Which bullet for a Marlin 1894 in .357 Mag?

[BrettT/C]

I have a Marlin 1894C in .357 Mag that I need to get a bullet mold for.:mrgreen:
What is your favorite bullet in the marlins? Which feed the best. Also which feed the best?

Thanks
Brett

[beagle]

I have a RCBS 38-158-CM that I've had hollowpointed and it feeds extremely well and shoots accurately too. Of course, my little .357's not at all picky. It will shoot and feed anything except the 357446./beagle

[stubshaft]

I shoot the NEI made SSK 360-180TC boolit. My 1894 likes the longer bearing surface and it feed STOS (slicker than owl $h!t).

[JSH]

Bret, what are you wanting to do with it? Mine likes the little lee truncated nose made for the 9mm.
My sons rifle will shot 38 cases but it leads up the throat pretty bad after about 20-30 rounds and accuracy goes to ****. 357 cases seemed to have fixed that.
jeff

[imashooter2]

2 favorites depending on the application.

Moderate speed plinking, the SAECO #353, a plain base 180 grain RNFP. You'll probably need to modify the cartridge lifter to feed this smoothly, but it is worth it.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=7750

Hot rodding, a 180 grain WFN gas check. There have been several very nearly identical versions run as group buys here. My current mold is the NOE 360-180-WFN-GC. But I wouldn't turn up my nose at any of the similar group buy molds if one became available. These are almost designed around the Marlin 1894C and I've never seen a post from anyone claiming a feed problem.

[Bullshop Junior]

180gr RCBS sil

[BrettT/C]

Right now I am shooting Cowboy lever action Silhouette. But I am really just looking for a nice bullet that will feed well. I may need to alter the cartridge lifter.

Thanks for your help.

Brett

[GabbyM]

I assume we are talking about using 357 mag cases.
For a cowboy bullet the most frugal is to shoot one of the 125 grain bullets. Most have a short enough nose which is .300” or under for the Marlin lever guns with 357 mag cases. One of the best boolits for the Marlin in cowboy is the Lee 125gr RNFP. If you're planing on casting your own you can get that in their six cavity mold and make piles of bullets on any given Sunday. I've that one and the Magma 125gr truncated cone flat point which also has a .300” nose. The Lyman 150 grain SWC #358477 also has a .300” nose. The RCBS is a bit over .300” but some say it feeds anyway. I don't have a Lyman 158 grain cowboy #358665 here but my book shows the difference between listed C.O.L. and case length to be .290”. That looks like it should work and would be a good one in a four cavity mould. Surely someone around here has tried that one?

[SciFiJim]

The NOE 360180 RFGC works well for me.
http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt47/SciFiJim_photobucket/LilGun130Ba.jpg

I think the limitation for me is me not the gun.

For .38spcl brass, the Lyman 358156 works well when seated in the bottom crimp groove.

[dualsport]

LBT makes some nice molds especially for the Marlin. I just got a 358-200 LFN, but haven't shot it yet. It's a beautiful mold.

[NHlever]

I just got a Lee 358-125 RNFP mold, and I'm anxious to try some of those sized at least .359 in a Marlin. They have a pretty long bearing surface for a light boolit, and I'm hoping they will work. I'll have to see if I can borrow my son's gun if I can't round one up for myself. I will shoot them in my Win. 94 anyway. I have a couple hundred cooling as we speak. Should make for a fun load at modest velocities.

[Bula]

mine really likes the 358156 seated short. I don't like using checks but this one seems to be worth the trouble.

[fourdollarbill]

My 1894C shoots well with almost any cast bullet sized to .358. The one I use the most is a Lee 358-158gr-SWC with a Gas Check. It weighs 165gr with 50/50 ww/lead. With H110 I can knock a red brick off a stump at 100 yds. It hits with authority!

[BrettT/C]

Thanks for all the help! I think I will lean towards the heavy side and get a 180 to 200 grain bullet mold.

Thanks
Brett

[SciFiJim]

One more thing to think about. Unless you modify your rifle, your are limited to a max COL of 1.590. A 200gr boolit will take up a lot of the case. I use a wide flat nose boolit to get as much weight forward as possible. A 180gr boolit is as large as I find useful in my Marlin.

[Bullshop Junior]

One more thing to think about. Unless you modify your rifle, your are limited to a max COL of 1.590. A 200gr boolit will take up a lot of the case. I use a wide flat nose boolit to get as much weight forward as possible. A 180gr boolit is as large as I find useful in my Marlin.
I shoot 220gr out of mine with no problem. But I like the 180.

[BrettT/C]

I will be modifying the lifter soon. I am thinking about ordering up a mould form Mountain Moulds.

Thanks
Brett

[SciFiJim]

BSjr. What is the load and COL you are using? I would like to shoot a heavier boolit but never sat down to figure out the balance of weight to charge to COL for something that heavy. What are your results with a 220gr boolit?

[Bullshop Junior]

This was originally worked up in a Ruger BH, but I used it in my Marlin.

Primer: CCI #550 SPM
Powder: 13.0gr WC-820 (Surplus H-110)
Bullet: Lyman #358627 220gr with GC Lubed with SG
OAL: 1.590

[SciFiJim]

Is that a compressed load?

[Mugs]

Brett
I've got some dummy loads with the NOE 360180. I'll bring them Sunday if you want to try them in your gun.
Mugs
IHMSA 5940L

[Wally]

I use the Lyman 358156 with 8.0 grains of Unique sized to .359" and get great accuracy and a MV of 1,500 FPS. Yes, I have used slower powders to attain even greater velocities, but I have learned there is no need to do so as the BC of the bullet is such that at higher velocites, the bullet slows down very quickly anyway.

[BrettT/C]

Sounds good Mugs.

Thanks
Brett

[6pt-sika]

In a 357 rifle I was kinda partial to the Lyman 358156 in both SWC and the SWC HP version !

Also the RCBS 35-154 . I also have a Lyman 358 mold that is SWC GC and drops a bullet of about 215 grains sorry I cannot remmeber the Lyman number off the top of my head ! But it shot well in my Marlin 357 levers .

[ReloaderFred]

I've shot everything from 110 grain Magma TCFP bullets to 185 grain RCBS RNFP-GC bullets through my Marlins. The one bullet my wife and I shoot the most of is the Magma 125 grain TCFP. All my bullets for the Marlins are sized .358" diameter.

I've found the most critical aspect of smooth feeding in the 1894C is the cartridge over all length, which must be at least 1.480". Most of our shooting is with .38 Special cases, and we get no leading whatsoever, and we shoot about 1,200 rounds through each of our rifles per year, minimum.

I use the RCBS (and a SAECO) 185 grain gas check bullet for .357 Magnum, with Lil'Gun, and get 1,710 fps, and deadly accuracy. With straight linotype alloy, this same mold drops a 175 grain bullet. With Lyman #2, it's a 180 grain bullet and straight wheelweights make it a 185 grain bullet. All work well, so most of them are cast from wheelweights.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[BrettT/C]

Okay I ordered a Lyman Mold 358665.:smile: It is a cowboy type bullet and it has a smooth nose. I think it will function very well. I will still need a heavy bullet. But that will happen is a couple of months.

Brett