Reaming a 357 to max

[Wagnerwerks]

The twist is 1:18 and the crown looks pretty nice. It is overall a good design, but it's really not hard to redesign a single shot. It locks up nicely but it is chambered a little deep at the head. I haven't had a single misfire, but it's got a little slop. I loaded a few 125s with 2400 to give a lighter bullet a whirl too.

[Steve E]

My Maxi's are all 1-14 twist which I think is ideal for 180 gr bullets, I believe the 1-18 is better with lighter bullets. That doesn't mean it won't shoot good with heavier bullets though.

Steve.........

[Wagnerwerks]

I have been working on a good load for this gun for a while now and my work is finally paying off. I have a unique load with powder coated 200g Lee slugs shooting 1" group at 50yrds and a 158g pc slug with a 2400 load dropping them into a 1.5 inch spot. I can load the 200s long with bullet touching the rifling and it shoots well. I'm going to start my search for max brass and go from there.

[Bookworm]

The search for Max brass is short - Starline has it. And 360DW also.

[Jedman]

The Max is a great round, I own 3 rifles chambered in it but find for 95 % of shooting, plinking and deer hunting with it I would do just as well with a standard 357 mag.
I have killed several deer with the 357 mag in a rifle and for 100 yards or less where 80 % of all deer are shot you don't need the Max.
It sounds like for your purposes it would be just because you would like to try it and I understand that.
To get all of the extra performance that the Max has you need different powder and bullets that will not explode if you use it for deer hunting. The Max really puts all jacketed pistol bullets off limits when you want to use it for hunting med/ large game as they are not up to the increased velocity and some of the .358 bullets are built to expand at velocities a little higher than the Max will produce so you are somewhat limited in good hunting bullets.
A good heavyweight cast wfn bullet is probably the best choice for hunting.

Jedman

[Clark]

In pursuit of long range hunting.....

1) I would not use a 357 max reamer for a single shot.
I would use a 0.380" straight fluted reamer for a tighter fit on the brass.
https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/02033801

2) I would throat the chamber separately for a long boat tailed bullet barely seated in the case mouth.

3) I would ignore the SAAMI max pressure of 48kpsi associated with revolver extraction.

[Wagnerwerks]

I've actually been thinking about the .38 reamer with a handi rifle barrel I'm in the process of building. I have a lathe and if been on my mind to just bore the chamber to spec and the add the rim recess. I want to do one in 9mm also. I didn't think about using it for the max. There's a gracious member here that has offered to loan me a max reamer so I'll likely take him up on that.

[Jedman]

I have bored a couple of shotgun chambers with a boring bar and single point tool, with a plastic hull who cares if you get a slight imprint of the tool marks in the plastic hull ?
Doing a chamber for a rifle ,I have done some with a chucking reamer ( straight walled ) and with others made with a D bit reamer.
If your a handloader don't bore the chamber. you can't get a finish that wount transfer to your brass.

Jedman

[Clark]

When I play around with Quickload / Quicktarget, the longer throat and boat tailed bullet are both more important for range than the jump from 357 mag to 357 max case length.

The primer piercing will be the likely be the pressure limit. CCI 450 small rifle magnum primers are the highest pressure I have found. To make them work even better, one has to bush the firing pin.

I have a rolling block that opens up from gas when the primer pierced. I have a handi rifle that can shake open when there is enough free recoil.

I keep trying for longer range. This year I am building two 7mmSTW rifles, a pre war M70 and new Defiance hunter. I keep trying for more and more range, but one of the deer last year was at 20 feet.

[P Flados]

I load a lot of 357 max, 357 mag & 38 special.

If you have a gun that has ample margin for high pressures, a 360 DW chamber actually has more advantages than some of the other choices.

With most of the guns that we shoot 357 max out of, the guns only perform "good" (accuracy) with maximum cases. This is true even with low power target loads (typically mid way between 38 special and full power 357 magnum. The cost of having a lot of maximum brass around for target loads is pretty high.

Because of the poor choices by select revolver makers, I do not like loading 357 magnum above SAAMI specs. At these pressures, the 357 magnum just does not perform at the power level that many want.

However, the 360 DW can provide real close to 357 max performance in most guns, and at the same time the 360 DW gun should perform good with 357 cases (provided that the boolit extends far enough out of the case with full diameter).

Since most loaders can get 357 magnum cases at a fraction of the cost of either Max or 360 DW, this lets a 360 DW gun use high volume target loads in 357 magnum cases (with the same accuracy as pricey cases), and with only a small quantity of brass (at a premium with starline as the only reliable source) for full power loads.

Before you actually "adopt" a given gun into your "shoot a lot" collection, it is easy to underestimate the impact that brass availability and/or artificial limits can have on your attitude. I really try to promote thinking ahead on this subject. Most people will be "more happy" with a given gun with reduced concerns about brass cost and availability along with no nagging concerns similar to "I should be able to push it harder, but I worry about SAAMI limits and/or worry about my ammo in stupid/wimpy guns".

[ubetcha]

Have a look a Mike Belm's web site. He does a lot of work with the 357max. That's his favorite cartridge. There is a mention about Handi Rifles I believe.