shooting cast bullets in model 1894?

[KansasPaul]

I just purchased a Marlin 1894 in .357 mag. I'm sure this question has been asked before, but will cast lead bullets work well in this rifle?  I have some 158 grain cast bullets that I can load, just wondering if these rifles will shoot cast bullets well.

Paul

[Happy]

Well never had a 94 in357 ,just a winnie .I used the round nose not the wad Cutter type bullets and never had any problems.The bore should be clean of all metal fouling , and you should find the bore will take on a nice polish over time .

[Mikey]

Kansaspaul - didya notice what Happy said about the bore being clean of metal fouling?  Best way to deal with that is to go down to Veral Smith's forum (go back to the index and scroll down the forum list) and read what he says and recommends about bore lapping - it should be very, very easy and a lot of fun with a 1894, and then you can shoot cast as often as you like without leading problems.  HTH.

[KansasPaul]

Thanks for the info - I'll check out Veral's forum.

Paul

[GH1]

I have the same gun & I shoot shoot cast boolits exclusively, 158 gr SWC over Bullseye & AA#9.  The only problem I had was my first set of boolits from Friendship bullet resulted in an OAL that was a little too long to feed smoothly. I remedied this by modifying the carrier, if you want the instructions send me a PM & I'll send you the link. Oddly enough, my next box of 158SWC came from Tennessee Cartridge and thay had no such length issues, even they were the 158 gr SWC also. A side by side comparison showed the TN Cartridge rounds had the crimp groove a little bit closer to the tip than the Friendship rounds.
If you want to avoid this potential trouble the just go with a RNFP design, thay feed extremely well. 
Proper OAL is critical, if you end up with an OAL greater than 1.590 you'll most likely have feed problems.
 I've posted my experiences in this forum under the topic "First Impressions", and in the Cast Bullet forum under "Leading Question".  Hopefully my posts will help you out.  Like you , I've only had my Marlin for a short while.
GH1

[Richard P]

I have a 1894 in 357m. It shoots an LBT 150gr gc bullet very well over 6gr Unique. Lee markets a plain base with about the same contour that should do well. It also shoots the RCBS 180 sil and the 200fn bullets very well. 12gr of Acc#9 is a pretty stout load but in the rifle it handles nicely. A shotgun style 1.75 to 4x, or equivalent provides the optics. rp

[GH1]

I have a 1894 in 357m. It shoots an LBT 150gr gc bullet very well over 6gr Unique. Lee markets a plain base with about the same contour that should do well. It also shoots the RCBS 180 sil and the 200fn bullets very well. 12gr of Acc#9 is a pretty stout load but in the rifle it handles nicely. A shotgun style 1.75 to 4x, or equivalent provides the optics. rp

I was in the process of working up loads for mine when the sight fell off, but I was using 11.2, 12.2, and 13.5 gr of AA#9 with a 158 gr cast SWC. I didn't get a chance to see which was the most accurate of the three.
GH1

[unclebart]

I have an 1894 in .357 and it shoots fine with cast bullets. My go to load is a SAECO 180grn. round flat nose plainbase in Lyman #2 alloy. Use AA 5744 and a large pistol primer. No leading even though it is a near max. load in my rifle. Also use RCBS 38-158 G.C. with 2400. For a light load I use .38spl. cases and a cowboy (light) load of Titegroup with 158grn. plainbase. Happy times. As has been said, make sure you thoroughly clean your bore before switching from jacketed to cast and vice versa. Had to escort a young black bear out of the camp ground last summer while holding this rifle at low ready and about 30 yds. away. Puker factor was solid at med., but felt comfortable knowing there was nine rounds available. Had a Speer 158 Golddot over 15/2400 at the time. That is why I have a heavier cast bullet now. Enjoy your rifle. Let us know what works for you.

[unclebart]

Almost forgot to mention. The Lyman 358429 Keith bullet will not feed as its C.O.L is too long for the action when loaded in .357 cases. Pity. However it works very well in a .38 case.

[KansasPaul]

I hadn't thought too much about shooting .38 spl because of concerns of leading in the chamber - is this a real concern or not a big deal? The other question I have is if a longer bullet can be used in a .38 case, can I speed it up with more powder? Again, my concern would be leading in both the chamber and barrel.

 I hate to sound uneducated regarding the lead bullet issue but this is a new area of reloading for me. I've stuck with jacketed or coated bullets almost exclusively and I have just started to shot cast. I started shooting cast in handguns and now I'm moving into rifles - beginning with the 1894.

Paul

[bilmac]

I've shot cast in 3 different 357 model 94s  in both 38 and 357 cases. Hard to find loads that don't work tolerably well and some shoot better than jacketed.

[unclebart]

I haven't had any problems shooting .38 cases in the longer chamber so far. It should not be a problem if you keep an eye on your chamber and clean thoroughly before shooting with .357 cases. Even if you do, as long as you haven't shot a great quantity of .38 it should not pose any problem. Just keep your chamber clean. As far as shooting heavy bullets in .38 cases you run into problems with case capacity versus pressure. DO NOT assume a load is safe unless you take it from a manual and even then, start at least 10% below max. and work up carefully, looking for signs of pressure. Ask yourself what you want a particular load to do. .38 loads are good for low recoil, mild report, can be very accurate for small game hunting or teaching someone to shoot, very economical to reload, etc.. The .38 works best with fast to medium pistol powders, and you will run into dangerous pressures real quick with any bullet and especially heavier bullets. My personal recommendation would be 90-160 grain bullet weight.
Don't stop asking questions! It's how we all learn. When I first started reloading I became a pest at the local gun shop and read everything I could get my hands on. If you don't subscribe to Handloader and Rifle magazine you are missing a great resource. Enjoy your journey.

[gypsyman]

unclebart, read your post on the .357 Marlin, and have a question. In it,you said you use large pistol primers. And, I'm not trying to be a smart alec here, was that a misprint on your part, or did you find .357/.38 brass with lg. pistol primer pockets? Just wondering. gypsyman

[unclebart]

OOPS! Been playing with the .44spec. lately, got my wires crossed. Thanks for pointing that out.

[knorris948]

I love shooting cast bullets in my 1894 Winchester .30-30. I enjoy reloading. I just bought a new 1894C Marlin and I have shot the 158gr LRN. It shot just fine and I intend to buy dies and shoot nothing but lead. The older 94 had Micro-Groove and newer ones have Ballard rifling. They should both work with lead. Some folks prefer Ballard for lead. 

[Frank Lee Scarlett]

As I have been doing Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) since 1999, I have to use cast bullets in this sport.  I have Marlin 1894's in both 357 mag and 45LC.  In the 357 mag I use a 158 grain RNFP behind 4.2 grains of Hodgdon Tightgroup.  In the 45LC I use a 250 grain RNFP behind 5.0 grains of Hodgdon Tightgroup.  The bullets are from Oregon Tail and the brass is from Starline.  I have had no problems of leading in either gun.  Both rifles have 24" octagon barrels and at 50 yard if I do my part I can put every shot into a 2" hotspot.  Not too bad, especially as I have to use tri-focal glasses, old eyes don't you know.

[KansasPaul]

...I understand old eyes.... (sigh) But hey, I'm still breathing and still shooting.

[336SC]

I shoot cast bullets in both my 1894C and 1894CBL.  Cast my own Lyman 358429 and 358156FNGC.  I load the 358429 172gr bullet in .38 Special brass for trouble free feeding in both rifles.  The 358156FNGC 165gr bullet is loaded in .357 Mag brass.  I get
exceptional accuracy with the 358156 bullet even when driven past 1900fps.  Good cast bullet shooting is dependent on how well
your cast bullets are made, i.e. no voids in the bullet interior, sharp driving bands, well filled out bases etc..  When loading the cast bullet make sure you don't shave any lead off the bullet when seating it and be sure your crimp is consistant by trimming the
cases all to the same length.  Also, your bullet lube and sizing diameter will have a major impact on how well the cast bullets will
shoot.
336SC