Years ago I picked up a Martini cadet that had been rebored to .357 magnum. I overheard the owner negotiating with a gun show dealer, and when they couldn't agree on price he walked away. I followed like a beagle on a rabbit trail and soon it was mine. It's a BSA cadet with a 7/11 acceptance date stamped into the stock along with the Commonwealth of Australia cartouche, and it has a KANGAROO stamped into the top of the receiver.
I recall that I took it to the range and test fired it with my standard (at that time) .357 silhouette ram load for the Contender. I also recall that it grouped nearly a ragged hole at 50 yards and I know I was well pleased with the result. The rifle's pretty nice condition, has an EXCELLENT trigger and a very old-fashioned ladder rear sight that is fully adjustable.
That rifle has hung over the fireplace for years along with a few other old single-shots but I finally hauled it out to the range last weekend and let son Matt (10 years old) give it a workout.
The load was the same one that did so well in my first test. It uses the RCBS 180 gr. Silhouette bullet cast from linotype, gas checked, sized .357 and lubed w/ LBT blue - all over a stompin' charge of 296 that is no longer listed in most manuals but was a book maximum back in the '80s. I adjusted the rear sight to put it right on at 100 yards and fired three shots into about 2-1/2 inches. Not bad for these old eyes over VERY fuzzy, very small iron sights. I then turned it over to the boy with about 50 - 60 rounds left in the box. "Have at it laddie - remember, SQUEEZE the trigger...
Matt worked away at it, and when I checked his targets I saw some fair groups with occasional flyers. I counseled him again on trigger control and went back to my own tasks - with occasional explanations to other shooters' questions of "What the heck is THAT?"
Some time later it occurred to me that those flyers might not be Matt's fault - after all I had only fired a three shot group. I offered to try a couple of five shot groups but he said "Sorry dad, the ammo's all gone. You SAID I could shoot it as much as I wanted..."
Matt likes to shoot "The Kangaroo Gun" now - and it looks like I need to fire up the pot again. I'll have to get out my Merit "Old Eyes" disc and make SURE the dang thing groups consistently although I'm confident that it will. It looks like I have a "position rifle" trainer for the boys - and it's been hanging over the fireplace just looking good all along.