Hello,
how will quality .357 Magnum JHP loads perform in ballistic gelatine, when fired from a lever action gun?
As far as I understand they are usually made for the use in revolvers with maybe a four inch barrel. What if you use a rifle with a longer barrel (20 inches or more) instead?
If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.
I’m interested in this as well, considering keeping caliber commonality and thinking about a new levergun purchase.
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As the owner of a couple of GP100s, a Marlin 1894 and a work in progress Martini Cadet I can tell you they're a ton of fun so I'm definitely in for solid, quality information.
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Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy / Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
DocGKR may have written about 357 Magnum rifle performance in gelatin.
At one point, I had a Marlin 44 Magnum with a 20" barrel and a 5" S&W Model 629 Classic. Most loads ran about 300 fps faster in the long gun than they did in the revolver.
The American Eagle 240-grain JHP load did around 1,200 fps from the revolver. It did about 1,500 in the Marlin, which turned it into a grenade when I shot a little blacktail with it. It made a mess of that poor deer, like I had shot it at close range with a 25-06. If I ever hunt with a 44 rifle again, it will be with hard cast SWC bullets or a premium factory load that's built for use in rifles.
That's the problem with ammo commonality between two firearms: chances are slim that both weapons will perform their best with the same load. If you're crossing the prairie in a covered wagon, then you can accept slightly reduced ballistics to gain massively improved logistics. But if you want optimal performance from both weapons, then you either have to work up two different hand loads or stock two different factory loads, and then you're back to square one. If you have two different weapons or weapons types, then you might as well have two different cartridges with radically different characteristics.
The only reason I'd go for it today is if I had an unending supply of free ammo.
Okie John
“The reliability of the 30-06 on most of the world’s non-dangerous game is so well established as to be beyond intelligent dispute.” Finn Aagaard
"Don't fuck with it" seems to prevent the vast majority of reported issues." BehindBlueI's
In a lever gun, I might be steered towards a 158 gr JSP. Those things can hit 2000fps out of a Henry—which (I’ve read) is enough to cause good expansion. I would probably stay away from the lighter loads, eg. 125 out of a rifle—the collective wisdom is the bullets are driven beyond their design integrity. I’ve also seen 140 gr weights recommended. But I’m not doc GKR, so grain of salt.
”But in the end all of these ideas just manufacture new criminals when the problem isn't a lack of criminals.” -JRB
If you’re shooting a deer with your .357 lever rifle, 125gr full house magnum loads might be too explosive. But if you’re shooting a yote or something else like that, they might be just right.Originally Posted by Sidheshooter
Paging @DocGKR
A .44 Mag Marlin 1894 was my home defense carbine for a bunch of years.
You do have to consider overpenetration.
Don’t blame me. I didn’t vote for that dumb bastard.
Hornady sells two XTP bullets in 158gr.
One HP and one FP. The recommended velocity range for expansion of the FP goes much higher, making it a safer bet for carbines, but also goes low enough to make it a reasonable choice for handguns in +P+ or magnum loads. For standard .38SPL loads up to +P, go with the HP.
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Not another dime.
The key is going to be optimizing the powder burn rate and pressure curve for a longer barrel. Pistol powders typically burn faster than long gun powders. Longer barrels only increase velocity to the extent that the powder is still burning and expanding with enough force to accelerate the projectile. If a given powder charge has exhausted its ability to accelerate a projectile and there remains barrel to transition, friction will reduce velocity.
I studied up on the matter a bit some time ago, the 158s seem to work fairly well in carbines. Our Andrew Wiggins, AKA The Chopping Block on youtube has several 357 carbine and carbine/pistol tests in calibrated gel. This suits me fine, I prefer the 158s in pistols.
https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...rbine+gel+test
Several guys on the leverguns forum use them on deer, but I dont recall what loads were used or preferred. A google search on that site may yield some info.
https://www.levergunscommunity.org/
I dont believe we will see deceleration in any 357 loads in common rifle barrels up to 24". The 357 seems to be the better example of velocity increase in carbine or rifle barrels over pistol lengths, no doubt due to the slower burn rate magnum type powder and load levels.
Would like a Browning 92 carbine or Winchester 73 trapper size carbine in 357 one day. Loaded with ultra-light round ball loads in event of an ammo shortage, it would be cheaper than shooting 22s at shortage prices and quiet for yard or inside use if desired. I have several bullet moulds in 38 size, from round ball up.
Last edited by Malamute; 11-04-2018 at 10:01 PM.
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