357 mag load ?

[snox801]

Alright so a friend of mine has a 357 mag lever rifle. I am letting him hunt a stand of mine for his first time. So I purchased him some cutting edge bullets 140gr raptors to load up. So the load data they sent me looked really low. I then checked Hodgson
They have a load for rifle and pistol. Max pistol is min for rifle. So I emailed cutting edge and asked them if I could use the hotter rifle load data. They stated yes, my question is since these bullets are long compared to the 140 gr Hornady will the load data work. I loaded a ladder from min to max for 140 gr bullet just wanted to make sure with the longer bullets compressing the load more if this will still be safe to start at the low end and work up or if I should use the pistol data. Any help thanks in advance.

 

[MudRunner2005]

Its so cheap, he'd bebetter off buying factory boxes of Hornady LeverEvolutions

I load for my .357 Mag pistols using my single-stage press. By the time you go through that hassle, just buy it. It's alot easier.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

The problem with 357 mag lever rifles is usually their rear lock up, which makes them no stronger than a pistol. That said, you will benefit from no cylinder gap losses and a longer barrel. a 140 grain in 35 cal is also very light, even for the 357 mag. I'd look at the 180 xtp or similar for a lever 357. I'd push it with 4227, 2400, h110/296, or aa#9.
I doubt the raptor's nose profile will cycle well through a lever rifle... they usually are set up to feed similar length and profile to factory only.

Also, use either the fed or cci spm primer unless you are lighting h110/296. The win spm primer isn't intended for use with easy to ignite powders and will cause high pressures unless you drastically reduce the charge weight. I've flipped primers out of the pockets in a 357mag with blue dot at a medium charge with the win spm and a cast bullet before. The win spm is a good primer for what it is intended for, but used poorly and it could be trouble.

Talking about 357's makes me want one again... I still have 4 bricks of spm primers... and I've already traded away 4-5 bricks of sp primers.

 

[Kennibear]

First of all.....

If you start compressing powder in a pistol cartridge you will jack pressures through the roof in a heart beat!!!! Speer got test pressures to jump from 35kpsi to 60kpsi+ by seating just 0.020" deeper in the 9mm. Faster powders such as used in pistols DO NOT tolerate compression like rifle speed powders. Tubular slow rifle powder is the most tolerant.

+1 to Mudrunner's suggestion of Flextips. They will open at lower velocity and the 357 drops velocity pretty fast after about 75 yds.

+1 to Lefty's observation on levergun strength. Winchester had case head seperation problems with their M94 in 45 Long Colt because of thinner brass (compared to say 44 Mag) and the bolt springing inherently a part of rear locking lever actions. The 30/30 and original 357 Mag loads are both 40,000 cup max. There is no higher pressure available in a lever gun over a stout revolver.

Go with Mudrunner's Flextips and your friend will do well indeed. The balistic coefficient is better than most of the heavier pistol bullets.

KB

 

[snox801]

So if no difference from pistol to rifle why such a difference in loads at hodgon s site? Makes sense but are they missing something.

 

[Kennibear]

I cannot speak to their online manual but their printed manual for 2014 has identical loads for both rifle and pistol with identical pressure values. The FTX bullet uses considerably less powder than the same weight XTP (4.5 - 5 grains ) in slower burning pistol powders. I am unaware of any manual listing higher loads for rifles IME.

Stick with factory FTX loads for the rifle. You cannot significantly improve on them with handloads and hunting does not require enough ammo to justify developing a new load.

KB

 

[matemike]

Personal experience with my Marlin 1894C (.357 lever action) is that it does best with Buffalo Bore 158 gold dots. I do not know their load data, but if I loaded for my .357 I'd find out and stick exactly to theirs.
Leverevolutions are a close second though.

 

[Reloader222]

I load my Marlin .357Magnum with 158gr JSP with a powder equivalent to IMR4227, but I use a Fed205 SR primer. Velocity is 1630fps. Had problems with CCI Magnum Pistol Primers with light strikes. Changed to the Fed205 SR primers and never experienced any problems again. The reason for loading with powder like IMR4227 is that it give you the advantage of a higher velocity with the longer barrel of the rifle. Go to the IMR website and use the RIFLE data for .357Magnum.

 

[snox801]

Thanks just worked up low and mad it to 18.5 gr h110. The longer bullet caused some pressure signs at 19gr.