Notes on handloading the 357 SIG... Part 2

I would have finished Part 2 sooner, but I spent most of the day hanging a Confederate Battle Flag on the inside gable wall of the shop and listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd perform Simple Man. Too bad I live in the North. I like what I like, believe in what I believe in, and I don’t have to justify myself to anyone. I’d rather be what I am, a free man, than a slave to political correctness. This country is filled with people obsessed with being someone else. They don’t know where they came from, they’ve had it shamed out of them, and they don’t know where they are going because they are always seeking consensus or looking for someone to follow.

So I had all of these bullets left over from Part 1…

All of the 9mm bullets pictured below mechanically work with the 357 SIG, meaning they have a long enough, or properly positioned shank, that assures full contact with the case neck. It does not mean that they will penetrate or expand properly for every application at maximum SIG velocities.

Checking in with each manufacturer’s tech support line will provide each bullet’s design range of impact velocity. With that information in hand, a decision can be made to purchase/not purchase or adjust handloads to keep within the prescribed velocity recommendations. Once research and/or load compensation has been accomplished. A little gel block testing can validate performance.

All of the bullets pictured have performed well in concert with the 357 SIG, however, “well” can be a pretty nebulas term and my “well” can be quite different from your “well”. They appear left to right as they are listed on the table below, top to bottom.

Above, an example of why I don’t usually load bullets below 124 grains. #2 is a 115 grain Sierra Sport Master that weighed 72.2 grains when it came to a stop 10 1/2″ into a block of ballistic gel. The cast 125 grain Hunter’s Supply weighted 121.6 grains after penetrating 28″ of gel. The Speer Gold Dot 125 grain, the only bullet in the group specifically made for the 357 SIG penetrated 12″, expanded 2x and still weighed 123.6 grains when it came to rest. Historically, the 125 grain cast is used for woodland carry where wildlife encounters are more anticipated than Human, and the 125 grain Gold Dots are used as defensive loads around the house and shop.

Component manufacturers’ reloading manual data tends to wander all over the place, even when expressed in concert with a 4″ barrel. These are not so much pressure variations as much as manufacturers’ optimizing handloads consistent with the use of their products; lower velocity for bullets intended for the 9mm Luger, higher velocity where possible.

Warning: Bullet selections are specific, and loads are not valid with substitutions of different bullets of the same weight. Variations in bullet material and length will alter net case capacity,  pressure and velocity results. Primer selection is specific and primer types are not interchangeable. These data represents maximum loads in our firearms and test equipment and may easily be excessive in other applications. All loads should be reduced by 5%,  and developed following safe handloading practices as represented in established reloading manuals produced by component manufacturers. Presentation of these loads does not constitute a solicitation for their use, nor a recommendation.   Cartridge: 357 SIG  Firearm:  Springfield Armory XD  Min – Max COL: 1.100″ – 1.140″  Bullet Diameter: 0.355″  Primer: CCI 500  Barrel: 4.00″  Reloading Dies: *Hornady/Redding  Max case length: 0.865″  Groups: 3 Shots – 25 Yards *Hornady sizer, expander, seater  – Redding tapered & Lee Factory crimp dies

COL and Capacity   Load Data & Performance Bullet Type Bullet Weight C.O.L. Inches Net Grains Water   Powder Charge Grains Muzzle Chrono FPS Muzzle Energy Ft/Lbs 25 Yard Group Size “ Nosler 44848 JHP 115 1.140 13.7   AA No.9 13.9 1452 539 1.9 Nosler 44848 JHP 115 1.140 13.7   Power Pistol 9.2 1513 585 2.0 Sierra 8110 JHP 115 1.105 13.0   AA No.9 13.5 1363 475 1.5 Sierra 8110 JHP 115 1.105 13.0   Power Pistol 9.2 1486 564 1.8 Remington 23557 JHP 124 1.140 12.3   AA No.9 13.0 1363 512 2.2 Remington 23557 JHP 124 1.140 12.3   Power Pistol 9.0 1448 577 1.6 Hornady 35571 JHP 124 1.140 12.1   AA No.9 12.5 1319 479 1.5 Hornady 35571 JHP 124 1.140 12.1   Power Pistol 9.0 1495 616 1.9 Hunter’s Supply FN 125 1.140 12.6   AA No.9 12.5 1343 501 1.6 Hunter’s Supply FN 125 1.140 12.6   Power Pistol 9.0 1496 521 1.7 Sierra 8125 JHP 125 1.110 12.2   AA No.9 12.0 1320 484 2.1 Sierra 8125 JHP 125 1.110 12.2   Power Pistol 8.7 1483 611 1.9 Speer GD 4360 JHP 125 1.140 13.1   AA No.9 13.4 1389 536 1.8 Speer GD 4360 JHP 125 1.140 13.1   Power Pistol 9.0 1446 581 1.5 Speer GD 4002 JHP 147 1.140 10.2   AA No.9 10.8 1225 490 1.9 Speer GD 4002 JHP 147 1.140 10.2   Power Pistol 7.5 1284 538 1.6 Hornady 35580 JHP 147 1.140 10.3   AA No.7 9.6 1164 442 1.3 Hornady 35580 JHP 147 1.140 10.3   Power Pistol 7.3 1232 496 1.8 Remington J275755 JHP 147 1.140 8.6   AA No.7 8.8 1131 418 1.8 Remington J275755 JHP 147 1.140 8.6   HS-6 7.0 1217 484 2.0 Cast bullets received a received a Lee factory crimp

Handloading, other than being a moderate aerobic exercise, was uneventful and remained that way through multiple renditions of Freebird and Sweet Home Alabama. Most of the handloads charges resulted in moderate compression; the AA powder is fine grained and densely fills, Power Pistol is a bulky flake that occupies a good deal of space. None requiring special attention.

Shooting personality…

The Springfield XD is an easy to shoot pistol that performed flawlessly throughout the project. Recoil was a little stiff, but the Springfield is recoil absorbing. The combination has a notable bark, but it is manageable. The 357 SIG is also flat shooting, Particularly in the context of a small capacity autoloader round. Something like this –