.357 loads for a 92

[Johnz]

What's a good light to moderate 140 - 158 grain lead bullet load, using a .357 case, Unique powder (or Bullseye if possible) in a 20" blued model 92?

Don't want to extrapolate from the pistol loads in the manual so I thought maybe some of you here would have that experience. Trying to avoid driving them too fast where it will lead the barrel.

Thx....

[Ninety Caliber]

You can use whatever load you like for pistol in your '92.i shoot 158 gr rnl over 3.5 gr Bullseye at 850 fps! 38 spec case loaded to coal of 1.50

[akuser47]

I tend to stay away from shooting .38 special loads or factory ammo in mine had issues with carbon rings biulding up from me not scrubbing chamber good enough so now I load my .357 cases to .38 special loads in 158 grain bullets or larger. Saves me powder and it works. I have had people argue with me about pressure changes from the larger case loaded to .38 special loads I have never seen any signs of pressure damage to my cases no primers pushed out and no bulging or deformed brass. Just what I do take it as you wish. If you clean your chambers well no issue but when I take my ruger sa and 92 with me to the range I shoot allot of lead down range 200 to 300 rounds min. when I do get out to make it worth it. In revolvers this seems to really cause the carbon to biuld up as well as rifles.

[Johnz]

I'm with you on that one akuser. that is I don't like using 38 spec brass in a .357 chamber for the reasons you state. Don't like having a carbon ring form after shooting the shorter cases. I know some say that it doesn't happen in theirs, but just the same I have plenty of .357 cases where I don't have to use 38's.

[donhuff]

john, I too use 3.5g Bullseye and a 158 RN. It is a very light load in the rossi, but soooo fun to shoot. I once had a couple of guys ask me what kind of a .22 I was shooting(?) But I do use 38 cases. I've never had a problem with it. Maybe cause I don't shoot a whole lot of them before switching back to 357s.
Also pictured is my 140g bullet. It's supposed to be a 130 (lyman 356634) but mine drop @139-140g. I push them with 8.6g 800X (cause I can't find unique locally) which is a pretty strong load. They a very accurate and not a lot of recoil.

Ya know the biggest secret to keeping the lead out is to use a bullet at least .001 bigger than your bore. My rossi measures just shy of .357, and my ruger blackhawk is right at .3575 but the throats are at .360. So I size at .359 and it works good in both of them. If your casting your own this aint any trouble, but if your buying them you need to specify the size you want.

And if you're casting your own, you ought to think about powder coating instead of regular lube. I just put 200+ rounds through my 357 with powder coated 170 SWCs and 13.5g 2400, which is a max load, and did not have a speck of lead afterwards! And 250 rounds through my ruger 32-20 with 8.0 blue dot and a 118g bullet which was a little too hot as the primers were getting a little flat, I need to back that one down a bit. Again not a speck of lead.

[Johnz]

Thanks for all the useful information Don. I don't cast my own, although I would surely like to I just don't live in a situation where I could accomplish that.

Looks like that powder coating is the way to go these days. Unfortunately I'm at the mercy of the online bullet casters and their lead recipes but have learned to slug my barrels in recent years so I can order a cast diameter pretty close to what my barrel bores are.

[donhuff]

Man,......... maybe you need to move

Yeah, the powder coat "seems" like the thing to do right now. Still waiting to find out what the "bad part of it" is. I know it can't be as good as it looks. There has to be something wrong with it!

Don't get your bullets pretty close to the bore diameter. Get them AT LEAST .001 over your bore size, and .002 over won't hurt a thing and might even help.

[Johnz]

Oh, I'm sure the EPA will come up with something before too long. Something like 'looking at a powder coated bullet for too long a time will cause global warming.' Or 'powder coating your bullets takes food from the table of the poor.'