Carbine-only load for .357 Mag?

Hi, all.

Turns out I have this nifty bullet mold that throws a 185-grain gas-checked RNFP for .357 caliber. I also have this nifty Rossi '92 in .357 Magnum.

So I'm thinking, there's got to be a way to get these two together. With the '92 action I can use a max load comfortably. I don't want to push the limits, but I don't mind going full-throttle within them.

Anyone out there know of a good load for this combination? I have access to H110, 2400, of course Unique and Bullseye (not the powders I would imagine are best for this application), and I can get whatever's at the local shop. That would include stuff like Green Dot, 4227, H4895, W296, and Reloder 7.

I seem to remember a Paco Kelly article on .357 Mag in leverguns, or does my memory deceive me?

-AaronB

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I use a STIFF load of 2400 under a 180gr plain base slug; dropped a 700 lb. feral boar with it a couple years back.
bob

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...and that boar was DAID when I got there. That being said, I really like 4227 for heavy cast bullets in the .357 Mag.

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Bob,

You can drive that bullet to 1500+ fps with a plain base using 2400 powder and not have leading?

If I may ask, how hard an alloy are you using, and what is your bullet's final sized diameter?

Thanks,

-AaronB

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My rossi's bore must be a smooth as Bob's! I have has very good luck with leading in mine. Once as an experiment, I took some of the swayed Hornady SWC-HP's and drove them at top speed. Some were coated in Lee's liquid Alox and some jus in the mica dust they ship with. I had no discernible leading after firing 50 rounds of each and accuracy was as good with the last group as it was with the first!

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sorry, overtaken by events, like jury call! I use a commercial cast from a small company near Bremerton; haven't bought any in so long that I really don't know if he's still in business! The bullet is quite hard, tho I have no way to do a test of how hard and as I remember, they are .358. I'll grab one from the remaing box of 500 and mic it later today. The only prob I've encountered is overall length; in my very olf Rossi, I have to be careful or they won't feed. Seated into a 38spl case over nearly the same amount of 2400 they are slick feeders.

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.. most of them have a bevel base, that aggreavates any gas cutting and leading problems.

I dont cast my own, but I am still particular about cast bullets.

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2400 for PB bullets. It SEEMS to work better than trying to push them with other powders. BS? Maybe, you know how those personal prejudices are. I just think it works better.

--
Sincerely,

Hobie

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since 2400 seems to help with leading, for me.

But, I have the latest Lyman cast bullet handbook and they show 357 rifle loads. The heaviest cast bullet loads are for a 180 grain cast gas check bullet and indicate that Blue Dot is the most accurate powder. But the max velocity with Blue Dot is over 100 fps slower than the top H110 load.

The highest velocity loads are with H110 (14.0 grains for 1628 fps), and are about 50 fps faster than the top load of 2400 (12.3 grains for 1575 fps).

I don't see anything there that would cause me to change anything about my 2400 loads.

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Ill check the load this afternoon, but I have an NEI mold that drops a 195 gr SWC-GC. My Rossi shoots them very well! Pierce did an article a few years back and my load came from him. If I remeber it's a nit under max but shoots well and gives .30-30 muzzle energy. Where we hunt, you can barely see 75 yards so it works great here on deer. I'd like to cast 'me super hard and pop a piggie with one some day

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The first 357 Magnum levergun was a Winchester 92 rebored and converted by a guy named Ward Koozer in Douglas Arizona. This was about 1962 or 63. I used the same loads in it as I did in my sixguns, which was 358156 GC over 15/2400. Since that time I have also had 2 Marlin carbines in that caliber, but I keep giving them away to family, so I can't hold on to one.

I have never tried any powder but 2400. I have fired plain base cast bullets, but always had better results with gas checks.

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Carbine-only load for .357 Mag?

Got blood on your boots, as I recall...

2400 under plain-based bullet

2400 under plain-based bullet

2400 under plain-based bullet

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Carbine-only load for .357 Mag?

One of Paco Kelly's articles