Question for all of you Marlin Junkies

[Boerrancher]

I finally found a load that would shoot in my Mod 1894 carbine 357 mag. I use to shoot 9 grains of blue dot behind an approx 158 gr cast boolit from a lyman mold. It has been so long I don't remember the number or much about it other than it was a 4 cavity mold. about 7 years ago the friend of mine who owned the mold passed away and I didn't think much about it as I had a coffee can full of them. For the last few years I have been playing with that Lee 158 gr TL SWC. That Marlin won't shoot them if I size them at all. It blows my mind that I have a 356 bore and it will not group those bullets unless they are at 360 or larger. I have also found that 5 grains of unique shoots quite will with those over sized boolits, but it starting to show signs of pressure. According to the manual, 6 grains is a max load with a 158 gr cast, but 6 grains blows primers pat of the time with the over sized boolit.

My question being is 5 grains of Unique good enough or do I need to try to move to a slower burning powder. I want something good out to 100-to 150 yards.

Best wishes,

Joe

[felix]

Your BD load sounds much mo'betta'. I use 10 grains using the Lyman 150 Keith plain base in the Rossi. If 9 grains is not satisfactory, no reason not to go with the 820/9 powders at 13 grains in your gun for about the same results. ... felix

[fecmech]

I shoot 5 grs of Unique behind the Lee tl 158 swc out of both my Winchester 94.357 and 2 Rossi 92's. The load runs 1100 fps and is 3-4 moa accurate to 200 yds, it does however have a rainbow trajectory. I am surprised it's popping primers at 6 grs because 5 grs of unique behind a 158 is a standard pressure .38 spl load, only about 16500 cup

[felix]

The gun apparently has too much boolit pull for an unknown reason, making powders much faster during ignition. ... felix

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[greywolf444]

I load the lee 357 rnfp cowboy bullet over 5.5 gr unique. nice and pleasant load in the marlin for small game and plinking without being too light for the occassional med critter. I see no pressure signs with these loads. feed slick too.

[Boerrancher]

Thanks for all of the replies. I guess I will go buy a pound of blue dot or try accurate #7 as I have around 8#s of that and the burning rate is the same according to the powder charts. I should be able to load about 9 grains of it and be right where I want to be. This is why I like hanging out here. I get good advice when I need it.

The 5 grain load shoots really well, but I would like something with a bit more umph to it just in case I decide to wack a deer with it.

Best wishes,

Joe

[btroj]

My Marlin 357 won't shoot any swc worth a darn. It does best with the 358156 driven hard but it still is in the 4 in at 50 yards range. I won't accept that.
I bought a 359640 HP mould from Mihec and wow what a difference. At almost any velocity it shoots great. I can get a smaller group at 100 with that than I get at 50 with any swc.

I attribute this to the very steep throat angle in a Marlin. It just doesn't center up a bullet with a square front band.

I have high hope for the RD 175 I just got. It too has that taper from ogive to full diameter. That is a feature I have begun to really like one bullet.

[Boerrancher]

My Next mold purchase will be the RD 175 grain. I here it does wonders in the Marlin lever guns.
I tried everything to get mine to shoot that SWC and finally got it with by not sizing it at all, just tumble it in JPW and call it good. The last time I took it to the range it was shooting quarter sized 3 shot groups at 50 yards.

Best wishes,

Joe

[btroj]

I may need to load some of my Lee 158 swc un sized and tumble lubed in mine.

I would like to find a nice mid range load that shoots well too. Mine seems to shoot better at higher velocities than lower ones.

[EDK]

Conventional Wisdom on MARLINS in heavier weight, higher velocity, larger diameter, harder alloy and gas checked. I've got a .360 die for my STAR that I'm using for all my 357 caliber boolits and getting pretty good results with what little I shoot 357 and even less of them in the rifle.

I've got 358627 (feeding problems,) 358156 in a plain base mould awaiting delivery, 358667, a NOE 200 grain semi wadcutter, and MY FAVORITE, NOE 360 180 WIDE FLAT NOSE in both plain and gas check. The boys over at marlinowners are pretty enthusiastic about 180 grains in their 1894 357s.

The RANCH DOG 175 grainer ought to be ideal...I need to open up my wallet and get his new mould. Michael is THE MAN on boolits for MARLIN rifles.

:cbpour::redneck::guntootsmiley:

[6pt-sika]

The RANCH DOG 175 grainer ought to be ideal...I need to open up my wallet and get his new mould. Michael is THE MAN on boolits for MARLIN rifles.


I don't own a 357 anything anymore so obviousely I don't load for it anylonger . However if I did the RD 175 grainer would be one of the first i would be trying !

[6pt-sika]

I "had" a Lyman 2 cavity mold for a 215 grain SWC GC bullet , Sorry I don't remmember the number . But that one was a bit long if you crimped in the crimp groove to cycle thru any of the 1894 Marlin's I had . So I just seated it a little deeper and it worked fine !

That bullet with a decent charge of H-110 shot nicely in the 24" barreled Marlin 1894CB I had as well as the 16 1/4" Marlin 1894CP I had also in 357 MAG !

[6pt-sika]

As to your sizing diameter . With all 35 cal bullets I cast be it for a 357 MAG , 357 MAX , 35 REM or 356 WIN I sized them all in a .359" die and they all did well !

[Boerrancher]

Alright fells, I was mistaken it is not #7 it is #9, and I don't have any load data for it, so I need some help on a suggested load. I want something middle of the road to mildly warm. Over the years I have noticed that the little Marlin doesn't like super hot loads.

Best wishes,

Joe

[felix]

13 grains with nominal boolits. ... felix

[fecmech]

As Felix mentioned earlier with AA9 13 grs is a pretty good area to look in and with Blue Dot 10 grs.

[Swampman]

I only use Unique in my Marlin 1894C. I use 4 grains under a 172 cast bullet in .38 Special cases and 5 grains under a 172 grain cast bullet in .357 cases.

[Boerrancher]

Felix, Fecmec, I Kind of guessed it would be somewhere between 12.5 and 13 grains with my 158gr SWC, but I wasn't for sure. Thanks for the info.

Swampman, I am currently shooting 5 grains of unique, and it is doing a great for accuracy, but I want a bit more power behind it in case I need to wack a coyote or a deer out there at 100 yds. I just don't feel comfortable with the 5 grain load. If I can't get the #9 to shoot well then I will stick with the 5 grain load. I am going to buy the RD 175 grain mold for it though, as I have heard nothing but good about all of the RD molds.

Best wishes,

Joe

[btroj]

I have settled on 13 gr of WC820 with my 359640 mould. My lot is very similar to AA9 in burn rate. I have gone as high as 14 but don't think I need that much.

[Boerrancher]

Well I just finished zeroing my 1894C with 13 grs of #9. I was shooting 5 shot groups at 75 yards that averaged around 2 1/2 inches with out a bench rest. I left it about an inch high at 75, and figured it would be good out to around 125 to 130 with out any problems. I won't know until I get it on the bench with some good sand bags on a nice calm day if it will group better than my Unique load, but I am pleased so far. I wouldn't hesitate to smack a coyote or a deer out there at 100 yards or so with it now, and I know it has plenty of umph to get there and do what it needs to do. I thank all of you for your help with the information you provided. As soon as I get a chance to get to the range I will get some pics of some targets posted.

Best wishes,

Joe

[felix]

No need, Joe! That's plenty good enough for your purpose using naked eyes and cowboy sights. That's equal to a dead crow? ... felix