1894 357 Boolit

[Gtek]

Just scored a sweet 79' 94 from an old freind. Only took me twenty years to convince him it wanted to live at my house with all it's relatives. He used to feed it 125 JHP and 2400. Anybody here have one that has a favorite nice big flat nose Boolit that squirts well in these. Thinking/leaning 150 +/- area, piggy popper for the kid's. Thanks-Gtek

[primersp]

noe 360-180 wfn

[Ben]

Many shooter have good things to say about this bullet

http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/188719/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-358-158-rf-38-special-357-magnum-38-colt-new-police-358-diameter-158-grain-flat-nose

[imashooter2]

noe 360-180 wfn

Concur. There have been a number of group buy permutations on this basic design made over the years. All work very well in the 1894C.

[Larry Gibson]

I recall, could be wrong on the .357, that the older M94s had pretty slow twists. You might want to measure it before getting a mould. Just a suggestion.

Larry Gibson

[405]

I have a Marlin 94 carbine with MG bore in 357 of about that vintage... I assume you're talking about the Marlin 94 C?

Your friend was right about the 125 JHP over 2400. That is a good combo in this gun.

Also, as has been suggested, check the twist rate.

A few years ago I bought a bunch of Hornady 140 gr swaged .358 Cowboy bullets for cheap. My gun really likes them over light charges of Trailboss.

[jlchucker]

Many shooter have good things to say about this bullet

http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/188719/lee-2-cavity-bullet-mold-358-158-rf-38-special-357-magnum-38-colt-new-police-358-diameter-158-grain-flat-nose

Yes, it works pretty well. But here's the thing: That ad in the Midway catalog, the one that comes up with your link, shows a flat base boolit. When you get the mold, be prepared to cast a boolit with a bevel base. At least in the two-cavity version. I for one truly wish that the mold being sold was actually for the flat base boolit being depicted in the ad.

[ocelott]

In mine I have a 94C of 1980's vintage that has loved the Mihec 359-640 180 grain cast solid. Using WC WW I use about 12gr of 2400 to very nice accuracy with minimal leading

[jtaylor1960]

Ranch Dog makes a nice 175gr. designed to work in the 1894.

[Gtek]

I just spent some quality time with it. Yes Marlin, 18" pipe and almost a half turn. I am pretty sure 1-38". Thanks-Gtek

[excess650]

I have one of the early 1894c (pre-safety) and it definitely is 1-16". Its normal cast diet has been Saeco #354 over stiff charges of H110. The Saeco 354 is almost the twin to Lee's 158RF, but has a GC and weighs 180gr.

[beagle]

Mine digests a pretty steady diet of the RCBS 38-158-CM hollowpointed. Holds about ten loaded in .38 Special cases and a couple less in Mag cases and it loves 'em and feeds good. I use loads from my article on High Speed .38 Special loads in castpics and normally keep a thousand loaded and ready to fly at all times./beagle

[kelbro]

Mine (Ballard rifled) loves the new Ranch Dog bullet.

[ArchAngelCD]

A 158gr-160gr Flat nose bullet over 9.2gr HS-6 shoots well in my 1894C. Sorry, I haven't sent them over a chrono yet so I don't have velocity numbers. I also like a 158gr XTP over 16.8gr W296. Both loads use a Magnum primer.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Bought a Marlin caliber .357 so I could have a rifle to shoot the 170+ grainers I use in my Dan Wessons .357´s & .357 Sm´s . I have never felt bad about drilling a ground hog or wabbit with a 180 grainer... you just never know when a cougar (yes in east Illinois) will walk across the bean field headed to the neighbors to eat another one of his cats or dogs.
Mike in Peru

[1Papalote]

I use the Ranch Dog 190 grain boolit for the 35 Remington. I crimp on the ogive for OAL. Kilt one whitetail last year. awesome boolit.

1Papalote

[izzyjoe]

mines a '79, and it's a 16 twist. it get a steady diet of Lee 158gr. rfn's over 4.8gr of unique in spec. cases, and 6gr in mag cases. when i have time i shoot 100-200 per weekend. FUN FUN FUN!

[358 Win]

Also have a 1979 1894C with the 1-16" twist (as they all are). Shoot the Lyman 358156 @ 164gr w/gas check and lube. Also the LEE 158SWC @ 164gr w/gas check and lube. Favorite
is the Ranch Dog RDTLC-358175 @ 178gr w/gas check and lube. The RD bullet is a RN FP and
feeds absolutely flawlessly and shoots great @ 1600fps +. The other two are @ 1750fps with
great grouping also, they just don't feed as well as the RD bullet due to being SWC. The Lee and Lyman don't jam, they just seem to "catch" somewhere while feeding.
358 Win

[NHlever]

All my .357 rifles ( a Marlin 1894C, a Winchester 94 Legacy, and a Ruger 77/357) shoot the Lyman 357156 boolit very well, and I load it hot over H-110 for game stomping loads. The other boolit I really like in all these guns is the Lee 358-158 RFN that Ben showed. Rifles, and handguns alike all seem to really like these two boolits. Light loads, or heavy you will have a hard time finding a better place to start (with standard booit designs anyway)

[ocelott]

In my 80's vintage 94C I have used a variety of bullets with my best groups being the following loads:
180gr txp 12.0gr 2400, 158gr lyman FP (AC WW) over 8.5gr bluedot, mihec 359-180 HP (WC WW) over 12.0gr 2400

My gun loves them all and consistently shoots 3/4" at 50 yards with any of them.