38spl. Wad cutters thru a 357 mgnum rifle?

[HighlandLofts]

I just loaded up a bunch of 38spl. Wad Cutters, has any one fed these through a Rifle?

I have a Ruger 77/357.

 

[kev74]

It shouldn't be a problem. You might get some lead buildup at the front of the chamber, but it will brush out.

 

[Phauxtoe]

I have shot some thru my 77/357 no issues at all.
I always run some jacketed rounds at the end of shooting it to Floss my rifle

 

[togmaster]

Your FPS will increase with a longer barrel. If you load them too hot you will get excessive leading. Mild to moderate loads will not be a problem.

 

[HighlandLofts]

I bought Berry 148 grain jacketed double ended wad cutters, for my revolvers I loaded twenty-five rounds with five different types of powder for a total of 125 rounds to test in the revolvers and was thinking of trying them in the rifle to find a light recoil target load. I kept right in the middle of the powder charge for now.

I'll be shooting five rounds each through the rifle & revolvers and see what happens.

 

[turbobike]

Make sure you clean the breach before you put the longer 357 mag bullets, carbon fouling ring because the 38 spec case is shorter than 357. Extraction of the 357 mag case can be a bitch...

 

[HighlandLofts]

I'll take the cleaning kit with me when I go shooting here shortly. I have to run to wally World first and get some targets.
I built a new sandwich board target stand yesterday, Actually two of them. The one I had bit the big one last shooting trip.

 

[@thewheels]

Is this what you loaded up for testing?

.38 148 gr Hollow Base Wad Cutter - Berry's Manufacturing


Edit: I think you actually mentioned that they were double end?

.38 148 gr Double End Wad Cutter - Berry's Manufacturing

Looks good - and affordable. As soon as I get time for reloading, I might try some myself.

 

[HighlandLofts]

I went shooting with my grandson yesterday so I shot five factory Remington 38spl bullets to make sure the gun was still shooting right on, which it was, forty-five yards, all five holes touching each other.
I did use the Berry 148 grain double ended wad cutters. They would not feed in to the chamber from the magazine in the Ruger 77/357, so I had to load each bullet by hand in to the chamber.
The first bullet was an inch low, the next two were about two inches low and the next two were about two & a half inches low so I didn,t shoot any more of them.
What I did shoot were the Berry gr148 grain double ended wad cutters with 3 grains of Universal powder.

The rest of the wad cutters I loaded will be shot through the revolvers.