New Vaquero in .357 Magnum

[Harley Starr]

Anybody shoot the .357 Magnum NMV with full power loads?

[yeti76620]

Anybody shoot the .357 Magnum NMV with full power loads?

I personally don't have the NMV and probably will not due to the fact the OMV is a bit small in my paws and the NMV feels like a pocket pistol (revolver)....I have seen "Disclaimers" and "Warnings" about certain RELOAD combinations should be avoided that are listed in certain recipe books (I think Speer) because the cylinder is NOT up to the pressure in the NMV; however, I doooooo enjoy the "Super Loads" in my OMV which is NO PROBLEM 'cept the brass has a hard time extracting and primer pockets are ruined.  (more then 16gr WIN 296 behind 158gr to 180gr bullet)

I push the 1000fps SASS speed limit in matches with 158gr RNFP booolit & 512bbl....'cause it's FUN!  At the end of the match I run a couple three copper jacketed through the pipes to clear the "Leading".....EVERY bullet caster's bullet leads up BBL's at this speed.

Have Fun!!!    


Yeti76620

[Buck Rawhide]

Howdy,
I do all the time.  I Shoot the Hornady  140gr FTX "Flex Tips" in 357 Magnum out of both of my 357 Magnum Vaqueros.  That's why they are chambered in 357 Magnum!  1400fps if I remember correctly.
The 357 will take whatever factory cartridge you can throw at it.  

The only issue I know of is chambering too hot of a load in the 45LC but we don't have to worry about that.
Enjoy your 357!

Take care,
Buck

I just checked my chrono results and show 1409fps with 617 #lbs of energy and an extreme spread of 20fps for the 6 rounds I shot over the chrono.  BTW, power factor is a whopping 197+   

[Harley Starr]

Howdy,
I do all the time.  I Shoot the Hornady  140gr FTX "Flex Tips" in 357 Magnum out of both of my 357 Magnum Vaqueros.  That's why they are chambered in 357 Magnum!  1400fps if I remember correctly.
The 357 will take whatever factory cartridge you can throw at it.  

The only issue I know of is chambering too hot of a load in the 45LC but we don't have to worry about that.
Enjoy your 357!

Take care,
Buck

I just checked my chrono results and show 1409fps with 617 #lbs of energy and an extreme spread of 20fps for the 6 rounds I shot over the chrono.  BTW, power factor is a whopping 197+   

Sounds good.

[Crow Choker]

I bought my NMV 357 two years ago and shoot the same "full" power loads in it that I do in my 357 Colt Trooper and Ruger GP100 with no problems. All are handloads that I've gotten out of the powder company manuels and from magazines such as 'Handloader', 'Guns', 'American Rifleman', Shooting Times' and are not loaded to the max specs of each powder/bullet load combination. I don't believe any of the factory loadings available would give you a problem either. None of the printed material I received with the NMV had any ammo restrictions printed that I could see, nor have I read or heard of any. As with any thing, if ya handload your ammo, ya gotta use reason, common sense, and control in your loadings. Watch for any hard extractions, split cases, seperation rings around the base of the case, primer condition, etc. I've used hefty loads of Unique, Blue Dot, 296, 4227, and Acc #9 with 125 and 140 grain HP's and good loads of 2400 with 156 grain gas check cast bullets with no problems. As with any handgun, sustained use of heavy, high presure loads will take its toll someday, but that will take many thousands of rounds and ya gotta use judgement on what ya stick in the cylinders. I'm not in the shoot as heavy a load as ya can handle crowd, I don't want to wear my guns out, but if I wanted to shoot 'marshmellows, I would have long ago bought the cheapest 38 Special I could find and shoot target wadcutters out of it or joined the paint ball circuit.