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May 17, 2010
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Weekend before last ( today is 10-6) I went out to a friends place in the country and tried my newly made .357's. It was the first time for me to reload the .357 and the first time to try a new powder and the first to ever shoot a 180gr bullet out of a .357 pistol.
Wow….
Yeah and how sad for me. No matter what I tried to do… I flinched. The next weekend I shot another 70 … and while I did get better .. there is no doubt I am flinching. Something I do NOT do with the .38s. It's embarrasing!
I decided to use one gun as my test gun for the big round:
Yep the one on bottom. And yes it did make one heck of a difference, though I was not truely knowledgable about it until I shot the one on top with the beastly bullets.
When shooting the top gun which is pretty much a stock M15-2 with VH6, pach-Presentation grip and stock 1/16 barrel… it felt like I was holding a live wriggling snake. Recoil wasn't painful, but one definately felt a like a big ole chunck of something was flipping the barrel any way it could.
By contrast the EWK shrouded gun gave a big fat jerk pretty much staight back. Just to make sure all the reasons for the diffence are known ( IMHO)
Big ole fat EH 6" shroud
1/12 barrel twist- this made a difference!
big bad easy-to-grip monster grip
I posted this image in another thread but it bears repeating here:
That sucker on the left is 180gr of lead.
The powder is LilGun 13.1gr. There wasnt a table entry for cast bullets so I just loaded low for an equal weight 180JHP. For the JHP the speed was suppose to be over 1100 FPS out of a 7.7" barrel ( who makes that?)
I did and do like the LilGun. It is a much slower powder and does not have that ear -piercing pop of TiteGroup. But make no mistake it makes some power! The only thing I did NOT like about it was when I went to loading 158 JHP, the powder was 17gr.. basically I sucked down a pound of powder with just over 400 bullets! Thats getting expensive.
Soap Box, Ballot Box, Ammo Box
in that order.
4 Monson Model 15's
1 Palmer FB 15
1 Rossi 357 Model 92 (lever)
1 CZ 75B
May 17, 2010
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By the way….
Thanks to owning more than one DW 15-2…. I found out that the cylinder on the gun with the EWK shroud is too "small" tight. Its about 50/50 as to wheather a .357 round will fit without having to be shoved down into it. While all the other guns do just fine.
Soap Box, Ballot Box, Ammo Box
in that order.
4 Monson Model 15's
1 Palmer FB 15
1 Rossi 357 Model 92 (lever)
1 CZ 75B
Range Officer
Range Officers
Dans Club
March 27, 2009
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Thanks for the info and letting us know what and hows on the reloading! The EH does make it less felt recoil! Shoot'em up!!
Range Officer
Range Officers
Dans Club
February 9, 2009
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That is a good range report. Glad to hear when a member has time for load experimentation and then the equal time to try them out. On the tight cylinder notion.. Is it possible that these were the 180 grain only rounds that posed the problem? Maybe the slightly longer than normal round wanted to stretch beyond the factory reaming area of the cylinder? I experienced this in my 7414 when loading Hornady XTP's since the 7414's were pretty much developed using Sierra manufactured bullets the shape of the XTP was not working and the cylinder had to be reamed slightly more to allow their use. Using that thought you may be experiencing something similar?
SMF
A man cannot have too many SuperMags
May 17, 2010
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Yes, so far only the 180gr rounds are causing the issue ... but only in the one gun. The other four work fine. I also think it not so much length as it is the heavy ALOX on them causes the case to be bulged at the mouth (versus that slight taper from the crimp).
My hope is that I get invited (again) by IHMSA back up north to shoot on thier range. THIS TIME I have something to shoot. (270 rounds worth)
hint hint
Soap Box, Ballot Box, Ammo Box
in that order.
4 Monson Model 15's
1 Palmer FB 15
1 Rossi 357 Model 92 (lever)
1 CZ 75B
Supporter
Range Officer
Range Officers
May 2, 2009
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Look up some more load data for those 180's and make sure you are not driving them too fast--that makes recoil ya know 
....
If you think your cases are bulging, invest a few bucks in a lee factory crimp die--they work wonders on guns with tight chambers.
reloads look good !!!
SHOOT
September 19, 2011
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I like the cast 180's in the .357, but make no mistake... they let you know they are there! I always thought that would be the go-to bullet in a lever-action carbine.
I've never tired LilGun, but I know a few who swear by it.
October 24, 2011
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P, i think we aught to meet up at the range one weekend and send some of those 180's down range.. see if we cant get you used to the "thump" I can get a couple hundred more cast an size for you to replace the ones we blow.
for any casters out there that boolit comes from a old SSK mold i also have its big brother in 44 = )
May 17, 2010
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Sounds like a plan. I know I am bringing them to the 11-5 casting party, but i bet we pretty fill the day with casting. Still it should be a good time to share how differnt loads/powders act on these bone breakers. PLus you just gotta try my 158 JHP.. soooo smooth!
Soap Box, Ballot Box, Ammo Box
in that order.
4 Monson Model 15's
1 Palmer FB 15
1 Rossi 357 Model 92 (lever)
1 CZ 75B
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