Opinions on .357 Sig reloading

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Hawgman

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Lately I've been seriously considering working my way into the .357 Sig cartrige. All of you that reload for the .357 Sig...are there any points of concern with the cartige compared to any other pistol round? Any issues with finiky over pressure? Any issues with the bottle neck case I should be aware of? I'll probably start with a lone wolf or kkn barrel for my G35 and see how far I can safely go in velocity concentrating on 124 and 147 grainers. ANY issues both great and small I'd like to hear about.
 

12gabackup

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Resize first with 40 s&w carbide die. Then use the steel 357 sig sizer for the neck. Flare the mouth little if any. Watch the over all length. Works good for me! I like the 357 sig better than the 40 s&w.
There's more but I've got the grill going.

Edit; The case has a short neck and when you get the length right, the bullet is almost to far in for it to hold. (Does that make sense?)
 

Koveras

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I used to load quite a bit of 357 Sig, and I didn't find it to be hard, but definitely different than the typical tapered or straight walled pistol cartridges.

You have to be careful which 9mm bullets you use, as the ogive on many of the bullets is too long. By the time the bullet is seated to a correct overall length, the front of the bullet is already tapering and there is not enough neck tension to hold the bullet securely. I had good luck with the Remington 9mm 124 gr JHP. There are also 9mm caliber bullets specifically intended for the 357 Sig.

Expect a few split case necks with each loading. When I was shooting a lot of 357 Sig, I would load and shoot in groups of 300, and typically about 3-4 would have split necks each time around.

For sizing, I used the method described by 12gabackup and also just using spray lube and the steel 357 Sig sizing die. I could never tell any difference in the number of case mouth splits between the two methods and 12gabackup's method is a lot faster.

Finally, the Lee Factory Crimp Die for the 357 Sig works the same way it does for bottle necked rifle cartridges: a collet is forced to close around the case neck and gives a very solid crimp. I used the Lee FCD for all of my 357 Sig ammo and I never experienced bullet setback.

These are just my experiences. Hope they help!
 

J.P.

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You have to be careful which 9mm bullets you use, as the ogive on many of the bullets is too long. By the time the bullet is seated to a correct overall length, the front of the bullet is already tapering and there is not enough neck tension to hold the bullet securely. I had good luck with the Remington 9mm 124 gr JHP. There are also 9mm caliber bullets specifically intended for the 357 Sig.

Expect a few split case necks with each loading. When I was shooting a lot of 357 Sig, I would load and shoot in groups of 300, and typically about 3-4 would have split necks each time around.

Don't you need to lube the bullet or casemouth to keep from crushing the shoulder?:anyone:
I really don't know about that but I've read something to that effect many many times in passing.
While I personally don't have any real world experience with reloading the 357sig,To me, the included steps/difficulty/etc., or reloading this round has been one of the reasons I've shied away from it.
I love the caliber as a defensive round, but I also like stuff that works with simplicity.

I guess if I could overcome my neurosis about it I could be swayed into picking up another pistol chambered for the round.

In the past it would have been a non-issue, but in today's pathetic ammo market I'm looking at reloadability as a major factor when choosing guns.
 

Koveras

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I have never lubed the bullets. I just slightly expand the case mouths with the expander die to let the bullets start and then crimp with the FCD after the bullet is seated. I can't recall ever crushing a shoulder.

I use the Lee 3 die set (sizer, expander, seater) + FCD. I also only use Speer brass for 357 Sig, so I don't know if other brands are subject to collapse.

EDIT to add: I also use a single stage press, so I place the bullets on the case mouth individually prior to seating. I have no experience using a progressive. Maybe they require lube on the bullets?
 

aeropb

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I feel the same way JP. I'd love to use the round, but I'm not interested in doing anything different than I'm doing now loading straight walled calibers. My boss has loaded .357sig but he says its a PITA.
 

Hawgman

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Man guys, thanks. This is just the kind of info I was looking for. Looks like it might be kind of interesting to master reloading this cartrige. Reminds me when I reloaded .375H&H. What a pain; but I learned a ton about reloading as a result.
 

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