new rossi puma .357 sugestions please.

[mr.jake]

Well i just aquired a interarms Puma rossi .357 20 inch stainless rifle. I payed to much but its what i wanted it had never been fired, bought 10 years ago and stuck in a safe and may be a special edition (it has the serial number as 15xx of 2000). I have on hand a little aa#5, some federal small pistol primers, some 125grain .358 rf boolits cast from a lee mold that i shoot threw my 9mm glock, and will hopefully have 1,400 nickle .38 special cases buy the time my lee .38/357 dies arive. Does this boolit work well for these carbines? I plan to get a 158 grain mold or possibly a ranchdog mold for this rifle when i start shooting .357 out of it. i also plan on useing 2400 or lil' gun for this boolit. Just looking for some sugestion on powder new mold and primers. Id like to use a powder that can be used with small pistol primers and avoid gas checking if possible for obvious reasons. I know its kind of a tall order... But you guys are the best at the cast boolits game so im sure you all can point me in the right direction. I shot 11 jword 38's threw it and boy golly is this rifle fun to shoot

[303Guy]

I think the Rossi Puma is a wonderful rifle. My made had one and I did some loading for it for him. It was pretty accurate. I cast and loaded 158gr Lee's using a powder similar to H4227. I would certainly consider Lil'Gun for the 357 rifle. I never attempted to duplicate factory loads. In my day I only had whatever hollow stick lubes were available but those kept both his 357 and my 44 mag bore free from leading. I knew nothing about correct sizing but apparently my lube-sizer was just fine and so was my alloy (wheel weights mostly, I think).

Lil'Gun, according to Hodgdon's tables produces higher velocity with way lower pressure than anything else in a pistol with j-words, far higher velocity than in a rifle. Something amiss there. Lil'Gun is very compressible - not that I'm suggesting you should do that - but if'n one were to attempt to approach similar chamber pressures using Lil'Gun, who knows what muzzle velocity could be achieved. (Not suggesting it - just saying! It does magic in a hornet).

[runfiverun]

you don't need the slow powders.
i use a 158 gr rnfp plain base [lyman and rcbs till i messed it up] in 357 brass with 7 grs of herco.[my everyday have over 2k at all times on hand load]
i have used up to 12 grs af 2400 for about the same velocity.
with my 125 rnfp in 357 brass again 5 grs of unique is nice.
and 4 grs of titegroup or 231 in the 38 brass. [my go to kids load]
all plain base molds and i wouldn't hesitate to deer hunt with the 158,
with some 125's along for grouse and squirells.
i use the same 125 rnfp sized to 358 in my 9mm's [when i can get the wife to make them]
if i can ever get her to get enough 180gr boolits ahead, i'll give them a try in the rossi too...

[Calamity Jake]

If your going to use 38sp brass then OAL will have to be set to loaded 357 length other wise that rossi may not feed/function with the shorter OAL.

[fecmech]

The lee 125 rnfp is the favorite bullet for both my Rossi .357's (20 and 24" bbl). It feeds in .38 cases in my two and using 5.3/231 it will group less than 3"@100 yds. That load runs about 1200 fps and is very mild and a great plinker. I shoot it out to 200yds on our gong at the range and accuracy holds up all the way to 200. Both guns like the lee TL 158 swc and the Lyman "Keith" (358429). The 358429 over a max load of 296/H110 does over 1600 fps and will hold 3 moa accuracy as far as you want to shoot it. I think the Rossi 92's in .357 are great little guns.

[mr.jake]

Im still waiting on my dies to arrive. I bought 1400 clean nickle plated .38 special casses this week for $50 and they look almost new. I made a couple dummy rounds with the lee 125 grainers seated to the crimp grove and they feed great. I also polished the furniture with johnsons paste wax. I think ile start with 5.2 grains of AA#5 and work up a to about 6.0 grains until it starts leading. Do you guys use aircooledd or water dropped when casting for your rossi's? P.S. Ile be useing wheel weights as my alloy.

[mr.jake]

Well so far ive had good succsess with my lee 125 grn .358 rf boolit over 5.4grains of AA#5 in a .38special case. I just keep running out off boolits! Ive also went through 700 primers in the last week. And am going to go fling some more lead this evening. One thing i dont like about this gun.... Everyone wants to shoot it and once they have shott a full magazine they wantt to shoot more at least I can shoot for around $8 per 100

[runfiverun]

they are hard to put down once you get them going.
you'll need all of those cases.