Blazer .357 mag. 158gr JHP...looking for info

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Yycadm

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I picked up a box of this because it was fairly cheap & I was just going to use it on a range trip with a relatively inexperienced shooter.
He (my son) has never been terribly interested in shooting...I know, I failed as a Father....he always enjoys going out and doing some shooting, but he's just never
gotten bit by "the Bug". That is, until I snagged a Rossi Ranch Hand for a good price. The gun fascinates him, and he REALLY wanted to give it a go.

I haven't put a lot of rounds through this gun...maybe 500...and have found it more like a 22LR in terms of recoil with .38spl. and kind of ".223-ish" with .357 rounds;nice, a bit sharp but very gentle and controlable.This is the first time I'd used Blazer in it though.

We got to the range, got geared up and hung targets, and he loaded up the Rossi after a brief explanation of the rifle, safety, half-#### procedure, etc..
He lined up, sighted & lit of the first round...not sure who was more surprised. 2 feet of flame, the recoil yanked the forestock right out of his hand, shoved the butt end perilously close to his face. Now, he's my son, but he's not a kid; he's 33 years old, 6'3" and 240 pounds & works as an elevator mechanic, so he's a big boy with pretty decent upper body strength. He was pretty shocked at the thump it gave him, as was I, so I decided to trip off a couple of rounds.

Same result; big gout of flame, stout recoil...more felt recoil than any other .357 round I shot through the Rossi. For those that have never shot a Mare's leg, they are "unconventional" to shoot. No shoulder stock, nothing even close to a pistol grip, smooth stock with nothing to really stop the gun from rotating up in your grip other than your off hand on the front stock. It reminded me a lot of the first time I shot a Blackhawk in .44mag...

It's a nice, accurate round in the Rossi...actually one of the better rounds I've used in it. For a factory load, it does seem to be a pretty stout load; has anyone ever chrono'ed this round, or have any idea what they're using for powder?

I'm getting back into reloading after a 25 year hiatus, and I wouldn't mind trying to duplicate what they're doing...in brass; I hate the casings they use. I think it may be a good starting point for a bush load. The Rossi is destined to be a dedicated bush gun. I still haven't decided whether or not to put a full stock on it. I've developed a hold that works for me & gives me good enough results that I know I can consistently put 7 rounds into minute of black bear out to fifty yards.

Before anyone gets out the BBQ starter & matches, I KNOW .357magnum isn't an ideal round for dissuading a bear, but I also know it will work if I do my part. I have nothing gun-wise in .44mag or 45Colt, and the cost of both to get proficient is prohibitive. The 38spl/.357mag gave me a chance to get comfortable with the way the gun handles & shoot enough with it to be pretty comfortable I could hit what I'm aiming at out to 50-75 yards. Since I'm never going to be cranking rounds off at a bear at those ranges, close in I can shoot it accurately enough to get rounds on target. I want to work up a load that gives me at least a fighting chance, and the Blazer load seems like it may be a good place to start.

I'd really appreciate any info anyone had on this load, or suggestions for a good, hard hitting bullet/poweder combo for a .357mag

Thanks in advance!
 
It's not the chambering that's the issue, it's the platform. I've never owned a Mares Leg, but i did shoot one in .357 with much the same result...the gun is just this side of useless in my opinion. If I was unfortunate enough to own one of these Mares Legs, I would immediately swap out, whatever they call that butt stock thing, for a full sized butt stock. This and a change of sights and the Mares Leg might show some promise.

My advice is to look to Winchester or Marlin for a lever gun in a magnum chamber, or 30-30 (recoil equivalent of 7.62X39mm if you're familiar with that?)...if it's big fast bullets you want, the '94 or Marlins have those chamberings as well.
 
Well...
I don't feel "unfortunate" in owning a Ranch Hand; in fact I bought it BECAUSE of the length & weight. I didn't buy it as a hunting rifle; I'm on a Search & Rescue team that's regularly called out into bear/cat country, and I do a lot of backpack hiking/camping, and wanted something a bit more aggressive than spray-on seasoning (i.e. Bear Spray) to address an aggressive animal in the bush. My personal preference would be to carry a large frame revolver ( S&W .460 or .500) in a chest holster, but that's not happening unless I move south & become a citizen there.

So, like most of us, I'm forced to compromise & the Ranch Hand is a viable option from a size/weight perspective. When I bought it, I expected to put on a full length stock on & turn it into a short carbine. I may still do that, however as I said in my initial post, with a bit of practice I'm able to keep seven rounds in an 8 in paper plate at fifty yards which is more than adequate accuracy-wise, since the only time it will be used in that capacity will likely be substantially closer. There's no question a full stock would tighten the groups up; it would also add a good deal of length & weight, EXACTLY the opposite of what I want & need. As for the sights, I've read all of the complaints about them, about their RH's shooting high, etc.

Out of the box, my RH's POI/POA was almost dead centre at 50 yds, and about 2in. left. A couple of taps on the front sight fixed the left of centre issue very quickly. If I change them out, I'd but a fibre optic front sight for quicker acquisition and maybe a ghost sight ring on instead of the buckhorn. Right now, the sights that are on it work just fine.

That said, my quetion was one of ballistic performance of Blazer 158 gr JHP rounds, not asking for opinions on Rossi Ranch Hands or reccomendations on bigger calibres. If I were out actively hunting bears they might be germaine, but I'm not.

Thanks though. I always appreciate hearing what a piece of useless crap a Ranch Hand is...
 
The 158gr blazer (brass) rounds Chrony'd at 1740fps out of my 18" barreled 357. The deviation was very minimal over 10 rounds (12fps). I'm not sure what powder they use or the quantity, but it has proven to be an accurate round for me as well.

A load that I've made up that is similar is a 158gr Hornady XTP bullets on top of 13.5gr of 2400. The velocity is about the same and the bullet is of better construction.
I've found for the best accuracy/velocity out of my rifle I push that load to 15gr.
 
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