T/C Contender .357 Max

[nannyhammer]

Folks, I currently have a 30-30AI and .375 Win 14" barrels for my Contender that I hunt whitetails with. I may have found a .357 Max 14" barrel and was curious. Is there any advantage to the .357 max over my two current barrels? The only thing I can come up with is the ability to shoot .357 Mag. Thanks for any responses.

[ohen cepel]

I think the Max will be legal in straight walled hunting areas if that matters to you any.

[beltfed]

The 375 Win can also be used in "straight wall" areas
357Max is NO advantage over your two current barrels
beltfed/arnie

[NSB]

I have, and have had several .357max barrels/guns. No advantage over what you have and in my experience they don’t shoot the mag length shells nearly as well as the longer max shells. Most have very long leads and that effects the bullet entering the rifling.

[Kylongrifle32]

As beltfed stated the 375 covers the straight wall cartridge states and the 30/30 AI covers the others very well. So the 357 Max offers now real advantage over what you have now other than less recoil than the 375 win. But don't let that keep you from purchasing the 357 Max if it's a good deal.
If I we're to get another 357 Max barrel myself I would purchase enough Max brass to just load up light practice loads and skip using mag brass in the barrel. I found it hard to clean up the carbon and lead deposits in the throat to get good accurate shooting from the Maximum once firing a lot of 357 mags in the barrel. Just my 2 cents on that matter.
I find it hard to believe that you have deprived your self this long with only two barrel !
My name is Mike and I have a problem!
21 barrels and only 4 frames!

[nannyhammer]

Thanks for the info. I also have a matching .22LR barrel and was considering more frames but I wasn't willing to pay what people think they are worth.

[Intel6]

One positive for my Max barrel compared to others like my 30-30 barrel is the ammo for the Max can be easily produced on my progressive using carbide dies much like most of my handgun ammo. Clean the cases and then load them up, quick and easy. For things like the 30-30, loading bottleneck cartridges takes more steps for me at least and it is more work to produce ammo for it so I tend to shoot the Max more.

[cwlongshot]

The 375 Win can also be used in "straight wall" areas
357Max is NO advantage over your two current barrels
beltfed/arnie

I DISAGREE!!

The max is a darn fine close med range deer sized game caliber.

Its advantage LESS RECOIL & still food killing power!

But larger point, "NEED" has NO BUSINESS in and firearms purchase!! ;)

CW

[beltfed]

Intel6,
FWIW
I shot thousands of rounds of 30-30 in my Contender 10" (cast bullets, of course) in Handgun Silhouette competition.
A neck sizing die / priming/powder/bullet seat in my Hornady Projector
was no more issue than my 44 mags for the M29
beltfed/arnie

[MT Gianni]

I like the max, but with the 375 it really only makes sense if you're already set up with 35 caliber molds.

[stubshaft]

You forgot that you can also shoot 38 specials in the Maxi too. I have a 12" .375 Hunter barrel, 10"+14" 30/30. 10" + 14" Maxi barrels. I have used them all to shoot hogs and goats, and generally prefer the 30/30 for hunting because of the flatter trajectory. The most used barrel out of all of them is my 357 Maxi 10" because it was the goto barrel when I shot Sillywett.

[cwlongshot]

You can shoot 38's, 360 Dan Wessons and 357 Magnums as well!

[Rapier]

I never allowed current need to get in the way of a trade or buy at a decent price for future need. When I went to the Merrill guns, I had 11 full Contenders with an extra 12 barrels. With the exception of the “Jack Handle” 14” 44, I would trade for most anything.
The 357 Super Mag makes a nice cast bullet shooter with the 200g RCBS design. It is a good chamber to train or teach with, using 357 Mag cases.

[nannyhammer]

Thanks for the info!

[Hays47]

My gunsmith uncle talked me into reaming out my first 357 Magnum Contender barrel into the 357 Max. That wasn't its name then I think supermag was its first name. Anyway at the time a 44 Mag 10 inch on a Contender frame was my deer gun as Ohio at last permitted pistols for use for deer season. The only complaint I had with the 44 was its trajectory. Even though I used 180 grain bullets it's trajectory limited me to 125 yds. The Max with a 150 Grain bullets made the 200 yard shot extremely doable. The bullet was meant for the 35 Remington. Lots of guys and " experts " decried these particular bullets as useless for deer hunting. Any deer I shot with this load dropped in his tracks and no trailing was necessary.

If you can afford it the 357 Max would be a valuable addition to anyone's arsenal. Especially in the Contender.

[725]

Hays47 ~ Question;
what powder do you use with that 150 grain bullet?

[Hays47]

Winchester 296 if you want the exact load PM me. I have been using this load since the late 70's.

[Jedman]

I would say from a Contender barrel the 357 max should have a very similar trajectory but has a lot less recoil and use less powder and lead to do it. If you use J bullets the 375 cal bullets that are suitable for a 375 Win. are nearly impossible to find so the .357 gives you a much better selection.
I use both of those calibers in rifles and for the most part the deer I have shot don’t know the difference between the .357 max and the 375 Win. they both will kill deer effectively.
The 30-30 AI would be better if your shooting or deer hunting is usually over 100 yards but otherwise the Max will do more with less.
If I was looking for another caliber to have for a Contender the max would surely be one of them if hunting whitetails was the main purpose.

Jedman

[pietro]

.

IMO, the use of cast boolits in the .375, even with reduced loads, will still be a better choice on game.

I'm a hunter, and found that the extra barrels were only useful to me if I was going out hunting different (small/large) game - it made no sense to me to have extra barrels that do the essentially same things as other barrels I have (YMMV, of course).

If I wanted a .35 cal, my 1st choice would be one in .35 Remington (which once upon a time, I did)

.

[Hays47]

Well I have to add the 360 Wesson as another reason for getting a Max. Tried some using H110 powder along with magnum small rifle primers and 140 grain Hornady FTX bullets. Was highly impressed with group I got shooting at 75 yds. Shot to the same point of impact as my full blown max 150 grain bullet load. Not as much recoil of course but group was one ragged hole. This was my first load after starting load. No further experimentation is needed. But will probably fool with it a little more :-)

[wallacem]

Another thing to consider, the Maxi should use less powder per shot. In today's times that is a factor. Wallacem in Ga

[Hays47]

Never seen the 35 Remington as a great cartridge. One reason not legal to use in Ohio for deer hunting. Secondly every 35 Remington that shot against me and the Max lost. Either from the bench or free hand. The 35's I shot against were all rifles primarily Marlins. To be fair never shot against a 35 rigged contender. I was using 10 Max Contender Pistol

I won't say I changed any minds at our little informal gun clubs. But the guys that I outshot were mighty quiet when the argument/debate would rise up again by a newer member.