357 maximum

[txpete]

I found a 24" 357 maximum custom shop contender barrel and will pick it up next week.
I have had a couple of the t/c guys telling me that cast bullets are a problem in the 357 max. poor grouping ect.
anyone reload for the 357 max and using cast??
pete

[Scrounger]

Guy here with the handle.... .357 Maximum.... seems to have an awful lot of experience with it. PM him. There are others also.

[GLL]

Check out Bellm's comments on SAAMI chambert specs on the .357Maximum Contender barrels!

http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/index.php?cid=120

Jerry

[jeff223]

my SSK 357max shoots the Ranch Dog cast boolits pretty good

[leftiye]

Gll,
That's a sum freebore!! Thank ___ (whoever might be responsible) my rechambered H&R .357 mag barrel is only about 1/4 so long in the throat!! I've been running around feeling sorry for myself as it is. Tapered freebore is an abomination, stoopidist thing I can think of (almost).

Txpete,
I got a load from Glen (Fryxell's) article at the LASC site on the .357 Max.. 20 grains 4227 and 200 grain boolit. Works pretty well. You'll need to adjust it for overall length as it is for revolter. Seat them out to touch the rifling.

[cbrick]

txpete what did ya find out about your new maxi barrel?

I agree that reading Mike Bellm's T/C articles would be a good investment. Here's link's to those and Glen's article.

T/C Accuracy
The .357 Maximum

Rick

[txpete]

I got the 357 max barrel in and it really has some of the nicest blue I have seen on a t/c.
mounted a 3x9 scope as no sights on this barrel.range report to follow

pete

[selmerfan]

I have a 15" Coyote Guns 357 max barrel for my Encore. I haven't had time or weather to do a lot of load development, but everything I've run down range is well under an inch at 50 yds, those were just the loads I put together for a fun afternoon!
Selmerfan

[txpete]

got to shoot the t/c max today.its a winner!!!!

loaded up some 158 gr jhp's with 21.0 grs H110 cci sm rifle primers and it was cutting a ragged hole.I put a burris 3x9 ffII on the max.

next up was some reg rem 357 mag loads I brought along to try.they shot excellent and poi was about 1 1/2(low) from where the the max loads were printing.

next tried some of my 158 gr cast silhouette bullets with 5.6 grs w231 in starline 357 mag brass.they cut a ragged hole and no leading.
I think I have a winner here guys .no recoil to speak of and a accurate little rifle.
as a side note tried some trail boss in the ruger bisley 45 colt well lets just say that powder sucks and leave it at that....back to "unique" again in the 45 colt.
pete

[hyoder]

I have a 10" T/C barrel in 357 Mag and a 14" in 357 Max. Neither has been worth a hoot with jacketed bullets. Next project is to try real boolits.

Facts: Both barrels have almost identical barrel dimensions - .360" grove/.353" bore. Neither barrel will ever shoot jacketed bullets - who cares. I'm going to rechamber the Mag to Max.

Problems: Both barrels have approx. .47" forcing cones. Chamber cast in photo is the Mag chamber shown with a Mag case, a Nosler 170 gr. PHG bullet, and a Max. case with the same bullet seated to engage the lands(by calculation).

Thoughts: If I size cast boolits lage enough to fit the forcing cone - ala revolver. Make chamber dimensions fit a .361" bullet seated in a max case. Bullet to start with is the Saeco #354 I80 gr. FNGC (probably beagle time) - mold shown with Nosler bullet for comparison. Second will be 35-200-FN 200gr FNGC.

Question: Am I on the right track.

[lathesmith]

Thanks for the range report Pete, as an Encore owner and 357 fan I am very interested in this combination! I have been thinking of one of those barrels for my Encore, and I may yet take the plunge. I recently got a 357 mag 23" SS barrel for my Contender carbine, and I love it. I guess that has been what has stopped me from getting a 357 or 358 for my Encore--I want Stainless, darn it! Oh well, blue is good too, probably just as good for my use if I would be honest about it. It sounds like yours is shooting great!
lathesmith

[leftiye]

Hyoder- Yep, make the boolits as large as you can chamber in that freebore. Seat them out until they touch the rifling.

[part_timer]

I purchased a 19" 357 max barrel from fox ridge last year for my encore. It shoots jacketed stuff well and will group 180gr gas checked rcbs (ww) boolits around 1" at 50 yards. I'm using just under a max load of H110 out of the RCBS cast loading manual. I believe it would do better with a better scope. It is wearing a red dot right now as we hunt in the woods and only shoot about 50 yards anyway.

[Tom Herman]

Hi txpete,

I came to the same conclusion. I got sucked into the Trail Boss hype after reading glowing reports about it in several gun mags.
So, I went out and bought a 12 ounce container of it and loaded it to the maximum value listed for .45 LC for use in my Ruger Redhawk.
My other loading was the standard 8 .0 grains of unique behind the same 255 gr. SWC bullet.
The Unique loads all shot on target or about a foot low at 100 yards.
The Trail Boss fed bullets shot 3 to 4 feet low at 100 yards!
To say that I was bitterly disappointed in the powder's performance is an understatement.
The stuff plain old sucks beyond 50-75 feet. It just doesn't cut it in the real world.

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

as a side note tried some trail boss in the ruger bisley 45 colt well lets just say that powder sucks and leave it at that....back to "unique" again in the 45 colt.
pete

[Scrounger]

Mopeds are great on gas mileage but a piece of caca when it comes to cross-country moving... You never wondered why they make 12-15 different burning speed powders? TrailBoss is a very well performing powder in it's intended usage- Cowboy Shooting. Loads there are limited to extreme low velocities and TrailBoss does that well. Do you guys ever read a loading manual?

[redneckdan]

The Unique loads all shot on target or about a foot low at 100 yards.
The Trail Boss fed bullets shot 3 to 4 feet low at 100 yards!
To say that I was bitterly disappointed in the powder's performance is an understatement.
The stuff plain old sucks beyond 50-75 feet. It just doesn't cut it in the real world.

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

Like others have said....do you use a finishing hammer for driving barn spikes?

[Boomer Mikey]

This is my cure for the original 357 Maximum chambers in the 10" and 14" Contender barrels.

The 35-55... My version of the 35-30... a 38-55 case necked down to 35 caliber with a 0.5" long neck.

The 10" barrel will shoot the 200 RCBS over 2000 fps if you can hold onto it.

I've ordered 2, 357 Magnum barrels for my H&R handi-rifle; one will be rechambered to 357 Maximum using a custom reamer with a normal throat, the other barrel will be rechambered to this 35-55.

Boomer

Thumbnails: Left to right; 357 Magnum, 360 Dan Wesson, 357 Maximum, 35-55 all with 180 grain GC group buy boolit. 10" and 14" 357 maximum barrels rechambered to 35-55.

[Mr. Tree]

In my 14" Contender the most accurate load is 19.2 grains W-296 and a Lyman 358627 (215 grain SWC with GC). I could seat it in the bottom crimp groove and put in more powder but to keep things simple and safe I crimp it in the top groove and shoot them in my Rugers and Dan Wesson too. This is an excellent round for deer!

[Tom Herman]

Like others have said....do you use a finishing hammer for driving barn spikes?

No, I always try to use the proper tool for the job... The hype on Trail Boss was that it was supposed to be a great powder for filling ancient large cases like my .45 LC, and I have found out otherwise.
It has been relegated to a very dark corner of the basement (but then, July the 4th is coming up rapidly).
Yes, I use the proper powder for the job as well: Unique for real world loadings.

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

[redneckdan]

looking back...perhaps my words were a bit brash, I appoligize if I offended you in anyway.