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Posted: 7/13/2016 9:33:36 PM EDT
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After a many trips to the range with plenty of trial
and error, I finally found a load that works amazing well out of my 77/357. It consists of an XTP 125 grain HP bullet, 21.5 grains of H110, magnum primers, and RP cases. This load gives me about 1.5 - 1.75 inch groups at 100 yards. So what is your favorite pet load for the 77/357? |
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I'm curious, what is the use you intend for that load? The 125 gr. bullet is universally considered as a self defense bullet when driven at handgun velocities of 1200 or so fps. Are you just using the load and bullet for plinking?
Incidently, I load for a .357 rifle, but it's a lever rather than a bolt, and I lean toward bullets in the 165 to 180 gr. range. |
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I originally started out with my 158 grain
cast loads, but I wasn't getting the velocity I was looking for, so I jumped up to Berry's 158 grain FP target bullets. Accuracy was great using Bullseye, but once again I wasn't getting the velocity I was looking for, as bullet drop was quite noticeable when shooting between 50 and 125 yards. I finally jumped up to XTP 158 HP's, accuracy wasn't bad using the H110, but for whatever reason, I grabbed a box of the XTP 125 grain HP's, and that's when I fell in love with my 21.5 grain load of H110. The load is pushing just over 2,200 fps, and the accuracy was amazing. I originally planned on this rifle being a range gun for the girlfriend, but unfortunately the more I handled this rifle, the more I fell in love with it, and decided that I wanted to use it as a brush gun come this deer season. I've since ditched the 3X9 el-cheapo scope, and replaced it with a Leopold Pig Plex 1x4x20 scope, which seems to be light years better than that ratty old 3x9 that I was previously running. So what's your take on me using the 125 grain XTP this hunting season? Should I bump it back up to the 158's? As of right now, the 125 grain XTP's are a perfect match for blasting steel gongs out to 125+ yards, and that's all the rifle is being used for. Anyone else have one of these fine rifles by chance? |
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At the speed you're running the 125 gr. bullets, I'd be afraid penetration would be very limited due to the fact that the light bullets is designed to expand very rapidly.
I load for a .357 in a Rossi carbine (20"). The load I carry in the rifle is either a 170 gr. cast SWC or a Sierra 170 gr. JHP. Either runs about 1700 fps from this rifle. I'd really prefer something in the 180 gr. range for better penetration, but these bullets should be OK. Comparing these bullets (125 gr. Hornady XTP @ 2200 vs. Sierra 170 gr. HP @ 1700) velocity/drop figures on a good ballistic calculator, with a 100 yd. zero the difference in rise at the highest point of either bullets trajectory and the drop of either bullet at 125 yds. is negligible, somewhere around 1" or a tad more. My .357 is a utility rifle carried around the pasture when I'm cutting wood, working on fence, etc., so I haven't had to opportunity to use it, and may not since I typically hunt with a .44 Special revolver, but me personally, I'll take penetration over expansion all day, any day. Have you tried loading any of your heavier bullets over AL2400? It's a magnificent powder in the .357. All that said, sounds like your 125 gr. load is an outstanding practice/range load. |
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Are you talking deer hunting? nevermind, I read your other post
Hornady only lists the 125 HP XTP up to 1600fps http://www.hornady.com/assets/files/catalog/2009/19-22_bullets_handgun.pdf I'd certainly go up to the 158's If you want to know what the Sierra bullet is rated for, ask them. I did the same last year when trying to figure out what weight bullet I was going to use in my 77/44 and they emailed me back with the info I wanted. |
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I'm sure Hornady's reason of listing the XTP 125 grain
bullet with a max speed of 1600fps, is in order to keep morons from pushing their wheel guns to unsafe limits. 16" to 18" barreled 357 Mag rifles are not even in the same ballgame when comparing the difference in velocities. I also have a Winchester Trapper in 357 Mag, that I've had for years, and I've fed that rifle everything from zipping 110 grain HP's to heavy hitting 170 grain cast loads, without ever a single issue, So I'm sure my XTP125 grain H110 load will be just fine for steel gong use at the range. As for Deer hunting season, I'll definitely be looking for a better option when it comes to bullet selection. |
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OP the Remington 180gr SJHP is a fantastic bullet if you ever decide to use your 357 rifle for deer hunting.
Youtube videojavascript:hyperlink(); |
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Quoted: OP the Remington 180gr SJHP is a fantastic bullet if you ever decide to use your 357 rifle for deer hunting. Youtube videojavascript:hyperlink(); |
| Being a bullet caster, I don't really have much use for jacketed bullets in handgun cartridges, but that's the exact performance I'm looking for in my .357's; a heavy bullet that expands just a little. Can't find any in stock, but I'm on the notification list at MidwayUSA and Natchez. |
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