Has anyone rebarreled a Ruger 77/357 into a 256 Winchester Magnum, just for fun?
Are the Ruger barrels on the 77/357 threaded in, or are they attached like a 10-22 with the clamp block?
Thought a light little switch barrel might be fun to play with.

Cool idea! I have a TC Contender in 256 Win Mag. it's a neat cartridge.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...441023871#1441023871

This guy re-barreled a 77/44 to .357/44 B&D.

There was an article on someone who had used a stock Ruger 77/357 barrel...I think...to re-barrel a Ruger 77/44 to .357-44 either the Bain and Davis or another variation. In fact it is the link just above my post.

I've got a 21" barrelled Rossi (clone of a Winchester M92) and it purrs like a kitten.
Have fun,
Gene

my 1st martini cadet is a 256. fun gun -p fun round. my only complaint is that speer used to make a 60 gr spire point bullet, which they don't any more and about the only 60 gr bullets are flat nosed

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
my only complaint is that speer used to make a 60 gr spire point bullet, which they don't any more and about the only 60 gr bullets are flat nosed

I have used that flat nosed bullet in a .25-20 with great success....it's no where near the performance level of the .256 Magnum....and neither of these are near the level of the 22-250....so give it a try....it's a darn good bullet.

As far as I know the thread is 1"(0.998") x 16tpi...I don't have a R77/357 or 44. There are many posts about those rifle online at various links that might be more help. I think that rifle has been discontinued so if you can find one and want to mess about with it, I would grab any that came my way.

The fact that this cartridge never achieved a very high level of acceptability and was originally used in a long discontinued strange looking, single shot, Ruger Hawkeye pistol, and the brass could be a bit hard to make, hasn't helped it's cause. Brass is available now and then from Midway, and there a few people online that make it and the fact that the 6mm's have just about stamped paid to the smaller 25 cals doesn't help either.

I have an old 10" T/C hex barreled Contender that works very well with the 75gr V-Max pills and the 60 gr RN's are OK for the short ranges and velos for this cartridge/bbl, I can't tell much difference killing sageratz. I've often thought about re-chambering to use the 357 Max case or Bain and Davis variant or a 25-35, but with the 10" tube I wouldn't gain much, and it would definitely ruin any collector value.

In a 20" plus rifle it is very effective out to a good 300 yds for smaller game and I limited my 10" T/C to 100 yds for deer because it IS a low power cartridge. My 10", 75gr VM, max load of 2400, H4227 and now, Lil'gun gives ~2800fs/1000ftlbs and I have to be very careful with the powder amount accuracy...a 20" plus bbl should give about 2-300 fs more velo...and with the larger diameter barrel of the Ruger 77 plus a 24" bbl let you're conscience be your guide. With that rifle and an 87gr bullet you can definitely outclass my 10" T/C

Corbin has bullet making dies for pointy 60+ gr bullets for those that want a bit more BC, but that is a high price to pay for a few BC points that really hardly matter...

Now in a longer tube and single shot platform that's a different story. For all the mucking about and extra cost of custom "stuff" why not just stick with a one of the more available factory chamber offerings(case, dies other components ease of availability) and just down load, or go with a 25-35 which might be a bit easier to do...argumentatively speaking and just for the longer view.

There are many ways to "pep up" the 256 Win considering the 25-20 was used to kill deer and lots of other game back in the day and it is a bit puny compared to the 256 Win which, as many know, will do the same job as long as the bullet is placed correctly and the range isn't excessive.

I wouldn't pass up an "already done with dies" rifle nor not do one just for "kicks" because all of those iterations are neat, useful and interesting cartridges, and I might do a 25-357 Maximum or 25-35 W if I could find a cheap, usable 25 cal T/C contender barrel...you can use standard 357 Mag dies for the 357 Maximum case and those cases are available and just as easy to form as the shorter version...or a 357/44 or one of the similar iterations if I could find the same "cheap" Contender/Encore usable barrel.

There are MANY adherents to this cartridge that can give much better and a lot more specific information...you just have to crawl the net to find it/them.

LUCK

I find the brass pretty easy to make for my Marlin M62 .256 WM.
I start with once fired .357 mag. brass (I have alot) size the brass in a .357 die, then anneal. After annealing I resize in the .256 WM die after lubing the case with Imperial sizing die wax. You have to be a bit gentle when resizing--go slowly!
The brass lasts about 6-7 reloads due to the springy action of the M62. I'm sure in a stronger action the brass would last a lot longer.

Hip

Yeah...that works and use WHATEVER does work...I've tried several methods depending on how the brass was reacting, except never annealed.

I used Imperial sizing wax or the old sticky, gooey anhydrous ammonia stuff. Sometimes slowly and other times quickly on the rock chucker handle.

Basically I worked out what did it for one lot/brand of brass then changed when brass started crimping rather than forming.

I used cut down 30 cal and 27 cal gun show/Lee cheap dies to form some and this thread caused me to look for them, but they must have gotten legs because they're no where to be found...probably turned into some other tool I've forgotten all about.

Not to worry I still have 200 formed unfired cases along with the 50 I keep loaded with the T/C.

RCBS had a set of form dies also(maybe still available)for the 256W. I remember they were VERY PRICEY...figured it was cheaper just to loose a few.

I tend to increment things...start low and creep up. Every time I started thinking about heating up the 256 W I would end up with the 250 AI and stop because I had one AND a 25-06, 25-284, and worked with a 25 Gibbs...and the 10" Contender is such a neat shooter I never went in between it and the 250 AI.

The 256W does very well with its comparatively tiny case, small amounts of powder and 60-75gr bullets...and I have too many small cal/small case rifles as it is...I have trouble loading and shooting more than a dozen a year, just run out of time.

LUCK