Author Topic: 357 maximum question. (Read 2141 times)

Daniel Laws · « **on:** May 20, 2005, 12:20:29 PM »

I just bought a used handi in 357 mag. My question is-if I ream it out to a 357 Maximum, can I still use 38 Special and 357 Mag ammo in it? I was wondering how the increased freebore caused by the longer chamber would affect accuracy and pressures. By the way, you guys should include a much stronger warning on this forum. I am now officially hooked on handis. I now have a BC, 223, 25-06, the afore mentioned 357, and 2 shotguns. The best one is the next one-Right?

Deadeye47 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 20, 2005, 12:36:54 PM »

You can shoot all three...same as shooting a 38 special in a 357 mag chamber...there are allot of max converted handis out there...including mine....welcome to the forum!! The answer to your last question is yes also....

quickdtoo · « **Reply #2 on:** May 20, 2005, 01:35:49 PM »

Welcome aboard, Daniel!!

Yes!!!! :wink:

Daniel Laws · « **Reply #3 on:** May 20, 2005, 02:17:01 PM »

I have read on this forum that there is a 357 max reamer in circulation. Details-Please? Who has it, how do I get hold of it, how much to use it? Thanks to all you enablers here.

Daniel Laws · « **Reply #4 on:** May 20, 2005, 02:18:36 PM »

I have read on this forum that there is a 357 max reamer in circulation. Details-Please? Who has it, how do I get hold of it, how much to use it? Thanks to all you enablers here.

jeff223 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 20, 2005, 02:34:14 PM »

you will want to look up leftoverdj for the reamer.i got it from him and rechambered a 357mag TC Contender barrel.the reamer does a fine job and the chamber is the way they are suppost to be.you can seat the boolits just off the lands if you want.im sure you can find a post from him somewhere and then PM him

mag41vance · « **Reply #6 on:** May 20, 2005, 02:39:14 PM »

Quote from: Daniel Laws

I have read on this forum that there is a 357 max reamer in circulation. Details-Please? Who has it, how do I get hold of it, how much to use it? Thanks to all you enablers here.

Leftoverdj has the reamer. Do a search here for "leftoverdj .357max reamer" and send him a PM. He is away for a weekend bluegrass get-a-way but he' should be back soon.

BTW,
I have a reamed out NEF .357, and it shoots circles around most of my other guns. I shot a 4 shot group at 50 yards yesterday that measured .366" center to center, with some 184 gr gascheck LBT's from leftoverdj.

Deadeye47 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 20, 2005, 04:40:47 PM »

Oh...forgot to mention earlier...you can shoot 360 DW in that after ya get it reamed also

tallyho · « **Reply #8 on:** May 20, 2005, 07:53:58 PM »

I've got a 357 barrel enroute (soon I hope) from H&R and have been toying with the idea of a 357 Max.

I expect I'll want to shoot it as a 357 Mag, at least for awhile, but I know I'll be open to the Max too.

So I am curious, is ammo/brass obtainable easily and if so where. I haven't seen much around where I've been looking. (I do have a single round of Max that I found the other day whilst tidying up.. leftover from a 357 Max Contender Carbine I had about 6-7 yrs ago.)

I haveta tell ya - one round just ain't gonna be enough if/when I do get the chamber reamed! :wink:

quickdtoo · « **Reply #9 on:** May 20, 2005, 09:19:00 PM »

Kerry, a GBO sponsor, Reeds, carries it...

http://www.reedsammo.com/default.asp

Dan Wesson ammo is available from Bullseye...

http://www.bullseyeguns.com/danammo.asp

Tim

hellacatcher · « **Reply #10 on:** May 21, 2005, 01:18:07 AM »

O.K. While we are on this subject I don't think I have seen any load data for the Max. in my reload books. Where can I find something published? This is something I mite want to do in the future. :?

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #11 on:** May 21, 2005, 02:27:06 AM »

All of my manuals list info for the max but only in the pistol section, I've been able to find enuff info to keep me busy for a while.

Also being pistol info, the velocity and energy figures are wrong, You gain alot out of the rifle barrel, even over the contenders.

Just plain ole fun to shoot IMHO.

Datil · « **Reply #12 on:** May 21, 2005, 04:19:26 AM »

Ream a 357 Mag barrel was my thoughts before I got rifle, just as i got
the rifle, DJ came up with reamer, I got in early on. Haven't looked back.
Happy Puppy :-D Sierra has a little loading for rifle, But call there Teck
staff they good about helping out. I think it improved it for 38 spl and
357 Mag Ammo. but most use is with Maxie brass, Datil

tallyho · « **Reply #13 on:** May 21, 2005, 11:59:44 AM »

Quick, thanks for the 357 Max ammo info..

quickdtoo · « **Reply #14 on:** May 21, 2005, 01:17:41 PM »

:grin:

JPH45 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 21, 2005, 05:24:36 PM »

Most of us rechambered to 357 Max because we found the original chamebr was cut with a looooooooooooooooong throat. I could drop a 158 rain bullet into mine and there was 1/4 inch betweent he bullet base and the case mouth :eek: :eek: :eek: It wouldn't keep 5 shots on a paper plate at 50 yards, the rechamer was not an effort to get more power (although it became that) it was an effort to get a properly chambered barrel.

It has been stated you can use 360 DW in the new chamebr as well. Before you go reaming on it, take a chamber cast, you may find that it will chamber and fire 360 DW as it comes from the factory. One fela around here did just that. At the time I did my rechamber to the MAX I hadn't heard of the 360 DW, but I can tell you that the dimensions of my barrel were perfect for it. Had I known that at the time, I probably wouldn't have rechambered to the Max, as well, I wouldn't have found out what a fine cartridge the 357 Max is.

Deadeye47 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 21, 2005, 05:44:40 PM »

yeah...I remember that now JPH45...I think it might have been Paul that started that thread regarding the 360 DW...I know he did allot of testing on that round too....now that you speak of it... :wink:

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #17 on:** May 22, 2005, 01:59:14 PM »

I'm back. Gonna have to hire you guys as an advertising department.

JPH45 · « **Reply #18 on:** May 22, 2005, 03:07:14 PM »

Hey DJ!

I had to have a stent put in Friday, we are having a time of it down here, but I got 'round to shooting some more of those 180's you sent today, Nice Nice Nice. Sold my 45-70 barrel to finance a mold on the deal Jeff is running, if anyone out there hasn't gotten in on this one you are really missing out.

MSP Ret · « **Reply #19 on:** May 22, 2005, 04:07:10 PM »

Best of luck with the stent JPH45, my wife had one put in Jan/04 and she has never felt better!! By the way I am shooting .360 DW brass (Thanks to Deadeye) out of my factory .357 Mag barrel and it is a perfect match for the notorious long throat, it fits, functions, and shoots great!!!....<><.... :grin:

JPH45 · « **Reply #20 on:** May 22, 2005, 04:34:41 PM »

Quote from: MSP Ret

Best of luck with the stent JPH45, my wife had one put in Jan/04 and she has never felt better!! By the way I am shooting .360 DW brass (Thanks to Deadeye) out of my factory .357 Mag barrel and it is a perfect match for the notorious long throat, it fits, functions, and shoots great!!!....<><.... :grin:

Thanks MSP Ret. I had one put in 5 years ago, and now this one. Already I can tell a good difference. I quit smoking 3 years ago (this board was a great help, though many may not know that) so I'm looking forward to some good years ahead.

While it is certainly not the 357 Max, I'll bet the 360 DW don't give up much to it. I think it is the way to go for someone who wants to leave their barrel stock, it wold have just been really nice if NEF had marked the barrels "360 DW" would have saved a lot of confusion and trouble.

Datil · « **Reply #21 on:** May 22, 2005, 04:44:42 PM »

I had never heard of 360 DW before I had got mine reamed out.
(Thanks D J For the reamer) I had plans of a 357 Maxie before
I got my Handi. I am a happy Ol' dog. Datil

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #22 on:** May 22, 2005, 04:53:22 PM »

I got lucky and had a .357 that shot real well and wanted to leave it alone so I bought another barrel and rechambered it to the Max It is my favorite combo, Wouldn't you know it I tried the .360DW and it shoots very well also .38/.357mag/.360DW/.357Max one reciever all shooters, Whats not to like about that?

I may not have done the Max if I'd found out about the DW sooner but I'm not complaining. :grin:

Paul5388 · « **Reply #23 on:** May 23, 2005, 08:05:54 AM »

OK, here is the loading data for the Max for all bullet weights.
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=357%20Maximum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=

Dan Wesson was bought out by CZ-USA and I don't see the data (or revolvers) they used to list for the .360 before the merger. JohnK captured the data before it became unavailable and it's posted here.
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=360%20Dan%20Wesson&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=

The main thing I learned on my barrel (still factory chamber) is using a taper crimp instead of a roll crimp increased the accuracy I could acheive. I use a separate step from bullet seating with a Lee taper crimp die. Groups around 1" at 100 yards are acheivable.

The factory chamber allows the use of some very long bullets, so the Max chamber wouldn't be any different if you use 360 DW or 357 brass. I currently load a 250 gr Beartooth LRNFPGC in 357 brass that groups around 1" at 100 yards. At only 1200 fps it's a little like a rainbow. The 180 gr XTP/HP will do 1645 fps in 360 DW brass and it's as accurate and flatter shooting. I use 11.0 gr 800X with a CCI 550 primer in Starline 360 DW brass with the bullet seated in the top cannelure for that one.

Quick,

Those two load datas might be good candidates for including in the FAQ?

tallyho · « **Reply #24 on:** May 23, 2005, 09:55:46 AM »

Paul, thanks for this, and...

To whom it may concern: Yes please, I vote for putting them in the FAQ's

Cheers
Kerry

quickdtoo · « **Reply #25 on:** May 23, 2005, 10:23:18 AM »

Good idea, Paul! But I can't do it, Mac or Duce will need to do that, moderators only have access to their respective forums.

Paul5388 · « **Reply #26 on:** May 23, 2005, 11:29:24 AM »

Tim,

:oh: I knew that. What was I thinking of? :? Maybe a better question is, was I even thinking?

quickdtoo · « **Reply #27 on:** May 23, 2005, 01:20:43 PM »

Musta been another one of those gout attacks!!! :-D :-D :-D

cheatermk3 · « **Reply #28 on:** May 23, 2005, 02:08:38 PM »

I thought that the gout affected the lower extremities.

Paul5388 · « **Reply #29 on:** May 23, 2005, 02:14:21 PM »

Actually, gout can be in any extremity. That includes feet, hands, knees, elbows, sometimes ribs and even parts of the head. It isn't a fun deal when your in the middle of an attack, but it gets easier as time passes.