Best CB Cartridges for 357 Marlin 1894C

[Jeff82]

I've been working up my best all around cartridge for my 357 Marlin over about the last two years and have come up with a Lee RNFP .359 bullet with a plain base gas check and a bhn of about 14 (7% SB, 2% SN). Using 6.1 grains of SR-7625 powder it clocks in around 1,500 fps. I'm using skinner sights, no scope, and am getting about 2-inch groups at 50-yards and 8-inch groups at 100-yards. I think the groups widen out so much at 100-yards due more to the sights than the bullet. I'm pretty pleased with the cartridge, but making and applying gas checks is a pain. I'm wondering what other people are using in their 357 Marlins, and if they're having any luck with non-gas checked bullets?

[Scharfschuetze]

I've got a Marlin 1894 Cowboy in 357 Magnum with a Lyman aperture rear sight and a blade front sight. That is the best iron sight arrangement for me as it duplicates the sight picture of a service rifle and I can refine my sight picture much better than with a bead front sight.

My favorite load for it is a 180 grain RNFP (oxymoron or what?) plain base cast boolit cast hard over Lil'gun powder. Average velocity is 1685 fps with a reasonable extreme spread and Sd. Accuracy through 200 yards is right at 2 to 3 MOA depending on my shooting for any given day. Lots of oomph at 200 yards for a 357. The Lyman rear sight lets me pre-set any zero for it from 25 yards through 220 yards, which is the furthest I've shot this particular rifle. Once in a while I'll note a few lead flakes on the cleaning patch, but overall I don't experience any real leading.

For a jacketed bullet, I like the 180 grain Remington scalloped hollow point over the same Lil'Gun powder for a velocity of 1679 fps. I haven't shot this load in a while, but my notes indicate that it holds 2 1/4 MOA at 100 yards for 10 shots off of a bench rest.

I use magnum pistol primers or standard SR rifle primers (CCI #400) with these loads as they reduce the extreme spread and Sd by about half of what the standard pistol primers do.

[plainsman456]

Been loading 158 grain plain base for a Rossi and a Marlin.
Using 2500+ for lube and could not tell you what the lead alloy is because i use ww,lead pipe/range scrap,with some 95-5 mixed in.

Started shooting this in a GP-100 357 then in the 38spl that i got.
The Rossi shoots well enough that he shot the first coyote at 60 yards running left to right,it looks like it was shot with a much larger round.
Speed tested them and now can't recall how fast they go but they work and do some good groups at 100 yards,so far.

[dragon813gt]

Plain Base MP 359-640 lubed w/ 2500+ and pushed by a healthy charge of H110. W/ a Skinner sight and smallest aperture if I do my part it's slightly over MOA. I couldn't ask for anything better in a lever gun. I don't use gas checks because I haven't found a need for them w/ any 357 load.

[HATCH]

158 grain FPRN Magma using 95/2.5/2.5
Lubed with Magma green
Unsure on velocity but I can hit a round clay pigeon using peep sites at 100yards every time so its good enough for me.
I can provide data and pistol velocity

[Jeff82]

Seems like some awesomely good shooting skills all around. Does anybody know what BHN your bullets measure to?

[chg]

I've been using Lyman 358156 cast 60/40 ww/lt sized .360, over 15.5 gr H110, CCI 550 primer for 1788 fps. Accuracy is excellent. Just Lubed/sized 750 of these this morning and my fingers were feeling worn towards the end. Need another casting session soon as these do not last very long. Great load in the 1894C

[dragon813gt]

Seems like some awesomely good shooting skills all around. Does anybody know what BHN your bullets measure to?

Mine are between 10-11. They are either 96/3/1 or 96/2/2. I checked my notes tonight. The load I listed is 1.75 MOA. Thought it was better. But this is more then enough for hunting purposes.

[bobthenailer]

I use the group buy Lee 180 gr gc wfn , for loads in the 1,100 fps range without gas checks installed.