357 mag lever action rifle commercial loads

[SFsc616171]

Hi folks!

I have acquired a Rossi 'trapper' M92 16-inch barreled, large loop, lever action carbine, chambered for 357 Magnum/ 38 Special.

I do not own any reloading equipment, nor am I schooled in any of the alchemy necessary to develop 'my own load'.

What 'over the counter' commercial manufactured loads do you folks think would be a better estimate, for this new rifle, other than the 'value pack Rem 357Mag/125 gr. JHP' boxes that came as part of the deal?

(I own no other firearms chambered for 357 Magnum.)

Thank you.

 

[cpt-t]

Rossi 357 lever gun ammo

SFsc616171: I have been shooting a 45LC ROSSI for many years and my shooting buddy shoots a 357/38 ROSSI longer than that. Both rifles shoot very well and are very accurate and handy to carry around. We have had no problems with either rifle and as I said we have used them for many years. My friend shoots both 357 & 38spl with no problems. We have noticed on both guns they prefer round nose flat point bullets rather than semi wadcutters, the swc`s do not` feed as well as the round nose bullets and I think the swc are hard on the action and neither of us shoot them is our rifles. We COWBOY shoot,HUNT, and just PLINK with our ROSSI`S and we feel they are very accurate and handy rifle to shoot or just carry around. They say a ROSSI is very strong but I have never hot loaded mine. GOOD LUCK TO YOU: ken

 

[Captain33036]

Very timely question.

I have a Marlin 189C .357 Magnum lever action carbine. 18.5 in barrel. It is amazingly accurate.

I just tried Magtech 158gr, .357 mag SJSP ammo and was very impressed by the performance. It was clean and very accurate. Really accurate....was very happy. It seems that you can find it at very reasonable prices online ($20/50). This would seem to me to be a very good range and HD round.

Here is what I think the crucial question is: Different rounds perform differently in the rifle (different accuracy AND POI). So, what I would (and am) look for is one all around round. I would want to be able to zero it in at the range (accurate), use it for regular range practice (reasonable price), but also use it for HD and hunting (effective hunting round for deer and FL hogs under 100 yards).

SO....can one round fit all three criteria - accuracy, cost, hunting effectiveness?

I wonder if the Magtech 158gr, .357 SJSP would fit the bill?

 

[Furncliff]

It's been a long time since I bought .357 mag ammo. The cost drove me to start reloading (along with getting better accuracy). Personally I don't buy Remington ammo, many do, but in my experience there's too much good ammo out there to mess with Rem. If I where in your shoes I might use this site to help you find what you need.

http://ammoseek.com/

There is also...

http://gun-deals.com/ammo

 

[zxcvbob]

Sellier Belloit (S&B) 158 grain JSP's are good, and not too expensive. But .357 Mag is easy to reload. A Lee "Reloader" press (small single stage) and a set of dies would quickly pay for themselves.

I have one box of Rem-UMC 125 grain JHP's that I shoot a couple every once in a while (mostly in handguns) just as a "level set" to make sure I'm not fooling myself about my hand loads.

 

[Salmoneye]

Try all the cheap stuff first...

If it likes one, stick with it...

 

[BCRider]

Anything you can stick into a handgun will work OK for the rifle.

The Rossi is what I use for my own cowboy shooting. I've also plinked with it out to 200 yards where I was able to reasonably consistently hit the 12 inch gong using a bag rest and .357Mag ammo despite the plain iron sights and the poor optics of the guy holding the rifle.... The Rossi is a little rough in some spots internally but they respond well to come gunsmith slicking up mods that are pretty cheap to get done if you want. But even out of the box they aren't all that bad for the money.

Try some various ammo brands and bullet weights once you get comfortable. You may find that one groups a little tighter than the rest.

Buying .357Mag is more than a little on the pricey side. For general plinking out to around 50 yards try some .38Spl as well.

Reloading isn't the black art you feel it is. Some common sense and attention to details is all it needs. The money you save once the basic reloading equipment is paid for will soon astound you.

The cost is related to what you can find all the components for in your area. But here's my cost for up here where everything is more expensive.

Bullet- 7.4 to 10 cents depending on type and weight
Primer- 3 cents
powder- from 2 to 4. cents depending on type and amount used per case

So the cost per round varies from 12.4 to 17 cents per round. This obviously doesn't include the brass since that gets used many times over. So the cost to reload per 50 is from $6.20 to $8.50 a box. It doesn't matter if it's .38Spl or .357Mag. The only difference is a touch more powder since the primer and bullets are the same.

A modest non progressive reloading setup can be put together from some used and some new stuff for around $150. With these figures you can calculate for yourself how soon the investment in the equipment will be paid off from the difference and when you'll be shooting for cheap.

 

[SFsc616171]

NoirFan ... Could NOT go without commenting on tag line!
"With a revolver in hand, I feel like Eliot Ness pursuing Al Capone, or Indiana Jones chasing a Nazi tank on horseback, or Phillip Marlowe going down the mean streets of L.A. With a semiauto in hand, I feel like I'm holding a hair dryer."
As once living in Portland, and that eerie, early cold morning fog, and the steam and condensation hanging about, in the downtown area, was made for my, then, trenchcoat and fedora. Now, living in the swamps ... the fedora maybe, (Chicago, maybe, but not Texas), but I hate sending my trenchcoat out for cleaning all the gator gook off! SWm15 four incher, coated in black teflon and Hogue combat grip, by a CA county sheriif's dept, before it was sold to me. The memories of riding the ferries across 'Big Muddy', to get to thhe downtown area, with a fog so thick that it looked like you were in cotton puff, up to your knees. Noir, enough? Film Noir, and all b/w movies, have that flair, that cannot be re-created today. ( I miss Kodak!) Remember ... when asked whether it was beauty, charm, grace, or handsome, to the screen ... Edward G. Robinson said, "For me, I bring menace."
"May your trenccoat always fit, your fedora have a firm brim and crown, your holster rig be clean, your revolver oiled and stacked with that FBI load, the pocket watch in order, the fifty cent piece shiny, and your spats dry and shined."

 

[BCRider]

Ummmmm.... been hitting the single malt a little too heaviliy tonight have we?

Sadly I didn't write that bit. I simply laughed so hard at his post that I felt it worthy of quoting. It replaced my previous "Witty saying to be plagarized shortly". And I found Noirfan's writing to fit. On behalf of Noirfan I'm glad you found it amusing like I did...

 

[tubeshooter]

Lots of good advice already given.


I plink with .38 and just use anybody's cheap 158 grain JSP for .357, I think that's fine personally. I can always scare up some 180 grain .357s if I think the performance difference would matter, but most times I don't think it would very much.

 

[shafter]

I have had really good results with Magtech 158gr SJSP ammo. I prefer this load but my rifle seems to accept semi wadcutters pretty well also.