Target load for 357

To All
I have recently acquired a Taurus Tracker 357 6.5 in barrel revolver and have been getting 2" groups at 25 yds with 4 gr of Tite Group and 158 gr SWC lubed bullets. I am wondering if anyone has been shooting a similar gun and may have a more accurate load they may be willing to share.
kruizer

I played around with a Dan Wesson for awhile , was able to get similar groups with 5 of the 6 cylinders useing a few different loads ....Load some 148gr HBWC in your .357 cases but load them at light .38 spl charges ....start at the starting load ....It been quite a few yrs but I think one of the powders I used was 700x ...cant remember the charge ...but I remember the .357 cases were better than .38 cases ....maybe one of the guys that still shoots a model 14 will chime in and can be more specific...I also remember trying some 158 LSWC and the 148's did give me better accuracy.....didnt keep that gun very long as I got the .44 mag bug shortly after that......

I have also been looking for advice on target loads to use in my S&W Pre-27. There doesn't seem to be much hard info on the subject. I am going to start with my favorite .38 Spec target load (2.9 gr of HP38, 148 gr. SBWC) using .38 Spec cases. I don't want to experiment with larger volume .357 cases until I hear more from folks who have proven loads to share. If the chambers are kept scrupulously clean after shooting I doubt that shooting .38 Spec. cases will harm the chambers of a .357.

ketchsailor,
I have been working on a load for this and have gotten to the point where I have settled on a 148 gr cast WC with 3 grains of Tite Group. I have been using 357 cases as I don't like cleaning the ring out of the cylinders. Seems to hold at about 1" a 50 feet from a rest using a red dot sight. Every gun seems to have a favorite load so while this works well in my Taurus 627, other guns may shoot differently. Thanks to all for your help.
kruizer

My Dan Wesson prefers jacketed ammo over cast or swaged lead. 2400 is the powder. Consult a loading manual for amount. Start at 10% BELOW maximum and work toward it in half grain increments. The correct charge will appear.

It will be accurate, but may not not be pleasant to shoot 90 rounds in a BE match.

Either Lyman 358495 or 358480 with 3.0 gr Bullseye out of 38 Special cases. The 358495 can be crimped in either first or second groove and is equally accurate both ways. Sizing the bullet to the cylinder I think is very important. Also in a heavier bullet but still on the light side I use Lyman 358429 with 4.1 gr Bullseye or 5.5 gr Unique both using magnum case crimped over the shoulder. The Bullseye load is scary accurate; I mean folks pay two grand for a two inch wad gun that this Three Screw BH will do with this load. Good luck.

My favorite target load for .357 Mag is 3.3 grains of Bullseye in a 357 Mag case (Starline is my favorite) pushing a 148 grain bullet made of wheel-weight lead with 2% added tin from the RCBS 38-148-WC mold I got in the 1970's.

I shot about 4,000 rounds of this load - each year - for several years.

That load has produced 2", c-t-c, 6-shot groups (average of several groups, on any one day, ranging from just under 3" to about 1") from sandbags at 25 yards for me in revolvers made by Colt, S&W, and Ruger. I have done better using only one chamber of a revolver, but that is of no use in a revolver for Bullseye matches or hunting --- so I just load the gun up and shoot.

Many folks use .38 special cases with this bullet (but with 2.8 to 3 grains of Bullseye) with good luck. But I've always had better groups with slightly more powder and .357 Mag cases. Also, with .357 Mag cases, the cylinder is easier to clean.