.357/.38 loads

[Polaris]

I'll preface this by saying I'm not a serious competitor. Still in the getting my feet wet stage, and I'm cheap. After my first match punishing myself a bit with a Ruger BH .41, I decided to get myself a more efficient revolver, partly for field pistol, but also for general plinking and knocking around the woods at deer camp. Picked up a Taurus M66 in .357. It's been pretty accurate when I do my part. Holds well within the magic 3" at 25 with almost every load I've tried from reduced .38 poppers to full house 158 deer loads. Little better trigger pull than the horse pistol Ruger, and not as punishing. Holds a nice group with the wife's plinking load, .38 spl, 4.5 HP38 and a 125 TC "cowboy" cast bullet from MO bullet. Also grouped very well at 25 yards with the Hornady 158 cast in .357 brass with 5gr unique, but my powder measure does not like this powder.

I shot the latter load today in a FP match and at the chicken and pig big bore. It seemed to run out of gas a bit on the longer targets, hitting sort of randomly all over the place and POI shifted right. Might have been inconsistency with metered charges, the 10 I tested on paper were trickled to weight. Did not stay right with jacketed bullets. Clearly need a better load for this game. Wondering if I can sling a harder 125 cast a bit faster and hold good to 100?

Jacketed would be another option. Picked up some Hornady 110 JHPs. Those should be lazer beams to 100 yards. Also have 158 Noslers on hand for my cabin "bear" load and to dabble in big bore, although the .41 will probably still be the gun for that game if my bullets ever come. I would like to use a spherical powder. I have HP38, Hs-6 and H110. Getting away from the unique once my current stock is expended. It meters like cornflakes. Wonder what others who shoot the .357 have been using?

[35isit]

Try HP38 or WW231 in about the 3.??? grain area with a 148 grain wadcutter in .357 cases. There are listed loads for this combination. If you want to use a .357 for field pistol give it a whirl. My Contender is all shots touching at 50. Your mileage may vary. I have a feeling this load was developed for use in police guns shooting PPC.

[Chuck40]

I have shot quite a few 158 Hornady XTPs with 10.0 gr of AA#7. This is not as full power as WW296 or H110, but below that.
It worked great in both a FA 357 and shoots great in a 10"TC.