why the .357 Maximum

[fortress49]

I have been reading all the posts on the .357 Maximum lately.  Why is there such an  interest in this round?  Does it fill a niche that is not covered by any other caliber?  Where does it fall ballistically in velocity and power compared to the .41 Magnum and .44 magum?  Why not go with one of those calibers instead?  Just curious.  I am not a re-loader but in the future would like to start.  Could the .357 Max make a good hog hunting round?

Matt

[BIGBOREFAN]

It is close to the 35 rem. Notice I said CLOSE. I can tell you what one guy said to the question over on the H&R board. Because I want one. You can push a 180 XTP around 2000 FPS. Maybe a little slower. My anwser to why Is because it is different. The max is a reload only round. I would say it could push bullets faster than the 41 or 44 but the latter will handle heavier bullets. I think it could make a good hog round if you use the 200 roundnose that they use in the 35 Rem. I think in rifle configuration it will make a nice compact hunting rifle. As Leftoverdj said should make a nice woodshammer. The 357 max will not do any more than the 41 or 44 it's just different.

BBF

[Duce]

Fortress: On the other side, corprately NEF decided to adress some issues with pressure by long throating everything. The .357 max.'s longer chamber brings the throat back to standard, making it easier to get the accuracy you want out of it. The rechambering is simple enough that many do it by hand. <>< Duce:

[BIGBOREFAN]

Good point Duce I forgot about that.

BBF

[22KHornet]

I still do want one.  I already have a blackhawk and a contender but have wanted a rifle for years.  The 357 max will drop just about any hog you can hit and you should get longer range from a max over a 44mag.  I have used my contender to kill a couple of javalina, mule deer and whitetail deer.  9 times out of 10 one shot does the trick.  Oh yeah and it is fun to :grin:

[.308]

Several reasons I want one:

1) No more long throat issue of the .357 mag. for better accuracy.
2) More powerful than the mag., should handle heavier bullets than the mag.
3) You can shoot .38 S&W, .38 spl., .357 mag., and .357 Max in the same gun if need be, or if you want to.

Probably a few more I forgot, and I don't mind it's a 'handload' only round, cause I seldom shoot 'factory' loads other than to get my scopes close. :wink:

[Leftoverdj]

The .357 Max in a rifle barrel is a pure delight for cast bullet shooters.  The case will hold just enough of the very slow pistol/fast rifle powders to push 180-210 grain cast bullets at around 2000 fps which is where I wanna push them. It does not have the usual problems with excess case capacity and load workup for cast bullets is a snap.

It also does this with very small powder charges, 20-25 grains of readily available surplus powders. 300-350 charges from a $7-8 pound of powder and homecast bullets makes for very cheap shooting. Cases are also cheap, $32 per 250. These loads are also enough for any game you are likely to find across the South.

Someone made the comparison to the .35 Remington. While the .35 Rem is potentially more powerful, the .357 Max with safe handloads from a 22" Handi barrel will easily match factory .35 Rem ammo from the typical 18-20" lever carbine.

[fortress49]

Thanks guys for all the replies.  I really appreciate it.  Any more thoughts, just keep them coming.  Once tax returns come in, and there is enough return, I am going to send off my .270 for some additional barrels.  The .357 mag barrel may need to be one of them after reading these posts.  It will also then give me a reason that I will HAVE to get into re-loading once it is converted to Max! :lol:

Matt

[BIGBOREFAN]

Call before you send your gun. They were running low on 357 mag barrels since they discontinued it.

BBF

[Badnews Bob]

:-D I only did it cause I wanted to, but now thats its done I'm really enjoy the way it shoots. Plus all the reloading componetes are the same as .38/.357 which it the most common stuff world around I do believe.

[JPH45]

I got into the Max to resolve a long throat in a factory 357 Magnum barrel. I got the gun as a plinker, and found I couldn't keep 5 shots on a paper plate at 50 yards :eek: No way was I going to get beer can accuracy. Several folks on another board were discussing this same problem, fix being the rechamber. And boy did it fix it. I have no trouble shooting 1.5" at 75 yards, and when I do my part it will shoot into 1" very regular. Regular enough that I don't have a problem calling it a 1" gun. I have loads pushing 180 grain bullets over 2000 fps and a nice plinking load pushing a 158 cast to a mere 915 fps and making 1" groups at 75 yards monotonously. Just the kind of plinking I like.

You are right, in energy figures, it is a ballistic twin of the 41 and 44 mags. In a rifle barrel, it is just like the 44, it performs all out of proportion to its size and paper ballistices. I also have a 44 Handi, purchased both these rifles at the same time, killed deer with each of them this year. I have a 30-30 that may need to be seeking a new home, as 6 months after getting it, I have shot it less than 100 times.

Oh, did I mention that because the 357 Max operates at higher pressures than the 30-30 yet drives the same weight bullets to the same velocities with less powder it recoils less? Noticably so. This would be a far more user friendly chambering for a shooters introduction to centerfires. It is entirely possibe that the 357 Maximum is everything the 30-30 AND 35 Remington ever wanted to be.

If the posts of the past year on this topic mean anything, the NEF 357 Maximum rechamber is only eclisped by the 45-70 in the shear pleasure the owners derive from reloading for it and shooting it. Good Shooting, JP

[Badnews Bob]

Dang JP well said, I don't think anyone could've said it any better.

[marv]

I wanted one, Igot one, I am keeping one. I got 170 & 180 grain bullets
Thursday Loaded up to shoot Today, Now it has been snowing up a strom since 6:oo A.M. If it ain't one thing it's another.
What powders is some useing to get good results? :roll:
Maybe Sunday will work out. Have with Maxie.   Marv.

[ruger204]

I am glad I found this old thread. I just had my H&R reamed to 357 maxi and I think it may replace my 30-30. What an accurate rifle. Going to use it for deer this year.

[Fred McIntire]

Did I read correctly that H&R/NEF discontinued the .357 Magnum in the Handi ?

NEVERMIND.  I see that was a 2004 post now !   

[bucmeister]

Was thinking I read something on a gun forum somewhere about the Indiana rifle rules that made the Max a favored round.  Something about minimum caliber and minimum/maximum case length.  Believe it was 1.625 or so maximum case length and .357 minimum bullet diameter.  Some were hoping they were going to up the case length to 1.80 for 2012 but no idea if that occurred.  Basically, they want rifles limited to pistol rounds.

[cwlongshot]

I am glad I found this old thread. I just had my H&R reamed to 357 maxi and I think it may replace my 30-30. What an accurate rifle. Going to use it for deer this year.

Your gonna like it, it's many of our favorites!

I have been shooting one since the early '80's in one guise or another!

I didn't go back and read all posts, but I did notice none of those guys seem to be around here anymore! Maybe on other parts of this forum, I think one may have passed.

Anyhow, it was introduced as a sillouette round to approximate the power of the 44/ heavy 45 Colts effectiveness on the heavy 200m rams all with less recoil.
Those days are gone for most people, contender, Ruger and Dan Wesson all picked it up as did Witchataw. Again "back in the day".

I'm getting 2200 fps from a 180 SSP with 1680 powder. It's taken a number or deer for me thru the years. My hunting here in my home state is up close day under 100 most times. At these yardages with today's bullets it will flatten the biggest of deer. (Or hog with good bullets). If shooting from a rifle at big game forget the hollow points. Look at LWT .358 rifle bullets!

Good luck with yours,
CW

[dead dog]

In Indiana they did lenghten the max case lenght to 1.8 so the 460 S&W and a few others are able to be used.
They don't have to be straight walled either ,just 35 cal. min and correct case lenght.