Reloading 357 Magnum with 0.358" diameter "rifle" bullets

wasa

wasa

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Yes, I know, I'm responsible for my own loads......

I have a box of 200gr Hornady FTX 0.358" diameter projectiles, designed for the 35 Remington as per Hornady's website. I note Hodgdon's website does list 200gr 0.358" lead bullets using AA#2 powder. I'm pondering using these jacketed bullets to put holes in paper at my local range. Definitely would not load near max, and could even use TrailBoss loads. I'm thinking squeezing jacketed bullets down 0.001" will increase the chamber pressure, but if I shoot with low-pressure rounds I should be good.

Firearms are Ruger M77/357 bolt action, Henry Big Boy, or my Ruger Blackhawk.

Anyone shoot 0.358" rifle bullets from their 357 Mag firearm?

YMMV
 
Cast bullets are commonly slightly oversize. I would be more concerned about issues with overall length. Those bullets are likely a bit long so you either run into feeding issues or reduced case capacity.
 
I've loaded Sierra and Hornady .358 200gr RN, for a singleshot rossi lwc with D700x Around 980fps Seem to be reasonably accurate out to 50m slightly louder than 22lr subsonic but the barrel is only 16.5". Also tried out of a 12" rossi ranch hand but they had to be single loaded, too long to feed from the tube mag.
Had to flare the case mouth a little more than for .357" bullets but they loaded fine.
 
the load data above is from the Hodgdon website. Most 357 bullets are .358 and even .359 if they are cast lead or powder coated. I have reloaded for my M77/44 with great results. I did have to pay attention to the COL though as some cast bullets ended up too long for the mag when I set up to the the crimp groove in the bullet.
 
If you're seating them to max COAL for .357 you could have some higher pressures than you figure. The 77, is a strong rifle though.

But rather than getting into whether it'll work nice, I have to wonder why? The price of the .358 Hornady is pretty expensive these days, and rather than send them down the range at reduced speed, as plinkers, I'd use them for a .35 Rem rifle, or something, and load up regular pistol bullets up to regular speed. No guess work, more fun on reactive and live targets, and pistol bullets are about 1/2, down to maybe 1/3 or less the price of rifle bullets.

A lot of guys shooting the .35 Remington use pistol bullets for plinking and deer for that very reason.
 
Accurate 5, 7 or 9, in that order, would give you your highest velocities in the 18.5" barrel of your Ruger 77/357; they should all break 1,000 fps. But, if you want to use that load for deer, you may be better off getting some Hornady 180 gr. XTP-HP or 158 gr. XTP-FP instead. Or trade those 200 gr. FTX for those bullets.

The 200 gr. FTX load only generates ~500 ft. #'s of K.E. at the muzzle.

The 180 gr. XTP will give you ~1,530 fps & 932 ft. #'s, while the 158 XTP-FP [15.7 gr. Lil Gun] will yield 1,769 fps & 1,097 ft. #'s at the muzzle.

In any event, Hornady's web-site shows those bullets as being satisfactory for deer.

While I am a heavy for calibre bullet enthusiast, there is a point of diminishing [or no] returns.
 
While I currently don't hunt with my 357 Mag rifles, I do have (and have loaded) 158gr XTP and 180gr XTP Hornady bullets. I have an unopened box of the 200gr 35 Cal FTX bullets that came in a "deal" where I took everything for a fixed price. I don't own a 35 Caliber rifle (yet). Yes, I could post them online (anyone near Windsor ON want to trade?) but I'm lazy and don't want to ship or deal with people who say "I'll give you 3 raspberries and a handshake for them".

So, I was planning on shooting them "just because".

My Michigan straight-walled deer gun is currently a 450 Bushmaster, but I have taken deer with my 45 Colt +P and 44 Rem Mag rifles out to 100 yards. All deer were 1 shot kills with the 44/45 caliber bullets. Maybe I'll bring the 357 Mag with me one day, but probably not. I have seen deer at 150 - 200 yards where I know my 45 Colt / 44 Mag is no good, hence my recent purchase of the 450.

in SSW Ontario I use my Savage 220 in the Controlled Hunt if I get a tag, crossbow if I don't.

YMMV
 
I shot a bunch of Speer .358" 180 grain FP from .357 magnum and .357 Maximum cases in my Savage 24V combination gun chambered in .357 max. Never gave that tiny 0.001" difference in diameter much thought, or saw any effect. Since it was a single shot I could load to the same or shallower seating depth "Inside" the case as standard pistol bullets which is quite important for pressures on ignition.
If I was doing what you propose, I'd use mild to mid power loads, watch seating depth, and shoot them up at targets. Might have to load your rifle as a single shot though.
 
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