What size dowel to knock out 357 bullets

[mickbr]

Looking to work down some low powered loads with hodgon clays behind 158 grain cast bullets in a 24" barrel rossi. I'll probably go all the way down to getting them stuck just to assure myself where that is so I can stay away from it for working loads. Wondered what size dia dowel and whether there is a particular method or is it just bash away.

[GunnyMack]

When developing loads for my ar10 and military brass I got a little overzealous and had the rim tear off, stuck case! I keep a 5/16" brass range rod. The brass is much tougher than any dowel, it won't hurt the barrel, won't split and become a spear point.

[gundownunder]

What is a standard dowel size in the US?
A .357 is 9.1 mm, or 3/8".
Here in Oz 8mm is a common dowel size, that's 5/16". That should be plenty big enough.

[JimT]

I use a brass or aluminum rod that is close to bore size. Brass or aluminum will not booger the rifling.

[fordwannabe]

You probably already know this and I am preaching to the choir but use the largest size you can get down the bore as lots of people use a smaller rod(usually a cleaning rod) and then drive it right in the middle of the bullet wedging the bullet even tighter in the bore. I also try to use brass rods for such but occasionally I resort to wood dowels however I cut the dowel into 8-10 inch lengths fire harden the ends and then use multiple short sections on top of each other to REDUCE, not eliminate, the splitting.

[Pisgah]

With lead bullet loads, "bashing away" should not be called for. Unlike jacketed bullets, they're pretty slick and slide pretty easily. I don't like dowels for the job, though. Better is a brass or coated steel cleaning rod -- they won't break, as so many wooden dowels are prone to do. Usually, a stuck lead bullet is easily dislodged by inserting the aforementioned rod in to the bore and letting it drop the last three or four inches. This will get the bullet moving, and a slow, steady push will move it the rest of the way out.

[marlinman93]

I use my coated cleaning rods with a proper size brass jag. A good quality cleaning rod, with a soft mallet to tap works best, and wont be harmed by tapping.
But experience tells me to watch blowback around the outside of the cases for signs of low pressure. You'll see blackened cases before you'll get to the velocities low enough to stick a bullet in the barrel. And once you see the cases not sealing, you should not continue to drop the charge or you could end up with a face full of gases hitting you!

[Twodot]

+1 for a cleaning rod, proper size jag, a muzzle/bore guide and a rubber mallet.
..

[765x53]

Why go lower than the starting load in Hodgdon's Cowboy Action data?
There should be no danger of a stuck bullet.

[mickbr]

Thanks fellas I will go and pick something up. 765x53, well hornadys data is lower than hodgons, also if you are chasing gallery loads you may be going lower than published load data.

[marlinman93]

I think you'll find that around 600 fps the cases will begin to show signs of blowby back around the case when they don't seal. I've experimented quite a bit with low velocity gallery loads when I was using a revolver for bullseye matches. Trying to get low recoil, for quick recovery time.
When I got down around 600 fps the cases showed blackened powder burns on the outside, so I stopped and bumped them back up to around 625-650 fps and it went away.

[Chuck 100 yd]

5/16” brass or aluminum rod.