[john w]

I just recieved an 1894 357mag carbine on a trade. It has the micro groove rifleing and i was wondering what is the best load to use with this rifle. I usually shoot copper coated lead in the 158grn range. Will jacketed loads shoot better. Should i fire lap to smooth rifleing or is it necessary?. I know lots of questions but they are such a great little gun i want to give it a chance to live up to it's potential.---Thanks much guys for the help.

 

[MikeG]

John,

Hate to be ambiguous, but you really ought to just take it to the range and see how it does with different ammo.

Every gun is different. Having said that, as a general rule, I would expect jacketed to work just fine, and easiest results with cast will probably come with gas-checked bullets.

Don't know anything about your copper-coated lead bullets, but suspect that they are probably a little soft, and may not like full velocity. Then again I could be totally wrong....

 

[john w]

Thanks Mike G for the info--I have had it to the range and have tried the cast lead and the copper plated lead in 158 grn over unique and it spreads out into about 6" or more groups. I am looking for a good begining load that has been tried and true in other peoples 357 leverguns, sort of a good place to start text of info.I use the copper plated bullets in 30 carbine and drive them at jacketed bullet volocities and have good accuracy and no leading in my inland carbine and my other pistols. I use National Bullet products. I am trying to get a LEG up on to what works best and then try it and go from there.--Thank you much

 

[Charlie Z]

I wouldn't mix jacketed and cast (w/o a good cleaning). Marshall has some good notes on this on the site somewhere. Basically, lead will try to stick to the copper jacket fouling left in the bore and muck your accuracy up.

 

[T.A.P.]

Cast and Jackets

I would appreciate being corrected if I am wrong which I may very well be.I have been shooting cast bullets in the 357Rossi and when I get ready to clean I shoot several Rem.180JHP`s.Bore looks good to me and a final patch of Break Free comes out clean.By the way, Marshall`s 180/16grs.H110 shoots superbly and I am really enjoying this little rifle.These bullets chamber great whereas I load the Rem`s one at a time.I am unsure how much I will raise the pressure if I seat them deep enough to chamber from the magazine.Thanks to everyone for advice I have received.

 

[MikeG]

Jacketed bullets after lead will often take the lead out (not always). My favorite cleaning method!

Lead after jacketed can stick to any copper fouling in the bore, and really build up (but not every rifle has this problem). Just one of those things to keep an eye out for.

How much deeper would you have to seat the bullets to make them feed?

 

[T.A.P.]

Rem.357/180JhpCol.

Mike G. To be in the crimp groove I am seating 1.623col.Igot some to cycle at 1.615 and used a Lee factory crimp die.By the way, thanks for the load info you gave me.I am indebted to you and James Gates.

 

[MikeG]

That's only 0.008" deeper - trim length varies more than that (usually trim 0.010" at a time).

So I would just use the same load data and not worry about it.

Good luck.

 

[john w]

Any suggestions as to what load to use in the 1894 micro grove barrels?. I guess i will have to search further on the internet or this subject has been passed up on or forgotten about. I would think somebody has loaded for this gun and come up with a baseline.--Thank you all

 

[T.A.P.]

357

John W, I would sure try Marshall`s 185gr. cast bullet load suggested to me by Mike G. This load shoots great in my Rossi and I have read that cast bullets shoot great in Micro-Groove barrels if you push them pretty fast.While waiting for your Beartooth order try the Rem.180JHP`s which you can buy in bulk from Midway.

 

[john w]

Thanks TAP i will try the 185 grn bullets and see how it shoots. This will give me a place to start.`I have some 180 grn hornady xtp i will try first and go from there.

 

[john w]

1894 -357 loads to use follow-up

Well guys i finally got out to the range after a long not over yet bout with bell's palsy on my shooting side of my face. I had a few loads made up but forgot my 180 grn xtp loads so i tried the ones i brought. The most accurate load was 13 grn of 2400 with a 355 dia 147grn remington hp. This load even with a blurry eye shot 5 rounds with in an inch at 50 yrds. I shot about 20 rounds to make sure it was not a fluke and they all shot about that good. It sure made me feel better and i will remember to take the 180 grn to the range in the spring and try them. National billet has some 357 dia 185 grn copper coated bullets that i am going to stop by and try a handfull. I will post when i shoot them. --Thank you all

 

[imashooter2]

I'm still in the middle of load development, but so far my 1894C really likes the 158 grain XTP-FN over 18 grains of Lil' Gun and a CCI magnum primer. This load runs 1867 fps with an SD of 37 fps. I've also used 13 grains of Lil' Gun under a 180 grain cast TC (commercial Magma mold) for 1703 fps. No leading, but it doesn't shoot as well as the XTP.

 

[JRR]

I have been using Marchall's load of 16 gr. of h110 under the BTB 185 gr. gas check and also the Cast Perf. 187 gr. gas check bullets. The gun is a Win. 94 trapper with a 16.5 in. barrel.

With the case mouth rolled into the crimp groove full depth and the cases trimmed to 1.280" I get a oal of 1.610".

These loads go iess then 1" at 50 yards.

The Cast Perf. 180 gr. gas check over 13.5 gr. of 2400 or 14.5 gr. of H110 also gives under 1" at 50 yards.

185 gr. BTB - 16 gr. H110, WSP primers, 16.5" barrel - 1730 fps

Jeff

 

[Fred]

I can tell you what NOT to shoot! Do NOT use .357 Blazer unless you want to single load them. I bent one of those durn things at the range one day inserting it into the magazine - I was lucky the range boss was a passable armorer because he had to help me disassemble the whole cotton pickin rifle around a live bent cartridge. Boy did I feel stupid.

 

[john w]

I am courious- Does the marlin micro groove rifleing have tight bores?. As i stated my 1894-357 rifle shot best groups with the 147 grn 355 dia 9 mm bullets. Would this indicate the micro groove to be a tight bore. Thanks fellows

 

[Reb]

John w,

The 9mm is only .001 different than the .357 to start with and a hot load can "bump up" the diameter of the bullet somewhat. That may be the case rather than a tight bore.

If you want to try a factory load, Georgia Arms makes a 158 gr. JHP "Deer Stopper" that clover leafs out of my Rossi 92. While I haven't chrono'd it yet I have calculated the velocity from my 24" barrel at a bit over 1900 fps.

Reb