Calling all 357 Max loaders

[R.W.Dale]

Has any of you loaded any heavier than 200gr bullets in the max Also I wonder if fast rifle powders would be suitable for these heavy bullets?

[Robert]

Yup....I load 250 and 280 Lyman cast bullets, just light RedDot loads with these so far.  Also use some homemade jacketed bullets up to 250 grs.  Finding data is a reral problem though.  I would also like to figure what powders would be best for heavy bullets, but just have not had the time to work them up.  I am betting 35 Rem data could be adapted.

[Leftoverdj]

I've shot a few hundred Lyman 212 GCs and perhaps a dozen 250 grain GCs using H322 and H335.  The 212s shot fairly well and gave good velocity. The 250 jacketed were just shot to see if they would stabliish. They did, but I don't see them as being of any use.

Except for very special circumstances, the 180 grain bullets seem ideal for the cartridge. Heavier bullets might give a bit more penetration, but the 180s have all the penetration needed for whitetail, and that is about the biggest animal I would hunt with a single shot Max.

[JPH45]

I've shot some 250 gas checked bullets from a custom mold a fellow from another board sent to me to try out. I used 7 grains of a surlpus powder very like Blue Dot, figure the bullets were doing something like 1000 fps or so. They were quite accurate. Velocity in my Handi with 200 grainers tops out 1800ish, I'd be surprised to see any more than 1600 from a 250, and think 1500 would be tops. Thats 44 Mag performance anyday, but I don't see what advantage such a load has over a 180 doing 1900-2100 fps. What I'm seeing from my 38-55 strongly suggests this is the barrel for a 250-300 grain bullet between 1800 and 2000 fps.

[R.W.Dale]

the reason I ask is that I have a whole box of herters 250 gr bullets that I cannot shoot in any other gun. That and I am going to try a diffrent approach to the postal match. :wink:

[Paul5388]

I have shot a few pointed bullets in my standard .357 Handi.  I never could see any advantage to them and switched back to 180 gr XTPs.

www.lasc.us has this load for a .360 DW that you can also shoot in the Max or you could just load it in Max cases and work up from there.

15.9 LGn       Fed Mag Pis       250 SAECO       1336 fps      1.7" group

[mag41vance]

I have shot a few pointed bullets in my standard .357 Handi.  I never could see any advantage to them and switched back to 180 gr XTPs.

www.lasc.us has this load for a .360 DW that you can also shoot in the Max or you could just load it in Max cases and work up from there.

15.9 LGn       Fed Mag Pis       250 SAECO       1336 fps      1.7" group

 Great link there Paul!
 A great article in there on the .357 max.