Finally got my 357 and 7mm-08 back!!!! Range report for 357

[KenSel]

Well it's been a LONG wait but it finally came in and I got a chance to go out and shoot it today.  I started off with Hornady Leverevolution 140gr. ammo at 50 yards and it was hitting 6" high dead center with the first shot.  The second and third shot were touching the first.  Then I scrubbed the barrel a few times and let it cool a bit and loaded up some Buffalo Bore 180gr. Heavy Mag; shot 1, 2, & 3 were touching dead center of the bullseye.  Not bad at all!  I moved over to the 100 yard range and scrubbed the barrel and 3 more shots of the Buff Bore dead center of bullseye, 2 shots touching and the 3rd about 3/4" away.  Still feeling good!  I scrub the barrel and load up the Hornady and 5 shots later it looks like I was using buckshot.  I adjusted my scope up 12 clicks (1/4" increments) so the Buff Bore should be 3 inches high now.  I load up a BB and it's about 3" high dead center, Great!   2nd shot is 6" high and 1" right, 3rd shot is 6" high dead center.  Well I'm frustrated cause I don't have much time so I pack up and head home.  I didn't let the barrel cool enough and I think that affected it and also I have a Bushnell Wideview 1.5-4.5 scope mounted and you can barely slide a hair between it and the hammer so I think the hammer may be hitting even though I didn't see any marks.  I'm gonna try shooting when the barrel is cool again this week if I get time and I'll probably change the scope and mounts.  If it shoots like it did in the beginning with the Buff Bore ammo then I won't need to ream it to Max, I'll just put a Burris Ballistic Plex scope on it and try it at different yardages to see where she hits.  Oh I notice that I had a lot of holes in the primers of the Hornady almost all of them and in 2 of the Buff Bore.  Not sure if it's my firing pin or the loads.

Ken

[GatCat]

Sounds like the barrel is a real good shooter, problem may lay in something working loose; scope base/rings/scope itself/ forend screw/ ??
Also, I don't know if the all the bore scrubbing is really needed,??
Mark

[Tallwalker]

There shouldn't have been any holes in any of the primers with factory loads. That is usually referred to as pierced primers, and is a sign that something is still wrong. It could be excessive headspace, weak hammer spring (or roughness that keeps the spring from working right) or a poor fit of the firing pin in the firing pin hole.

[KenSel]

when I say scrubbed the bore I'm just talking about running a wet patch and then a dry patch down it.  I mounted my Leupold 3-9 in a set of low rings on my 7-08 barrel last night and theres plenty of clearance so I'm going to put another scope on the Mag barrel and see how it works out.  The holes in the primers concern me though.  I'm gonna see if it happens when I fire the 7-08, if it does then I'm gonna send it back to them!

Ken

[a4beltfed2000]

If the primers were pierced wouldn't that be to tight of a headspace? how long was the turn around time?

[LaOtto222]

Piercing primers can cause accuracy to wane. I was at a Shoot and a fellow was having trouble with pieced primers. Someone else stoned down the nose of the firing pin and the problem went away. I am not saying that is your problem or that you should stone down the firing pin. Check and see how far out it protrudes from the face of the breech. I would send it in, if your problem carries over to the 7mm-08.

I sounds like you do not reload. If that is the case, I would not ream it to 357 Max. Factory loads are hard to get. I reamed mine, but I reload for it. It did not hurt my accuracy with even 38 Special wad cutters.

Good Luck and Good Shooting

[44 Man]

I would not be too discouraged, since your last two shots were together.  I would suspect your scope just needed to 'settle in'.  I have had scopes that when you adjusted them, they would not just 'spring' to the new setting, but needed a couple of shots to 'settle in'.  The other option was to carry a small rubber hammer and 'tap' the turret of the scope opposite the adjustments.  This has been very common on my Leopold pistol scopes.  44 Man

[quickdtoo]

GBO sponsor Reed's Ammunition has several flavors of 357 Max ammo, I wouldn't let ammo availability stop ya. 

Tim

http://shop.reedsammo.com/category.sc?categoryId=40

[KenSel]

turn around was 3 months because they lost my first money order.  I do reload, I just don't have the dies for 357 yet.  I always like to shoot a couple boxes of factory ammo before I buy the dies, bullets, etc.  I still need to shoot the 7-08 and see if I'm still having problems with the primers.  I did notice that after the shot it seemed to take a second before I heard a click and the trigger tension settled back.  I hope I don't have to send it back, I'm tired of the back and forth and tinkering.  I just want a 200 yard meat getter for when the corn is down and the deer won't even look towards the woods I hunt.  If this doesn't pan out then I may check out the Ultra Slug Thumbhole 20ga.

Ken

[rangerwillie]

I cast my own 158 SWC W/LLA . I cut 3 holes touching, 4 & 5 may be off 4 inches. (70 yds) These are not hot loads. I got a temp.  sensitive barrel.

[snakeman]

Three holes touching is good for me. I don't expect to have to make four or five very fast shots. If I think I may have to do something like that I will take a different rifle. Although one time I did take six deer with six shots in about a minute and a half. I shot the first one and the rest just stood there. Not one of the 35-40 deer in that wheat field ran off.


snakeman

[zoner]

i recommend you resolve this pierced primer issue before you shoot this rifle again. It's true that you fired the gun,nobody got hurt or anything but the point is that it's not supposed to happen...all that hot gas and stuff needs to go the other way.Given that you just got it back and don't want to deal with the factory is understandable but if that's what you need for your rifle to fire safely,that's what you need. Check your protrusion,check the headspace with a feeler guage,try to inspect the firing pin tip with some magnification.Be safe by all means.