Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots No 1 357 Max.

I've had a T/C Contender Super 14 in .357 Max, as well as a NEF Handi Rifle in the cartridge, and have been underwhelmed with the cartridge...no way I could bring myself to ruin a No. 1 with the conversion. Don't get me wrong, it did everything I wanted, but it was just unimpressive. A couple years back, I even picked up a CVA Scout .357 Mag and Max reamer, as well as some more brass and loaded ammo, and could never make myself ream out the chamber...ended up getting rid of it all.

Its just one of those chamberings I can't make myself like.

Jason,
Was your H&R factory chambered in 357 Maximum? Chamber throats in them, Contenders, and early Encores left alot to be desired for accuracy. I have found the Max to be just as powerful and accurate as the 35 Rem with the advantage going to the 35 Rem for heavy jacketed bullets. I enjoy the ability to shoot 38 Spec, Magnums, and Maximums all in one gun. When throated with a reamer that cuts a rifle throat of proper diameter, all three cartridges shoot very well despite the jump the shorter cartridges have.

I have killed a number of deer, hogs, and a bear with mine and never felt undergunned. Fury Bullets are about the only jacketed bullets I shoot anymore, despite sitting on nearly hundreds of 180gr Hornady SSPBs.

Thanks, Dinny

Yes, it was a factory chambered Max. It was the only one I'd ever seen when I bought it, and haven't seen another one since....still wish I could find one in 7x57.

I’ve been very impressed with the 357 maximum. It shines with .358 180’s on whitetail. With Lil gun powder we are getting 2300-2400 FPS. My Kids are filling my freezer each fall with the Maximum.

In the beginning, there was the .357 Super Mag, cobbled together by welding .357 S&W Magnum cases together to obtain a longer case. Then when Elgin Gates and his IHMSA partners wanted to bring it to market, somebody discovered that the "Magnum" label was trademarked by S&W. So the change was made to .357 Maximum by Remington to manufacture commercial cases. At the time there was a complete line of Super Mag cartridges including the .357 Maximum and 375 Super Mag, both of which I shot in IHMSA competition. My Ruger Blackhawk .357 Maxium 10" barreled Silhouette Model is one of the most accurate revolvers I have in my collection, capable of 0.75" 10 shot groups @ 50 yards with factory sights. People complained that the top strap of the revolver was eroded by flame cutting at the barrel/cylinder gap, but that erosion stopped well before it became a problem. It was cosmetic, but gun writers of the time killed the Ruger.

Federal also produced cases for the .357 Maximum, with the Ram logo of IHMSA, one of which is shown below:



I too would like to find a rifle chambered for the .357 Maximum, although in a lever action rifle. I bought a supply of Starline brass, just in case somebody figures how to adapt it in a custom rifle. Meanwhile, I'll have brass to load up rounds for the Ruger, with 180 -200 grain bullets driven by a charge of AA-1680 powder, a near identical replacement for discontinued Winchester 680, which proved to be the most accurate propellant in my revolver. While it was a niche cartridge, it is still useful and, for whatever reason, attractive to us old guys seeking nostalgia.

S&W handle flame cutting on their X-frames with a little steel thingy that appears to clip between the topstrap and the barrel.

MGM also pushes the Max pretty hard on their website, for Contenders and Encores of course. Accuracy in their tests is impressive, as are the results for .38 SS and .357 Mag loads. Some of the loads are kinda scary, though!

I'd like to see the Max and the .32 Fed in leverguns too. Henry makes a .32, but their lever actions leave me cold.

I had a dozen + Contender barrels up to and including 44 Mag 10”,45/70 12” and 45 Win Mag 14”. But the barrel I feared even the THOUGHT of forgetting my hearing protection was the 357 Magnum 10” barrel.... what a high pitched screaming muzzle blast it had. I cannot imagine shooting the MAXimum in a Blackhawk or Contender 14” barrel!
I look forward to shooting the 22” barrel of the Henry Single Shot 357 Mag Rifle I recently adopted. Wether or not it becomes a MAXimum will be decided after a handful of 357 Magnum goes through it.
I’m realizing there is no way I could ever run a reamer into a No.1 CHP, they are just getting too pricey!
At only four bills, a Henry SS in 357 is affordable enough to make metal chips with.

I think in single shots the 357 max has a chance. in revolver or repeaters there is not much functional potential difference between the 38sp, 357 mag, and 357max.

But if the 357 max is chambered with a 0.380" fluted reamer [or at least the addition to the 357 mag chamber], it can gain accuracy and brass life, instead of a sloppy SAAMI reamer.

Also if the throat is cut with a throater, the OAL can be very long, allowing slower powders and a boat tail bullet.

The 357 mag started out at higher pressure, but as thinner wall revolvers were sold, the brass got sticky. This was explained by John Bercovitz in 1993. He has a masters degree in mechanical engineering and was working at the jet propulsion lab at the time.
Google has preserved that:

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups=#!msg/rec.guns/S_dalM1NJe0/cBSU4bR2jz8J

Someone on the Artful Bullet site had a 222 Rem Ruger #1 rebored abd rechambered to 357 Max by JES. His rife is proving to be very accurate.

Thanks, Dinny

Held one in my hands a few months ago at a not so local gunshop. Not sure when they were made

Care to share the name and location of that not so local shop??

Thanks, Dinny

Just called to see if he still had it, it was recently sold. I was thinking of buying it myself.

The #1 was offered as a CHP commemorative and I believe as a special run that were not marked CHP. Not sure of the number of either ones.

This had no special markings and the wood was not especially attractive. I still had a tough time passing on it.

I think a #1 in Max would be neat....long throated/Bellm chambered. The 357 max might be the most efficient overall cartridge I’ve ever messed with. Easily surpasses factory 35 rem in single shots. Low recoil, low blast, all sorts of bullet options. I love the max. I just don’t get to spend as much time loading for or shooting my Bellm Encore as much anymore. I’ve got so much Max loading stuff and loaded (factory and home rolled) rounds stashed, I could probably shoot it all I had time to, for years. I’ve even pondered parting with it all, since I don’t use it as much the last several years....but it’s just so much effectiveness in a 16”, compact, light package that it’s hard to part with.....what’s not to like about 180gr 35s past 2400 from a 16” single shot?

I heard the .357 #1 was a one time run.
Some were rollmarked for CHP, a leaser number not.

Have not seen one of either type, for ages.
Once the PCR game kicked in they just disappeared.

Found online...1500 and up.

Wish Ruger did a 1A 22" in .35 rem

I've had a 21" Contender barrel for years. I have room to seat 180 gr bullets pretty long, making more powder capacity. Plenty accurate. Makes a lightweight & powerful Carbine for deer, Hogs etc.

I owned a 270, needed floating...did around 1-1.5 MOA, another 1B in 25-06 shot 3/4" w/factory 117 or 120s, WW ammo
Another 6.5x55 K1A in 6.5x55, OUT the box, no mods just like the 25/06, it shot 1.1" at 200, yes 200 yds.
A 1A in 243, it shot 3/8" at 100, first shots on paper........
A RSI in 243, shot 5/8" - all out the box stock, except the 270 above.

Now that 1A was bought to make a custom, and I had Pac-Nor put a V contour 24" 8 twist tube in 6BR, it shot UNDER 1/2" - at 330 yds

Yes, some I guess are more accurate than others..........so 1 shot over MOA, other others under, and one shot less the Point 2 as in .2 MOA....

The 357 in a rifle, shot 2050 for me with 158s, the Max is likely best with 180s in standard bullets.......it should SING and ZING....Good round.
I had one max, a 12" Hunter...ported in a Contender.......it shot fine, was VERY loud.........