Just placed an order with Ed's Contenders for a new T/C contender 12" 357 Magnum bull barrel. From there the barrel is being sent to David White to be rechambered to a 357 MAXIMUM. Man I can't wait to start shooting this barrel at big steel buffalos and fat whitetail deer.

For those who shoot the 357 MAXIMUM please share your favorite loads. I have tons of reloading data but would like some tested data. I will primarily be shooting Hornady 180 gr. SSP's and RCBS 200 gr. cast bullets w/gas check.


Thanks,

7-30 Waters

I use 21 gr. H110 with the Hornady 180 SSP and 17.5 gr. H4227 with a 205 gr. GC from Leadheads. I'm going to work up a load with Lil'Gun and the Hornady 200 gr. RN but I've got to empty some cases first.

Mine is a 21", so I doubt the ballistics are of great interest to you.

Hobie: Thanks for the info. I also did a search and found where you used the seater plug from your 35 Rem dies for the Hornady 180 SSP's. I have a Marlin levergun in 35 Rem. and use Lee dies for it also. Rob Peter to pay Paul. I wonder if the seater plug in my 357 Max dies would work better for round nose bullet such as the 200 grain Remington Core-Lokt? I will ask Lee this week.

Anyway, I will let you all know how the barrel shoots.

Thanks,

7-30 Waters

I like 296 with the 170-180 gr. bullets in the max. Great deer getters. I took the seating stem from an old .35 rem die and stuck it in the max die for seating spitzer style bullets...works well. If you can find some the 150 gr rem bullet is a good bullet in the max.

shortgun

Hey 7-30

I just got a 14 inch Maxi barrel from OTT for my Encore and wished I would have gotten one years ago. This thing is fantastic. If you can find some of the 150 Gr. Remington Spire points try them with a healthy dose of IMR 4227. You won't get the spped out of IMR 4227 as you will with some of the other powders but the first 3 shots cut each other in an almost perfect clover leaf with the remaining 2 shots making an oblong hole about 3/8 ths of an inch away from the first 3 shots. Mike did a super job on this barrel, all I did was put it on the sand bag and wait till it got steady and touched it off. Forend is a 2 1/2 inch wide flat bottom target style and a 4x Swift pistol scope. The best 2 powders that works the best for me is Win 296 and the IMR 4227. Something that would be expensive but neat as h%%l would be a 410 sized double rifle in 357 Max with 20 inch barrels.

Steve E........

20.0 of H4227 with a 180 grain bullet (incredibly accurate in both my TC and Ruger Maximum).

Lee Martin
www.singleactions.com

I am waiting on VVCG to finish my .357 Max. carbine barrel and am anxious to see how it shoots. If I like it I will leave it as a max. but I have considered having DW do the .358 Bellm rechamber on it later on. I called RCBS to find out about a seater rod for my .357 dies to load conical bullets and they are sending me two different ones. the originals were flat point bullets only. You gotta love that RCBS group.....free of charge !!
Is it just me or is there a resurgence of interest in the .357 Max ?

Unless Lee has changed the bullet seating stem you will have real problems with the Hornady 180 SSPs (150s too if you can find any of them), but most others will not be a big issue.



If lee has not made provisions for the pointed nose, send your snail mail address to my email address I have a solution that might be of interest.

7-30,

Try it, you'll be able to tell. It is dead easy to tell if you have the wrong seating stem, it will mark the bullet or flatten the point.

I have 659 of the R-P 150 gr 35 cal bullets That I don't need anymore, and would be willing to sell if some one is interested. I have/had 3 different .357 max barrels and can not make any of them shoot anything very well.

Verno,

Some people swear by those RP 150 gr. bullets, but I swear AT them. I use the Hornady 180 gr. SSP or the Leadheads 205 gr. GC. which work well in my barrel.

Haven't shot that TC barrell for ten years or so, but still my favourite revolver caliber in the Monson DW.
My old sillywet load was 19.5gr WW296 behind either the 215 lyman or the RCBS 200. Can't remember how warm that load was, so heed the usual warnings. Peter.

got the package from RCBS yesterday with no less than 6 new seater stems in it for .35 cal. One for every type bullet you could shoot out of a max and then some.
All for the asking..............

Just want to let everyone know that my new barrel now rechambered in 357 Max is on the way. Mr. David White, gunsmith, received the 12" 357 Mag barrel from Ed's Contenders on 03/05/04 and did the rechambering, recrowning and shipped the barrel to me all on the same day. Should be here in 3 days. Hopefully I will be inspecting my new barrel on Monday. I would say that is fast service considering Mr. White gave me a time frame of about two weeks.

Just another heads up he is also now chambering for the 30-30 Ackley Improved. This is the next project. One barrel at a time though.

Thanks to all who commented on this topic. I will share my range results with the various recommended loads.

I will be sending my two main bullets to Lee Precision and have them make the proper seating plugs. I will however try the one from my 35 Rem dies till they arrive.

7-30 Waters

Hello Verno, I read your post about having had 3 .357 max barrels, and couldn't make any of them shoot well. Do you have one now? Would you be interested in a trade? Please let me know. Thank you. BobbSend e-mail to- bobandbettyb@webtv.net