Originally Posted by hatt
Originally Posted by Red91
Do y'all do any reloading or do you stick to factory ammo?
I reload all my .38 and .357. You can get by with factory .38 but .357 is spendy and also obnoxious out of tiny revolvers. I like to load them a little weaker than factory for snubnoses or K frames. Starting data .357 loads are nice.
One of my favorites I settled on a long time ago in 357 Magnum was a a bit over the minimum per Lyman of Unique for a 158gr LSWC. It's warm enough that you know it's a magnum, but also pleasant to shoot all day.
I also load/shoot a lot of a Bullseye load that gives 38 Special velocities but in a 357 Magnum Case. I call it my "Special Magnum" load. The whole reason I even worked it up in the first place was because I hate having to clean up the crud ring that 38 specials leave behind in a 357 Magnum chamber(that subsequently make even light magnums hard to eject). That isn't a HUGE problem if you're using commercial jacketed/plated loads, but lead bullets, especially combined with dirty handloading powders like Unique, can give a lot of build up their fairly quickly. Of course, the ambitions handloader can also create the perfect crud ring cleaning tool out of a belled 357 Mag case, but I'd rather avoid it in the first place.
BTW, I'm 31. My first handgun was an S&W revolver, and I've only had a handful of semi-autos over the years. Right now, my only two are an S&W 639 in 9mm, and an RIA 1911 in 38 Super. I am rather fond of the 38 Super to the point that I'd probably call it my favorite semi-auto cartridge.