357 Maximum Shoots !

[OldBob]

  This son-of-a-gun shoots... and does it well.  I bought a Ranch Dog 190 grain mould and a .359 sizer for it and some IMR4227 and loaded me up a batch of different test loads, I think I found the one it likes. After a fouling shot it put the next three in a tightly overlapping cloverleaf at 50 yards..... the next two were a 1/4" out, me, not the gun, I shot too fast and didn't wait for it to cool. I'll keep refining it while I'm waiting for spring to dry the range and let me use the 100 yds. again, but for now I'm dang well pleased. I probably have more money in it than should be put in a Handi-Rifle, but no one ever accused me of having common sense...
Any of you considering recutting your 357 Mag to a Max, don't hesitate, its simple to do and it works !! Incidently, I loaded these LONG...2.095" OAL.. to get out near the lands, I wish the SAMMI reamer had a shorter throat. The load burns clean as can be, no leading at all and should make a good deer gitter.

[wbm]

Gunsmith friend of mine wants to use my Handi and do just what you did. PM me with the "howtos" if you get a chance.

[quickdtoo]

Hand reaming to Max is covered in the FAQs and Help sticky. 

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,128014.msg1098463142.html#msg1098463142

[dpe.ahoy]

After removing the ejector, I might be getting closer to doing this.  Confidence level is way up there .  We'll see how putting the new in goes first.  DP

[cwlongshot]

I'm glad you like the results Bob!!

 We would never intentionally steer you or anyone wrong!! The Maxi is THE handi caliber for me!!!

CW

[OldBob]

   I can't go as far as to say it is "the" caliber for me.. I'm awful partial to 45-70's......... but it is right up there in the running, specially cause my old shoulder doesn't appreciate the pounding the 45 gives it.. Shot it alongside my Marlin 375 Winc. today and it groups as well as the Marlin and that impressed me more than a little. Gotta get some jacketed ( ughhh) bullets and try it out with some heavier loads. Our range has some bowling pins tethered to a frame at 100 yds. and this little cartridge gives them a pretty good whack, they jump around real good with a solid hit.

[cwlongshot]

Trust me Bob, it will "lay em lo" and make you prowd!!

 I too have the 450-70 and 375win, both excellent calibers. The maxi will have less than half the recoil and every bit as much performance on deer sized game.

 I have shot a pile with mine out to just over 100yards all expired very rapidly. Once they are inside 50yards ALL have been bang flops with hi-shoulder shots. That was with the 180SSP Hornady bullet & 1680 powder @ about 2200fps.  I shot two with in a couple minutes of each other just a couple years ago both, bang, flop.  I LOVE this caliber!!

CW

[dk17hmr]

Its almost like that Ranch Dog fella knew what he was doing when he designed his molds.  I have the 311 165 molds and that shoots very good out of all my 30 caliber rifles.  I will be ordering one of his 460-350 molds here in a few weeks.

Did you use Lee Liquid Alox for lube?  With tumble lubing I do a light coat of LLA and then a few good coats of Jonhsons Paste Wax after the LLA is dried.  The bullets arent sticky and the JPW dries hard, zero leading.

[dpe.ahoy]

I gotta ask.  Do you melt the JPW and tumble lube them also?  DP

[OldBob]

  Just straight ALOX so far, a light coat, size, recoat and load. Absolutely no leading, but loading long like I am it seems to me the JPW would be a good idea, keep the crud out of the lube.

[cwlongshot]

Bob,
 When you get around to jacketed stuff. Try the SPEER Gold DOT, 170 gr soft points as well as the excellent Hornady 180gr SSP soft point. Yet another good one is the 180FP from Speer. I have also had good results with Hornadys 158FP XTP, but prefer the heaver slugs for deer. That bullet is excellent for a 357 MAGNUM carbine for deer though!!! 

CW

[dk17hmr]

I gotta ask.  Do you melt the JPW and tumble lube them also?  DP

Nope, put them in a bowl, just like using LLA, put a spoon full of JPW in the bowl and tumble them just like LLA.

CW doesnt sound like Bob needs to buy any Jacketed bullets to load, just heat up the lead pot and he will have more than enough.

[db22]

If you can locate blocks for the Lyman 358627, you'll have found a near-perfect bullet for the Max in the Handi. A caseful of Reloder 7 gets that 215-grain GCSWC going at a good clip, and accuracy is very good. I want to try  IMR4227, but none of the shops around here stock it. From what I have read and from my own experience with faster and slower powders in the Max, IMR4227 sounds like it would match this bullet perfectly.

[cwlongshot]

Yup, 4227 is a good maxi powder as are the ballistic twins, 296/H110, 2400, AA#9 and Lil Gun.

 I liked H4227 and Hornadys 158FP XTP bullet.

I do not shoot to many cast slugs. No particular reason, I have many moulds and do cast for a couple calibers religiously. The 32-20 & 45LC come to mind immediately. Tim turned me on to Ranger Rick and his excellent line of WFN GC bullets and I shoot the 440gr in mt 500 S&W.

 For me the Maxi is a hunting gun only. I plink with the MAG's and 38's form the same gun. Like BN Bob has said in other posts the 148/141 full wadcutter 38Sp's target loads are damn quiet and fun to shoot!!!

CW