Martini Cadet .357 Magnum

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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
I got one in project condition at a gun show a few months ago and have since gotten a much nicer one, started shooting it yesterday and today.

Ultimately, I am looking at this as being a squirrel rifle. I have a mold for about a 60 grain wadcutter which I want to try. I'm guessing about three grains of Bullseye or 700X in a .357 magnum case ought to work without any ignition problems.

At one point, my younger son talked me into getting set up to load for .380 (worthless cartridge, not sure whay I bothered) and in the process, I got a Lee six cavity of their little bullet for it and cast up a coffee can full. Can't seem to find where I put them at the moment, but I will. If those came out .358 or bigger, that might be the thing to use. Light bullet, low velocity and low noise level is what I'm looking for.

Thoughts?
 
fiver

fiver

Well-Known Member
yep 4 ought.
it's pretty big, just remember 36 cal is 375 if you look at RB type molds.

i don't remember who it was that had a line of smokeless caliber round ball molds, they had a series of stuff for the 357,44,45 etc. types.
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
That wadcutter mold I have is the 358101, nominally 75 grains. Not much more than a round ball. Looks like Lyman/Ideal had a round ball mold, the 358066 at one time.
 
Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Round balls can work great. Just remember that they tend to ricochet off branches and trees at low speeds and end going places you never intended. I'm talking 5-700 fps. There is a point where they flatten more instead but I'm not sure where that is velocity wise.
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
Bret4207 said:
Round balls can work great. Just remember that they tend to ricochet off branches and trees at low speeds and end going places you never intended. I'm talking 5-700 fps. There is a point where they flatten more instead but I'm not sure where that is velocity wise.
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Good point. Among my many other things to get around to are .36 and .32 muzzle loaders for such things.

I'll do some work with this wadcutter and see where it goes.
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
Ian said:
If I had it I would for sure rebarrel it with a .30-caliber blank and chamber it for the .30 Badger.
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Interesting as that sounds, not gonna mess with wildcats when it's chambered in a very useful caliber I already reload for and have lots of brass and bullet molds for. I've managed to amass a little collection of small centerfires since getting the .22 Hornet and learning to load for small game in it. I would probably have preferred this rifle for its intended purpose if it were chambered in .32 S&W Long or .32 H&R Mag, but this is close.

I really need to get that other one re-stocked and sights installed.
 
Rick H

Rick H

Well-Known Member
Many years ago I wanted to have a Martini Cadet built as a scoped 256 Winchester for short/mid range varmint rifle use. I was all excited, located a donor rifle for the action and priced it out with a local gunsmith. After getting a price I decided to just buy a new Remington 700 BDL heavy bbl. in 222 Rem. It cost half as much and served me well until I let it get away from me some 10 yrs. later. I let my boss talk me out of it.
 
Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
richhodg66 said:
Good point. Among my many other things to get around to are .36 and .32 muzzle loaders for such things.

I'll do some work with this wadcutter and see where it goes.
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Oooooo! I have a little 36 cal caplock ML. Delightful little rifle! I think of it as about like a 22Mag or maybe a 32-20. Little sucker has a lot more penetration than you'd think too. IIRC I was using something like 35 grs FFFg and that was it's happy spot. No clue how fast that was going but it seemed to range pretty good, flatter than a 22LR for sure. Fun little guns, but a pain to clean as are al ML's.
 
Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Rick H said:
Many years ago I wanted to have a Martini Cadet built as a scoped 256 Winchester for short/mid range varmint rifle use. I was all excited, located a donor rifle for the action and priced it out with a local gunsmith. After getting a price I decided to just buy a new Remington 700 BDL heavy bbl. in 222 Rem. It cost half as much and served me well until I let it get away from me some 10 yrs. later. I let my boss talk me out of it.
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There was a time when you could pick up old SS actions, or complete rifles for not a lot of $$ and make them into something fun. Woulda, shoulda, coulda! Old retired Forest Ranger I knew had Remington Hepburns and stuff like that in his collection because at the time they were considered "junk". Times do change.
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
I do have a pretty nice one made up into a light varmint rifle in .218 Bee. Been meaning to get around to doing cast in it, wasn't hard to do in the Hornet for what I wanted it to do. Maybe the Bee will be similar.
 
RBHarter

RBHarter

West Central AR
I don't know how fast it's going but a .440 PRB gets way out there in a hurry with 90 gr FFg under it . There's not a lot of thinking about hold over either on out to about 200 yd rock popping .

A 36 cal 1858 will dent 1/4 crs at 25 yd on 25 gr of FFFg .
More useless information .

Don't wanna be on the business end of even the 6" rock lock if I can avoid it .

I have a 35966 , it goes with a whole gaggle of RB moulds that run .330 , .360 , .375 , .380 , .440 ,.445 , .451 , .454 , .490 , and .690 .
00B , C&B , ML pistols and rifles and a RB for the 10-12k Herters wads for 12 ga .
 
Bret4207

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
richhodg66 said:
I do have a pretty nice one made up into a light varmint rifle in .218 Bee. Been meaning to get around to doing cast in it, wasn't hard to do in the Hornet for what I wanted it to do. Maybe the Bee will be similar.
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The 218 has always appealed to me more than the Hornet, probably because I'm in love with the 32-20. My particular 218 is a Win 43 that some previous owner loaded hot enough to cause a bit of bolt set back. It's not my favorite rifle. Love to have something on a light SS frame, but it's doubtful I'll even see one.
 
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