357 with Win 296

[Poconolg]

I want to load 357 with Extreme 125gr plated bullets using Win 296. The only loads I found in books were for jacketed bullets. Hornady shows 18.8 - 20.9. Sierra shows 18.6 - 21.1. Speer says 18.3 - 20.3 and Winchester says 18.5 with no variation. Does anyone know a safe load for Extreme bullets?

 

[6.5 forever]

Just a side note. Hopefully you have at least a six inch barrel. Anything shorter will produce a big fireball on ignition. 296 is better suited for heavy bullets and longer barrels.

 

[watercam]

Go to the Extreme website and look up the recommended maximum velocity for the bullet in question.

 

[K22]

Just a side note. Hopefully you have at least a six inch barrel. Anything shorter will produce a big fireball on ignition. 296 is better suited for heavy bullets and longer barrels.

I can attest to this positively having 50 years' experience with this excellent cartridge.

The 125 grain bullets are my favorite for this caliber. Unless you need ultimate velocity / energy, I found that faster powders work better with this bullet weight. Of course, use only published and tested data.

My favorite powder for both the outstanding 125 Hornady XTP jacketed bullets and Oregon Trail Laser Cast bullets is 231. It gives decent velocity with mild muzzle flash in my 4" Model S&W Model 19. It is also extremely accurate and pleasant to shoot. Another benefit is that in doesn't put excessive stress on the light K frame. After many thousands of rounds, over many years, my Model 19 is still tight and in time.

 

[linebaugh]

296 is always run as a max load and not probably intended for soft plated bullets.
I shot so many 125 jacketed over 296 I literally rattled a gp100 loose.
As stated above probably better powders for your intended use and also if you do use 296 step up to 140+ on bullet weight as it is a much better fit.

 

[lotech]

One of the few times I've seen a fireball on a bright sunny day was using 296 in a 6" Python. The fireball and horrendous blast will likely be worse with light bullets and heavier charges than what I was using with 158 grain cast SWCs.

I've found accuracy with 296 excellent, certainly the equal of, but no better than #2400. You can get slightly more velocity with 296, but not enough to matter.

 

[farmerjohn]

I checked the site for extreme plated bullets and they caution about going past 1500 fps but the dead giveaway is recommending a taper crimp. In my experience a heavy roll crimp is necessary with the slower powders. A roll crimp will cut through the plating and cause leading in my experience. I've shot a lot of 125gr bullets in my carbines at the higher velocity's and had to use copper jackets. The plated bullets will work well for handguns if you keep them under 1200fps and use little faster powder and taper crimp them... IMHO, John

 

[rockhound78]

I would imagine 125's and 296 might be a bit rough on the forcing cone too

 

[Charliemac]

I would imagine 125's and 296 might be a bit rough on the forcing cone too

Not to mention the top strap above, it'll definitely burn a groove in it.

 

[Andy Work]

Not to mention the top strap above, it'll definitely burn a groove in it.

You read my mind. I was always told the lighter bullets were the worse.

 

[Charliemac]

I only shoot fast light bullets in my Marlin 94 or contender for that reason. Those loads will gas cut before you know it. My S&W M28 only shoots light and mid-range loads now because of that.