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Originally posted by mssmagnum:
Lookin for any info from your experience.....

TIA

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Originally posted by dave3220:
Nice Martini!
I have a .357 MAX myself.
It is an NEF that has been shortened to 16 1/2" barrel, 31" OAL, has a J&S Hawken trigger guard replacing the plastic abomination, and a carrying sling. The stock has been stained and oil-finished, and the forend has been slimmed down, shortened and contoured like older firearms.
I have three cart. loops on the buttstock with the cart. inletted to 1/2 their depth so they don't stick out so far as a butt cuff with loops.
I dovetailed the breech of the barrel for a homemade drift adj. only peep sight and have an AO white patridge front. (Both front & rear sights are 'hell for stout').
This is a pick-up, horseback rifle and chore rifle for me, as that is how I travel since I have legs that don't work so well and I cannot abide atv's and travel where they cannot go.

A close friend loads 25 gr. Rel 7 and 200 gr. Hornady RN for sub MOA 3 shot groups @ 100 yds in his MAX NEF.
I load thru a Harrel measure with drop tube, 25.5 to 26 gr. Rel.7 and 200 gr. Sierra and Hornady RN's. (Rem. .35 cal. RN Core-Lokt may be worth trying...)
This load hits harder than 30-30 and leaves a much wider, deeper wound channel.
I am "guesstimating" 1,900 fps.

.35 Rem and .33 Win are around 2,000 to 2,200 with longer barrels and same weight bullet.
Both had an enviable "rep" among deer, bear, and elk hunters of the era after the turn of the century till WW2.

The trajectory is less arched than a .44 mag. rifle with 240 gr. bullet, and I believe I have an effective "point blank" clear to 150 yds., which is my personal limit for deer hunting with iron sights. (Most of my deer have been shot considerably under 100 yds., only 3 over 200, and none at all between 100 and 200 yds.)

Around here there are mtn. lion, blackbear, deer and feral dogs.
I am going to try to get the fastest, accurate, same POI 158 gr. or less, HP, possible for feral dogs and cougar. (30-30 has been very dissapointing here, as have .308 with the excellent for deer 165 Rem. Core-Lokt.)
MAX has also shot every .38spl./.357 load I have put thru it very well.
I will load a single .360 roundball over 3 to 4 or maybe 5 in the long case, gr. of RedDot for grouse, rabbits and squirrels. (These roundball loads have worked very well for me in everything but micro-groove barrels, in .32-20 and .357/.38spl.)

If you have a .38 spl./.357 pistol, try your loads in your MAX rifle. You may be pleasantly surprised how well they will shoot out of it!

I think this is a super subsistance/hunting/woods roaming cal. whether you travel by foot, horse, snowmobile, or canoe.

(Share your loads with us?)

Regards,
Dave 32-20

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Originally posted by wildcat51:
Dalton,

Do you the velocity of the 180gr. SSP load?

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