article by Dick Metcalf in a 2002 edition of "Hodgdon's Annual Manual of Reloading", starting on page 34, that discusses your very desire.



As you already know, most all reloading manuals show loads for 4 inch and longer barrels.



I would summarize Mr. Metcalf's comments as, 'Try many different components until you find something you like.'



Yes, I know that is little help, but as he notes in his article, All the big Manufacturing Companies aim for the largest customer base, which is 4 inch or longer barrels in .357.

As a personal note, I once shot some full power loads of .44 Magnum in a derringer.

They performed just fine, if you don't add in the cost of the 'Band-aids'.

Keep in mind that at 28+ oz, the Taurus 617 weighs twice as much as the featherweight revolvers. I'm not interested in firing these rounds in a titanium J-frame.

The question I'm trying to answer is which powder will give me the best performance out of a short barrel. Typical full magnum loads are designed for 4 to 6 inch barrels. Firing them in a 2" barrel results in a fireball of powder being burned after the bullet has already left the barrel. The ideal powder would burn fast enough to be done by the time the bullet leaves the barrel -- but slow enough to sustain close to the designed pressure until the bullet leaves the barrel. From what I read, apparently Bullseye burns faster than that, and produces a very short but high pressure spike. That doesn't give the bullet a sustained push, which limits velocity... and you can't increase the powder enough to compensate because it would put the pressure spike too high.

I'd like to get these rounds up to around 1200 fps from this gun. I'd settle for 1100 fps I guess.

Buffalo bore gets 1100 fps out of this reduced power short barrel load in a 2.5" barrel:
http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=105

And they get 1300 fps (3 inch barrel) out of this heavy magnum load:
http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=102

I don't expect to be able to match their results. I'm just trying to learn the best approach to get as close as feasible with powders available to the average hand loader.

 

[a__l__a__n]

Accurate Arms powder, AA9. Less muzzle flash and lower noise. Brian Pearce wrote an article about it in Handloader earlier this year. Much less flash and noise than 2400 per my experience.

Thanks that looks like an interesting option. Their data from a 6" barrel:

------ bulllet ---------- start --- velocity -- max -- velocity -- pressure -- COL
No.9 158 HDY XTP -- 12.4 --- 1,202 -- 13.8 ---- 1,367 -- 35,022 -- 1.580

 

[kimchee45]

That would make a good Sig line:
"As a personal note, I once shot some full power loads of .44 Magnum in a derringer.
They performed just fine, if you don't add in the cost of the 'Band-aids'."

~~~
Petro_58,
You have my permission to use that signature line as you wish.

Kimchee45