357 Max & training cases

[bikerbeans]

I maxed by new 357 Talo Trapper but am waiting on my 357 Max brass.   Tim is much faster shipping reamers that the folks I bought the brass from ship.  

So just for fun I grabbed my box of Speer plastic cases/bullets for my 38 spc. revolver and setup a box in the driveway at 10 yards.  Shot one from the 357 Max rifle and right through the 1" bullseye.  Wife and I shot some more of these plastic bullets and gun was grouping about minute of starling.  These plastic bullets are propelled only by a large pistol primer.  Not sure of the velocity but standing off to the side I could not see the bullet in flight.  Sounds like a cap gun, might work for small varmit control and would encourage the neighbors dog to stay our of your yard. 

BB

[petemi]

I'd imagine they're going slow enough not to cause plastic fouling. I guess I'd want to make sure they all exited the barrel.

Pete

[quickdtoo]

Powder Valley has Max brass in stock. 

Tim

http://powdervalleyinc.com/index.html

[bikerbeans]

Thanks Tim.  

I have 200 rounds of new brass in the mail from 2 different vendors.  I just waited to order the brass until I had my hands on the gun after reading what some other folks went through on new Handis from New York.  I guess I lucked out on this one.  My only concern with this 357 is it might be wacking the primer too hard & deep and I may have issues on higher pressure rounds.

Pete,

These plastic bullets are a shade  underbore and I have not had a problem with depositing plastic in my revolvers.  Besides, one jacketed round generally will clear out most lead and/or plastic fouling.  I have to do this occassionally on my autoloading pistols, 9MM & 45 ACP, so I make up jacketed cleaning rounds that are loaded about 20%  below max. powder.    Not a practice I reccommend to others but it works in my guns.  Also, I don't let the bore fouling get excessive before fire cleaning.  If I had a bore that I couldn't see the rifling I would not try to clean it with a jacketed round.

BB

[jeepmann1948]

Wonder how the plastic  or rubber bullets would work in cases reamed out so 209 primers would work?

[bikerbeans]

jeepmann,

In addition to large pistol primers, which is what Speer reccommends, I have used Large Mag. Pist. Primers, Large Rifle Pri & Large Mag. Rifle Primers.  Large Mag Pistol Okay, Large Rifle Primers,  made the cases hard to extract and the Large Rifle Mag. Primers Split the case.  I don't know how a 209 primer compares in energy to a pistol or rifle primer.  Also not sure if you have enough plastic in the case head to ream it out for the 209.  I did know that the case is fairly short and the plastic bullet seats fairly deep; i think maybe this is to discourage the addition of powder.  I would try them with a standard Large Pis. Primer and see what you think as they seem to come out the gun with a fair amount of authority.

Looked at your post again, the speer plastic 38 bullet would require a considerable crimp if you put it in a brass 38 casing as it is a bit undersized.

BB

[jeepmann1948]

Thanks Biker for the additional information  I will pass it on to the folks that live in "civilization" (town). I live in the country and am able to use the real stuff for crowd control.

[gcrank1]

In brass cases the old practice loads were wax bullets, primer only driven. Chamfer the neck to get a clean cutting edge and press over a parafin bar to flush. The flash holes were often drilled out a bit, BUT, those cases MUST be segregated from any future use in normal loads.
Due to the very light nature of these the POI will be quite different than real bullets. Once you find where to hold, and do so consistently, you can actually shoot a group.

[James B]

I just ordered 100 new brass from Midway. They say they are in stock, we will see.

[mrcoolid]

I just received 100 pcs of Remington 357 max brass from Midway 3 days ago...

I am patiently waiting on the reamer  

Mike

[bikerbeans]

gcrank1,

I friend of my wife wants to compete it a mounted shooting competition.  She is told that they use wax bullets to shoot from horseback and that the bullets are a $1 a piece.  Might be a business opp. here for a reloader with wax bullet experience.

BB

[jeepmann1948]

That puts a whole new idea on the term Wax Job
Get a visual on somebody trying to pull the wax off their cats rear end
Off to the Loading room......................

[gcrank1]

BB, I, for one, cant afford the liability, but ......A Dollar Apiece!

[bikerbeans]

gcrank1,

I have a friend who owns a gunshop and sells his own handloaded ammo so he is insured.  I think I will point him in the direction of the wax bullets.  I also found a company selling loaded 45-120 ammo (Cowboy Action w/BP substitute powder, 777 i think) for $7 a round.  There are a lot of cowboy action & SASS folks in my area, it might be a good oppurtunity for my friend.  Now that I know what my loaded 45-120 rounds are worth I think they are too valueable for me to shoot them.

BB