Marlin 1894c Bullet Choices

[kmittleman]

Hi all,


I just got a .357 lever from my father and was wondering which bullet types to avoid when handloading. I bought a load of Hornady LRN's but then thought twice about it before loading u a bunch.

Thanks in advance!

-Kevin

[Blaine]

If they cycle/shoot/don't foul the bbl/accurate, there are no "bad" bullets.....

[kmittleman]

Well, I meant to say are they pointy enough to set off primers in the magazine?

[Blaine]

Well, I meant to say are they pointy enough to set off primers in the magazine?

Don't use them, unless you limit it to one in the mag, and one in the chamber...a two shot.

[Griff]

There ARE some round nose that I find pointy enough not to use in a tubular magazine. Others, I have no problem with, my favorite is the Saeco # 390. http://www.redding-reloading.com/online ... lds-charts Look at the middle chart. Anything more point than that bullet, I won't use it in a levergun.

[AJMD429]

Bottom line is - the only ones of us who really KNOW how pointy is 'too-pointy', are likely to have some missing fingers.

If the nose is smaller than the primer diameter, I avoid it in rifles that have much recoil. The problem there is what is 'much'. I haven't ever shot a 357 Mag load in a levergun that seemed to move the gun much, vs. say a 44 Mag or 454 Casull hot load in a short carbine.

[Hobie]

Test show that if one does go off you likely wouldn't be missing fingers. .38s I don't worry about EXCEPT don't use wadcutters. Now hot .357s, I'd be wary but I use FPs or HPs anyway.

[DPris]

You have the bullets, you presumably have access to cases with primers installed, look at what you have & see for yourself.
Put a bullet nose to a primer in a case & go from there.

Hard for anybody here to say for sure without seeing what you have.
Denis

[gundownunder]

I shot buckets full of round nose bullets through my rifle in both mild and full house magnum loads and still have all my fingers.
I would probably be a little bit nervous if I was doing it with full jacket stuff but I figure that lead would flatten before a primer would dent. I no longer have that mold so there's no chance that I might prove my theory wrong in future.

[DPris]

We got to Hell On Wheels, SASS Regional, in Wyoming one year, a day after a shooter detonated his Uberti rifle magazine using lead-only bullets.

He was experienced, never had a problem previously with his loads, certainly did that day.
Went to the hospital for treatment of his front arm, but wasn't a major injury.

The point is that it's the point that's the point, not the material.
Lead can touch off a primer ahead of it, even under the recoil of mild powder charges.

If your bullet point is small enough & pointy enough to fit inside the primer cup in the case, it CAN be a potential problem.
If the bullet tip is wide enough to be held off the primer by the case material surrounding the primer pocket, you're OK.
Denis