180gr. .357 rifle velocity

[Schreck5]

My SIL wants to hunt with his Henry .357 16" bbl, using a 180gr. Fprn cast boolit, 13.5 gr. H110 pc'ed. I don't know what his seating depth is. Hewas asking me if I knew about what the velocity might be but I didn't know for sure...1300-1400 fps maybe?

Can anyone give me (him) a better estimate? Thanks Bruce

[megasupermagnum]

It might be that in a handgun. In a rifle, it's up there 1700 fps, maybe even a tad faster.

[chutesnreloads]

Before I worry about velocity I'd find out is it accurate enough to hunt with. Any .357 Mag load coming from a rifle length barrel will be fast enough

[badguybuster]

I use that exact load from my Winchester 92 and get 1794fps (average). Its incredibly accurate

[NSB]

Probably around 1600 fps. I’ve killed over fifty with a .357mag handgun, so there’s no handicap with a rifle. Place the bullet in the vitals and velocity isn’t a significant factor.

[gwpercle]

RCBS Cast Bullet Manual #1
357 Magnum Rifle - Marlin 1894 , 18 1/2" bbl. length tested
Cast Lead -180 gr. FN - RCBS #357-180-SIL - sized .358 - RCBS Pistol Lube
H110 powder / * CCI#250 Magnum Primers *

Starting Load : *14.0 grs. H110 @ 1518 fps

Maximum Load : *15.0 grs. H110 @ 1615 fps

13.5 grs. should be around 1450 fps +/- , according to my poor mathmatical extropalation ... figgerin' ....
(+0.5 grs. H110 = 49 fps) ... 13.5 grs = 1518 - 49 = 1469 fps or there abouts !
Velocities don't always act in a linear fashion so my Cajun Calculation may not be exact
but I'm thinking 13.5 grains H110 will give you 1470 fps in round numbers with magnum primers .
Gary

[Outpost75]

My a experience has been that Microgroove Marlin 1894s keyhole with cast bullets if you try to drive them much over about 1400 fps. The Ballard rifling will stand 1500 fps with plain base and 1700 with jacketed. With a Hunter's Supply .358 diameter, 190-grain flat nose at 1.59" OAL. I get best 100 yard grouping with 17 grains of IMR4198 for 1450 fps, which is an effective deer load.

[robg]

rcbs 180 gn sil mold ,193 gn with my lead most accurate load in my trapper 13.5gn 2400 =1350fps

[barkerwc4362]

In my Marlin 94C with micro groove rifling I shoot the SAECO 180 grain FNGC cast in linotype and sized to .359 over a stout charge of WCC 820. Accuracy is sub 2 inch at 100 yards.

Bill

[Outpost75]

In my Marlin 94C with micro groove rifling I shoot the SAECO 180 grain FNGC cast in linotype and sized to .359 over a stout charge of WCC 820. Accuracy is sub 2 inch at 100 yards.

Bill


Average of how many groups? How many shots per group? A few three-shot groups I'll certainly believe. An average of five or more 5-shot groups I'd sure like to see pictures before I'd believe it.... Consecutive targets without excluding any data.

Make me a believer and I salute you!

[marshall623]

180 NOE WFNGC sized 360" in my 10" Contender was getting around 1550 FPS . This was over 13.8 Gr of H110 or 12.6 Gr of AA9 .

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

[dverna]

Average of how many groups? How many shots per group? A few three-shot groups I'll certainly believe. An average of five or more 5-shot groups I'd sure like to see pictures before I'd believe it.... Consecutive targets without excluding any data.

Make me a believer and I salute you!

You sir have addressed my pet peeve with accuracy claims. My other pet peeve is “when I do my part”.

I have two 1894 Marlins in .357. I use a scope for load development. Neither of them are 2 MOA rifles. But my “criteria” is the average of five 5 shot groups. Life would be easier with 3 shot groups....and even easier with only one group...but I am a realist.

[NSB]

I had a Marlin .357 for about two years and spent a lot of time at the bench shooting groups with it just to see what its true potential could be. After going through every powder I could get my hands on and trying all bullet weighs both cast and jacketed, I came to the conclusion that 2.5-3.0” for five shots was the best it was ever going to be. Being a retired quality engineer and a believer in data, I don’t count single three shot groups or a once in a while five shot group as true potential. For making statements as to capability, I use five, five shot groups averaged. I shot on a summer silhouette league (field pistol targets standing) and a few of the guys shooting shot .357mag lever guns. Some Rossi and some Marlin. Some of the guys actually spend time doing load development like myself and I’ve only seen one of them present sub 3moa on a consistent basis. He’s not shooting a Marlin by the way. I’ve shot sub 2” groups on occasion, but they get off-set with the next 3-3.5” five shot group. I really would like to think that these guns could shoot tiny five shot groups on a regular basis, but I haven’t seen it yet. I have seen it with a couple of Win/Miroku Low Walls (I had one) but so far nothing with a lever gun.
Note: checking my notebook, my best load averaged about 2.3” using ww296 and a Hornady 158g XTP bullet. ( I know it’s a cast board, a couple of cast loads did “pretty good”)

[Outpost75]

Rethroating the factory chamber to 3 degrees, Basic ( the half angle per side) departing directly from the case mouth, without any transitional ball seat, will get you 3" ten-shot, 100 yard groups with low power hunting scope fired off bags, firing carefully prepared loads for fifty consecutive rounds, excluding no data. Factory .38 Special wadcutter will shoot 2 inch ten shot 50 yard groups with the best ammunition.

[P Flados]

Quickload is pretty good for velocity estimates. I have a 180 gr load for a Henry lever with a different powder. Using the bullet and OAL of my load, the 13.5 gr H110 got a predicted 1510 fps, but fill was 108%.

Increasing AOL to get fill down to 105% dropped velocity to 1490 fps and adjusting for 100% fill gets down to 1460 fps.

[rintinglen]

I realize it's thread drift, but on-line accuracy claims always make me roll my eyes. The best shooting I have ever read about was done by keyboard. When discussing accuracy, don't tell me what you might hit, tell me what you can't miss. No discounted fliers, not a 3 shot, one-time group on the best day you ever had with that gun, but what is the worst you do when firing 5 shots, 5 times running.

With the advent of phone cameras, I started doing the following. At 25 yards, for handguns, I post a Rapid fire target. From a sand bag, I fire five shots, then stroll down and take a picture of the resulting group with a 6 inch rule held so that I measure the two most distant shots on centers. I put another target on top of the first, then I fire five more, no sight changes, same POA. I photograph that just like the first. Then I put another target on top of the first ones, and fire another five. I take a picture of that, I continue until I have fired five groups. I then remove the top targets and look at the 25 shot group on the bottom one and take a pic of that. Curiously enough, my Glocks don't shoot 2" groups.