357 Mag Powder/Primer Help - Fast Powder, Rifle Primers?

[IrishPsych]

I've been reloading a while BUT am going to start reloading 38 and 357 mag. I've got plenty of powders on hand for 38. The 357 mag is giving me a headache. 

 

I'm going camping and brother inlaw wants 357 mag loads with good velocity and blast. I bought 158gr coated hi tek bullets. Hindsight I think I should have got some 130-140gr so I can run more powder. 

 

Question 1: Can I substitute small rifle primers for small mag pistol primers in order to use 296 powder? I don't have small mag pistol primers and can't get them before we plan to leave. 

 

Question 2: I have fast pistol powders. Bullseye, lil gun, 231, Clays, Titegroup, Sport Pistol. These will work but nothing above 1000k fps I don't think. I can trade with a friend for some Blue Dot, should I do that? Also I can get 296 but dont have small pistol mag primers. 

 

The lymann 49th manual has good data but every load for 357 was used with small mag pistol primers. 

 

These 357 will be shot out of a S&W 327 TRR8. 

 

If I make some plinking light 38sp loads, I imagine anything I do above midrange with 357 158gr my bro inlaw will be happy. They all like that big flash and loud noise. 

[AHI]

except for some loads for a TC Contender with N120,AA1680 

I have only used regular small pistol primers.

[Guy Neill]

Generally, small rifle primers are ballistically the same as small pistol primers.  The difference being the thickness of the primer cup.  Since powders such as 296 normally do better with hotter primers, magnum are best.  On the other hand, the4re is some evidence 2400 powder does best with regular primers (not magnum).

 

Blue Dot will likely (without looking at any data at the moment) give higher performance than the fast powders, but may not reach the full potential of the cartridge.

 

Since it sounds like you have standard primers, see if you can get some 2400 powder and work on loads with it.

 

 

[dannyd]

Go to the Hodgdon site look up 231 the max load there should give you about 1100 fps and that should be hot enough.   I have used SRP in GP100 never tried them in a Smith.  Be careful with Blue Dot in any bullet under 158 works best with 180 to 200.

[jcc7x7]

Only time I've had problems igniting 296 is in extreme cold. So standard primers should work in may weather.

Rifle primers should work.

Blue dot or 296 will give you good velocity.  DO NOT go under published loads with blue dot or 296.

[RudyVey]

I use magnum primers, but also have used standard spp. My powder is Vectan 9 1/2, works great for me. I did not see much, if any differences between the primers, but I have no chronograph data.