357 max load for carbine barrel

[Ruskin]

I am trying to get a satisfactory load for a max.  I am shooting a carbine barrel.

I am presently shooting at about 60 yards.  I can stay in a six inch target.  Nothing to brag about.

I tried a 180gr, 158 gr and 125 gr bullet.  Suggest bullets you use.

I have not expermented woth different charges yet.  I am using H-110.  I am loading to the top of powder charge for the max.  I maybe should start lower and work up.

My goal is to be able to do MOA at 100 yards.  Suggestions are appreciated.  I am sure that the max will do better than what I am doing.  I worked on a 16.25 inch barrel in 30-30AI and could have all touching at sixty.  I went to 100 and got a MOA.  Sould be able to do it with the max.

[blhof]

You definitely should get better than you are getting.  I get 1 1/2" groups at 5oyds with my 357 max revolver and even better with my 14" contender barrel.  I use 200gr LBT gas checked LFN bullets with 15.5gr of 4227; data from the TC manual for an equal wt lead bullet in both guns with excellent results.  I load the Contender bullets out farther than the Revolver, the closer to the rifling the better the accuracy, I've found and even load my revolver rounds as far out as possible.

[quickdtoo]

Scroll down to the Max Contender Carbine article.

Tim

http://shootingwithhobie.blogspot.com/2006_02_01_archive.html

[Lone Star]

Moa at 100 yards is probably unreasonable with that barrel.  Factory Maxis had poor throats that did not align or support most bullets well at all.  The result was 2-4 moa for most shooters.  Custom Maxi barrels - or re-chambered .357 Mags with a well-designed throat - can give outstanding accuracy.  Still, you should be able to get 2" at 60 yards with a factory barrel.

H110 is probably not the best powder for 125-grain bullets, it is pretty slow and gave wide velocity spreads in my old rechambered Maxi.  I had best accuracy luck with 180 and 200 grain bullets over IMR4227, RL-7 and AA1680.  Rifle primers.  No crimp, but a tight case neck, bullets seated out to the lands.


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[Ruskin]

I read about the max on the site recommended.  I was wondering about a crimping die.

I will look at the burn rates for the powders suggested and will try seating the bullet out further.

[skb2706]

In my custom (MGM) .357 max I used a full dose of AA1680 behind a 185 gr. hard cast GC Beartooth bullet and got loads accurate enough to shoot prairie dogs with out to beyond 150 yds. No doubt they would make your accuracy criteria. If you intended to shoot hardcast bullets it will be helpful to order bullets based on exact barrel dimensions as opposed to what they should be. Another really accurate load for mine was a 200 gr. RN  Sierra using the same AA1680 powder...never shot any lighter bullets in mine.

A couple of hints

any crimp die that will crimp a .38 Special, .357 mag will work on a max. All of the bullet seating dies I am aware of for the max/mag/special will do the common roll crimp.

I only size cases to the depth of the seated bullet I intended to load......makes cases last longer.

Do you know the twist of your barrel, mine was 1-14.

[jdt30car]

I to have had trouble with 357 max groups untill I tried 20, 19, and18 grains of IMR4227, with a 180 grain Horady JHP, with a slight factory crimp, 21" TC barrel, the results with 19 and 20 grains at 50 yards were about 2", not very good.  When I tried 18 grains at 50 yrds the group went down to a little under 3/4", I have a 10x scope on my carbine and I could keep the group that tight, for me thats pretty good since I'm old and can't see crap without a scope.

[Ruskin]

I have load 180 gr 35 remington  with 19.0, 19.5,20.0,20.5,21.0 H110 for tomorrow.

Will check to see any other powders are available at shop.

[Hobie]

Thanks for posting the link to my blog article on my .357 Max. 

I suppose that powder availability could be problematic for you. AA1680, W680, Lil'Gun, and H110/W296 seem to be the top velocity producing powders for the .357 Maximum with 180-200 gr. bullets.  I think you'll likely be happy with H110 if you can't get any of the others. 

I preferred H4227 to IMR4227 (but can't tell you why, it is really just a "gut" thing) but now that the Hodgdon product has gone away in favor of the IMR version, I'll be ok.  The IMR 4227 really is a good powder.  I use 17.5 gr. under a 205 gr. cast bullet and it gets very good accuracy. It is a fun load for practicing off-hand.  Enough recoil to make you pay attention, not enough to beat you or the gun to death. 

[Hopalong7]

Hobie, Enjoyed your article several years back...still get it out and reread periodically.  Is your 205 cast the Lyman 358315 by chance?  I've used it for many years with good results.  It was highly reccomended by Dean Grennell(I used to read him religeously, especially when he was writing about Contenders) along with the Lyman 358318(long been discontinued) which he said was even better.  I never could find a 358318 mould but have used the 358315 for many years in both pistol and carbine.  It shoots as good if not better than anything I've tried.
GOOD SHOOTIN', Walt 

[Ruskin]

I took my loads to the range.  I started at 19.0 and went up .5 until 21.0 grains.

At 20.0 and 20.5 the groups shrank.  At 21.0 the group opened up again.  That is with H110.

I looked for a crimp die on Midway USA.  They are backorder until July.

I am going to try with a 158 gr bullet the same procedure I used for the 35 180 gr bullet.