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Author Topic: 357 herrett  (Read 1260 times)

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Offline rickyp

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357 herrett
« on: August 12, 2005, 02:35:50 PM »
I have just made a deal to get my first 357 herrett.
I know little about this round, the barrel is a 10 inch contender barrel

Please tell me everything you know about this roudnd
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Offline one eye joe

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.357 Herrett
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2005, 02:10:36 PM »
Steve Herrett and Bob Milek developed the round for Elk, moose, and other large game after developing the .30 Herrett. Both are based on  cut down .30/30  brass. The .357 is slightly longer if I remember correctly. Both were designed  for the 10" barrel, so you don't gain that much going to a 14' er. The .30 was very popular for quite a while, while the .357 never really seemed to catch on. One problem may have been the availability of the .35 Remington with factory ammo available. Loaded properly, with bullets designed for the velocities it produces, the .357 is a fine 200 yard round.
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Offline EdK

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357 herrett
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2005, 03:36:38 PM »
I'm often hearing about how much better this round is than the 35 Remington. I understand it was designed for a 10" barrel and perhaps in that application it is. Still, properly handloaded is there a big difference between the two? What about in a 14" barrel (which is what I use)?
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Offline rickyp

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357 herrett
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2005, 02:37:42 PM »
how do you form the cases?
what bullets work best?
I have some .357 158 gr cast bullets would they work for it?
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Offline jhalcott

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357 herrett
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2005, 03:54:55 PM »
ricky, you need a set of dies to form the case and trim it to length(1.750") and 158 cast bullets can hit 2000+ fps from your gun. The Complete Reloading Manual for the Thompson/Center Contender(published by LoadbooksUSA) has all the info you need for the 357 Herret on page 122.
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Offline .358buddy

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357 herrett
« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2005, 04:08:42 PM »
Ricky

The .357 Herrett is a very good cartridge and I have taken a few deer with it.  I moved up in power because of large bears where I live.

When reloading take care in proper headspacing technique while sizing
the case. When fireforming make sure the bullet is solid against the lands.  After fireforming the case make sure you are not pushing the shoulder back or the round will not go off!  Likewise in fireforming if the bullet is not set hard against the lands the loaded cartridge will not go off.
I have had two .357 Herretts and both required this process.  I shot hard cast 160 and 180 grain bullets and yes both loads were great too 200 yards.

Enjoy
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Offline HHI 812

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.358buddy
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2006, 09:09:05 PM »
What bigger cartridge did you go to when you switched from your 357 Herrett? How did you like the 357 Herrett? e-mail at dennis.madriaga@gmail.com
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Offline Game_Stalker

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357 herrett
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2006, 09:39:51 AM »
Growing up, the .357 Herret was one of the barrels for my old man's contender that I used regularly. Loaded light, the recoil was less than a moderate .44 Mag from the contender. Accuracy was good and although it was never used in hunting, I was always confident that it was more than capable of taking big game.
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Offline Racepres

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357 herrett
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2006, 05:37:59 PM »
Very good stuff above!! I have had my Herrett BBls for more than 15 years... I only use 10" barrels in the contender. The 357 Herrett is my absolute favorite "serious business" barrel...  It has also [at a time when I and my eyes were in better condition] shot the very best measured groups that I have ever shot. I strongly urge you to get yourself some Remington 150gr. pointed softpoints... they are phenominal on whitetails, and absolutely accurate in the contender.. If you have a barrel longer than 10"... then I suspect that the 35 rem. is actually a better choice...but w/ 10"... I will never part w/ my Herrett!!!   MV
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Offline Grumulkin

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357 herrett
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2006, 05:49:06 PM »
I used a Contender with a 10 inch 357 Herrett barrel to harvest a Black Wildebeest, an Mountain Reedbuck and a Cape Springbok in S. Africa.  It worked just fine.

I used 158 grain Hornady hollow points and IMR 4227 and CCI 250 (large rifle magnum) primers.  The large rifle magnum primers compared to large rifle primers gave me the best accuracy in this gun.
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Offline barber

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Re: 357 herrett
« Reply #10 on: July 30, 2006, 04:52:59 AM »
I traded for a .357 Herrett, but there seems to be more involved in the reloading process than I care to get into.  I've been trying to find a commercial load, but no one seems to sell ammo for it.  Anyone know anyone that sells ammo for it?  Also, what is it about the .44 mag in a contender that makes the recoil so bad, worse than a revolver, from what I've read.  Thanks
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Offline dubber123

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Re: 357 herrett
« Reply #11 on: July 30, 2006, 05:20:39 AM »
Barber, I too have heard how badly the .44 kicks in a Contender, I do however have one in 10" along with  4 and 6" revolvers.  I can get 1325 fps. easily with  a 310 gr. bullet in the Contender, but only 1200 fps with the longer revolver.  Despite the added velocity, the T/C is MUCH more comfortable than the revolvers.  So at least in my instance, I can't understand  this perception of the recoil.  My 2 revolvers are both S&W's, and maybe these guys are comparing the T/C's to single action revolvers which to me kick a lot less than the DA guns.
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Offline rickyp

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Re: 357 herrett
« Reply #12 on: July 30, 2006, 09:24:18 AM »
once you get the brass formed and the sizing die set up it is no different then loading for any other bottle neck round.
If you do not like making the cases you can always buy them already formed you will pay something like $1.00 each for them.
I did not mind forming the cases. I would do a batch or 20 at a time in steps. One day i would trim back the 30-30 brass the next day i would rough form the brass then the next I would re trim them to the right length and so on it is not as bad as some make it out to be
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Offline barber

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Re: 357 herrett
« Reply #13 on: July 30, 2006, 10:43:19 AM »
Thanks for the replies. I've read where they have to loaded right to the lands, cases have to be lubed, etc. I've only loaded for .357 and .44 mags, never loaded anything but straight walled cases. It just sounds like a lot more hassle than I want to get into. I have a .357 Max, maybe I'll just stick with it and my SRH, SBH, ..44's. Thanks again'
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