Varminterror
Member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2016
- Messages
- 15,146
I run H110/W296 for proper magnum loads, with Bullseye and HP-38/W231 for my mousephart plinking loads.
Walkalong,I use Competition or WST for light .357, 2400 for "full power" .357, and have played with lots of powders over the years for mid-range loads and was never 100% happy until I tried BE-86. That is with plated and jacketed. Lead is much easier, it is so much easier to find good mid-range loads that are accurate with good ES & SD numbers.
Semiwadcutters don't run in my rifle, hanging up on the bullet's leading band. I think it is common to favor TCFP. I use 158 from Penn to limit velocity. The rifle likes 357 brass.
My .357 rifle is not a Marlin but my 45 is a JM. So far, the RNFP run okay in the 45 (no leading band).I found that the Lee TL358-158-SWC hard-cast bullet loads and feeds very reliably in my new Marlin 1894C carbine. There is no indication of any marks on the leading edge of the first band whatsoever. But, it may depend on when your rifle was made. Perhaps a JM Marlin might not have the chamber edge chamfered much.
The Lee C359-158-SWC gas-check looks pretty similar in nose profile and I would expect it to also perform well in my carbine.