heavy 357 maximum load

[500bfrman]

Is 250 grains too heavy for 357 max in ruger gun? anyone have experience this heavy in this caliber in revolver? thanks

[S.R.Custom]

The resulting load looks like a snake eating a rabbit. It'll never chamber unless you ream or turn the case.

Dunno about stabilizing, tho. You'll have to do a Greenhill calculation to see if you have enough barrel twist.

[500bfrman]

well if i could figure out the blasted twist rate on it I would be thrilled. Glen Fryxwell has an article where he shoots 221 grains out of a ruger going 1400. I didn't think 30 more grains would be a deal breaker, but there is a stopping point somewhere. anyway, 250 grain would be about one inch long and take up .6 of the case leaving the remaining one inch of the case for powder.

[S.R.Custom]

It's not the weight that determines bullet stability, it's the length. A truncated cone bullet is inherently more stable than a spitzer boat tail of the same weight.

According to my info, the Ruger Maximum is 1:16.

[Ed K]

I can't say for sure but there seems to be a lot of anecdotal evidence swirling around in my mind about 1-14" being necessary for good accuracy for 35 cal 250gr spitzer rifle buulets. If your twist falls short of that and your are running at less than rifle velocities you may be facing an uphill battle.

[500bfrman]

Would love to hear from anyothers that have info regarding twist. SRCustom do you have one? or is that what you have read or been told? The RCBS cast bullet book number 1 says the ruger is 1 in 14. most everything else I read says it is slower than that. I will not be using a spitzer type. from the looksof my barrel it doesn't seem to be a 1 in 14, but it's kind of hard to tell with a 7 inch barrel. looks to be 16 or maybe an 18.

[felix]

Only Colt has been using 14 twist in their 357s for years. Ruger had used 16 twist for years. Smith a little less than 19 for years. ... felix

[S.R.Custom]

SRCustom do you have one? or is that what you have read or been told?

Contrary to the information found on Wikipedia, all five of the ones I've owned over the years --including the one I currently own (which has been converted to .445SM)-- have all been 1:16.

You have one, what's yours measure?

[500bfrman]

yes I have one, how do I figure it out? I understand on a rifle you stick a cleaning rod and brush in there and measure the distance it takes to make a rotation. but on a 7 1/2 inch barrel what do I do just see if makes half a rotation? or is there better way?

[S.R.Custom]

Poke a brush (I use a patch over an appropriate jag) through your barrel. If it's 1:14, your brush will make just about 1/2 a turn. If it's 1:16, the brush will only make it to 5 o'clock.

[500bfrman]

it keeps saying 16 to me.

[Tatume]

It's not the weight that determines bullet stability, it's the length.

Actually, it's the length and speed of the bullet. A barrel and bullet combination that will not stabilize at one speed may do so if velocity is increased. This is not always practical, but sometimes it is.