I just reamed my 357mag Handirifle to a 357MAX and I'm looking for some loads with cast bullets.
Any help?

I found that in my 10" contender that you can't put enough AA 1680 under a 200 gr cast bullet to get into trouble pressure wise, and was getting 1800 fps with a heavily compressed charge (I couldn't fit any more powder in the case) I found the best accuracy was with RL 7, but velocity was down to 1500 and change, this was also a compressed load.

Reloaderman

Keep us posted on this project. It seems to me like a natural way to get a cleaned up chamber throat and much higher performance in the Handi Rifle.

Course, I want to use the Remington Baby Rolling Block, that Navy Arms imported way back when as my starting platform.
The difference is that one CAN find the Handi-Rifles!

LouisB

[ 03-28-2003, 07:01: Message edited by: TCLouis ]

I did one of the H&Rs to .357 Max years ago. Worked out good with a Lyman heavy Keith type bullet that weighs somewhere around 170 grains, not so good with another Lyman bullet, a 200 grain RNGC. Gives about 1960 fps with 200 grain Rem and AA-5447.

I have a couple hundred Max cases on order and will give the 200 RNGC another go when they get in.

Mostly I just plink with it using .38 Specials. Wadcutters shoot a lot better than I do and 3 grains of Bullseye in a 22 inch barrel don't bother the neighbors.

"Keep us posted on this project. It seems to me like a natural way to get a cleaned up chamber throat and much higher performance in the Handi Rifle. "

The second trip to the range:
*158 gr SWC @ 1240FPS gave an honest 1' group @ 50 yds (8.5grs of HS-6)
*180 gr RN @ 1217FPS gave me a 3 1/2" horizontal string (5 shots in a strait line),elevation was not more then 1/4".....don't know about this one, have to try it again (8.5grs of HS-6)
*The same 180 gr RN load gave about a 3" 100yd group!

Now for some really good news:
*158 gr. Hornady XTP over 22.5 grs of H-110 gave me a 2150FPS ave. and one group of 1 1/2" @ 100 yds. and another not quite 2"! outstanding for a stubby little bullet!
*158 gr SWC @ 1240FPS gave about a 4" group ( and it took forever to reach the target!)
More good news to come!
One happy shooter

[ 04-12-2003, 01:30: Message edited by: reloaderman ]

I'm happy for you, Reloaderman.

You already have loads you can live with, and I strongly suspect things will get better.

I get my best results in a .357 Max H&R with bullets in the 170-200 grain range and with slower powders than you are using. AA-5744 in particular seems to be a natural in this case.

The published data for the Max was worked up for pistols. With an extra 10 or 12 inches of barrel to burn in, loads with powders that are a little too slow for best results in a pistol really come into their own.

Someone already mentioned 680. Other poweders that seem to be in the right range are 2400, 4227, and 4198. I'm going to have a go with H-322, mostly because I have a lot of it and no particular use for it.

[ 04-12-2003, 19:55: Message edited by: Leftoverdj ]

That was easy.

Lyman #358315 drops 212 grain bullets from my alloy and I used Lyman GCs. Remington cases, Winchester primers, 21.2 grains of H322. (That's what the largest cavity of the Lee Disk Measure drops. It's also the charge that is very lightly compressed in the .357 Max case with that bullet)

Puts them all into one hole on my 35 yard backyard range. Three five shot groups gave extreme spreads from half inch to 3/4 inch from an old H&R with a $25 scope. I have not chronographed it yet because I don't really care what the velocity is. This is just a plinking load for a plinking rifle. I'll post results when I get around to chronographing it.

Only flea in the ointment is that the bullets were some I lubed 10 years ago with the BulletMaster lube I keep boring you about. It would really annoy me if current lubes won't do as well.