357 lever gun

[Tenbender]

Do you guys use gas check boolits in your lever gun ? I bought a Rossi the other day and don't know what to cast.

[Pablo 5959]

I don't but I do PC range scrap and only use 13g of 2400.
Pablo

[salvadore]

I use a gas checked 358156 Lyman and 2400 in my miroku 92. I use a gas checked bullet and a plain based one in my 32/20 depending on the muzzle velocity. I have used a plain baYvonnesed bullet in the .357 but worry about leading.

[T-Bird]

I shoot Lee 358158 over 8 gr AA#5 out of my Miroku 1873 Winchester and my Marlin 1894CS for just under 1400 fps with no gs. I have some PB gaschecks, but have not used them. At first I was using Lyman super moly lube but the last couple years I've used Hi-Tec super coat and get NO leading. Haven't tried to push them harder. My alloy is COWW plus some tin.

[Hick]

Gas checked 358156 for my hotter loads, plain based 358-150-RN for slower stuff

[Nrut]

For 1:30 twist Rossi:

LEE 358-158-RF in a 6 banger, has no gascheck..

Alloy WW air cooled or water dropped depending on the pressure..

Powders:
Bullseye or Red Dot
Unique
Lil'gun for high vel.

[Stephen Cohen]

I use the Lee 158gr-RF in my Rossi, many use the 125 gr Lee-RF as well. The Rossi is a strong rifle and takes loads I would never put in a converted Winchester 92. Regards Stephen

[robg]

for light loads no but anything over 1000fps yes, remember in a longer barrel you gain a couple of hundred fps. my win94 likes heavier boolits your rossi might not

[Sig556r]

Do you guys use gas check boolits in your lever gun ? I bought a Rossi the other day and don't know what to cast.

I'm on the fence for a Rossi M92 38/357 as well, care to share how much they go for nowadays?

[pworley1]

Not for 38 special but I do for 357.

[farmerjim]

Depends, If it is a gas check boolit, I put one on and drive it hard. If not, I don't.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I'm experimenting with .357 in a Rossi and powder coating. So far I can get pretty high velocity with air cooled wheel weight alloy and no gas check. I've been using Alliant 300MP and mag primers.

A 125 grain bullet will go just over 2000 fps and no leading. A 158 grainer will go just over 1900 fps.

I don't know about any accuracy claims though. I played with a chronograph first. Then I'll see what kind of groups I can get.

[Stephen Cohen]

I have a modified Lyman 156gr that I had lube grooves removed from and it drops cast at 172gr without G/C. I have not tried this one as yet, I coat all my cast with HI-TEK coating and use no G/Cs and get no leading up to 1,700fps. I hope to try the Lyman and the RCBS 180gr and 200gr when I get the chance as I believe in heavy for calibre with cast except my 458wm which loves all weights. Regards Stephen

[northmn]

I don't cast them but buy the 125 grain FN bullets for my Rossi and then treat them with Lee Liquid Alox for a coating. Loaded with 14 gr of 2400 they don't seem to lead. I don't use 38 special cases in my Rossi. I have found that the use of a coating seems to cut back on leading. I don't load my 357 very hot as I have better rifles for any need that a hot loaded 357 might be used for.


DEP

[yeahbub]

I haven't used gas checks on pistol boolits in some time. They certainly help increase the upper limit of shooting cast, but if I'm going to go to the trouble of buying and using them, I'll go the next step up and eliminate the leading issue. I paper patch, size and tumble lube the plain base Lee 358-158-RF (zero leading) and drive them hard with 16gr of 2400 which gives me 1800+ fps out of a 20" Rossi '92. The advent of dry/tumble powder coating has my attention these days and it seems a likely shortcut to the no leading goal. For naked/lubed (with Carnauba Red) boolits I have to back off a good bit due to streaky leading with air cooled WW's - nothing too bad at 1400 fps or so.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Depends, If it is a gas check boolit, I put one on and drive it hard. If not, I don't.

I do this same thing.

[Handloader109]

Haven't leaded anything that is PC coated. From my 9mm, to my 22tcm at 1900+fpm to my 357 rossi. 158 gr mid to high load with h110.
But is a hoot with 142 gr in light load about 5.3gr with sr4756. Fun load for plinking

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[Time Killer]

For my range and plinking loads powder coat plan base with no gas check. For me it depends on the bullet weight and speed. Lighter loads I am pushing fast GC. Heavier slower load no GC.

[Winger Ed.]

I use a GC for .357s in my Marlin and get the speed on up.
The flat base mold seems to only get used for .38Spec.

[1Papalote]

I shoot RanchDog 190 made for 35 Remington. Accurate and awesome on critters. Crimp on ogive.

1Papalote

[Dave18]

been tumblelubing, then run it through the lubrisizer when I put the check on, run it in a marlin and a rossi, and load it on the warm side, shoots good,

[Gray Fox]

I have 2 .357 Rossi rifles, one 16", one 20", both stainless. I have the Lee 125 and 158 molds and the RD 175. I tumble lube in 45-45-10 prior to pushing them through a Lee .359 sizer, then I tumble lube them again. The first two shoot well roll crimped in the crimp groove. I like the latter boolit loaded about 10% below max of H110/Win 296. One rifle functions just fine with the brass roll crimped in the crimp groove, the other only works if I crimp just forward of the groove on the ogive. Either way shoots fine in my 4" and 5" 8-shot Smith 627s. Both rifles have 2X scout scopes and shoot well with all three boolits at 100 yards, which my longest range available on DNR ranges. Clay birds always die and a good many golf balls, too. I'm looking for a good convection oven at a Wally World sale to try powder coating. GF

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

The GC concept was developed for hotter loads. I have found that some firearms benefit from the GC, but seem indifferent. The benefit of the GC is not just to reduce leading, but it often improves accuracy even in loads that are not leading. Casting is an adventure.

[dragon813gt]

I do not and I run max loads of H110. The molds are plain base. I have gas check molds but I have the same designs in plain base and use them. Haven’t found a reason yet to use gas checks w/ a 357 load.

[Tenbender]

Thanks for the input. Sense I don't have a GC mold and I do power coat I think I will just go plain base. I think I will run about 30 or 40 jacketed through it before the cast. I have a 156 gr and a 125 gr mold I also have a 180 gr that my 357 Max uses. That should get me started.

[Jack Stanley]

For heavy loads , yes , but for middle of the road stuff it can mean the difference of excellent accuracy or just average .

Jack

[Warhawk]

I don't know if you're loading for max velocity or ??? Check the online Hodgdon load data for Lil Gun powder. It will give max velocities with greatly reduced pressure. I called the Hodgdon tech support folks and confirmed that the data was correct.

I'd probably use gas checks with Lil Gun, or for any max loads.

[badwolf]

How do those Lee RF feed in leverguns, thinking of trying the 125 gr in my win 94

[FergusonTO35]

Badwolf, the Lee 125 feeds like a dream in my Marlin 1894. My carbine is a 1981 model with micro groove and it loves this boolit and the Lee 358-158-FP. I size them to .360, so basically just adding lube and knocking down any bits of out of round. Best load I have ever tried is the 125 over 7.2 grains of the dearly departed IMR SR4756. Bona fide one hole group load at 50 yards, unfortunately my shaky hands usually don't let that happen. When my 4756 runs out I'm going to try some others, probably HS-6 and Blue Dot.

[dverna]

Since I only plink with mine, I use PB bullets to keep costs down and speed production.

I bought a PB GC maker in case I ever want to increase the velocity but have not had the need or desire to do so yet. But that was before PC really got established. I would go the PC route if starting over. It is unlikely I would ever purchase a GC bullet design as it would get so little use. With PC, you can use the same bullet uncoated for mild loads and PC IF needed...and it may not be needed.

158gr will max out at about 1700 FPS Three coats of BLL should work at that velocity without a GC

My most used bullets are lubed PB 125 or 130 gr. for cheap plinking. They can be pushed to about 2000 FPS out of a carbine, but have not tried them yet. Almost positive I will use PB GC's on them.

[rockrat]

I use PB boolits up to about 1600fps and PC boolits if I am going above that.

[bobthenailer]

For loads under 1,100 fps plane base or with no gas ck installed .

for 1,400 to 1,800 fps gas checked lead alloy bullets.

[gundownunder]

I used to use Pat Marlins PB gas check on my 357 Marlin cowboy, back when I was still lubing bullets. It did improve accuracy a touch, and kept the bore a little cleaner.
These days I Hi-Tek coat and no longer see a need to gas check either for accuracy, or cleaning the bore.
For years I have used a 180 gr bullet doing 1650 fps and I got no leading with the gas check. That said, I also got very little leading before I used the gas check, due to using a good alloy and the right sized bullet for my bore.
I might be wrong, but in a pistol caliber where you are only getting low velocities (under 2000 fps)I think a gas check only cures the symptoms of a problem, why not cure the problem.

[Stephen Cohen]

I agree with gundownunder, HI-TEK does tend to make the use of gas checks unnecessary in most cases, I drive 158gr Lee R/F at 2200fps in my 357 max rifle with outstanding accuracy, I have not checked velocity of 357 mag in same rifle but they were hot loads not for use in a pistol. Regards Stephen

[Thin Man]

I have an early Rossi .357 Trapper with a receiver sight added by a previous owner. That short rifle prefers the Lyman 358156 GC boolit above all others I have tried in it, and I have tried most of the patterns I own. Don't have access to the load data from my testing at this moment but I recall the rifle preferred faster speeds over slower speeds to get the tightest groups.

[trapper9260]

Depends, If it is a gas check boolit, I put one on and drive it hard. If not, I don't.

I do the same also for my Rossi 357 and also 38spl.

[Froogal]

No gas checks. Lee 358-158 RN tumble lube over 5.5 grains Unique. Ruger Vaquero Six shooter and Rossi R92. I tried 6 grains of Unique but the shells expanded enough to make extraction difficult.

[northmn]

How do those Lee RF feed in leverguns, thinking of trying the 125 gr in my win 94

My Rossi will jam with them, about the only bullet that does not work well. The 158 grain is almost a wad cutter with a crimp groove to permit it to extend beyond the case. As I have other molds that work well I have not messed around trying to modify the rifle.

DEP

[Froogal]

How do those Lee RF feed in leverguns, thinking of trying the 125 gr in my win 94

Mt Rossi R92 in .45 Colt feeds just fine with the LEE 452-200 RNFP.

[rockydoc]

[QUOTE=Stephen Cohen; I hope to try the Lyman and the RCBS 180gr and 200gr when I get the chance as I believe in heavy for calibre with cast except my 458wm which loves all weights. Regards Stephen[/QUOTE]

The Rossi has a twist rate of 1 in 30". It will not stabilize 180 and 200 grain bullets. The Henry has 1 in 16" and Miroku/Win 1892 has 1 in 18.25" twist. They will stabilize the heavier bullets.