Well, a Contender will work fine @ 42000 with a case head the size of a .30-30. The .357 Mag. case head is smaller in diameter, and pressures can exceed 42000 by a bit with that smaller case head size ( think of a .223 Rem.@ 50,000+ ) due to the reduced overall backthrust.
In the early days of Handgun Metallic Silhouette competition, some enthusiasticly brave, but not necessarily smart, shooters pushed .357 Mag. Contenders beyond all limits of reason. The guns I'm aware of took it. That still didn't make it smart.
Now, John is a friend of mine, but I think that some of the published .357 Mag. / 353 Casull loads you refer to are certainly truthful, but...um...enthusiastic. I don't go that heavy in mine. Note, however, that John's most powerful loads use N-110, and performance is a bit less with other powders.
I detest the idea of sharing loads on the internet, but I will in this case to give an idea of my own thoughts, and because such loads have been published by Speer and Hornady:
In my Contenders, a Speer 180 .358 pushed by 16.5 gr of w-w 296 and a CCI 350 is no problem. I discourage going much heavier, although I've seen it done, as mentioned above. This load also worked in a Ruger SRM.
In my 353, I settled long ago on a 180 XTP driven by 15-15.5 gr. of w-w 296. Mild for that gun but extraordinarily accurate.
Bottom line for me? The Contender will take the heaviest published LOADING MANUAL loads, and any other loads that SHOULD be put in any .357 Mag., including the Redhawk and FA 353 / 83.
That's my opinion...and I'm stickin' to it.
Last edited by 500WE; 08/14/2008 9:56 PM.
