Puma .38/.357mag feeding suggestions

[Ringer]

I just aquired a new to me '92 Puma .38/.357 with a 20" bbl. I need suggestions for mold purchase, and favorite load info anyone might like to share. I shoot BP silhouette,50 to 200 mtrs. but appreciate smokeless info too, as Cowboy Pistol is shot not too far away.
I have access to the 358429 Group Buy mold, if this boolit will work. If not, I will need to buy a mold- s to cast with. The only.38 boolits I have on hand are swaged Star
148gr wadcutters from the bullseye game. Not sure if they will work till I get some
more satisfactory boolits cast. Have lots of both size brass. Thanks for any help offered ! Ringer

[Calamity Jake]

'92 Puma .38/.357"

It may be marked .38/.357 but it will not feed 38sp without seating the boolet out to loaded .357 OAL.

RN, RNFP or truncated cone are the best boolet style for these LG's although some will feed a SWC. I have an older 92, (not Puma) that will. I have seen and tried many that will not feed SWC's.
Load 5-6 dumby rounds in .357 brass to try for function.

I have Lyman 356242 a 120 gr rn 9MM that is big enough for .38 cal. Lyman 358311 a 160 gr rn and a Saeco 358 a 160 gr rnfp, all function well in my 92.
Be glad to send you some to try.

I don't load black so can't help there. Any .357 load out of the Lyman Cast Boolet
Book will work in the 92, just work up to max for your 92.

[Boomer Mikey]

I use 3 different Puma M92's for CAS and shoot SWC's in them.

I'm using the Speer 158 grain SWC swaged bullet I purchase in bulk boxes of 500. For the cost I can't justify casting them; they are very soft at BHN 8. The soft bullets are desireable for low velocity use. BHN 8 bullets won't ricochet and they obiturate easily at 800-900 fps pressure levels to seal the bore minimizing leading.

I experienced feed problems at first until a gunsmith friend of mine rounded the sharp corners entering the chambers slightly and showed me how to make my reloads better by making sure to roll crimp the case mouth into the crimp groove to produce a smooth side on the reload. This prevents the case mouth from hanging on the edge of the chamber "stovepipe" and improves standard deviation of the loads by increasing bullet pull, making the powder burn before the bullet leaves the case.

My standard load is 4 grains of Tite Group in Remington cases with WSP primers. Similar loads using Unique, Bullseye, 231, Clays, 700X, and Trail Boss are quite common. Use great care to make sure you don't double charge a case. Trail boss is excellent for CAS loads because of it's styrofoam-like texture and the high volume it displaces for it's charge weight. Trail Boss will also "feel" like you're shooting black powder loads from it's burning characteristics.

I don't shoot the Holly Black in CAS but remember black powder loads must be compressed at least slightly.

For 200 Meter Silhouette you'll need at least 180 grain bullets; the twist rate for Puma's is 1:30"... not good for stablizing 180's. You'll need to push the largest bearing surface bullets as hard as you can to stabilize and gnerate as much energy as possible to knock down the Rams reliabily. I recommend the RCBS 357-180-SIL or the Saeco 396 or 399. For loads, size the bullets as large as possible (.360-.361) and load with H110 or 296 with a minimum starting load of 13.5 grains and work your way up using a Federal 205 primer and the cases of your choice. A COL of 1.650" feeds ok in my Puma's.

About bullet alloy: Don't use pure linotype for silhouette loads, the bullets will be too fragile. Wheel weight alloy with tin added or 50/50 lino/ww is good for silhouettes. With ww+tin alloy you can heat treat/water quench to get bullets at BHN 18-30+. I use 50/50 and don't heat treat obtaining a BHN of 13-15. If I water quench the 50/50 I get BHN 20-25 after a week.

The Puma's have served me well, after the actions are slicked up and tuned a little they become reliable workhorses that never complain except for the occasional reload with the shorter case mouth that didn't get tucked in.

Boomer :Fire:

[Ringer]

Hey Calamity Jake, and Boomer Mickey ! Imade up some dummy rounds last night, and after having feed trouble with the .357dummys, I came back here to search, and found your great help messages. The rifle will feed all the loads I tried, but when I load the .357cases, it's a no go. They won't chamber off the feed ramp
no matter how deep I seat the bullet.
I noticed at the gun shop today there were some .357 cb reloads, and the seemed to be crimped much more than I was crimping last night. I will try a heavier crimp tonight, and report back to you.
The rifle feeds all the .38 spl. dummies, even fed some flush seated 148gn wc's.
Thanks again for your help and advice. Regards, Ringer

[Ringer]

Calamity, Boomer, Well, I tried the deeper roll crimp earlier, and the rounds feed like factory. I crimped the Lee 158RF bullet and the Lee group buy Keith .357 (177gr out of my mold) in the crimp groove, and they fed perfectly. The Keith is about 1.640oal, but it still feeds well. Think I will start with Bullseye for beginning loads.I do have some H110also. Open to suggestions. Thanks Ringer

[Blammer]

Lil Gun is good for 357 mag.

I use it with my 200 gr FP bullets.

[Calamity Jake]

Ringer, if you haven't got one, then get a Lyman Cast Bullet Manual, Pick your boolet weight from the 357 mag load data, use the starting load for powder of choice and work up to the most accurate load for your Puma and have fun.