357 Mag Scout

[Ranch Dog]

I'm going to "Scout up" my 92/454 with the Weaver Scout scope because of the higher magnification as an additional sighting OPTION but I'm going to get my gunsmith who is also an excellent "think out of the box" machinist to jury rig up a low profile Picatinney style mounting system (sans JBW or KG) that avoids permanently "marrying" the gun to the scope so I can use Warne or Leupold QD mounts and retain the iron sight option if needed in the event the scope fails or gets damaged.

Some of the areas I go to in Canada, Alaska & Maine are not places where limiting your sighting options on a potential survival/self defense firearm is ever a good idea.

I really think this would be a great idea, spending a little time with thought and a bit of money solving the Rossi mount especially in light of your outdoor circumstances. For dangerous game, the K4s limited view would make me nervous in close quarters but at the same time it would offer precise bullet placement that the short cartridge really needs to accomplish it terminal work at 100 to 150 yards. Getting away from the painted aluminum base would be great.

[Ranch Dog]

Quite today. Finished up my bullet selection and load for my 357 Mag Scout. I put both my 175 & 190 grain bullets against each other with each bullet sized at .357" and .358".

My 175-grain bullet, the TLC359-175-RF, was designed specifically for the 357 Mag chamber. In order to meet the needs of the Marlin 1894C, the greater diameter of the bullet was designed to drop at .359". It fits the R92 but .357" is the appropriate diameter based on my chamber cast and bore slug work. The 190-grain bullet, the TLC359-190-RF, was designed specifically for the 35 Rem and this was my first work with it in the 357 Mag based on customer feed back.

In a nutshell, the 175-grain bullet cuts the group size in half at 100-yards as compared to the 190-grain bullet. Between the diameters of .357 and .358 with the 175-grain bullet, the .357 diameter cuts the group size three times! Here is my sight in target, a work in progress as I was called into lunch, something I do not miss.

TLC359175RF_121206.jpg

The target was shot at 100 yards the two shots overlapping each other (+1/+1) where adjusted to center but somehow I went to far down. In a few minutes will make the correction. I don't know what others see out of their R92 at 100-yards but I feel this 357 has a lot of potential! These shots represent only 30 shots out the barrel! I will finish up in a little bit and then start hunting with the rifle this afternoon.

For the bullet casters I use a water quenched Lyman #2 clone dipped in Alox. The BHN is 19. For the reloaders, the load is 16.1-grains of Lil'Gun which produces 1810 FPS at 35.4 KPSI. The cartridge OAL is 1.59".

[akuser47]

nice I never thought heavy rounds would shoot well in this caliber but I guess I was wrong.

[Lostcoast]

Very inspiring work, Ranch Dog. I may have to get into reloading someday - it certainly is both an art and a science in hands like yours!

[pricedo]

My groups with the dirt cheap 158 gr FP SP Federal "red box" cartridges at whatever diameter they are when they fall out of the box into my hand are pretty decent at 50 yards........about MOD (Minute of Deer - 3 shot groups slightly less than 1") accuracy.
My Amadeo Rossi 16" M92 "Trapper" in 357 Mag is not a bench rest gun, it's a max 100 yards gun that I hunt in thick cover where most shots would occur at less than 50 yards.
1/2" or 1"one way or the other at 100 yards with this gun would be an academic redundancy for its in the field tasking (short range thick brush hunting of deer).
My M92/357 gives me about 1" @ 50 yards with factory ammo (iron sights) and that's fine with me.......I'm not going to waste a lot of resources & time trying to create more accurate hand loads that will not enhance the field effectiveness of the gun 1 iota.
I don't use a pedal bike to go from Toronto, Canada to Tampa, Florida & by the same logic I don't use a 92 to hunt mountain sheep.
If I am hunting an area where longer shots present themselves I take a different gun.

But everyone to his own........as long as you're having fun (safely) that's the main thing.........if you get off on developing <1/2 MOA loads @ 100 yards for a 92/357 .......ENJOY !!

[Lostcoast]

Well personally I think that being able to achieve the kind of accuracy that Ranch Dog is getting from a Winchester clone with a 16" barrel is pretty amazing...

[pricedo]

Well personally I think that being able to achieve the kind of accuracy that Ranch Dog is getting from a Winchester clone with a 16" barrel is pretty amazing...

RD is a modern day Quigley !
Next thing I'll hear is that the 1000 yard shooting championship was won by a Texan with a R92/454 with his rear sight krazy glued to a ski pole to get the proper angle.
Shooting a cast lead bullet of course.

[Ranch Dog]

Well personally I think that being able to achieve the kind of accuracy that Ranch Dog is getting from a Winchester clone with a 16" barrel is pretty amazing...

LC, the scout model (56002) has a 20" model. With my 56001 rifle (20" barrel) and this same load I have this kind accuracy at 50 yards with the Skinner peep and but cannot maintain it out to 100-yards. Even the 1/16" Marble bead on the front sight just covers up too much of the target.

My M92/357 gives me about 1" @ 50 yards with factory ammo (iron sights) and that's fine with me.......

That's pretty much all I asked! Geeze... I really don't understand the dissertation on why my work doesn't fit into your view. From a guy that has killed a truck load of deer and hogs with the 357 Mag, I think accuracy is everything in shot placement. It is a marginal cartridge, in the same class with the 32-20 Win (killed deer and hogs with deer with it as well), and accurate placement of a bullet is critical in recovering a big game animal when hunting in the heavy cover you mentioned. What does any of this have to do with mountain sheep anyway?

From someone who has spent a lifetime loading ammunition, the 30 rounds for the load work took less time to put together than it would take you to leave your driveway to get that store bought ammo. That included experimenting with two different bullets with each of those bullets in two different sizes. The 20 rounds I loaded for hunting took 10 minutes. You make this seem like a big task and it isn't.

nice I never thought heavy rounds would shoot well in this caliber but I guess I was wrong.

The trick is that the bullets ogive is a perfect match of the chambers leade, throat, and step. It is fully supported. Like I noted, I've had customers report that my 190-grain bullet shot well but it's nose profile is different and not supported like the 175 with the difference reflected down range. I liked the idea of the heavy bullet but it also experienced 10" more drop at 100-yards compared to the 175" grain bullet.