357 MAG BuffaloBore 180gr Hard Cast LFN-gc

[RDub01]

 


I wanted to do this a couple years ago, just never got around to it. Well today was the day.
Touched the first round off, and WOW.. You really know something happened! After shooting the brass ejected out of the cylinder easily.
The gun used today was a S&W 686-6 Performance Center 5" barrel. Had the barrel been longer we would have seen velocities at or over 1400 fps.
Notice B.B. has their own style of crimping. At first, I wasn't too impressed with the group, but after realizing the front sight covers about 5" at 25 yards, so all the rounds impacted an area well within what the front sight covers. Anyway, I'm going to be a little more confident carrying these out in the woods..

Cartridge is from Ammo Manufacture:  BuffaloBore .357 Mag
Muzzle Velocity; Advertised:   1400 fps 
Actual Instrumental Velocity:   1359 fps;  5? 686-6;  70?F
Muzzle Energy; Advertised:   783 ft/lbs




Brass Make/Headstamp:  Star Line;  357 MAGNUM

Bullet Make/Weight/Construction/Info Remington 180gr  Hard Cast LFN-gc .3568? dia;  .753? long.                                         
Actual Weight:     178.5grs.




Crimp diameter:
C.O.A.L.:    1.558?
Primer:  Nickel; 



Case: Brass;   1.288?;  Dia base; .376?; Dia neck; .375?
73.6grs.

Powder Description/Positive ID/Type/Charge Weight:  Flattened Ball;  15.7grs. Lil?Gun?







If you look close, you can see little round 'flakes' mixed in with the charge..

For comparison I included some pics of Lil'Gun; and some data from Hodgden;

[Kenk]

Thanks RDub01

[The_Shadow]

The powder could be Hodgdon CFE Black  Not positive though!  Don't have any to work with...



CFE Black is being used in the 300AAC cartridges its possible BB has worked with it in the 357 ??

[RDub01]

Hmm.. Interesting. You can see some of those round flakes. It might work in this application.

[The_Shadow]

The picture I posted does tend to have more smooth and rounded powder (like 296/H-110) as compared to your sample shown with more ragged edges like Longshot.
It seems some newer powders are coming out and it's tough to get good samples or data to support what we are seeing!

[RDub01]

I wonder if this is where BB buys those bullets from... ;

https://rimrockbullets.com/xcart/g-ch-38-357-180-gr-lbt-wfn-per-100-in-plastic-ammo-box.html

The sample bullet I measured was .3568".. I suppose BB could special order that diameter..

[Jim Bridger]

I cast very hard bullets 180 grs Lyman and powder coat. These are Max loads of 296 powder using rifle primers.  They are fired  from an LAR Grizzly
pistol. This allows more control than the LAR Grizzly .45 Win Mag .300 gr bullets. I have had 2 friends attacked by our Grizzly Bears this month.
The 10MM Glock saved one victim's life.