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.357 Sig

fire for effectfire for effect Member Posts: 121 ✭✭✭
edited December 2012 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
Looking for an accurate 357 sig load. thinking of going with 124 gr. hornady's. will be shooting out of an XD 4". thanks.

When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.
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Comments

  • fire for effectfire for effect Member Posts: 121 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Anyone have any reloading data on the 357 sig? Or favorite loads?
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  • fire for effectfire for effect Member Posts: 121 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    There has been a lot of talk about reloading .357 Sig, and what you can and can't do, or what you should or shouldn't do.
    This is what I have found out.
    Since I am use to reloading bottle neck rifle cartridges, I find that it is no problem to reload .357 sig cases.

    Many posts have been made on the internet stating not to resize .40 Smith & Wesson Cases to .357 Sig, as the cases are shorter, and not loaded up to the pressures of .357 Sig.
    It is true that the .40 Smith & Wesson case is .020" shorter than the .357 Sig Case, but when you run the .40 Smith & Wesson case into the .357 sizer die, the excess Brass is extruded up into the die. This has the effect of lenghtening the case by .015", so that the reformed .40 Smith & Wesson case is now only .005" shorter than its .357 Sig counterpart.

    The next myth about the .40 Smith & Wesson case not being as strong as the .357 Sig brass is easily dispelled by your scale. What I found was that in weighing a Winchester .357 Sig case and a Winchester .40 Smith & Wesson case was that the .40 Smith & Wesson case actually weighed more, by 1.7 grains. This point out that there is slightly more brass in the .40 Smith & Wesson case, and if anything, you must presume that the .40 Smith and Wesson brass is slightly thicker, and therefor completly satisfactory.

    The final test is in the shooting. Using Hornady 124 grain XTP bullets, 7.0 grains of Unique, and .40 Smith & Wesson Brass reformed to .357 Sig, I was able to produce a load which will put all twelve shots from a Springfield XD into the head of an IPSC Target at 25 meters. Velocity was 1470 FPS.

    I am posting this report simply to prove that you can in fact reform .357 Sig brass out of .40 Smith & Wesson and produce a good accurate cartridge. Considering how much surplus .40 Smith & Wesson brass is out there, and the fact that it is many times being given away, this is certainly the way to go.
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  • NordicwargodNordicwargod Member Posts: 102 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Very interesting! I have stayed away from 357sig. I just don't want to add another caliber. A friend made a deal for a Sig 229 in 357 and was asking about this subject. We don't run across much 357 sig brass and I simply told him to get a .40 barrel to save the trouble. I'm glad you have had positive results and that you actually "have" results! Not just repeating something you read on some forum.
    The 357 sig looks like a great caliber, 38super+P velocites with none of the problems in an affordable gun, and now brass for it is dirt cheap!
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  • fire for effectfire for effect Member Posts: 121 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yes! We have 5 Gallon Buckets full of .40 Smith & Wesson Brass, given to us by various agencies.
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  • 5mmgunguy5mmgunguy Member Posts: 3,853
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the information. I have a Sig 229 and just love it, very accurate. Since I shoot 40 S&W I will definately check it out. Thanks!
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  • rsnyder55rsnyder55 Member Posts: 2,525 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I just bought a bunch of fired 357Sig cases and sorting and inspecting it, I found several 40S&W cases that appear as if someone tried to form into 357Sig cases. They were shorter than the factory 357Sig cases.

    Since I do not know what they were doing or how they were doing it, when I have my reloading equipment setup again, I will have to personally try it and see what my results are.
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  • Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The first .357 SIG ammunition to appear here when the caliber was new on the market was in necked down .40s under a commercial reloader's label. For some months it was the only game in town.
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  • fire for effectfire for effect Member Posts: 121 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Forming .357 Sig Cases out of .40 Smith & Wesson Cases, is no more involved then lubing the case, and running it into a .357 Sig Die.
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  • v35v35 Member Posts: 13,200 ✭
    edited November -1
    How about neck thickness increase on the reformed brass?
    Neck length on standard 357 SIG brass is plenty short as it is.
    I'd watch for bullet setback when using shorter brass.
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  • fire for effectfire for effect Member Posts: 121 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    As I said, The case after reforming is only .005 after shorter that a standard case. If yo have done any reloading you will know that this is within the standard deviation of factory brass, from manufacture to manufacturer. The proof is in the shooting. As I said,12 head shots at 25 meters, Velocity of 1470 fps. No abnormal signs of pressure. All the negativity from these people who say you cannot reform .367 Sig Brass from .40 Smith & Wesson Brass, are a lot like arm chair quarterbacks. They talk a good game, but they have never done it. I on the other hand, have been reloading for over 42 years and am an NRA Certified Reloading Instructor.
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  • GONESHOOTINGGONESHOOTING Member Posts: 2,450 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    reloaded plenty of 357 sig for my glock 31, easy caliber to reload. I have stocked up on thousands of shells for reloading.
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  • fire for effectfire for effect Member Posts: 121 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by GONESHOOTING
    reloaded plenty of 357 sig for my glock 31, easy caliber to reload. I have stocked up on thousands of shells for reloading.

    You are so right. Easy to load and a great caliber.
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