357 ammo

[trapper57]

just bought a puma 92 357 & would like some recommendations on factory ammo.

[Dee]

It really depends on what your gonna hunt. Understand that your gonna pick up an extra 300 to 600fps in velocity in the rifle than a pistol, so although some shoot hollow points their gonna open up pretty dramatically being a pistol bullet at that velocity.
I settled several years ago on a 158 grain jacketed soft nose Remington bulk bullet that I load to about 1950fps. This load will do anything a 3030 will do within one hundred yards, and trust me I am a big fan of the 3030, and have probably shot it as much as anyone.
I carry the 357 mag now MOST of the time around here, and I load a 158 grain semi wad cutter cast to about 650fps (in a pistol) for the rife for small game including squirrel. It is a very versatile round in a rifle.
As far as factory rounds I personally would buy 158 grain jacketed soft points, but that's just me.

[dpe.ahoy]

I follow in Dee's footsteps here.  For most of my reloads, it's the 158 Rem SP's.  I have 400 Hornady 158XTP-FP's to try on deer as well, and some 180 WFNGC's that are going in my 357 Max's.  If you shoot the same load for everything ya don't have to worry about POI for other loads.  Unless ya want to blow something up stay away from the lighter hollow points.  DP

[buck460XVR]

Outta my model 92, I like 158gr JHP/SJHPs for targets and varmints. For whitetails, I prefer a 158gr JSP or XTP-FP. I've tried the 180s, but didn't get the accuracy that I got with the 158s.

[Rangr44]

158gr JSP's - +4

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[firestick]

The less expensive Monarch 158 gr HP or FP ammo from Academy Sports cycled best through my Puma 92 357. Depending on the bullet I have to adjust the seating depth or case length slightly to get some bullets to cycle flawlessly when I reload. The XTP's unfortunately did not cycle well in my gun. But that led me to casting my on bullets, and that has turned out well in several ways.

Even with the cycling issues for some bullet types, I love the gun.

Ira

[jlchucker]

I follow in Dee's footsteps here.  For most of my reloads, it's the 158 Rem SP's.  I have 400 Hornady 158XTP-FP's to try on deer as well, and some 180 WFNGC's that are going in my 357 Max's.  If you shoot the same load for everything ya don't have to worry about POI for other loads.  Unless ya want to blow something up stay away from the lighter hollow points.  DP

You and Dee seem to have answered a question that I was going to solve for myself come the spring thaw.  I just bought a Rossi 357 Trapper levergun, and tried it mostly for function with some 158 gr 38's and 357's, then took it to my gunsmith friend's to smooth the action up a little.  Since I've got both 158 swc's and Winchester HP's on hand, I was going to start there. Now, I think I'll buy some Remmie 158 SP projectiles.  I don't buy factory ammo.  Me and my wallet both prefer to work up a load that's accurate in a gun, document it, and load it myself.  I'm not big on trying for velocity over accuracy--but I'll probably load something a little hotter than 650 FPS, but maybe not much more than 1800.  Like Dee, I've used 30-30's since the late 1850's.  The Rossi will be my truck gun, but I think that the 30-30 habit will be hard for me to wind down from.