Within those size limitations, apart from having an out of work .35 barrel blank, there is a lot going for the .445 Super Magnum, which is basically a .44 Magnum given the same treatment as the .357 Maximum, at 1.61in. case length. I don't know about local or even any availability of the cases, but I am sure they could be made from .303, and both that and the bullets are freely available.
Dies are probably special order items, but unlikely to be as expensive or as slow as made to measure ones. The reamer would be, but I would be inclined to try a 29/64 engineering reamer, drilled with a carbide drill to insert a pilot. That should measure .453125, and the stated base diameter for .303 is 455, but much brass is slightly smaller. I think you could produce the necessary diameter and a very slight taper by lapping, or abrasive paper on a wooden mandrel.
You could even lengthen it close to the 1.8in. and reload with the .445 dies. In fact I believe you could go through a few cycles, enough to assess what you'd got, with .44 Magnum dies.
More "This is what happened when I,,,,," and less "What would happen if I,,,,"
Last of the original Group Buy Honcho's.
"Dueling should have never been made illegal in this country. It settled lots of issues between folks."- Char-Gar
In Michigan a straight walled cartridge case has to be between 1.16" and 1.8" and a minimum of .350" for the limited zone. There is no COL limitation.
I'm working on a barrel for a 336 Marlin right now that will primarily be used as a 357Max but it also feeds 38 special and 357Mag. My mill bearings took a dump last night which is holding me up until they're replaced.
nekshot,
Any straight wall cartridge length for Illinois.
Keep us in the loop please!
More "This is what happened when I,,,,," and less "What would happen if I,,,,"
Last of the original Group Buy Honcho's.
"Dueling should have never been made illegal in this country. It settled lots of issues between folks."- Char-Gar
kids that hunt and fish dont mug old ladies
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is right now considering an amendment to their current muzzle loading season rifle regulations. At this time only muzzle loading rifles are permitted. The proposal they are going to consider is whether to add straight wall cartridges in dedicated single-shot only rifles to the approved list. It seems there was a minimum caliber diameter, but that detail has escaped me. I suspect that this proposal came about because the deer harvest has been lower for the past 2 years than the State wanted it to be. These numbers dropped when the state amended their definitions of a buck v. doe. The older standard stated that if the animal had any antler longer then 3 inches it was a buck, but if there no antler longer than 3 inches the animal scored as "antlerless" and did not count against the hunter's maximum harvest for bucks. Two years ago the State declared that if any antler was visible above the hair line of the head, that animal scored as a buck. Now, two years out, the State has found that many hunters were not taking (or declaring) short-antlered deer in their harvest. The antler ruling is up for discussion to return the older 3-inch rule so hunters will take more deer. Now with 2 rule change proposals on the table, hunters are looking forward to relaxed hunting opportunities. My personal take on these proposals is that I want to be ready if / when they are enacted. I have a single shot H&R 30-30 (Topper model 158) and have sent the barrel to JES for reboring to 38-55. I already have my cast boolits ready for this cartridge, now to start load development. Even if the black powder regulations do not change I will take this rifle into the woods this year and look forward to enjoying time with it.
Back 30 yrs ago when I was 16 I had several contender 10” barrels one was a 357 magnum. Went hunting with a high school friend and shot a doe facing us at 75 yards with a factory 125 grain PMC jacketed FP . We were sitting on a hillside with the gun resting between my knees upon recoil all 5 deer were gone back in the plum thicket . I asked the kid beside me where the deer I had shot had gone? His mouth was hanging open and as she still right there . Her legs buckled and she hit the ground where she’d been standing. Found the bullet under the skin of the left rear jam perfect mushroom after traversing 3 or so feet of deer . Fast forward 29 yrs and last yr I shot a spike buck with a Ruger Super Blackhawk in 357 Maximum at 40 yards with a 180 grain cast at the shoulder neck junction with the same results knees buckled hitting the turf . The 357 barely being big enough for gophers really does kill deer all out of proportion to its size . I’ve shot deer with handguns in 7 TCU , 7-30 Waters , 41 mag , 44 mag , 45 colt (+P+) Ruger Blackhawk , 454 Casul , and 45-70 in a Contender and none have fallen at the shot except the ones hit with the 357 . None have gone over 20 yards but for some reason the 357 has been magical (for lack of better term ) . Will try and figure out how to post a pic .
Last edited by bronte454; 05-28-2018 at 05:31 PM.
Greetings
I am rather partial to the 414 Supermag with 265-280 grain gc FN from a 14 " Contender or our 8" DW Revolver.
But as we hunt river bottoms and thick stuff we use recurves 99% of the time. Last corn cruncher I popped was with the 375 SM with the old Ideal 255 PB slug chugging along at 1275 FPS to duplicate old 38-55 loads. It was overkill at our ranges. Poor buck was hit and passed through so fast he just stood there and wondered what happened. Walked a some yards and laid down the last time. 12 yards just does not need much even on big ILLinois corn fed white tails.
Mike in Peru but Short.
"Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
Male Guanaco out in dry lakebed at 10,800 feet south of Arequipa.
Wayne the Shrink
There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!
Indiana used to be straight wall pistol cartridges only, but last year opened up to any caliber over .243 Winchester. I have two Model 1894 rifles, one Winchester AE .45 Colt and one Marlin .44 magnum but will likely use my 600 Remington in 6mm Remington loaded with 100 grain Nosler Partition's...……..robin
Last edited by robinsroost; 06-05-2018 at 03:12 PM.
Since Ohio included all strait walled cartridges between .357 and 50 cal. I am happy ! I own lots of rifles in bottle necked cartridges and it would be nice to be able to use them but I am good to 150 yards + with what is now legal so that's 99 % of any shots I get.
Jedman
500 linebaugh in tc encore with a 24" MGM heavy barrel. 450-525gr boolit is fine. i use a 460gr lfn gc.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |