The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

I'm in the process of buying a pals Marlin .357 and could do with some advice on loads. The last time I shot a .357 it was a Python using hard cast lead. I remember dragging great chunks of lead out of the barrel every now and again.

The majority of the time I'll use the Marlin indoors at 25 yards so I'm looking for accuracy rather than power. What considerations are there for reloading? Will I suffer leading with hard cast bullets? Should I use gas checked or go for copper washed? Can anyone recommend any loads (usual caveats acknowledged)? Grateful any advice.

Thanks

M

I'll refrain from commenting on cast boolits as I cast them and sell them, as well as shooting them.
My competition load in my Marlin is 3gr Zero behind a SOFT cast 150gr boolit. Shot out of a 38 Spl case.
Don't believe the crap about 38 Spl brass causing problems, I have shot 1000's with no problem.
Thoroughly de-copper the barrel before using lead boolits.

158 Grain cast boolit loaded in a 38 special case with 3.6 Grains of Bulls eye. Used this load for years with out any problems and its accurate. (When I can get my eye to focus properly.)

All good loads. Query? microgroove or Ballard?
The permutations in this calibre are almost endless.
I have had three Marlins in 357. They all responded best to boolits as cast or sized.359.
My favourite load is 4 point 5 grains Bullseye, 158gn Lee RNFP in mag case. Can't be beat.

dodgyrog wrote:I'll refrain from commenting on cast boolits as I cast them and sell them, as well as shooting them.

You are quiet welcome to comment on cast boolits what you should refrain from doing on the open forum is pushing the fact that you sell them.

The Swap and Sell and/or the Vendors or Innovators forum are the places for people and companies to promote and sell their wares and services, they were set up so that commercial interests would not infringe on the open forums and turn Full-Bore UK into a market place.

Commercial concerns are accommodated here and all businesses should respect that, it only reflects badly on the seller if they try and circumvent it. Play by the rules and its a happy place, people who don't then upset those who do and it becomes an unhappy place.

If members here cannot respect our few rules and conventions both in the spirit and the letter by which they are intended then they should look for another forum.

The above is written for everyone not just dodgyrog.

As mentioned there will be loads of variations, mine is 5gr of N320 with a 140gr lead T/C bullet in a Mag case. Myself and eldest son have won many comps with this combination.

My Winchester likes 125gn Rainier bullets over 5.2 grains of titegroup but I'm starting to work on some heavier cast loads as the Rainier bullets are expensive.

I use 4 gn of Viht 320 in a magnum case with a 158gn .358 RNFP boolit ...which is probably about the same pressure/velocity as the others quoted...it's a good accurate load for 25m with low recoil.