Reloading Data for 92 .357

[Kiwi-Hunter]

Thanks donhuff
I went to the ADI site.
140 GR. HDY XTP AP70N 0.357" 1.590" 6.5 1282 34800 cup 7.0 1356 40200 cup
140 GR. HDY XTP AR2205 0.357" 1.590" 16.2 1798 33100 cup 18.0 1930 42600 cup
I use the AP70N in the 20 gauges, There is a shortage of it here in NZ at the moment.
Alliant powder 2400 looks like it's closer to the AP100 than the AR2205.
Vihtavuori, there is some of that around as well.
But why change powders the 20ga love's AP70N.
Just on something else what is a cheap loading press I just have a single stage for the bigger cal's.
Don't no how my hands will handle those we .357?
I will look into the 2400 see what can be found.
KH

[donhuff]

Yes, I saw the data for the ap70n and thought that it looked pretty good. But I got the impression that you were a speed freak and wanted the fastest thing they make If I already had some of the ap70 I would definitely load some of it up and give it a try.

I would also get some of the ar2205 for maximum loadings, when you want every last bit of speed the case has to offer. 2400 and 4227 are about the same thing speed wise with 4227 being slower but bulkier. There is always room left in the case with a full charge of 2400. ADI's web site says that 2205 has a burn speed very close to imr 4227. That puzzles me as although I use and like 4227, when i'm after speed, I move on up to the slower powders. Especially in the long rifle barrels. Maybe it's close to 4227 but on the slower side of close. If so, then it might be just right. Usually with 4227, I get too much compression before hitting top speeds or pressure signs.

[Kiwi-Hunter]

Hi Donhuff.
Thanks for the time in this.
Alliant 2400 powder is available here, $55 per lb. $30 postage.
Hornady don't do special dies for these FTX, they do a special seating insert that you use in the std dies $8 plus postage.
Hodgdon powders are mainly ADI, just repackaged.
Where would I find these cheap Lee dies?
I think I will just get the 2400 then I have a safe load to start with and I will play with the AP70N.
KH

[donhuff]

$55 a pound we pay around 22-25 dollars when we can find it. Last I bought 6 months ago. I gave $160 for an eight pound jug. It should have been around 140 but I actually had it in my hands and was not going to let it go!

Dont know what that little s in front of the 30 means. If we have powder shipped to us, it has a hazardous material charge attached to it at $28.00 Much easier to pick it up at the gun shop or a gun show.

If ADI powder is relabeled hodgdon powder, then they are not making the best powder for pistols available to you. Like lilgun and H110.

I just looked at my favorite burn rate chart, and I see that ap70 is on the same line with Universal and my favorite powder Unique. 45 colt a 255 swc and 8.5 grains of Unique is my pet ruger blackhawk load. Only in the 900 fps range, but extremely accurate in that gun. 9.0 and a 245 swc in 44 mag, and I use 6.0 and a 170 keith swc in 357. I shoot 99% cast bullets and very few jacketed.

I get most of my parts and dies from here
http://www.midwayusa.com/find?sortby=1& ... hscope=all

you can look at all there presses there too. Lee makes some good cheaper ones. All I have is single stage presses. Well, it's a turret but a single stage with a bunch of dies on the turret. You have to rotate the turret by hand. It's an old Lyman Spar T press. I have a Lyman Orange crusher for bottle neck rifle cases. But I load 30-30 and 45-70 on the spar-T.

[Archer]

Buddy of mine is using the Leverevolution in his 50 S&W.
Before he got the Hornady seating stem he was buggering up the bullet tips pretty bad.

The brass for the .45-70s are short as well.

It is putting a pointy bullet into rounds that have always been at most round nose and mostly flat tipped.
The only way to get a sharp ogive and still stay under max OAL is to shorten the case or stuff the bullet so far into it that the case would have an air gap instead of a crimp

[Kiwi-Hunter]

Thanks again Donhuff
I found AA2400 in the South Is 49.80 lb and 6.90 postage.
So I will get a 1lb just to start with and see how it runs.
Haven't looked at the site yet.
But looking forward to it later.
KH

[akuser47]

Thanks to Don and his thinking i got one out and I pulled the tip on it. Dang the hole is deep and large. I wonder if this would be a fragmentation gernade on game. Hmmm sorry for the pic phone all i have at moment.
primer ignition in tube may be a concern i doubt it though. It would still be a nasty bullet. Just alot of fuss for little gain I primarly shot xtps.

[Kiwi-Hunter]

Hi Donhuff
Don't know what I did, but just lost the post I wrote out.
$75.10 for the die set and $5.80 for the 358 FTX seating stem, plus freight from North Island.
2lb AA2400 $49.80 each
2 roll of gun cloth. $5.40 each roll.
$213.60 NZ Dollars.
Midway will not ship International. So lets get on with reloading, and use the source that is at hand
So I hope your loading data is correct, I think you are a straight up sort of person.
Will play later with the AP70N.
Well thanks for all those who took the time to write and have some input into starting me off safely.
I know there's more safe pet loads to be had.
when you find something that works well it's good enough.
Tomorrow is the start of our Duck season, and by the weather they will be in the mile high club.
But I'll be dry and they have to land sometime
Canadian grease are off the Game bird licence here, so we can use a rifle if need be.
KH

[Archer]

You do mean Alliant 2400 (Formerly Hercules 2400) and not Accurate Arms / AA?

The load Don lists: 13.5 grains of Alliant 2400 behind a LSWC #358429 is listed in Lyman's 49th edition as a 170 grain slug when using Lyman #2 alloy. OAL is given as 1.533" Max charge with a CCI 550 small mag pistol primer. Minimum charge for that particular load is given as 9.7 grains of 2400. Loaded in .357 cases.

The same source lists 158 grain Jacketed SP at 1.590" OAL with Alliant 2400 from 11.3 grains to 14.9 grains.

Also a 140 grain JHP at 1.590" OAL with 2400 from 14.0 grains to 16.5 grains. Since your Hornady bullet is seated deeper due to the pointed tip I'd back the max on this one up a bit even though it is the same weight bullet.

Again all these loads are .357 cases.
---------------------------
One of my buds has the latest Hornady manual I'll see if there's any info specific to these bullets this weekend if I get the chance. I haven't gone there yet as I've got both the 4th and 5th editions but probably will eventually as the GMXs, FTXs, and the additional Garand specific data is probably worth it.

[Kiwi-Hunter]

Hi Archer
Alliant pistol 2400 is what I have paid for to run these 140 FTXs.
I hope you can find something stable as this is starting to do my head in.
Now I have found this also LeverEvolution.
What are thoughts?
KH