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Posted: 3/9/2017 10:57:31 PM EDT
| I've been offered a real deal on a compact 357 SIG. I see some pretty impressive velocity number for this cartridge, and I've heard some good things about it as well. I've figured out how to crimp the little bottleneck cartridge so setback shouldn't be a problem for me, outside of bullet length, is there anything else I need to watch out for? |
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I've loaded right at 1000 rounds of .357 Sig. Using Hornady XTPs and HAPs mostly and a few others.
Don't go crazy with the crimp, you can cause yourself some other issues. Seems like the right shape bullet is a more important factor than crimping. Using once fired brass and HAP or XTPs I haven't had any set back issues. Very light crimp. |
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Do you size the case all in 1 shot,, SIG die,, or,,,, do you hit the body first with a carbide 40 die, then finish neck in SIG die ?? I've actually done both with carbide Lee dies. The brass I've run through the .40die first were a bit easier. I've actually changed my process a bit and run it through the .40 factory crimp die with the Lee bulge buster kit that will take the case a little under sized, and then it runs through the .357 sig die very effortlessly. To me I think it just comes down to willingness to potentially deal with some stuck cases. Very low risk of a stuck case if you "pre-size" with a .40 die. If you already have it on hand and are willing to take the extra time, it is probably worth it. |
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Just started running this cartridge myself. Here is my process and the issues I have tackled...
Sizing first with 40 carbide die seems to help. Then no lube needed in Sig sizing die. I am running a 1050 with autodrive so I tossed them in the hopper with just 40 die. DIllon says to use the 9mm expanding plug in station 2 on 1050. This caused me horrible neck tension issues. I removed it and now do all expansion is done in powder die. All is good with the world now. Bullets.. man.. I thought I could get away with the large 9mm variety I have. One cool 135gr bullet I have was too top heavy. I couldn't seat it deep enough to fit in magazine. Test a few dummies rounds before you make any live rounds. I ran some less than optimal 9mm bullets in the sig last week. I was going to stick with them but saw a good deal on more appropriate bullets so I am going to try them next before I run a batch. Good luck! |
| I bought a couple of boxes of SIG factory ammo today, the bullets have a huge hollowpoint with a large meplat. More of a cup point than anything. I'm guessing XTPs are probably my best bet for JHP. Maybe I can find a stubby 124 gr plated bullet until I decide which bullet mould will work best for daily use. I can see that long pointy RN bullets aren't the way to go. I may also try 125 gr revolver hollowpoints as well, the SIG factory bullets look a lot like a revolver bullet profile. |
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I bought a couple of boxes of SIG factory ammo today, the bullets have a huge hollowpoint with a large meplat. More of a cup point than anything. I'm guessing XTPs are probably my best bet for JHP. Maybe I can find a stubby 124 gr plated bullet until I decide which bullet mould will work best for daily use. I can see that long pointy RN bullets aren't the way to go. I may also try 125 gr revolver hollowpoints as well, the SIG factory bullets look a lot like a revolver bullet profile. That Sig ammo, is loaded with Sierra V-crown bullets. I ended up with 150 rounds of it a while back. It shoots very well, reliable and accurate and consistent velocity out of my .357 Sig 1911. Just fyi. |
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I bought a couple of boxes of SIG factory ammo today, the bullets have a huge hollowpoint with a large meplat. More of a cup point than anything. I'm guessing XTPs are probably my best bet for JHP. Maybe I can find a stubby 124 gr plated bullet until I decide which bullet mould will work best for daily use. I can see that long pointy RN bullets aren't the way to go. I may also try 125 gr revolver hollowpoints as well, the SIG factory bullets look a lot like a revolver bullet profile. |
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I run mine through the Lee carbide .40 S&W resizing die first. Then the Lee .357 SIG resizing die - with no neck expander ball/primer punch in that die.
Never had any setback issues. Only used 124 grain bullets though. Different brands of hollow points. Some jacketed, some plated. The M31 did fine with both bullet types. The M&P tumbles the plated bullets like crazy, so I stopped shooting those in the M&P. |
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Downside to 357 sig, is finding brass in the first place that someone does not want an arm and leg for to start with.
If you use 40 as your base line, the cases will be short, so unless your sitting on 10mm brass that you will need to trim after forming it to 357 sig, then you back to searching for once fired 357 sig brass isntead. As for reloading the brass, cleaned in a tumbler, run it through a 40 bulge buster, then you can run it through your lee 357 sig dies to reload it. [youtube]https://youtu.be/7CvUkGLCYYs[/youtube] Truth is, the only positive about the 357 sig, is that it works in a short 9/40 frame gun, but is a bottle neck case, so really a PITA instead. If you need the speed and know down power, then better off with a 10mm instead. Here you not dealing with a bottle neck case, and don't have to worry about over bullet crimping and ending up with the case shoulders bulged isntead. |
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Stick with bullets meant for the Sig as bearing surface is very critical. MT Gold has specific bullet as does Speer. Hornady uses regular 9MM bullets.
Get a L.E. Wilson case gage to set up your sizer! Be weary of Speer cases. The flash hole is smaller than others. Dillon decapping pins get stuck, their work around is you RCBS headed decapping pins in the Dillon sizer die. Use powder that fills the case, Accurate #9 or VV N105 are good ones. There are two trains of thought on how the cartridge headspaces and this causes a stir on the boards. |
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Downside to 357 sig, is finding brass in the first place that someone does want an arm and leg for to start with. |
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Just picked up a 1000 primed Speer nickel cases for $65 shipped form RMR this morning. Cheap 357 brass is out there. I see once fired for $30-50/1000 on a regular basis. But it not like 9mm or 40, that people leave behind at the range by the buckets to collect for free instead  .
Hell, just a few weeks ago, someone left a few hundred cases of 10mm just waiting to be picked up at the range to add to my 10mm collection of brass. |
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But it not like 9mm or 40, that people leave behind at the range by the buckets to collect for free instead .
Hell, just a few weeks ago, someone left a few hundred cases of 10mm just waiting to be picked up at the range to add to my 10mm collection of brass. |
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I keep debating on sending off the .40 S&W P09 to be converted to .357 SIG. Maybe I should go ahead and buy some brass, just to put away in case I ever do that.
I don't shoot the M31 (doesn't fit my hand and accuracy isn't really there) or the M&P .40 with the .357 SIG barrel (not very accurate and tumbles some loads that shoot fine in the Glock - in case someone feels the reloads are the issue - I mean, if Glock will put them somewhere on the paper the M&P must have issue, and recoil tells me they aren't too slow to stablilize). A custom CZ .357 SIG on the P09 would be pretty awesome. Just gotta decide to do it. Cost is about like buying another P09. |
I was one of the guys who made fun of the cartridge when it first came out, not even looking into it seriously. A friend offered me this gun last week, and I bought it, intending to convert it to 9mm. I will eventually add a 9mm barrel, and possibly a 40 S&W just to have the complete set .
Somehow I actually "get" the concept of the 357 SIG, and understand why it hasn't gone away by now. I ordered my dies, and already have 9mm & 40 S&W conversions for the Dillon. The bottleneck is pretty much just another bottleneck cartridge to me, it won't suffer from the issues of the 22 Jet and 256 WM as far as case setback. The bullets require some attention, it seems to work best with minimal nose length, but I've gotten some great tips here to help keep me on track. Brass? There are some screaming deals to be had on brass if you're willing to invest about a half hour of internet time to see what you can actually buy it for. Thank you all for the advice so far, it has helped make sense of an unusual cartridge. |
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