.357 Max!

[selmerfan]

I'm just posting because I'm happy that I'm getting back into the Max! I traded my 26" TC 6PPC barrel for another gentleman's 12" .357 Max barrel with a Shilen blank over at Greybeard. I wish it were a few inches longer, but it's coming with a nice laminate pistol grip set, so I'll plenty of Encore wood in the gun case. I think I've hit the point where I need to save for another frame so I'm not swapping my single one around to different barrels. But at the same time, it kind of defeats the purpose...
I've got the RD 359-190-RF 6 cav, a GB 358627 copy 6 cav, SAECO #354, and Lee 158 gr. RF molds for my Max barrel, saved from when I had one a few years back. Glad I kept them! Excited for it to get here and see how well it shoots. I'll be checking out the RL7, 4227, 1680, and H110 for load development.

[Dthunter]

1680 worked the best for me.
Tremendous power for this case!

I havent shot my Max barrel in 5 years!
Maybe I should look/shoot it again as well!

It is bear season after all up here in Northern Alberta.

I have taken more than a dozen bears with this caliber. It works great! But I have NEVER had a load that stayed consistantly accurate past 100 yards.
One day it would group at 1-1/2", the next 4- 5"!

This cartridge seems very finiky with temp changes.

Have any of you shooters experienced this?

[rockrat]

Haven't experienced the temp change fluxuations. Maybe a different lube might help, a softer one for the temp changes

[selmerfan]

Nope, never had a problem with different temps. I use a 50/50 mix of Bullshop Speed Green and SAECO green lube, seems to work great. The barrel I had prior to this one would ring the 6" 200 yd. gong very consistently. And I know it held MOA out to 250 yds. This one "should" be a better quality barrel than my prior one, so I'm looking forward to working with it. The last one was a 15", this is a 12" - any guesses as to how much velocity loss I'll experience?

[frnkeore]

An old rule of thumb was 1% per inch. 2000 fps, 3" short = 60 fps reduction. I think shorter barrel MAY loose faster, at least in revolvers.

Frank

[uscra112]

RL-7 did not give me much to talk about. Best loads for me were with Lil'Gun, even with 200 grains. I know a lot of guys swear by 1680 for the heavy boolits, but I haven't got any. . . . Remington 6 1/2 primers.

[selmerfan]

RL-7 was GREAT in my other barrel - had to compress the load, but zero pressure signs, great accuracy and great velocity. I don't crimp the boolits in the single-shot - I seat it out to just touching the lands and it works great.

[yottey]

Out of 5 different .357 max barrels all but one shot good with 1680 with 180 gr and heavier boolits and bullets also by switching to cci 450 primers in1 barrel made the difference between 3" groups and 2" groups at 100yds.

[TCTex]

I have a 15.75in MGM 357 Max barrel for my Contender. It will shoot 3/4in groups all day long with 180XTP’s over H110. My best group with “my” barrel were with the SEACO 180 SIL bullet and 1680, sub ½ group. I am currently working on a load with my 190 RD. Mainly because I don’t have the 180 SEACO mold… LOL