357Max accurracy with mag & spcl ammo?

[d_hiker]

Jay and I are waiting on the same shipment of barrels.  One question that came up when we were discussing them was the big difference of OAL between the .38 Special and .357 Max with the .357 Mag in between.  I have read on the forum here about getting the best accuracy by seating the bullet so that it is just off of the lands.  How much accuracy would be lost for the .38 Special or .357 Mag with the added throat length for the .357 MAX?  Has anyone with a MAX put it on the bench and done a comparison? 

Thanks

[handi243]

I'm glad i got mine i did do some comparison when i was load testing for the max. What i found was when i had my rifle 1" high at 50 yrds with the 180gr xtp with 20gr of 296 and a srp. I then shot 2 180 gr castcore federals they were about 6" high and about 1" to the right with about a 1" group. Granted this was after about 7-8 shots of the max. I have not checked for the lands but i crimped the xtp in the last groove. Hope this helps you will like the max.  In the pic is a 38 plus p,a 357 mag, and the max from left to right.

[tallyho]

I find that my Max is inconsistent with 38 spls. Most times I can keep three shots inside 2 inches at 50 yds... other times they are all over the target. Don't really know why that happens, but it happens enough that I don't trust it with 38s. My original idea was to be able use 38s for grouse/rabbit loads while deer hunting but I want more consistent accuracy than I'm getting.

Otherwise I don't see much accuracy difference between the Mag and the Max rounds when they are both loaded the same: 180 gr bullets, small rifle primers, and a middle of the road measure of Reloader 7. They are consistently able to produce groups around 1" at 50 yds. So far that is the only hunting type load I have tried. Other than that I've shot only plinking type loads with cast in all three brass sizes - and the erraticness of the 38s remains, and the acceptable accuracy of the Mag and Max is consistent.

Cheers
Kerry

[d_hiker]

It sounds like for plinking, a light load with cast bullets in a Mag brass may be the way to go.

[tallyho]

It sounds like for plinking, a light load with cast bullets in a Mag brass may be the way to go.

That would be my vote!