Author Topic: .360 DW in my .357 Magnum Handi (Read 1689 times)

Badnews Bob · « **on:** March 23, 2004, 09:27:25 PM »

I recieved my DW cases yesterday and loaded up 10 of them with 158gr JSPs and 6.6 grs of Titegroup, just a mild load to see how they chambered and such. They worked very well. I didn't shoot for groups just to see what happened and I was able to bust 7 out of 10 clays at 100yrds, I will most surely look at this closer. I am gonna look up some loads for the .360 and see if they will be safe out of my handi. Anybody have any? I also tried putting the peep off my .38-55 TS on the magnum barrel with the front sight off my .22 hornet this to worked very well, well enuff that they are gonna stay there. One more thing I was trying was my first trigger job, It worked with mixed results, I got it a little to light. You have to remember to pull the trigger thru or the transfer bar don't work only happened a couple of time so I am close with it. If you give it a good pull and don't just sneak up on it it works fine. I'll be working another this week, It'll eighter be fixed or I'll mess'em all up. :wink:

Ganjiro · « **Reply #1 on:** March 24, 2004, 12:50:56 AM »

The 308 Winchester which the Handi also comes chambered in produces pressures in factory ammo over 60,000 psi, and the hottest 360 DW loads don't get to 45,000 psi. Is it then safe to assume that any of the 360 DW loads listed at the Dan Wesson sight is therefore safe the Handi? Hmmm... :grin: http://www.danwessonfirearms.com/360loads.htm I look forward to your post concerning further testing of the 360 DW, THANKS!

P.S. Bob, thank you for your service to this great country.

Believe it or not Berea, KY is one of the places I just have to visit before I die. It is the woodturning capitol of the US, and woodturning, and guns are 2 of my favorite hobbies not to mention fishing, hunting, surfing, and cooking. :-D

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #2 on:** March 24, 2004, 06:57:35 AM »

Your welcome. I'd do it all again in a minute, My country men are my best friends.

Come on and visit Berea, Its a quite little town with nothing but its college the artist and craftsmen that live and work here to make it interesting. That and several gun ranges are less than an hour away. :grin: I'll try and get some loads worked up and posted ,good day all.

JPH45 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 24, 2004, 02:24:27 PM »

Ganjiro, Yes, it is perfectly safe to use the DW 360 in the Handi, and your analysis of the situation is exactly correct. Given a cartridge of a larger case head diameter than another, the pressure on the breech face will always be less with a cartridge having a smaller case head diameter when the operating pressure is equal. Naturally, when the case presure drops in the smaller diameter case, the breech pressure is even less. Note that the diameter of the 223 and the 357 (Magnum, DW or Maximum) are for all intents and purposes the same. The 223 operating at 50,000-55,000 tells us that the 357 can operate at the same pressures. Note that the 357 Maximum operates at 48,000 cup and many Handis have been so chambered, even by the factory without a moments trouble.

It seems that the last 2 years or so of NEF's 357 Mag. production, had chambers long enough to use the DW case. The safest way to test a barrel for this is to use a product called CerroSafe available through www.midwayusa.com By whatever method, once it has been determined that a chamber is actually long enough for the DW case, get some and fire away. Starline Brass makes the 360 DW case, and is available through midway as well.

Paul5388 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 24, 2004, 08:29:51 PM »

The Dan Wesson site has the heavier bullets with Lil'Gun underloaded. Hodgdon says the .357 Mag has a max load of 18.0 gr with a 158 gr bullet on their website. You would think the DW .360 would have a greater amount of powder for a max.

Has anyone tried a Maximum case in the newer .357 Mag barrels? I never did find a chamber lip in mine that would prevent a longer case from being used. Mine just came back from the factory last month.

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #5 on:** March 24, 2004, 09:03:19 PM »

Hey Paul the Max cases will not chamber in a Magnum I tried both of mine before I reamed one out to Max. This DW 360 dose chamber and fire well, the highest pressure load I've found so far is 43.000 well within the limits of a magnum so I believe there will be no problem working up useable loads for this. Now I have four cases that will shoot out of my Max with bullet choices from 95 to 250 grains and many many powder choices. This is one versitial chambering to work with, I'm a happy camper folks. :grin:

Deadeye47 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 25, 2004, 03:53:17 AM »

Hummmm I guess I'm going to have to try some of that brass....I have one barrel that is 16" in 357 mag. and I just wonder if the 360 brass would chamber in it....it shoots perfect now but a little extra zip may not be a bad thing...

Paul5388 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 25, 2004, 05:46:19 AM »

Bob,

Since I don't have any desire to ream mine out, the .360 DW sounds like a real deal for increased performance! I guess I'll have to pick up some brass at Midway. The different head stamp will also help keep the rifle loads separate from pistol loads.

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #8 on:** March 25, 2004, 09:06:17 PM »

Its a win win Paul, they workat least as well as regular Magnums and I think they should really shine with heavier bullets I hope to try some Monday. I have some 180 gr cast, 180gr XTPs,170gr speer gold dots, and some 200gr 35 REM rounds to try out, probably with H110 or win 296 just to get baselines with. Range report at eleven. :wink:

Paul5388 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 27, 2004, 05:21:42 AM »

Bob,

If you have some Lil'Gun, you might try 15.0 gr with the 180's, in a mag case. I have loaded 158, 180, 200 and 220 with Lil'Gun and it seems to do very good.

I just got some 158 gr XTP's I'm playing with right now. I'll see today if using a taper crimp instead of a roll crimp changes the group size.

marv · « **Reply #10 on:** March 27, 2004, 01:45:49 PM »

I could force Max cases in the camber of my 357 mag But would not eject
before I reamed to Max. After I did every thing worked great except the d--- wind. Only had to ream about .02 inch, supose to be .032 inch
different [i think] Marv.

Paul5388 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 27, 2004, 04:29:49 PM »

Bob,

I shot three groups today. The 18.4 gr Lil'Gun with 158 gr XTP's were taper crimped and roll crimped. The actual targets are posted here. The roll crimp was 7"+ while the taper crimp was 2 7/16". The 19.0 gr load shot a 5 1/2" group, but it was roll crimped. I'll try a taper crimp on that load in the near future.

EDIT: I ordered the .360 DW's last night!

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #12 on:** March 29, 2004, 06:38:24 PM »

Didn'y get to shoot a lot today, I started late and the rain moved in but I did try a few loads.
Thease were shot at 25 yards just to get some baseline stuff. They are encouraging

19.5grs H110 Win silver tips 145gr HP clocked 2025FPS
4 rounds in a 1.15 group, I pulled the fifth making a 2.03 group.
High and to the left...... :? I flinched

20 grs H4227 Win silver tips 145gr HP chrono did read?
5 shots 0.897..... :grin: I didn't flinch

19.5grs H110 Speer 170gr gold dot FN 2000FPS
4 shots 1.358" 1 went high and left... :shock: opened it to 2.130"

17.5grs H4227 Speer gold dot 170 1700FPS
4 shots 1.027 three almost touching fifth one I pulled high(but not left) opend it up to 2.052"

Then it rains

the best group had three in one hole for the most part with the other two touching 1/4 inch below the first.

This is with a standard handi .357, Hornet front sight and the peep off of my .38-55 TS I've lightend the trigger to 1.5lbs and useing DW .360 load data and brass.......... I like it.

It also chambers .35 REM 200gr JRN SPs from Sierra I didn't write down what I loaded them with but they went 2050fps and shot a two inch group without really trying, I just wanted to see how the worked. I think I'll work on a load for them, Thats not to far off a .35 REM and would sure put a hurtin on a white tail.

I really like my Maximum but I really wish I had tried this first, I'm also glad I ordered a extra barrel So now I have the best of both.

I must like .357s I have two Handis a Marlin lever gun two vaqueros a GP 100 and a security six and I want a Black hawk. I'm nuts fer sure. :twisted:

Paul5388 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 29, 2004, 07:35:38 PM »

Bob,

It looks like you need to try some Lil'Gun and 158 gr XTP's. I haven't checked the velocity on them, but I did with a 158 gr lead bullet in a .357 Mag case. I was getting about 1960 fps using 18.0 gr. 14.0 gr with a 200 was producing 1670 fps. The .360 DW's should do better than that.

I have 19.0 gr of Lil'Gun loaded with 158 gr XTP's to try out on the shotgun frame tomorrow. I have to move the scope back to clear the hammer and need to rezero the scope. I did shoot some 200's today and what I could see were in a horizontal line instead of a vertical line. I think load development will cure that.

I have some 180 gr XTP's coming in with the .360 brass. I've been loading 180's with 15.0 gr like Hodgdon says, but I think they need more like 16.0 gr.

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #14 on:** March 30, 2004, 04:55:28 AM »

Quote from: Badnews Bob

It also chambers .35 REM 200gr JRN SPs from Sierra I didn't write down what I loaded them with but they went 2050fps and shot a two inch group without really trying, I just wanted to see how the worked. I think I'll work on a load for them, Thats not to far off a .35 REM and would sure put a hurtin on a white tail.
:twisted:

Bob, that's OVER .35 Remington with factory ammo and it's every bit as hot as I would go using Max cases. You sure don't wanna increase that any and you might want to back off a bit, especially if you are gonna shoot that load in hot weather.

But yeah, on the whitetail, on anything you are gonna run into east of the Mississippi it's plenty of gun. The charm for me is how much it does with so little. Doesn't burn much powder, doesn't make much noise, doesn't have a lot of recoil, just as happy with cast bullets as jacketed, and all the power a woods hunter needs.

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #15 on:** March 30, 2004, 06:30:04 AM »

I just picked up 2lbs of Lil'Gun one of our gun shops is going out got two for the price of one, Last day is SAT I'm gonna see how much I can afford to spend, Never have the cash when I could use it.

DJ that is apublished load from DW and it didn't show any pressure signs but I trust your experiance and will watch it. I will probably use mostly cast anyway I'm enjoying casting and loading something you've made yourself is gratifing, I think we should be getting that Lee mould soon and Iam looking at a 200gr also. There is something about being able to hear a big slow bullet thumping the backstop just trips my trigger. :wink:

Paul5388 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 30, 2004, 04:28:52 PM »

Bob,

Here's the 100 yard group I shot today with 19.0 gr Lil'Gun, 158 XTP, CCI 400 in .357 Mag cases.
http://forums.handloads.com/uploads/Paul5388/296ZF_scan0035.jpg
It's 3 3/8", but I had a cross wind from right to left.

When I previewed this post, the image came up. If it doesn't, just copy and paste in a new window.

handirifle · « **Reply #17 on:** March 30, 2004, 04:48:09 PM »

leftover
That's exactly what my 35 Rem Marlin chrono'd factory 200gr loads at out of 18" barrel. 2050fps. Don't know about 357 Max loads but it's about mid range for the 35 Rem.