Not one, but TWO people confuse your little .357 Magnum for a .44.
I lowered the powder charge to 13.8gr of Blue Dot, but still got some flattened primers. I'm going to drop even more because the shells were a little hard to get out, so I'm still showing signs of over pressure. Oddly, the primers only flattened on one side, so that's something I need to research.
But let me say - DAMN! What a total blast to shoot (pun very much intended). I still cannot believe with that much noise and fireball that it doesn't have any kick whatsoever. I mean none.
Just look at this accuracy - 10 yards, offhand, 12 shots
Click to embiggen
There is so little kick that flinching is not even something you need to worry about. Yet, there is such sound and fury from these rounds that it is almost breathtaking.
I had some Remington factory loads that I shot for comparison. Heavier bullets (158gr) and had some kick and definitely not as much boom. Some of the primers flattened ever so slightly, but looking at some previous casings from a while back, that's the norm.
So, again, I will load up a small batch using 13gr. and see how they work. So far, the boom from the 14.6 was just as satisfying as the 13.8, so I expect plenty of happiness from the smaller load. Plus, it makes the powder last longer.
However, I have a feeling this would not be a good round to start a newbie on!
rolled out on
Thursday, October 25, 2007 12:22 PM