Cast bullets for Marlin lever .357

[GH1]

I'm looking foe a bullet profile that will feed well in my lever gun and still be a good hunting round.  The SWC rounds I have are too long to feed properly, according to Marlin.  So I was looking  at the RNFP, will this bullet work for deer? What about small hogs?
Thanks.
GH1

[D Crockett]

you have a pm D Crockett

[Lloyd Smale]

try the lee 150 rf. Its an accurate bullet and has enough of a metplat to make it a good game  bullet

[GatCat]

It is a relatively easy matter to modify the lifter/carrier in the Marlin to accomodate a longer overall cartridge length; commonly done in the both the .357 and the .44 . If interested, pm me and I'll send you to another site that has detailed info on it.
Mark

[BCB]

Although a bit of a hassle, I trim the case back enough to allow what ever boolit I am using to be crimped in the crimp groove and be at an O.C.L. to still cycle...

I do this with my 1894 and use the Lyman 358429 and it shoot really well...

Good-luck...BCB

[GH1]

I thought about trimming all of my cases, but I may not have to.  Last week I seperated all of my rounds for rifle & revolver use based on OAL, and yesterday I took a handful of the too long revolver rounds and managed to cycle them through the action with no real problems. I had one that required a little lever jiggling to get it to feed, but that was it.  Granted, I didn't fire  the weapon, but I would think if it fed okay it should fire okay.
Of course, if I just reload with RNFP bullets I'll have no problem at all.  So maybe that's what I'll do when I shoot all my SWC.  I'm thinking 180 gr should do the trick.
Should I go with a gas check or not?
GH1  

[BCB]

GH1,

The 358429's that I use are not gascheck design.  They are a Keith design which is a plain base.  If you decide "no gaschecks" then you will want a plain base design or a jacketed bullet.  The bevel base boolits will most likely cause leading--My opinion...

Incidently, the 358429 boolit is the only slug I got to shoot from my 1894 was acceptable accuracy.  They can be fussy little rascals!...

Good-luck...BCB

[GH1]

BCB,
What kind of velocities are you getting out of your non-GC bullets?
GH1

[BCB]

GH1,

With SR-4759, I am getting 1554 fps—not blistering velocity, but very capable of less than 1.5” at 100 yards many times…

I have pushed it faster, but lost accuracy.  I found this 1894 to be almost impossible to get good accuracy from anything—cast as well as jacketed…

That is why I found 1554 fps to be acceptable as it produced good accuracy...

Certainly capable of deer at less than 50 yards when the shot is placed appropriately…

Good-luck…BCB

[GH1]

1500 fps with a 170 gr bullet is nothing to sneeze at.  You don't have any problems feeding them in your Marlin?   What about RNFP, is that as good a hunting round as the SWC?  Or does it not make a difference.
GH1

[BCB]

GH1,

PM sent your way...

[GH1]

I just read the attachment you e-mailed me, it was very in depth and informative.  You spent a helluva lotta time & energy in your study, and I appreciate your input.
GH1

[BCB]

GH1,

Glad it arrived O.K., and I hope you can get a bit of info that might help...

Those 1894's can be a major headache from time to time--ain't sure why either...

But mine shoots well and the wife uses it for deer every year.  She can hit 12-ounce beverage cans at 30 yards most every time--no, not with a leaning rest either!  Just plain ol' off hand...

Good-luck...BCB

[leadman]

I cast the Lee 158gr. RFN that has a very small bevel base for my Marlin with Micro-groove rifling. About 18 BHN, sized .359", can load near max powder charges with no leading and good accuracy. Never shot a deer with it but it tears up big jack rabbits. See no reason why it would not work on deer at close range.

Also cycles good with no hang-ups. This is the 6 cavity Lee mold, which is slightly different than than bullet dropped by my Lee 2 cavity mold. The nose is slightly shorter and fatter.

[454Puma]

Ditto on the Lee 158gr bullet! Also like the Lee 125 gr. Both feed very well in my Marlin 357 CBL! 

[GH1]

The Lee may work well but I don't cast my own at the moment.  I was looking at the 180gr RNFP by Missouri Bullet Co.  Does anyone have any experience with these?
GH1

[GH1]

After two trips to the range I'm happy to report the 158gr BBSWC left very little lead in the bore of my Marlin, even after close to two hundred rounds.  What little was in there swabbed out easily.  Initially I had some feed problems with the longer SWC but I was able to modify my carrier assembly to accept the longer cartridges, with no loss of ability to feed shorter .38 rounds.
So I'm probably going to stick with the 158 gr SWC, as they are readily available locally and priced competitively.
I think that if I do my part I shouldn't have any trouble taking down a deer with these bullets.
GH1

[Default_Required]

Picked up a recent copy of Hand Loader magazine that had a lengthy article on the beginnings of the 357 mag and some of the hunting that Keith and Wesson among others did with that round out of the S&W "Registered" 357 mag revolvers  think they had an 8 1/2 inch barrel , Long article to the point Wesson took not only most North American large game with the 357 mag but also a brownie . And I thought he was pushing his luck with the moose at 150-200 yards, But he took this animal with the lowly 50 yard 357 mag ? In a revolver ?

 Load it up in a rifle with something that will make a good clean hole in-n-out and treat it like archery hunting and follow the trail

 Not promoting moose hunting with the 357 mag but to quote a good movie " What one man can do.... Another can do " Anthony Hopkins ~ The Edge   

[GH1]

I know I'm getting sidetracked here but that was one hell of a movie. I've mumbled that line to myself more than once when plagued by self-doubt over life's adversities.
GH1