This spring, I purchase a Henry 357 carbine (16.5” bbl) which I now realize is something I should have done – oh – a couple decades ago. Since I have quite a few 357 revolvers, it didn’t take long for me to wonder how ammo would perform across the barrel lengths; as sort of “ballistics by the inch” comparison in the real world. Now I know there is some apples n oranges going on here because a rifle doesn’t have the barrel/cylinder gap to deal with; which is all the more reason why I wanted to do the test. The real world.
Not to give away the end, but the results were much as I anticipated. But it’s still really neat to experience it in the field; as opposed to just some theoretical from a book.
I tested four 357 Magnum loadings. 10 rounds each. Chronograph is a Chrony Beta something or other. Placed at 4 yards. The diffusers were bathing in direct sunlight. It’s a covered range, so the shooting benches are in shade. Temp was about 70f when I started; probably close to 80f when I finished. This was Tue 9/10/19; starting at 8am.
The four guns:
Smith 686+, 3”bbl
Smith 686, 4” bbl
Smith 686 8-3/8” bbl (called 8” from now on)
Henry Carbine 16.5” bbl (called 16” from now on)
CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond or not covered by currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assumes any liability for any damage or injury resulting from the use of this information.
Although none of these loadings give any indication of high pressure; some do exceed published data. Please do not use this information as loading recommendations or reference data. The load data given here is only for the purposes of describing the ammunition being tested. Please do your own load workups, starting with published data, and using good sense throughout the workup.
The four loadings:
125gn Everglades JHP; 9.4gn Power Pistol; CCI 500; Starline cases – trimmed to 1.280”; firm roll crimp. Speer #14 starts this combination at 9.5gn, and I have run them hotter than 9.4; but they seem to perform well here. Also, this particular 4# canister of Power Pistol that I have seems rather spunky. At any rate, this is my pet load for 125 JHP’s. Handles really nice in the 3” or 4” 686’s, and has plenty of poop to get the job done as a defense loading.
158gn X-treme plated SWC; 7.0gn Unique; CCI 500; Starline cases – trimmed to 1.280”; medium taper crimp. This is my mild, basic range fodder 357 Magnum loading. It’s clearly hotter than a 38+P; but milder than any factory 357 Mag offering. Because it’s a mild round, I thought it would be good to put it in the test as the fast propellant end of the spectrum.
158gn Everglades JHP; 15.0gn 2400; CCI 500; Starline cases – trimmed to 1.280”; heavy roll crimp. This is an overcharge per Speer and Hornady manuals. I have run them even hotter in the workup. My pet load has been de-tuned to 14.6gn because I see no need to run it at 15.0 for range shooting. But I have shot a couple hundred rounds (or more) at 15.0 without trouble. So, I loaded up a batch @ 15.0 for this test to show 2400’s full potential.
158gn Everglades JSP; 17.0gn W296; CCI 550; R-P cases – trimmed to 1.280”; extra heavy roll crimp. This too is an overcharge per Speer and Hornady. This is a relatively new pet load for my Henry. Shoots fantastic in the lever gun. This loading was used for this test for the slow end of the spectrum. I don’t normally shoot this in my revolvers for reasons that I will describe later.
Here we go:
125 JHP; 9.4gn Power Pistol
3” 1201 f/s; 24.82 SD (The 3" performance is normally better than this)
4” 1314 f/s; 18.65 SD
8” 1376 f/s; 14.28 SD
16” 1654 f/s; 14.46 SD
158 PSWC; 7.0gn Unique
3” 994 f/s; 36.19 SD
4” 1058 f/s; 30.77 SD
8” 1087 f/s; 36.93 SD
16” 1251 f/s; 20.34 SD
158 JHP; 15.0gn 2400
3” 1149 f/s; 30.65 SD
4” 1239 f/s; 33.13 SD
8” 1259 f/s; 33.02 SD
16” 1653 f/s; 15.73 SD
158 JSP; 17.0gn W296
3” 1158 f/s; 24.61 SD
4” 1253 f/s; 13.19 SD
8” 1299 f/s; 18.30 SD
16” 1789 f/s 13.66 SD
After a long stare and compare, it becomes obvious that the faster propellants give little extra with the longer barrels. And conversely, the slower propellants – particularly the W296 – really shines in the longer barrels. No surprise, of course. That actually, is what prompted me to do this test. In my previous chronograph endeavors using the 4" 686, 2400 fared even better than this time around; and this is definitely the best outing with W296. Specifically, the 1253 f/s is the highest session average velocity I’ve ever clocked with W296 in the 4". What is most noteworthy here is that although W296 eeks out ever slightly more performance with the revolvers (talking mostly the 3” & 4”) it comes at the expense of a huge flame bloom and thrust recoil. Now 2400 does its share of flash n boom, but nothing like W296. There is quite a big difference in their handling characteristics, with 2400 being much better behaved.
Of course, on the other side of the spectrum, W296 really shines in the Henry rifle with over 130 f/s of extra oomph compared to 2400. At this point, I don’t even consider W296 a revolver powder – other than the occasional novelty of flash n boom.
Not to give away the end, but the results were much as I anticipated. But it’s still really neat to experience it in the field; as opposed to just some theoretical from a book.
I tested four 357 Magnum loadings. 10 rounds each. Chronograph is a Chrony Beta something or other. Placed at 4 yards. The diffusers were bathing in direct sunlight. It’s a covered range, so the shooting benches are in shade. Temp was about 70f when I started; probably close to 80f when I finished. This was Tue 9/10/19; starting at 8am.
The four guns:
Smith 686+, 3”bbl
Smith 686, 4” bbl
Smith 686 8-3/8” bbl (called 8” from now on)
Henry Carbine 16.5” bbl (called 16” from now on)
CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond or not covered by currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assumes any liability for any damage or injury resulting from the use of this information.
Although none of these loadings give any indication of high pressure; some do exceed published data. Please do not use this information as loading recommendations or reference data. The load data given here is only for the purposes of describing the ammunition being tested. Please do your own load workups, starting with published data, and using good sense throughout the workup.
The four loadings:
125gn Everglades JHP; 9.4gn Power Pistol; CCI 500; Starline cases – trimmed to 1.280”; firm roll crimp. Speer #14 starts this combination at 9.5gn, and I have run them hotter than 9.4; but they seem to perform well here. Also, this particular 4# canister of Power Pistol that I have seems rather spunky. At any rate, this is my pet load for 125 JHP’s. Handles really nice in the 3” or 4” 686’s, and has plenty of poop to get the job done as a defense loading.
158gn X-treme plated SWC; 7.0gn Unique; CCI 500; Starline cases – trimmed to 1.280”; medium taper crimp. This is my mild, basic range fodder 357 Magnum loading. It’s clearly hotter than a 38+P; but milder than any factory 357 Mag offering. Because it’s a mild round, I thought it would be good to put it in the test as the fast propellant end of the spectrum.
158gn Everglades JHP; 15.0gn 2400; CCI 500; Starline cases – trimmed to 1.280”; heavy roll crimp. This is an overcharge per Speer and Hornady manuals. I have run them even hotter in the workup. My pet load has been de-tuned to 14.6gn because I see no need to run it at 15.0 for range shooting. But I have shot a couple hundred rounds (or more) at 15.0 without trouble. So, I loaded up a batch @ 15.0 for this test to show 2400’s full potential.
158gn Everglades JSP; 17.0gn W296; CCI 550; R-P cases – trimmed to 1.280”; extra heavy roll crimp. This too is an overcharge per Speer and Hornady. This is a relatively new pet load for my Henry. Shoots fantastic in the lever gun. This loading was used for this test for the slow end of the spectrum. I don’t normally shoot this in my revolvers for reasons that I will describe later.
Here we go:
125 JHP; 9.4gn Power Pistol
3” 1201 f/s; 24.82 SD (The 3" performance is normally better than this)
4” 1314 f/s; 18.65 SD
8” 1376 f/s; 14.28 SD
16” 1654 f/s; 14.46 SD
158 PSWC; 7.0gn Unique
3” 994 f/s; 36.19 SD
4” 1058 f/s; 30.77 SD
8” 1087 f/s; 36.93 SD
16” 1251 f/s; 20.34 SD
158 JHP; 15.0gn 2400
3” 1149 f/s; 30.65 SD
4” 1239 f/s; 33.13 SD
8” 1259 f/s; 33.02 SD
16” 1653 f/s; 15.73 SD
158 JSP; 17.0gn W296
3” 1158 f/s; 24.61 SD
4” 1253 f/s; 13.19 SD
8” 1299 f/s; 18.30 SD
16” 1789 f/s 13.66 SD
After a long stare and compare, it becomes obvious that the faster propellants give little extra with the longer barrels. And conversely, the slower propellants – particularly the W296 – really shines in the longer barrels. No surprise, of course. That actually, is what prompted me to do this test. In my previous chronograph endeavors using the 4" 686, 2400 fared even better than this time around; and this is definitely the best outing with W296. Specifically, the 1253 f/s is the highest session average velocity I’ve ever clocked with W296 in the 4". What is most noteworthy here is that although W296 eeks out ever slightly more performance with the revolvers (talking mostly the 3” & 4”) it comes at the expense of a huge flame bloom and thrust recoil. Now 2400 does its share of flash n boom, but nothing like W296. There is quite a big difference in their handling characteristics, with 2400 being much better behaved.
Of course, on the other side of the spectrum, W296 really shines in the Henry rifle with over 130 f/s of extra oomph compared to 2400. At this point, I don’t even consider W296 a revolver powder – other than the occasional novelty of flash n boom.