Suggestions for 357/38 92.

[Tom]

I finally got a 92, a rossi 20". So far, I've loaded 160gr wfn over h universal Clay's and tried some hbwc I had in 38spl with about 2.8grs ba10. The wc loads were quieter than a 22. I loaded a hundred or so 38s with 105swc Lee's and 2.2 hrs ba10 but haven't tried them yet.
Looking through my primers, I have about 4k rem spp left and maybe 500 cci spm.
For powders, I have almost 8 lbs unique, 4lbs h universal, 1lb hs6, 1lb ba10, maybe a half lb red dot and a couple lbs 110.
I don't want to use up the magnum primers. For moulds, 175 gr swc, 183 noe, 105 lee sec, 160 noe wfn, noe 200 gr rcbs clone, and a tumble lube 180 on the way from accurate.
Any suggestions where to start given my supplies?
No accuracy on my initial outing as my eyes aren't playing nicely with the factory sights. I have a peep coming which should help.
One more question. Srm primers ought to be ok for 110/296 loads?

 

[RicinYakima]

Five grains of Unique with the 160 - 175 grain bullets is a nice light load for the '92, if they will feed. The NOE 200 grain with H110 if you want to shoot small deer with the rifle. What are your goals?

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Blue Dot has been my go to powder for many years. I agree 170g is about perfect in a rifle for top performance. I have a 358429 HP that I like a awful lot but it too long for my levers unless the driving band is covered. A 357446 has been working real well Brad HP'd for me. Another real fine bullet is the Lee 358158. Cheap and usually a good shooter. I like that NOE 183 allot too but it is also too long for my Marlins. I seat then to bottom crimp in 38 cases and worked up a load. I guess I coulda trimmed 357's to be perfect but these are working fine and I haven't lost enough velocity to be concerned. I also don't require every ounce of performance here.

CW

 

[RBHarter]

I had a Marlin and the 358-158 was the answer there . I shot a bunch of Unique in it .

 

[Tom]

Ric, I thought about it and really don't have any hunting goals, so I guess heavy loads would be a waste. Mostly a plinker, i imagine. With that in mind, unique or universal are probably what I should use since I've got more of those. Some hotter loads, just because I can, but but no real use for them. I haven't tried the 358429, but it feeds everything else except for the wadcutters as the mag allows a second round to slip out with the first one.

 

[Winelover]

My 20" Rossi feeds everything, right out of the box. Even SWC designs, crimped in the crimp groove, both 38 Special or 357 magnum brass. However, I load only 357 brass in 357 magnum chambers. Both for revolver and carbine. Thirty eight specials are reserved for 38 Special chambered firearms. I mostly load bullets of standard weight (158 grain) in both carbine and revolvers. Light bullets shoot low and heavier shoot high. Not going to be changing sight settings, constantly.

My current .357 go to bullet is Accurate's 158 RNFP. Since it's being used in both revolver and carbine loads, I went with two PB and two GC cavities in an iron mold.

The Rossi carbine likes .360 diameter bullets with either 13.0 grains of 2400 or 12.5 grains of SR-4759 in Starline 357 magnum yellow brass. CCI 500 SP primers.

Also have a NOE 180 RNFP mold with both PB and GC cavities. The Rossi gets those at .360 diameter with either 11.5 grains of 2400 (standard prime) or 14.5 grains of H-110 (magnum prime) in 357 brass. Can't help with SRP since I don't even keep them in stock.

I will occasionally load light for caliber bullets in the Rossi. The molds I use are designed for 9mm, so I taper crimp with an RCBS 357 taper crimp die. The Lyman 120 TC or the NOE 115 RNFP (solid and HP). I use 7.0 grains of Bullseye in 357 brass. These will shoot to same POA of the heavier bullets, at 25 yards. For contrast, 4.0 grains of Bullseye in the 357 brass, with 158 RNFP will shoot 10.5" low at 60 yards.

Unique is what I use for 38 Special loads. Mostly at 5.0 grains, in 38 Special brass, with 158 RCBS SWC. Not a light load. Can't remember where it printed in the carbine but it shoots to POA in my S&W 642 and model 60 fixed sighted snubbies. For my 2" barreled 357 LCR, I use 6.5 grains of Unique in 357 brass for a pleasant load...............never tried it in the carbine. Most likely it will shoot low.

 

[Jeff H]

Mostly Unique and W231/HP38 with 125 through 158 grain cast in mine.

I did shoot some 180s with full charges of 2400 and 300MP so I had some close deer-capable rounds. RDO 190s worked with some finessing on the carrier (lifter) but 200 grain SAECOs went fully sideways through the target at something like (it was close) 20 yards.

The LEE 125 grain RF shot the best, but not by much. For general goofing off, which is hard to resist with that gun, it saved me 33 grains of lead per shot.

I had a pretty amazing "cat-sneeze" load doing 400 or 500 fps with the LEE TL358-158SWC, which shot into about an inch at 25 yards and would flatten a 50/50 ACWW/Pb version into a quarter-sized pancake on steel at that distance. Extremely quiet and effective for head shots on vermin.

EDIT: Mine was a 16". I traded it to my brother and can't get it back. It fired Wolf SRP "Magnum" primers reliably and had a .355" groove diameter. I did have to do a LOT of work to mine, but I think it was a factory fluke. Sure shot well when I was done though.

 

[Bret4207]

A '92 in 357! Dang man, I'm jealous!

 

[Tom]

Wow, Jeff, that's a whole lotta flat for a cat sneeze load!

 

[Winelover]

A '92 in 357! Dang man, I'm jealous!

Little salt for the wounds.



Vortex SPARC red dot.............comes with a 2x magnifier that screws into the ocular.




Since this target was shot, I went with standard primers, with 2400.

 

[JonB]

Wow, Jeff, that's a whole lotta flat for a cat sneeze load!

Yeah, There must have been a reasonable percentage of stick-on WW in that ACWW mix?

 

[Bret4207]

Little salt for the wounds.

View attachment 23256

Vortex SPARC red dot.............comes with a 2x magnifier that screws into the ocular.


View attachment 23258

Since this target was shot, I went with standard primers, with 2400.

View attachment 23260

Sweet!, except for that ugly wart on the barrel. Call me old fashioned, but I'm never going to get used to saddle guns with optics.

 

[Winelover]

Warts can be removed. However, when you get my age, one needs every advantage to be able to see the sights. Went the peep site route on my Marlin 1894. Worthless for low light, even with the largest aperture and green light pipe front. Took them off, after the first time afield. Don't have or want a horse, so saddle scabbard is moot.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I have always been a staunch proponent of iron sites on levers.
About ten ish years ago I bought a set if Leupold QD base/rings for my 1895 Marlin. Allowing open irons or a scope. I hunted that year with it but Im a stickler for proper fit a d low mounted scopes. Levers traditional levers dont allow that.
My buddys wife needed a rifle for a hunt I put a red dot on a 1894 357 she shot it well & it worked for her. I didnt like it and went back to peeps. Im a lever fan. All other levers have peeps. If they wont "work" Ill choose a rifle design that will.
I cannot see irons well. Peeps are still useable. Scopes and red dots are better.
CW

 

[462]

As I've posted many times, my vision and iron sights are none too compatible, but I'm too much of a traditionalist to ever put anything other than a tang peep sight on any of my lever rifles. 'tain't right. In fact, of the three, only the .357 Rossi/EMF sporting rifle has a tang sight.

 

[Jeff H]

Wow, Jeff, that's a whole lotta flat for a cat sneeze load!

That was 50/50 ACWW/Pure. I misspoke in my previous post. It hit, falttened out and dropped to the base of the target like Wiley E. Coyote on the train tunnel. Was lying right there when I walked up.

 

[Jeff H]

As I've posted many times, my vision and iron sights are none too compatible, but I'm too much of a traditionalist to ever put anything other than a tang peep sight on any of my lever rifles. 'tain't right. In fact, of the three, only the .357 Rossi/EMF sporting rifle has a tang sight.

If one prefers a receiver sight, the 92 is EASY with its flat receiver.
Mine also came with a barrel-mounted scope base, which was very convenient as well.

 

[Jeff H]

Yeah, There must have been a reasonable percentage of stick-on WW in that ACWW mix?

Yes, it was 50/50 - WW/Pure.

I misspoke previously.

You would get the classic "POP......CLANK" even at 25 yards, you could discern a definite difference between report at the muzzle and on the target.

Tried these loads in a Ruger 77/357 - total no-go. By the time I bumped the charge enough to get the bullets to exit the muzzle, it was too loud already. Just started messing with the 357 Contender Carbine with these loads but haven't done my testing.

 

[L Ross]

We have a couple of those .357 Rossi's around here. When we shot cowboy we shot black. A compressed case of good 3fg under that old Lyman 358430(?) 195 grain round nose knocked those cowboy cutouts just silly. I liked the 66 and 73 but Sue was really fond of her Rossi. It was our only anachronism, a 1892 for our otherwise 1876 personnas. No one else seemed to notice from their golf carts and Kawasaki Mules. Bleh!

 

[Brad]

Here ya go Bret.