Most Accurate .357 Magnum Rifle??

[Brazos_Jack]

I wasn't sure what sub-forum to post this in, since the answer may, or may not, be a single shot. Of course, I do recognize that if the answer is a single shot, it would open the option of going to .357 Maximum at some point.

I'm looking for recommendations on the most accurate .357 Magnum rifle for use with hot, heavy cast bullet loads.

So it needs to have both practical accuracy - excellent trigger and scope compatible - and intrinsic accuracy - capable of top mechanical accuracy.

It can be any action type - single shot, bolt action, lever, etc.

Needs to either come with an excellent trigger or an excellent aftermarket trigger must be available.

Needs to be set up for conventional scope mounting - not forward mount long eye relief. It should have a high enough comb to allow proper cheek weld with a scope.

So what has the finest accuracy in your experience?

Marlin 1894
Henry Big Boy Steel
Ruger 77/357
Single shot - rolling block, falling block, other?
Other?

[NSB]

You're putting way too much emphasis on the gun and not the load and the shooter. I've owned/own quite a few 357mag rifles and handguns and I can't think of a single one that jumps out at me as "being the most accurate". Each one required a lot of time at the loading and shooting bench to get the most out of the gun. Also, you'd need to define what "most accurate" means to you......what are your expectations? Realistic or pie in the sky? My own personal "most accurate" 357mag rifle is a Winchester Low Wall that was throated to accept .357max ammo. It will shoot five shots into less than 1.5" at 100yds pretty consistently. My Marlin lever gun would never do better than 2.5" on average for five shots. Once in a while I'd get sub 2moa with it. You're probably going to do better with a single shot than with a lever gun simply due to the design of the gun. Trigger? Again, what's your expectation? Any trigger can be reworked. If you're asking which gun you can take of the shelf and have all those attributes I'd have to say none of the above. At least not for me and I've shot more thousands of 357mag rounds than I can count. I'm sure well over a hundred thousand over the last forty-five years. A better question on your part is 'which gun has the most potential'.

[357Mag]

BrazosJack -

Howdy !

What is the intended use for this new .357Mag rifle, might I ask ?


With regards,
357Mag

[dannyd]

TC encore with a 16.25 MGM barrel. 180 and 200 grain bullets.

[Mica_Hiebert]

I've got a 77/357 plenty accurate ( 2" ish) for a game getter out to 150 yards but I don't consider it to be really accurate and is definitely subjective to load. I tried some freedom arms 38s in it that you could almost keep in a paper plate at 25 yards. Just happened to be the first rounds I shot out of that gun and I about took it back to the store I bought it from untill I tried different ammo.

[Artful]

Ruger made a No. 1 in 357 Magnum some LEO commemorative I recall. It would be # 1 on my list of most accurate. Encore or Contender would be #2 & #3. Although I can't complain about my Rossi Leveraction.

[NSB]

I'd be looking at an TC Encore with an EAB barrel on it. Send the barrel to Mike Bellm and have it rechambered to 357max. Get the Encore trigger kit at the same time. You'll end up with the most accurate gun with a good trigger as a starting point. Then it's all up to you.

[NSB]

Browning Low Wall 357max five shot with 15-17mph cross wind at 200yds. Best I've gotten out of any .357 cal rifle I've owned. Bellm throated 357mag to max.

[John Boy]

http://www.singleshotrifles.com/images/Rifles/sporting.gifCPA 44 1/2 Stevens The Sporting/Varmint Rifle ($2475) (http://www.singleshotrifles.com/sporting.html)
* 357 Max Badger Barrel, taper throated for breech seating - included in price of rifle
* 357 Breech Cartridge Seater - $260
* Unertl 12 or up to 20X Scopes - $860 +... http://unertl.alexweb.net/unertl1617.htm
Total Investment - $3595


I'm looking for recommendations on the most accurate .357 Magnum rifle for use with hot, heavy cast bullet loads. OK, How Much is in Your Wallet!:violin:

[NSB]

http://www.singleshotrifles.com/images/Rifles/sporting.gifCPA 44 1/2 Stevens The Sporting/Varmint Rifle ($2475) (http://www.singleshotrifles.com/sporting.html)
* 357 Max Badger Barrel, taper throated for breech seating - included in price of rifle
* 357 Breech Cartridge Seater - $260
* Unertl 12 or up to 20X Scopes - $860 +... http://unertl.alexweb.net/unertl1617.htm
Total Investment - $3595

OK, How Much is in Your Wallet!:violin:

So, how's it shoot? Post some groups? Nice looking gun.

[Brazos_Jack]

The rifle will be used mostly for target shooting and plinking at up to 150 yards. It might get rare use on white tails or hogs.

My budget for the rifle less optics is about $1200 max and I'd like to keep it under $1000.

If I stumbled onto one of the no longer in production .357 Ruger No. 1 or Browning/Winchester/Miroku Highwalls within my budget my, search would be over.

Those CPA 44-1/2's are great, but way out of my price league.

I want to keep the weight, less optics, at 8 to 8.5 pounds.

I'll probably put a light variable scope on it that was 4x to 6x on the top end.

[HandgunHTR]

I would say that your best bet to fill all of your requirements would be a TC Contender with an MGM or Bullberry barrel. The Contender (G1) has much better trigger potential than the Encore. It will handle a stout .357 Mag or Max just fine. Lighter weight than the Encore and with an aftermarket stock, you can get the comb you want.

[dannyd]

MGM barrels are great just use new brass and follow the break in information. 357 magnum is 1-20 they like heavy bullets. I use RCBS 180 shoots great @ 100 yards.

[Brazos_Jack]

I would say that your best bet to fill all of your requirements would be a TC Contender with an MGM or Bullberry barrel. The Contender (G1) has much better trigger potential than the Encore. It will handle a stout .357 Mag or Max just fine. Lighter weight than the Encore and with an aftermarket stock, you can get the comb you want.

You mention the G1 specifically rather than the G2. After seeing your post, I read that if you cock and then lower a G1 hammer you have to open and close the action to cock it again. It said that the G2 didn't require that. Does the G2 have a less desirable trigger than the G1, like you mentioned the Encore has? Why is the G1 "better"?

Does anyone make a Contender buttstock that doesn't look like they took the regular pistol grip and glued part of a rifle stock to it 2 inches too low? Something with a less perpendicular grip angle and a butt that joins the grip higher.

The 1 in 20" rifling sounds better than either the faster 1 in 18-3/4" or slower 1 in 30" I see in other .357 rifle specs.

[NSB]

I'm not sure where the myth about the Encore trigger is coming from, but it's a myth. My Encore has a very clean breaking trigger at a measured 3.0lbs. My Browning Low Wall has a 1 in 16 twist and shoots 158g and 180g bullets very well. For the Encore you can get you trigger even lighter with Mike Bellms trigger kits if desired. I don't find any advantage of going under 3lbs in a hunting gun.

[glockky]

180095

18" MGM encore 357 max. Eabco frame with trigger job.

[glockky]

180096

200gr bullet 100yds

[Artful]

I love it when a group comes together
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/fc/2e/03/fc2e038b90b95038f0f03d659e208d25.jpg

[Brazos_Jack]

Glocky,

Those are impressive groups. What's an Eabco frame?

[glockky]

Yeah I bought the frame from eabco with a trigger job. Those groups are good but I shot a whole lot of shotgun patterns until I started using AA1680 and Remington 7 1/2 small rifle bench rest primers.

[357Ruger]

I'm not sure where the myth about the Encore trigger is coming from, but it's a myth. My Encore has a very clean breaking trigger at a measured 3.0lbs. My Browning Low Wall has a 1 in 16 twist and shoots 158g and 180g bullets very well. For the Encore you can get you trigger even lighter with Mike Bellms trigger kits if desired. I don't find any advantage of going under 3lbs in a hunting gun.
I agree! My first generation Contenders are extremely easy to get very light trigger pulls on but I actually like the trigger on my Encore and G2s better. Something about the way my hand fits the new guns makes a 2.5lb pull seem less than the 1.5lb pull on my Contenders.

[psweigle]

My Ruger 77/357 has out shot all but a tc encore, and believe it or not, a handi rifle. The ruger fits all of your criteria as well. It's not the cheapest nor the most expensive, but it is by far and above the the lightest and most pleasant to handle and shoot. As stated by other, you need to mind the load it likes, but when you do, 1" groups at 100 yards are an all day thing. 38's are the same way. And if the clean breaking 4lb trigger is too heavy, volquorsin make a trigger spring to put it under 2lbs. I left mine stock and most people don't mind it because it breaks very clean. I hope this helps.

[paul h]

That was my experience as well with a bullberry 10" 357 max barrel on my contender. Groups were terrible with 200 gr lfn until I tried AA1680 and upped the charges. Then the group tightened right up.

To the OP, I'd suggest a custom rifle or custom barrel on a contender or encore to achieve your goal. Many factory rifles and single shot barrels have chambers that are less than ideal for top accuracy, some have a barrel twist not friendly to heavy bullets and some repeaters won't feed or chamber the heavy bullets when seated for best accuracy.

I prefer the feel of the contender to the encore, you don't need the strength of the encore for the 357 mag nor the weight.

[FergusonTO35]

Probably the most accurate .357 (on average) for less than $1000.00 would be an H&R/NEF Handi-Rifle. If Henry adds .357 to their new line of single shots I bet it will be accurate. Bryan Pierce is awfully fond of the Marlin 1894 Cowboy and Miroku made Winchester and Browning 92 but those are $$$.

[GhostHawk]

181835

Its only 50 yards, Lee .358 158 gr plain base round nose over 4.6 grains of Red Dot. Cheap, easy to make and it will stack them up.

That is 3 shots in that one hole. And yes that is a Handi Rifle single shot with a Simmons 4x12x40 scope.

[bigted]

181835

Its only 50 yards, Lee .358 158 gr plain base round nose over 4.6 grains of Red Dot. Cheap, easy to make and it will stack them up.

That is 3 shots in that one hole. And yes that is a Handi Rifle single shot with a Simmons 4x12x40 scope.

It matters little what rifle when groups like this are possible. Nice shooting

[Texas by God]

Glocky,

Those are impressive groups. What's an Eabco frame?
E Arthur Brown Co. Break open semi- custom. Best, Thomas.

[anothernewb]

Interesting. Eabco is only a few miles from where I live. Will have to check them out.

[charlie b]

Many pistol loads are very sensitive to bullet and velocity in order to match the barrel twist. When we had a .357 rifle, DA, SA and single shot pistols each of them liked a different load/bullet combo due to different twists.