What are .357 multiball good for?

glassparman

"OK, OK, I'm going as fast as I don't want to go!"
Saw these on another site. Anyone tried them?

Curious what the second ball will do, will it follow the same path close behind? Is this like a double tap?

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300BLK

Well-Known Member
I have loaded my own in 38Spl cases and they usually don't spread more than 2" at 15 yards. Certainly they limit penetration by virtue of projectiles.
 

KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
I once took a small amount of coin from a guy with a .45 1911. I had a Bulldog with double ball loads. I bet I could put ten holes in a silhouette target at 7 yds faster than he could. He was busy reloading and never saw that I didn’t.

For SD purposes my reasoning was that the balls wouldn’t penetrate very far (urban areas) but getting hit with two .43 balls (123 gr) at roughly the same time had to hurt.

From my Bulldog they were always within 2-3” of each other at 7 yards.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
Loaded 4 00B squashed out to .454 in a Colts case . 6-650 fps about a 3" V and a flier about 4" out . Nice round holes though.
I did 2 in a 38 and 3 in 357 had about the same results at 20 yd.
 

Bazoo

Active Member
Pretty interesting discussion, thanks all for sharing. I've seen some old loading manuals with double ball loads listed.
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
I have a weird old mould--a two cavity Lyman #358101. It casts a 75 grain .359" wadcutter bullet that can be lubed in the Lyman 45/450/4500. I think they are meant to be loaded two-at-a-time atop each other using 148 grain wadcutter data in 38 Special and 357 Mag brass.

Over the years I've loaded several hundred of these. Most have been given 3.0 grains of WW-231 with two bullets seated atop each other. These confuse chronographs and make them do weird things. Three bullets won't fit into 357 cases without eating most of the powder space. I have run these from 700-1200 FPS, and as the speed increases the two holes separate more widely. Most bullets seem to hit flat-on like a wadcutter and cut clean holes, and hit 2"-3" apart at 7 yards. The few cocked hits came at 1100 FPS or higher, maybe the 'Chuck Yeager Effect' is taking hold--dunno.

These flat little critters weigh the same as a 36 caliber roundball from an 1851 Colt cap & ball revolver. They do have value when provided to friends that fancy themselves to be All That And A Bag Of Chips with a Davis-barreled PPC wheelgun. 12 nice round holes instead of 6 on a B-27 target produces some consternation, but that scam only works once--and it gets around quickly.
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
I had no idea anyone offered a factory round like this.

Somewhere I have a mold which casts about a 60 grain wad cutter. Always thought it would be neat to try two stacked in a .357 round, but have yet to try it.
 

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
I think they are a great home SD load. Pure lead balls so all the energy goes into the goblin rather than thru him. Even with body armor it will knock them on their ass. If they get up, next pair to the face if you have the presence of mind to do so. And at no time do you have to worry about perforating a neighbor's house or passing car unless you miss and put them thru a window. I have a .38 double barrel derringer that I have been known to carry for SD simply because it is so convenient. I think load like this would make that piece even more effective.
 
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KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
I think two 123 gr .43" diameter balls at 800 fps hitting at the same time would ruin most people's day. Getting hit by two .36 balls wouldn't make your day any better either...
 

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
Just because someone makes something doesn’t mean there’s a need for it.

Companies don’t make products to fill some need. Companies make products to make MONEY.
 

JustJim

Well-Known Member
I've a bit of experience with them. A round ball sheds a lot of velocity going through a wall--this can be a good thing in an apartment building. The balls tend to stack or be side-by-side inside ~30'.

Even with body armor it will knock them on their ass.
I once observed a pair of folded up buckskin gloves stuffed in the pocket of an M65 field jacket stop both balls from the .38 loading. Gun was a Remington-pattern derringer. Distance was <2'. Target was not amused, or slowed down. I wouldn't trust the load from a .38 (particularly a short-barreled piece) in cold weather.
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
No bullet strike does anyone or anything a bit of good--that's a fact.

Internal ballistics? A hard science. External ballistics? Another hard science, with variables we can adapt to. Terminal ballistics? That ranks somewhere between 'Voodoo' and 'Poorly-understood art form'. Predicting ballistic outcomes is a low-profit venture, but I roll most often with a Glock 23 or S&W 686 x 4". Self-defense should never be related to light-tackle sportfishing.
 

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
I've a bit of experience with them. A round ball sheds a lot of velocity going through a wall--this can be a good thing in an apartment building. The balls tend to stack or be side-by-side inside ~30'.


I once observed a pair of folded up buckskin gloves stuffed in the pocket of an M65 field jacket stop both balls from the .38 loading. Gun was a Remington-pattern derringer. Distance was <2'. Target was not amused, or slowed down. I wouldn't trust the load from a .38 (particularly a short-barreled piece) in cold weather.
Not doubting you, but it's hard to believe that someone would get hit in the chest and it not slowing him down. Tough guy or drug enhanced.