Loads for '85 Winchester .357

H

halfmoonclip

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Joined
Feb 4, 2011
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For no particular reason, got a Mirochester '85 Low Wall. It's in .357 Mag., 22" barrel. I bought it simply because it's a really handsome, beautifully done rifle, and I'd been ogling it for 2 years. Finally fell into a little cash.
There's a Marbles tang sight on order, and it will need to work up some loads.
It need not be an especially powerful load; I won't be hunting with it. But the barrel is free floated, so it should have accuracy potential.
Suggestions?
Moon
 
My pet rifle 357 magnum loads all involve cast bullets , 13.0 Grains of 2400 powder and small pistol magnum primers , @ about 1700 fps : from 20" bbl. model 94 Winchester.

155 gr. Lyman #358156 with gas check SWC - 13.0 grs. 2400
158 gr. Lyman #358665 plain base SWC - 13.0 grs. 2400
160 gr. Lyman #358432 plain base WC - 13.0 grs. 2400

My "light load" is any of the above bullets with a standard small pistol primer and
6.2 grs Unique for about 1200 fps from a 20" rifle barrel .

I always thought a single shot 357 Magnum rifle was a Great Idea ...
They just don't get any better looking than a Winchester 85 Low Wall ...
Color me green ... hope it comes with some "knock-out" walnut and blue steel !
Congratulations !
Gary
 
gwpercle said:
My pet rifle 357 magnum loads all involve cast bullets , 13.0 Grains of 2400 powder and small pistol magnum primers , @ about 1700 fps : from 20" bbl. model 94 Winchester.

155 gr. Lyman #358156 with gas check SWC - 13.0 grs. 2400
158 gr. Lyman #358665 plain base SWC - 13.0 grs. 2400
160 gr. Lyman #358432 plain base WC - 13.0 grs. 2400

My "light load" is any of the above bullets with a standard small pistol primer and
6.2 grs Unique for about 1200 fps from a 20" rifle barrel .

I always thought a single shot 357 Magnum rifle was a Great Idea ...
They just don't get any better looking than a Winchester 85 Low Wall ...
Color me green ... hope it comes with some "knock-out" walnut and blue steel !
Congratulations !
Gary
Click to expand...
Oh, gawsh yes, the damned thing is simply gorgeous; the wood has great figure, cut checkering, beautiful bluing. The barrel is octangular at the receiver, going to round. The looks are what sold me.
It is a nice flashback to a misbegotten Ruger #3 in .45-70. It was such a nifty carbine, but it about kicked my brains out. This has even nicer looks, and it won't have the excess recoil.
I think I still have some 2400, and there is certainly Unique in the locker.
Thanks.
horsemen61 said:
Yeah just One suggestion Post Several Photos!
Click to expand...
Horseman, that has to be my task this week; learning to post pictures. I'm a hopeless techno dunce, and my tech adviser (my bride), who is actually quite good, hasn't been able to manage it, either.
Moon
 
halfmoonclip said:
Oh, gawsh yes, the damned thing is simply gorgeous; the wood has great figure, cut checkering, beautiful bluing. The barrel is octangular at the receiver, going to round. The looks are what sold me.
It is a nice flashback to a misbegotten Ruger #3 in .45-70. It was such a nifty carbine, but it about kicked my brains out. This has even nicer looks, and it won't have the excess recoil.
I think I still have some 2400, and there is certainly Unique in the locker.
Thanks.

Horseman, that has to be my task this week; learning to post pictures. I'm a hopeless techno dunce, and my tech adviser (my bride), who is actually quite good, hasn't been able to manage it, either.
Moon
Click to expand...
Take picture with phone
Touch attach files
You. Can. Do it
 
Scheese! If I can post a picture, anybody can do it.
Handload: you could try 11.5gr 2400 with a 180gr cast rnfp bullet. Pretty slick in my 20" barreled Henry.
 
My son's Silhouette load is a 154 noe over 8.4 grains Silhouette at 1.585. My 200 yard rams load is 13.7 #9 same bullet. Got shooters world heavy pistol 12.6 grains of that or 13.8 grains of 2400 does just swell.
 
My experience with the .357 Magnum in rifle was shooting cast lead bullets with blackpowder. I had one rifle with a long barrel and found that I could not get enough lube on the bullet to ensure that it would provide grease all the way to the muzzle. Accuracy degraded after only a few shots as fouling and lead built up close to the muzzle. You are probably going to use smokeless powder and jacketed bullets so you don't get that problem. I mention it only in case you get a notion to shoot 1885 type lead bullets and blackpowder out of that beautiful rifle. If you do, use lots of lube.

Oh yeah, I sold that rifle.
 
The best all around sub sonic load for my 22” 357 Handi rifle is the Hornady 158 swaged LSWC over a medium charge of Unique. I give them a dip in Lee liquid alox first. Super clean shooting with the alox. I can clean the barrel with just a patch soaked in mineral spirits (solvent for alox).
I don’t like faster powders in such a long for caliber barrel.
Tang sights are nice for sub sonics.
Congrats on the find. I had a ‘85 Miroku in 22lr. Just gorgeous.
 
halfmoonclip said:
Oh, gawsh yes, the damned thing is simply gorgeous; the wood has great figure, cut checkering, beautiful bluing. The barrel is octangular at the receiver, going to round. The looks are what sold me.
It is a nice flashback to a misbegotten Ruger #3 in .45-70. It was such a nifty carbine, but it about kicked my brains out. This has even nicer looks, and it won't have the excess recoil.
I think I still have some 2400, and there is certainly Unique in the locker.
Thanks.

Horseman, that has to be my task this week; learning to post pictures. I'm a hopeless techno dunce, and my tech adviser (my bride), who is actually quite good, hasn't been able to manage it, either.
Moon
Click to expand...
Do you have the pictures uploaded anywhere else, like facebook? I can help you post them here if you do.

I use postimage.org and it's pretty easy. Just copy and paste the second from the bottom code and your pictures show up.

I'd be glad to post them on your behalf too, if you wanted to text them or email them to me.
 
Last edited:
dh1633pm said:
Does it look like this one:

View attachment 1197842View attachment 1197843
Have a couple 357 rifles. Haven’t worked any specific loads for them yet. This one never fired. Not sure if I should Anyhow.
Click to expand...
Well, yes, that's it exactly. I've peeled off the Winchester sticker. And I already popped a couple .38s through it, so that is out of the way.
greyling22 said:
I cannot imagine a rifle I need less or want more. what a great piece.
Click to expand...
This sums it up pretty nicely. :)
But I've been ogling it for two years, and figured "What the hell".

The tang sight is due tomorrow, and I should get a little time deeper in the week to set up the press.

Moon
 
A globe target front sight pairs well with a rear peep. Makes for an excellent sight picture.
IIRC I had a Lyman 17 on mine.
 
gwpercle said:
My pet rifle 357 magnum loads all involve cast bullets , 13.0 Grains of 2400 powder and small pistol magnum primers , @ about 1700 fps : from 20" bbl. model 94 Winchester.

155 gr. Lyman #358156 with gas check SWC - 13.0 grs. 2400
158 gr. Lyman #358665 plain base SWC - 13.0 grs. 2400
160 gr. Lyman #358432 plain base WC - 13.0 grs. 2400

My "light load" is any of the above bullets with a standard small pistol primer and
6.2 grs Unique for about 1200 fps from a 20" rifle barrel .

I always thought a single shot 357 Magnum rifle was a Great Idea ...
They just don't get any better looking than a Winchester 85 Low Wall ...
Color me green ... hope it comes with some "knock-out" walnut and blue steel !
Congratulations !
Gary
Click to expand...
You won’t do any better than the loads above.
 
PO2Hammer said:
The best all around sub sonic load for my 22” 357 Handi rifle is the Hornady 158 swaged LSWC over a medium charge of Unique...
...Congrats on the find. I had a ‘85 Miroku in 22lr. Just gorgeous.
Click to expand...
A late buddy had suggested 5.3/Unique/140LTC as a good, mild .357 Mag.
gwpercle said:
My "light load" is any of the above bullets with a standard small pistol primer and
6.2 grs Unique for about 1200 fps from a 20" rifle barrel .
Click to expand...
That's not far from where I ended; we'll see how it shoots. I may well want to bump it to your load. The Unique actually metered well, once it settled a little.
Powder is the issue; had a 2400 load from years ago...guess what you can't find? Saw it suggested by several posters here, and I used it a lot when full powered .357s were the objective. But there are less aggressive loadings as well.
Thanks, gang.
Moon
 
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