Pardon me up front. This is one of those questions that come to mind when it is February and the cabin walls are starting to close in.

I have a Marlin 1894 in 38/357. I carry it fairly regularly down at the farm for the possibility of a coyote popping into view and it gives me something different besides my EDC. I've got several loads for it. One is a 357 158 grain cast lead load with which I someday hope to nail a doe. Another is a 357 125 grain general purpose plinker.

I have a bunch of 38 SPL brass. I'm contemplating a using it in this rifle and I got to wondering. I figure somebody here may have already tried it and has an answer.

1) Can this rifle cycle 38 spl wadcutter rounds?
2) If so, how many of these rounds will fit in the magazine?
3) Do you gain any extra capacity using wadcutters?

When I was doing Cowboy matches,there were some folks using the 38 sp in .357mags.Some were Marlins,some were Rossi's .It seemed to be a hit or miss type thing even with round nose flat points,but the common problem I saw was those trying the semi-wad cutters that would not cycle . I would imagine, the full wad cutters would be worse yet.I would be very surprised if they would cycle..My Rossi 92 ,won't cycle semi wad cutters

Easy enough to figure the number of rounds. Take how ever many .357 rounds it will take, lay them end to end on a table and then lay some 38 sp wadcutters in a line along side them to an equal length

OK. You've convinced me this wasn't such a hot idea. I've already had this puppy lock up tight trying to feed hand loads. Thanks for the dose of reality.

If I'm going to do this, I probably should just buy some RN's and be done with it.

Nothing wrong with cast RN or RNFP (which is what I use) in that fantastic Marlin. I only use 357 mag brass in mine.

I have a 1894 Marln in 45 Colt. It holds nine in the magazine and one up the pipe. It cycles the 250 grain Keith flatnosed bullet like it is greased with really good accuracy. One of the best walking around every day and home defense rifles you can imagine. Little if any recoil, and the wife loves to shoot it.

I just shoot some fiocchi 148 grain hp factory loads. why, because I am normally walking and or shooting off hand when I shoot my 1894, I would have to pick up and find cases that fall into the grass or worse snow. For the $16 bucks for a box of 50 for me its not worth reloading. besides that would slow down the levering and shooting. I thought about reloading for it but when I thought about all the brass I would lose and monkeying with that I just said to myself no thankyou.

unless your 38 S brass is free

I see no advantage to using it.....carbon chamber fowling with the shorter brass...

Plinker load in 357 brass...your favorite cast boolit & 4 grs of Trailboss

I like to load my own and go with .357 cases exclusively and Hornady XTP's or Speer Gold Dot bullets. Over the years I have settled on only using my best load for everything, the focus for me is knowing the rifle, and at the end of the day it's only a few dollars difference. Different strokes for different folks.

Like you one load for everything. 158gr. Speer bullets. Either Soft Points, Hollow Points, Gold Dot or TMJ bullets with same powder charge in 357mag cases. I don't shoot 38 special because don't want the carbon ring in chamber. If I wanted to shoot 38 specials I would have another lever gun to shoot 38 special only.

I should add that I have used quite a few Remington 158gr JHP and SP bullets that I was buying in bulk (500) in both my Marlin 1894 and Browning 92"s. They worked great and were priced right but as I used up my supply I upgraded to the Hornady and
Speer offerings. There is a partial box of those Remingtons stuck back on a shelf that need to be loaded up.

Shaman my 1894c will cycle wadcutters in 38 brass without any issue. And any bullet profile I have tried. The only time I get a hiccup is wadcutters in 357 brass. Usually works but not always. I was surprised on the 38 wadcutters as I didn’t expect it, but it’s a sample of one.

My 1894 in .44 however is more finicky

I have found my 1894 prefers bullets from 140-158 grains. with better accuracy coming from bullets on the heavier end of that range. are you guys seeing the same thing? I would love to shoot 125's but my gun just doesn't seem like a fan of that.

I haven’t shot many 125 grain 357s from mine, but does shoot a hand load of 125 gr sjhp 38s to same point of aim as my preferred load with 180 cast.

The 38s are like shooting a quieter .22. And still wreck bunnies and cats.

BGG,

Your mention of 180's reminded me that I did experience a cycling issue with Remington 180's loaded in .357 brass, so then tried the Hornady 180's and those cycled fine. My problem with the Remington 180s' might have been solved by loading them in .38 brass. Need to make myself a note in my loading records.

It’s been quite awhile since I loaded any, but you ring a bell. I think I trimmed my 357 brass back a little to be able to run the rem 180s. Dropped the powder charge a bit too. I still have a couple boxes loaded up, but anymore I just keep it stoked with hard cast 180s.

You are better off loading reduced loads in a .357 case. Use of .38 Spl in a gun chambered for the longer .357 case gives you much more fouling and leading in the throat of the chamber.
So far as a deer load, I would run a 158 JHP as hot as you can safely get it. Cast bullets just poke a hole while the JHP will open up and impart more energy to the animal.