This has been done before, but I have to ask myself...why? The GBO 357 Max reamer cuts a true rifle throat that improves how well the bullet is stabilized and fed into the rifling, greatly improving accuracy not just for the Max, but also for the Mags and Specials. Besides that, concentricity is jeopardized (again reducing accuracy) when long bullets have been seated far out of the case. 250-300 yards is really pushing it for any of them in that cartridge family, especially if it's being considered for hunting respectable game.

Thanks, Dinny

 

I've done in between loads using Mag brass in both a contender handgun chambered in the Maxi and in a Handi chambered in the Mag. I did not have Maxi brass at the time. It worked fine but I stayed away from full Maxi loads. Velocity was right where you would expect. No pressure signs. The bullets were seated almost to Maxi specs (to the length the Handi would handle) so the guns probably never knew the difference. I will say a loaded round looked really funny. You have to seat the bullet ever so gently and make sure it stays straight because very little is in the case. When I got Maxi brass, I started with the same load with a slightly longer OAl and the contender shot them virtually identical to the Mag/Maxi loads. I did not try the Maxi in the Handi Mag. Too long (barely). I hunt thick cover so 125 yards is my limit with the Maxi.

 

I read that .357 mag in a single shot rifle can be loaded to .357 max specs but wanted to know if anyone out there has tried this before. Will seating the bullet out farther to same OAL as the max allow the magnum to perform as good as the maximum? I read the max can be used on deer out to 250-300 yards. Is that true? Will the hot 357 mags have the 250-300 yard range for deer too?

WELCOME!

Dinny gave it to you straight and I agree.

As to loading. Well any respectable reloader will tell you load to the specs for the case your using. It's common sense really should some unknowing person get ahold of that round it SAYS 357 MAGNUM... Now, sure it can and has been done. I don't like the idea but if your using proper maxi chamber, loading to ALL OTHER maxi specs and ONLY using mag brass. YES it will be just fine. Problems are most doing this are NOT firing from a maxi chamber. This can be a real problem as pressures can be wild and static as the chamber is not designed for such a long cartridge and EVERY GUN WILL BE DIFFERENT!

IMHO NOT WORTH THE RISK!

What a maxi, make or buy one. I'm sure you have loved ones that love you the way you are. Not missing fingers or part of your face... Think on it.

As for a 300 yard maxi.... Wanna buy a bridge I have? . I'm sure some ass hat as tried it. I have more respect for the game I'm hunting. Wanna shoot at 300, use an appropriate caliber. . IMHO the Maxi is a SUB 200 yard caliber and IF near 200 is your norm FIND A BETTER CALIBER!

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE THE MAXI! Quite likely I have owned one as long as anyone and shot and hunted with one and harvested game with one than many here. (we get a VERY LIBERAL 7+ tags per year here) I have the experience and know full well, what it can and cannot do. It accells at med, thin skinned, large game at under 150 yards. With a good experienced shooter, using proper bullets, 200 yards is doable. But again there are better calibers for these ranges.


Best of luck with yours!

CW

 

I read that .357 mag in a single shot rifle can be loaded to .357 max specs but wanted to know if anyone out there has tried this before. Will seating the bullet out farther to same OAL as the max allow the magnum to perform as good as the maximum? I read the max can be used on deer out to 250-300 yards. Is that true? Will the hot 357 mags have the 250-300 yard range for deer too?

WELCOME!

Dinny gave it to you straight and I agree.

As to loading. Well any respectable reloader will tell you load to the specs for the case your using. It's common sense really should some unknowing person get ahold of that round it SAYS 357 MAGNUM... Now, sure it can and has been done. I don't like the idea but if your using proper maxi chamber, loading to ALL OTHER maxi specs and ONLY using mag brass. YES it will be just fine. Problems are most doing this are NOT firing from a maxi chamber. This can be a real problem as pressures can be wild and static as the chamber is not designed for such a long cartridge and EVERY GUN WILL BE DIFFERENT!

IMHO NOT WORTH THE RISK!

What a maxi, make or buy one. I'm sure you have loved ones that love you the way you are. Not missing fingers or part of your face... Think on it.

As for a 300 yard maxi.... Wanna buy a bridge I have? . I'm sure some ass hat as tried it. I have more respect for the game I'm hunting. Wanna shoot at 300, use an appropriate caliber. . IMHO the Maxi is a SUB 200 yard caliber and IF near 200 is your norm FIND A BETTER CALIBER!

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE THE MAXI! Quite likely I have used it more and owned them longer and harvested more game with one than most here. I know full well what it can do and it accells at med thin skinned large game at under 150 yards. With a good experienced shooter using proper bullets 200 is doable. Again there are better calibers for these ranges.


Best of luck with yours!

CW

I wasn't sure about the range but with the terrible regulations here in indiana the maximum is gonna be the best legal caliber because I can't drop 1000 bucks for a 358 Hoosier just for another 50-100 yards and I can't find a cheap 460 anywhere.

 

I read that .357 mag in a single shot rifle can be loaded to .357 max specs but wanted to know if anyone out there has tried this before. Will seating the bullet out farther to same OAL as the max allow the magnum to perform as good as the maximum? I read the max can be used on deer out to 250-300 yards. Is that true? Will the hot 357 mags have the 250-300 yard range for deer too?

WELCOME!

Dinny gave it to you straight and I agree.

As to loading. Well any respectable reloader will tell you load to the specs for the case your using. It's common sense really should some unknowing person get ahold of that round it SAYS 357 MAGNUM... Now, sure it can and has been done. I don't like the idea but if your using proper maxi chamber, loading to ALL OTHER maxi specs and ONLY using mag brass. YES it will be just fine. Problems are most doing this are NOT firing from a maxi chamber. This can be a real problem as pressures can be wild and static as the chamber is not designed for such a long cartridge and EVERY GUN WILL BE DIFFERENT!

IMHO NOT WORTH THE RISK!

What a maxi, make or buy one. I'm sure you have loved ones that love you the way you are. Not missing fingers or part of your face... Think on it.

As for a 300 yard maxi.... Wanna buy a bridge I have? . I'm sure some ass hat as tried it. I have more respect for the game I'm hunting. Wanna shoot at 300, use an appropriate caliber. . IMHO the Maxi is a SUB 200 yard caliber and IF near 200 is your norm FIND A BETTER CALIBER!

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE THE MAXI! Quite likely I have used it more and owned them longer and harvested more game with one than most here. I know full well what it can do and it accells at med thin skinned large game at under 150 yards. With a good experienced shooter using proper bullets 200 is doable. Again there are better calibers for these ranges.


Best of luck with yours!

CW

I wasn't sure about the range but with the terrible regulations here in indiana the maximum is gonna be the best legal caliber because I can't drop 1000 bucks for a 358 Hoosier just for another 50-100 yards and I can't find a cheap 460 anywhere.

I have not hunted there, but a very good friend who moved there outta high school that lives and hunts there. When rifles became legal we spoke and I suggested the maxi. But he has a couple kids in colledge and not the money or time so I suggested he buy a 44 mag. He did and has filled his tags yearly since. Anything that can be said for the 44 conserving whitetails can be said for the Maxi. Remember the maxi was built to do what the 44 does but with less recoil. (Steel sillouette)

Indianas hunting isnt a lot different then mine here in the N.East. You will have some larger tracts but by and large if you stay outta the big fields your gonna be well within 125 yards and for this the Maxi flat accells! I like to shoot bones. I like the high shoulder and base of the neck shots. Most of my shots are inside 75 and of them 80% are under 50yards. Think shotgun rifled slugs with much better accuracy and twice the range.

Load your Maxi with a 158/180 SP bullet at say 2200 fps and don't look back. Put that bullet in the boiler room and you will be dragging venison.

CW

 

I have a friend who trims Maxi brass to 360 Dan Wesson length and picks up an additional 200 FPS with 296
360 Dan Wesson loads. He has encountered no pressure problems and has experienced improved accuracy .
His hot loads for the 180 XTP are DRT loads. His grand kids use the gun out to 100 yards and are not afraid of it at all. I am sure the gun will perform beyond that range but the kids are careful with their shooting and restrict them selves to 100 yards.

 

Many have done that there H&Rs have deep enough chamber to safely use the 360 DW. Yes it offeres a preformance gain over the magnum.

As Dinny mentioned above. Our reamer is correct rifle reamer and actually corrects improper chambers as it cuts the maxi chamber.(by recutting deeper) improved accuracy and ballistics are the result. It's extreamly reasonable and a side benifit is it also allows 38/357/360 accuracy improvements as well!!

Get on the list. It's easy you will be done rechambering minutes after you finish opening the package! It's cake! Direction are in our FAQ's but basically your two worries are GO SLOW & DONT DEEPEN RIM CUT! Many like to use white out to show when cutters JUST touch factory rim cut. Your not cutting walls just depth for about a 1/4 of an inch. Easy easy easy. All with hand tools and a little oil.

CW

 

My 2 Cents! 8)

"I wasn't sure about the range but with the terrible regulations here in indiana the maximum is gonna be the best legal caliber because I can't drop 1000 bucks for a 358 Hoosier just for another 50-100 yards and I can't find a cheap 460 anywhere."


I too live in Indiana and I have hunted with the 500 SW, 44 mag, 445 SM, 357 mag, 357 max, 12 guage, 410 guage and have taken deer at ranges from 10 yards to 225 yards. Any of the above cartridges/shells will do the job granting you do yours with the shot placement and the cartridges you use are designed for hunting with expanding bullets. Granted some of them will be easier on the shoulder than the others. Hopefully the deer will not know the difference because all of them will dispatch them cleanly and humanely.
There is another cartridge choice and can be achieved with a little work. This year I am adding the 35 Remington and Turning it in the 35 Indiana using 35 Rem +P handloads and trimmed brass to 1.8 inches to make it Hoosier Deer legal. I am going to see how they perform, but I suspect I will be just a half step above the 357 max. I may gain another 25 to 50 yards of Point Blank Range, but that is about all. Yes,the 35 Remingotn/Indiana will be a fraction of the cost of a custom 358 Hoosier or 358 WSSM. The other advantage is if you travel to another state and hunt thickets for lets say bear, you can still shoot the 35 Remington off the shelf ammo. There are commercially available Marlin compact lever actions out there or a Handi in this cartridge.
Point is pick a rifle that is comforatble to your frame, shooting ablilites and in your price range to keep it fed with ammo in any of the above cartridges. I don't have the 500 SW nor a 12 guage anymore. They are cartridges/shells that are just plain abusive. Then hone your marksmenship skills in a variety of hunting situations, like free standing snap shots, etc... Then the choice of cartridge will become less important, because the above list basically overlaps the same range and application.
Unless of course you just want to try all the different ones which is perfectly fine too. That is part of the journey. I know I have tried to shoot them all and have had and will hopefully continue to have a lot of fun doing it.
At any rate good luck and happy hunting!

 

I have done as the OP asked and it has worked very well. In mine I get low end 357Max ballistics and good enough groups for me.
The reason I dont use the Forum Reamer is because for me the above loads were to find my upper end of capability, for most of my cast bullet shooting in this bore size even the 357Mag case has more than enough boiler room.
FWIW, my barrel is only a couple of years old, an H&R slick, heavy one. I have not done a chamber cast but do wonder if it has an improved throat or leade over the previous offerings as it has been shooting well from the git-go.