Author Topic: how good does your 357max shoot? (Read 1360 times)

jeff223 · « **on:** March 15, 2004, 06:15:40 AM »

most of the groups for these seem to be shot at 50 and 75 yards with cast bullets.how does your 357max shoot at 100 yards with a jacketed bullet say with a XTP or a Remington 180 jacketed bullet?will they keep them at MOA or better?

i havnt been out with my 357mag yet.dont know what to expect out of the gun.i know i have used these type of bullets out of my muzzle loaders with good results.even with max loads these jacketed pistol bullets give good relults.

how they shooting?

handirifle · « **Reply #1 on:** March 15, 2004, 08:08:27 AM »

Hey all FYI
I just got an email from NEF and if you didn't know it already, the .357 barrels will no longer be produced either. We all know by now the rifles were stopped but the barrels are out as well.

mt3030 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 15, 2004, 08:35:04 AM »

Jeff,
I've had two. My rechambered (from 357 Mag) H&R Topper (1970 era) would keep three shots of 158 jacketed soft and hollow points into 2 inches @ 100 yds. My current Ultra 357 Max will do 1.5 inches with both 158 and 180 jacketed bullets. This rifle is scoped with a Nikon 1.5-4.5. I had a 10x Redfield mounted for load development and it did about the same. I'v used handgun bullets in other rifles calibers, and have come to not exect any more. Others, with younger eyes, might do better.
mt

BIGBOREFAN · « **Reply #3 on:** March 15, 2004, 09:33:57 AM »

Need to shot mine a good bit more with a good rest, but so far 3 and 5 shot goups were in the 1/2 to 3/4 inch. If you averaged them together they would be about 5/8. Of course the scope paralex was messing with me, it was around 30 degrees and I was laying prone of my back deck. Now I'm not useing that for excuses.

I know the gun can do better if I get a good shooting bench. The load was 20 grains H-110 and 180 grain XTP and CCI small rifle primer.

BBF

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #4 on:** March 15, 2004, 12:17:51 PM »

2MOA or a little better is a reasonable expectation. We're shooting hunting grade bullets and mostly pistol bullets, at that. I'm a cast bullet shooter and that level of accuracy delights me in easy to put together loads.

Someone seriously interested in accuracy would likely be better served with another cartridge. The Max in a Handi is a deerhammer and way more accurate than it needs to be for that use. Most serious shooting I am likely to do with one is offhand plinking at clay pigeons. Ran five straight this afternoon at 50 yards and am looking to move back to 75.

MSP Ret · « **Reply #5 on:** March 15, 2004, 12:24:14 PM »

Just checking and perhaps a foolish question but can I use my .357 dies to load the .357 max? And also, after throating do the .357 Mag and .38 special rounds still shoot accutately out of the gun? If not, how much accuracy can I expect to lose? Thanks....<><.... :grin:

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #6 on:** March 15, 2004, 02:40:01 PM »

I've shot some 1" groups with mine at 100 yards with some 187 gr cast bullets and it will do the same with magnum cases also. I shot some of DJs cast bullets today(by the way DJ what mould did you use for those things?) and I put 5 shots in about a 1.750" group at 30 yards or so after being up for 26+ hours and drinking way to much Mountain Dew and Iced tea you know caffine makes it hard to keep them crosshairs steady

When I learn how to use my new digital toy I'll post some target dot I shot last week, Funny thing I shot some 158 gr LRNFPs with 5.1 grs of tightgroup outta it today and they had the same POI as the 200+ grainers from DJ only they groupped better put three of them in a clover leaf. I really like my max.

MSP Ret · « **Reply #7 on:** March 15, 2004, 02:53:33 PM »

Thanks BNB, I fired off an e-mail to H&R a short time ago asking if they have any .357 barrels left and to put one aside for me if they do. I'll follow it up with a phone call tomorrow. My question is this, Why didn't I want a .357 barrel when they were available?

? I guess it ranks right up there with, What is the meaning of life? or more difficult to answer, Will you respect me in the morning?....<><.... :shock:

jeff223 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 15, 2004, 03:04:17 PM »

i hope to get out and shoot my 357mag tomorrow morning.all i have as far as ammo right now is some 38 specials.no scope on this barrel either.i will try it with the open sights just to see how it groups.soon i will try some 357mag ammo but i would like to have a scope on this barrel first.i kind of out grew open sights if you know what i mean. :wink:

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #9 on:** March 15, 2004, 03:18:12 PM »

MSP I already had a fine shooting Magnum and didn't want to cut the chamber so I ordered a new barrel, I had just put it in the mail when we found out the .357 was dropped. Boy am I glad I did that. Now I have a mag and max on the same recivier :grin: sometimes the lucks with us sometimes it aint.

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #10 on:** March 15, 2004, 03:59:46 PM »

Bob, those came out of a Lyman 358315 mould. They have too much taper on the nose for my taste, but since I only paid $5 for the double cavity blocks I can't complain.

MSP, .357 dies work fine. My rifle, anyway, still shoots .38 special and .357 Mags with good accuracy. I dunno how it does it, but it does. I've shot a good many sub inch 50 yard groups with .38 wadcutters.

mag41vance · « **Reply #11 on:** March 16, 2004, 01:57:14 AM »

Hey Jeff,
I just put together 10 rounds of
180gr XTP's over 18.5 gr of H4227, with winchester small pistol primer.
I will shoot them the first chance I get and post the results.
I also put together 10 rounds of DJ's 170 gr lyman casts over 9.5 gr of 2400 to test. I'll test those 170 gr bullets with the H4227 as well.
My test will be at 50 yards to start as I am trying to develope a round good enough for the Postal match. Then I'll see what 100 looks like.
RV

jeff223 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 16, 2004, 03:18:52 AM »

sounds good RV.let ur know how you make out.