Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Need help with load data for 357 mag

I picked up a marlin 1894 357 mag last week after falling in love with my 336 30-30. I have been using the leverevolution in the 30-30 with hornady ftx bullets and getting 3/4" at 100 yds. I know leverevolution is not a 357 mag powder but was wondering if anybody was using the hornady ftx bullets and what powders and bullets they had luck with. I will also be using the load manual but have found the guys here to be a great resource for where to start. Thanks in advance for all advice/help.

Eric

My brother has a cowboy version of that rifle. The powders he uses for speed with heavy bullets are Lil Gun and 300MP. These two produce the best velocity and accuracy with 158-180 gr bullets for him. They should also work with your purpose. You may want to look at Hodgdon's online data, as they have 357 mag rifle data.

You should know that the pistol cal FTX are crap. A prime example: the 38 cal 140 FTX has a ballistic coefficient of .160. The 140 XTP has a BC of .169. So the hollowpoint flies flatter than the pointy one. And the hollowpoint is shorter, so you can cram more slow-burning powder in the case and propel it faster. Ditch the FTX. They are pointless(pun intended).

Pick sturdy bullets if speed out of the rifle is your goal. From a 6" handgun to a 20" rifle, 357's double in energy. No kidding.

Huntnshoot thx for all the help. I shoot the Hornady xtp in my pistol and am going to start with them. I wasn't sold on the fox but had been so impressed with them in the 30/30. As always campfire is full of help!!

700shooter, in the 30-30, the pointy FTX makes a positive difference over the standard flat-nosed bullets that are usually used. Rifle bullets in general have longer ojives (the tapering nose)which allow them to be more sleek than handgun bullets can be.

Rapidly and bluntly tapering a handgun bullet to a point doesn't look to improve its flight characteristics. The sleeker rifle version, at least in the 30 cal, and likely in other rifle cals, is far more efficient in the air.

http://www.neihandtools.com/catalog/index.html


my brother-in-laws used these bullets cast from 95% ww and 5% pure tin in his 357 marlin for decades loaded over 9.3 grains of blue dot and seated out to the longest length that will function, they are good killers when placed correctly.
youll save a great deal of money, and put far lower wear on the rifling using a good cast gas check bullet , and the deer are just as dead if the shots placed correctly, keep in mind its NOT going to drop them in there tracks nearly every time like a 270 win or a 30/06 but its also 100% lethal and the deer rarely get far either, my brother-in-law loves the minimal recoil and noise.
you might want to think of using that 357 mag carbine as something similar to archery, in that the effective range is a bit limited and the effects of a good hit are not always instantly obvious BTW THOSE ARE GOOD GUNS AND I DON.T KNOW ANYONE THAT OWNS ONE THAT DOESN,T LOVE IT, you just need to accepts its limitations but youll love the low cost to feed it and minimal recoil and good accuracy

http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=357%20Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun

and BTW I know hes killed at least a couple dozen deer with that carbine over the last 46 years Ive been married simply because Ive been with him and watched some deer drop on bullet impact but most take off on a short run of 40-60 yards,before going nose first in the dirt!
but keep in mind ranges we shoot deer in the florida cypress tend to be well under 100 yards

Guys Thx for all the help. I'm mostly going to punch paper with it but would love to hunt some as well. I got several guns in an estate sale ( ruger 44 carbine, 1894 357, browning 92 44 mag) and am looking forward to working loads up for all 3. I started with 30-30 as a kid deer hunting and then moved on to bolt guns (hence the 700shooter) but over past few years have moved back towards levers as there is something about hunting with them that just feels right(I don't know how else to explain it).