Ok so I did some trading of some AR-15 parts I had for a VERY slighty used (10 shots of handloed 38 Spcl 170gr cast bullets) cleaned up the barrle and whiped everything down good and then put a TC black powder 1X32mm scope on it with low rings. I had 200 140gr XTP HPs loaded with 19.0grs of H110 it is a max charge had them left over from my GP-100 that I dont have any more.

Took the gun and loads out to the pit and wated to see what this little gun can do .. well the snow was 4 feet deep so dint do alot of walking down there I startd shooting at weed stems that were poking thru the snow on the hill side about 50 yards away and used the binos to see where I was hitting, got it very close and the put out a pice of pliy wood with little black dots the size of a nickle.. it was 40 yards from my rest to the wood.. took a 3 shot string and then look at it thru thr binos and was pleesed to see one busted up hole the size just a bit biger than a nickle so took a few more shots and you can wright your name with this gun.. And I think my 22 mag has more recoil than this little buety.. it has a awsome triger 3.5lbs pull not bad for a H&R, I dont know the speed it puts out but has a 22" barrle the Horady book says with a 16" barrle and 18.3grs of H110 they get 1900 fps.. I used the data off of Hodgdons web sight and they say 19.0 grs with a speed of 1997 fps I dont know what barrle legth they were using.

I am going to take this little boy out and get in chronographed when I can and see what I get with it. Going to use this for shooting some wood chucks here around the cabin and maybe just maybe try and shoot a deer with it .. was thinking 50 yards or less and try loading hevyer 158gr or 170gr bullets in it for deer. I will try some penitration testing with watter bottles and also ductpuddy frind of mine uses that stuff alot...

I have a S&W .357 Mag pistol that I load for and have been wanting to get a .357 rifle as well and have been looking at the New England rifles.

I haven't even checked reloading data for a .357 rifle. Will what I load for my S&W work in a rifle or are different powders and charges recommended for rifles?

from what I have seen in both the Hornady loading manual and on Hodgdons web sight NO ...

BUT becarfull with some of the bullets. I did shoot some 158gr XTP HP rounds that used data from Hodgons web page and they called out for 16.7grs of H110 so loaded 5 with 16.5 and 5 with 16.0 and in the NEF rifle some of the primers blew back and stuck in the firing pin whole making it hard to open.. then looked at the Horaday book and they list same bullets with same powder charge at 15.5 grs MAX charge.

So I would just be carful and look at multipul types of load data when loding for it .. I have alwas started 1-1.5 grs from max with most of my guns I will be looking at 2-3 differnt load data charts and then basie it off of that for this one..

I contacted Hodgdon and aslong as you go by the data they have there should be no issues

Please give us an accuracy report when you've worked out a load.

I have an H&R in .357 Mag. and I'm very disappointed with its' poor accuracy.

I also had some pinhole gas ruptures in the primer with very mild loads (shooting .38 SPL).

I have several other barrels for my H&R and they all shoot quite well.

Try Rem 71/2 primers for the handi. Might stop any primer piercing. 357's are known for sometimes haveing long throats. Many rechamber to 357 Max.

quote:

Originally posted by Rockrat:
Try Rem 71/2 primers for the handi. Might stop any primer piercing. 357's are known for sometimes haveing long throats. Many rechamber to 357 Max.

Sounds like a damn good idea!

well went out the other day and did some "Penitraion Tests" and found some thing out .. a 140gr XTP with a max charge of H110 and a CCI Magnum primer will send that bullet out a a good speed (dont know the FPS) so good it will go thru 5, 1 gallon water jugs at 75 yards that is like 23"+ of watter and the first two jugs are pritty much destroyed and in shreds .. I am thinking that that same load would work very well for deer. And fixed the primer problem ... That barrle maches up nice on one of my other frames .. wich is a SB2 frame, So far still have not done much for accuracy tests. I plan on buying a Weaver 1-3X 20MM scope for this gun once my taxes come back.

And I have had the thought of having the barrle reamed out for .357 Maximum

With a max load of H110 in a 357mag case my marlin carbine gets 1830 fps with a Rem 158gr jsp

I have shot sevearl deer with it I just wouldn't use it on hard angle shots.

I have had several 357 mag Handis. Two have had some problems like mentioned above. The pierced primer issue on one was fixed by shortening the fireing pin. One was reamed to 357 MAX and is a real cool deer thumper. It is a fairly good shooter and does best with AA1680 or W680 and heavy cast slugs. I had another 357 barrel that was a little inaccurate so I had it rechambered to .358 Bullberry and it is now one of the most accurate guns I have. The Bullberry round is the 30-30 necked up or the 375 Win necked down to 358 with a short neck and improved..about like the 35 Rem in power. I like it ..deer and hogs do not. All my 357 handis seem to shoot best with heavy bullets.

I have not shot alot of rounds thru it yet but the 140gr XTPs are pritty good. Just shot a crow today at 80 yards ... hit it in the head and have been using a 1X32 T/C plack powder scope...

I am going to keep it a 357 mag for now and play with it more. I may just send a reciver in and have another .357 mag barrle on it and send it out to be reamed in to a 357 Max...

The last I knew H&R still had factory chambered 357 Max barrels..might wanna askem