Anyone shoot a .357 Maximum? Saw one today at the store I frequent.

I bought one this winter in a super 14" for my Contender. It's legal in pistol form here in Ohio to hunt deer with. All the articles and posts I've read are positive ones! I loaded up some Hornady 180 XTP's and I'm extremely impressed with the groups I've shot and what it does to groun-hogs!!!

A couple of years ago a few budies and I were out gun shopping. My best frend came up fro mbehind and asked if $200 aor a taurus .357 with a 6 in. barrel was a good deal. I told him it was a great deal and asked where he saw it at. He took me back to the show case and unfortentaly I had passed it on my first pass by the case it was in. I asked if he was going to buy the pistol and he said no he realy wanted a simi-auto style. Ovewelmed with joy I asked him 4 more times if he was sure he did not want it because he found it first. so I bought teh pistol.
To fast foroword the story after the first time he fired the pistol he has spent the last two years trying to buy it from me and regreting he did not make the buy. The closest he will ever get is that I promesed him if I ever sold it he has first dibs. I love that gun. You will too.

I have shot several deer with one and my daughter has shot about 10 with it. I use 158gr sp in front of a max load of h110 for 2150fps. Kills deer just fine.

I no longer have a MAx, but it's a dynamite 150 yard deer caliber and will do well on varmints with lighter bullets. For deer, it really comes into its own with 180 grain bullets. The 180 grain Handgun Partition bullet wasn't available when I shot a Max, but it would be my number one selection. (I primarily used the 180 grain Hornady SSP)

LeeLee-The original post asked about a .357 Maximum. It is not the same as your .357 Magnum.

Don

I found a brand new Armour Alloy Contender several years ago in a gunshop, it was being sold with two 10" barrels, a 357 Mag and a 357 Max. I think I paid $375. I immediately sold the 357 Mag barrel for $100.

I have a 2X Nikon mounted on the Max barrel and I'm very happy with it, unfortunatly it is not a legal caliber for deer here in Illinois, the OAL exceeds the 1.4" max allowed. I'm loading the Hornady 180 XTP, 296 is the best powder tried so far with A1680 runner up. I have a good accuracy load, with lower velocity, using IMR4227. TC does not recommend shooting magnums out of the maximum barrel, it causes ringing of the chamber. If I had known that I would have kept the 357 Mag barrel.

BTW, I lived in Ligonier PA 1990-1992. Pretty country.
Greg

I'm waiting on my 10" ss VV 357 max barrel. I finally got around to ordering some brass, and cast up some 200 gr WFN gc's, can't wait to dial in a load for it. From all I've heard, it should be an equal to the 357 Herret, but w/o forming and trimming brass, and burning quite a bit less powder. I figure the 200 gr cast @ 1800 fps should be ideal for black tails and caribou out to 150 yds.

Don, you can load light loads in fast powders, no problem. You will find that .357s in .357 max give up accuracy.

A good light load is 11 grains Unique under 148 grain DEWC, seated long. How long? Make a dummy round, and find your chamber length. Add .010 or more. I bet you can't seat the bullet far enough out to meet the lands.

Come on up to Wisconsin to shoot deer. Regulations this year seem to be "anything bigger than a .22" and "5.5" from firing pin to muzzle." I can't believe it, and I have no idea why they loosened up so much.

Pete

stinkeypete they loosen it up so much because the old law was stupid and unenforceable. This law is much better. Under the old law a lot of rifle caliber rds in single shot pistols were not legal ect ect. This is a very good change.

Hi Don,

Now that I am safely back in Va and can not buy it out from under you, where is the shop that has it and what kind of gun is it.

Terry

Twillis,
It is at Johnsons Sporting Goods in 84 PA. It is a Ruger Blackhawk. I don't want it I was just curious about it. Those different rounds intrige me.

A blackhawk huh, they were popular 15 or 20 years ago with the silhouette crowd. If I remember correctly, they had an issue with gas cutting the backstrap. I also remember them being accurate and winning a lot.

BTW, I bumped in to a good friend while I was in PA this time. It was Mr Diaz. If I have my math right, he would have been the grade school principal when you were there. Maybe your memory of him is not as fond as mine depending on your grade schools years. We used to go hunting and shooting a lot when I was a teenager. He has retired now and is working part time at Ace Sporting Goods in Washington (nice store).

Terry

This one did have a bit of cutting on the top strap but not much. Yes I remember Mr. Diaz but not sure what he was. My memory is pretty bad about some things.

I remember what b_koes said to be correct and I also remember that the cutting would etch a line and then quit and it was alot of hoopla over nothing.

Don

If my timing is right, Mr Diaz was the Principal at Hickory Grade School when you were there. It is probably a good thing you do not remember him.

[ 08-19-2002, 21:55: Message edited by: twillis ]

Terry,
I was there 71-74 I believe.

Made the annual trip from Ohio to Ace Sporting goods to buy tags on sunday!(born and raised on the farm between Ten Mile and Marianna). Grew up slobering over all the guns on the walls when they were across from courthouse. We bought all of our rifle team(Trinity H. S.) supplies there! Now back too 357 Max. As mentioned earlier I bought a super 14 in the max and have since re-loaded for it. It shoots one ragged hole @ 50yds with a CCI 450 primer, 21gr of H110 and a Hornady 180 XTP seated to the bottom grove! I.m pleased!

Don, I believe he was there then.

Dave, nice store, much better than the two old places although the first store certainly had character with the squeaky old wood floors. Bought my first gun from "Ace Auto", as it was called then. I grew uo north of Washington in Hickory and my last Pa residence was Clarksville.

You got it right with the top strap cutting. It would only go to a certain point and then stop. It was a buch of bunk over nothing. I can't wait to get my DanWesson 357 supermag should be loads of fun. PA deer better watch out for the 357 supermag or my 445 supermag. Loads of fun.

Brian

Dave I live in Fredericktown now not far from Marianna. I knew some Iams from over that way when I used to go to Camp Carmel.

JACOBITE:That be the same Iams!! My brother was was on the board and he and my nephew are still really envolved down there! Beautiful place, spent many a night round the campfires there in my youth! Went to North Ten Mile. Graduated from Trinity in 78. Lived here in Ohio since 1980.