Ranch Dog 359-175 is the deal!

[Nobade]

I have owned a Browning '92 357 mag rifle for about four years now. Developing a good accurate load for it with black powder was easy - #358250 over 21 gr. FFFg and it shoots lights out. 2 inches at 100 yards easy. But trying to find an accurate load with smokeless powder has been quite a trip. I could get it to shoot well with the RCBS 200gr. rifle boolit paper patched, but not with any pistol boolits and nothing that will feed through the magazine.

Finally, Ranch Dog comes out with his 175gr. boolit just for 357 mag rifles. Fat nose to fit the throat, short enough to feed properly. I just got one of his moulds with the plain base option. Cast from ACWW, sized to .359" and run through the lubrisizer instead of tumble lubed. I tried loads from 1100 - 1300 fps with 10B101, Green Dot, AA#2, and AA#5. Nothing shot terrible, but the 10B101 and the AA#5 were the standouts with 5 shot groups about the size of a quarter at 50 yards, at 1200 fps. Looks like that will be a good speed to run it at and will have plenty of power for pistol caliber levergun matches. I was quite pleased, since this is the first time it has ever shot under about 4 inches at that range with smokeless.

So if anybody has been trying to find a good boolit for their 357 mag rifle, this looks like a good one to try!

[358 Win]

Also have the RD359-175 but opted for the gas check. Shoot mine @ 1600 with Alliant 2400 powder. I size em in my Lyman 450 sizer and seat the gas checks also. Then I hand dip them
in warm Lee Liquid Alox. Let em dry overnight and they are ready to load. Cast of ACWW they weigh right at 180gr with gas check and lube. No other bullet feeds better thru my Marlin 1894C.
358 Win

[runfiverun]

for those that don't know michael is starting to work with the rossi leverguns.
http://www.rossi-rifleman.com/
here is a shameless plug for a websight he has.
besides his molds page,which this links to.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have several moulds for the 357, some of which I bought here, including a two part mould (which is probably a grand idea, but I do not have great expectations of it, but I wanted to try it for myself. I will keep the Ranch Dog in mind if the ones I have don't work as well as I'd like.

[Newtire]

Also have the RD359-175 but opted for the gas check. Shoot mine @ 1600 with Alliant 2400 powder. I size em in my Lyman 450 sizer and seat the gas checks also. Then I hand dip them
in warm Lee Liquid Alox. Let em dry overnight and they are ready to load. Cast of ACWW they weigh right at 180gr with gas check and lube. No other bullet feeds better thru my Marlin 1894C.
358 Win
Amen to the Ranch Dog and the 2400 load in a Marlin rifle.

[dsol]

I have heard that the Rossi 357's have a slower twist rate and do not play well with heavier boolits? I am just starting to cast and will go with the Lee 158 TL to start plinking with. Just wondering if I should keep that around the top weight or go for something heavier later.

[fecmech]

I have heard that the Rossi 357's have a slower twist rate and do not play well with heavier boolits? I am just starting to cast and will go with the Lee 158 TL to start plinking with. Just wondering if I should keep that around the top weight or go for something heavier later.

The 158TL is a good bullet in both my Rossi's with their 30" twists. The Lyman "Keith" 358429 works well also but only run at full throttle with 296/2400 etc. The RD bullet might work OK but my guess (and it's only that) is it too would need to be run at the top end. Here is a thread on Rossi bullets. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=108234

[FergusonTO35]

Anyone ever try these boolits with Hodgdon 110 or 4227?