357 Magnum. Small rifle primers??

[Bill]

Interested in what you guys are using in your 357 levers and rifles??

Don't have have any pistol primers but a few types of small rifle primers which I'm leaning toward using some rem 7.5.

Rifle is a Ruger 357 Carbine

[bladeracer]

Interested in what you guys are using in your 357 levers and rifles??

Don't have have any pistol primers but a few types of small rifle primers which I'm leaning toward using some rem 7.5.

Rifle is a Ruger 357 Carbine

I tried Rem 7-1/2's in my Uberti .38 Special and got lots of light strikes. Try them and see if they work in your Ruger.

[Blr243]

Interesting question. Been fifteen yrs since I loaded for revolver and carbine If the 357 was originally designed as a handgun cartridge then I wood think the original factory loading would have been with pistol primers. Then out come the lever guns in the same cal so we just took a hand full of 357 cartridges out of our pockets and fed them into our lever gun. Is that how it was?

[wrenchman]

i dont go out side of the what loading books say i have seen pressure problems from freinds loading hot and i never start with hot loads

[Blr243]

Interesting question. Been fifteen yrs since I loaded for revolver and carbine If the 357 was originally designed as a handgun cartridge then I wood think the original factory loading would have been with pistol primers. Then out come the lever guns in the same cal so we just took a hand full of 357 cartridges out of our pockets and fed them into our lever gun. Is that how it was?

[Bill]

So my thinking is pressure is gunna be higher in the Carbine than a revolver and Im using a case full of W296 and with a better strike from a rifle firing pin so I should be using a harder primer like the the Rem 7.5 ??

[bladeracer]

So my thinking is pressure is gunna be higher in the Carbine than a revolver and Im using a case full of W296 and with a better strike from a rifle firing pin so I should be using a harder primer like the the Rem 7.5 ??

Pressure shouldn't be any different unless you are actually loading hotter than standard loads.
The harder primer cup would stand up better to higher pressure, but will your action reliably detonate it?

[Bill]

Ruger action is plenty strong enough, lugs on the Ruger are bigger than howa mini, and yes my start load is 16gr or max ADI lol

Interested if anyone found a diff between say magnum pistol primers and small rifle like the harder rem 7.5

[Bill]

so the ruger carbine didnt blow up yesterday with the small rifle Rem 7.5 primers, but as expected with the lower 296 loads, speed/pressure was a little erratic with lots of vertical stringing ( barrel is fully floated). I was told W296 can behave like this and loads on the hotter side generally produce better accuracy. my last load of 16.4gr halved my 5 shot groups size. Still a little space left in the case so I'll see if I can find a good accurate safe node.

No primer showed any flattening what so ever, no stiff bolt lift or extraction issues. Brass seems in good shape too

[Bill]

So a couple of range sessions with the 357 and being a low pressure case Im learning alot more than expected.......

Quickload revealed max ADI load is only 29K PSI in the Ruger !!, so my starting point was a bit light and the eratic pressures I experienced showed up on target.

left to right top row showing the light loads, bottom middle 16.4grs was the best group and accurate definitely improving, still only 32k PSI and under well under max.



Loads from yesterday going up to 17.2grs, more consistent and 5 shot groups now around 30mm, scope is only a Loop 1-4 illuminated and the fire dot covers about an inch at 50m

last groups had 4 going into 13mm then I did my usual thing lol, Quickload show pressure at 38K PSI and speed expected to be around 1900fps. more too come as Id like to get 2000fps.

[sungazer]

I would buy a tray of the pistol primers and give them a go. Having a smaller ignition I think will give you better consistency. My thinking would be that a stronger larger primer in relation to the smaller cartridge powder load the primers will have more influence on the overall. You cant control differences in the primer loading so you want that to have the smallest influence. A bit like the reasons why there are small rifle primers and smaller flash hole for cartridges like the 308. There is certainly a more consistent ignition and firing.

[Bill]

Thanks sungazer I suspect you might be right, I may not get a chance to do more testing for a bit and I need more primers anyway as I only bought a single tray of the Rem 7.5. What pistol primer are you suggesting ??

[in2anity]

W296 is a ball powder; and ball powders are harder to ignite than stick and often give worse SDs. Recomendation being to use a magnum primer. I would also try increase your crimp in an effort to improve ignition (and reduce vertical stringing), and perhaps try CCI450s. Although they too are noticably harder. Nonetheless, I've used CC400s under ball powders with good results.

[Tiger650]

Hello Bill
Hornady XTPs are an expensive way to punch paper !
Armoury and Ammunition in Dandenong have a good supply of 158gn FMJ which shoot well in my Rossis and not expensive.
Apparently produced for The Victorian Railways Police by Maribrynong plant prior to VRP being folded into Vicpol in the 1970s.
I am told that they had a pistol range under Flinders St station and their armourers reloaded practice ammo, they used .357" where Vicpol was stuck with the .38".

[Bill]

Yeah Tiger650 XTPs only 40c a projectile round here, but I don't plan on punching too much paper once I find the limits of this rifle combo

Just tinkering at this stage, I had some less than desirable result years ago on some gas check proj that may have run a little too fast and twisty.

Certainly been doing some reading up on castie nd a fmj might even be a better option.

[xcb]

I loaded up 10 .357 mag Starline nickel brass with Federal Champion small rifle primers, 13.4gr AR2205, Lyman #358156 cast bullets, and the Rossi 92 24" set them all off fine (with the stock main spring). I also used the same load with Federal Champion small pistol magnum primers.