Heres what Ive got so far.
a load for my 357 max w/ hdy 180gr.FP match bullet (heavy jacket with exposed lead at nose. This load does 1800fps w/10" bbl but I lost a deer 2yrs ago because it went clear thru with no expantion. Would this heavily built bullet be a good thing on black bear? or should I look for somthing differant?

I'm not familiar with that bullet but a heavy jacket soft point is not a bad choice but in a 357 cal I'm not sure on bear. For me personally it wouldn't be a first choice bear gun even though with proper shot placement it can do the job especially if it's close range like a treestand over bait. The other thing is what size bears are typical for the area your hunting, are they typically 200 pounders and 400lb plus are un heard of or like in my area where 400+ are somewhat common and 600 pounders are not impossible? If your dealing with what will be almost certainly 150-250lb bears I'd say the jacketed will work but otherwise I'd look at something a little tougher like hard cast and shoot to break the animal down. I have some 187gr Cast Performance bullets I was planning on handloading for my 357 mag for my wife to carry as back up but I converted a 3 screw blackhawk to 44spcl for her so I'm probably going to work up a Keith load with hardcasts in that for her. Hope there is something usefull in all that for you.

Its a 10" T/C Contender

I load with a 200 gn hard cast. It hits like a mack truck or close too it!!! It would do a good job on a bear. Nothing past 75-100 yards though. I load with 20 grains of IMR 4227 and a small rifle mag primer. Put a heavy role crimp on it and hold on.
This is a hot load but will not split cases or flatten primers.

Lars

It sounds like that bullet acts like a hardcast so shoot it as if it were. Aim for the shoulder so you can break some bone. You have it going fast enough to do some damage. I killed a blackie with a .357 mag on a bow hunt, the Max is just more better.

I also have a 10" Max, but shoot 158 FP's for deer. I have other guns that make much fatter holes for bears ;-)

D.B.

I'll Have To Send You Straight To The Almighty JOHN NOSLER(I Propose A Toast) On This One:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=491126

As Most Of Us Know,The Beauty Of The Nosler Partition Bullet Is That It Was Specifically-Designed For Double Diameter-ish Expansion Followed By A Deep Penetration On "Heavy Game". One Thing You Won't Have To Worry About Is A Non-Expanding "Shoot-Through"(A Possibility With Hard Cast Slugs).The True Majesty Of The Beast Is That The Partition Itself "Locks" The Majority Of The Bullet Core Inside Of The Heavy Rear Jacket Which Guarantees You A Massive Penetration.

P.S.

These Babes Are Perfectly Capable Of Ripping SMOKEY A Proverbial "New A**hole" * * *

Dasbear,
that bullet is a silhouette bullet and I wouldn't use it on game for the reason you mentioned. I would go for a jacketed sp with some exposed lead

Shot placement will be critical on a bear using the 357 Max. If you have anything heavier than .357, that would be the way to go.

If I was using a 357max for black bear the bullet of choice would be the 180gr Nosler partition for the reason`s explained above by J.E.Markel. I used a 180gr XTP in my Freedom Arms 357 that was running about 1700FPS at the muzzle and hit a 4-horn ram on the shoulder bone as he quartered me.At impact the ram went up and over onto his back and I figured I had the ultimate medium game load in my hands when the ram slowly staggered to his feet and began to walk to the thickets when I hit him again with a broadside that knocked him off his feet.Upon skinning the ram we found the complete 180gr XTP bullet on the shoulder bone where it came apart without any penetration. I`am sure the 180gr partition would have gone through the small bones of the four-horn to take out the lungs and finish him off....and we all know a black bear has bigger bones. Best of luck and good hunting,JFS

I'm the truest believer in Noslers but I really don't think it's enough gun, it goes back to just because something can do a job doesn't mean it's the best choice for the job. I shot a big mulie doe with a 180 partition in the factory winchester ammo at 15 yds broadside and didn't get a pass through. this was a mercy killing of a wounded animal so I didn't open her up but with that experience I think deer are the largest I'd use that bullet on even though it may be going around 300fps faster. I've shot two bears, one with a 7mm Rem rifle and one with a bow and knowing how tough they are I'd be more inclined to go with rounds consitent with elk hunting especially if there is any chance of running into a bear of any size. I don't even care for the 41 or 44 for bear but they are acceptable but my preferred minimum would be a heavy bullet in a 45 caliber, either hot loads for the colt or better yet the 454. We are supposed to be trying to do things ethically and humanely and it's one thing if that's all you have but another to do it for sh*ts and giggles. I mean no disrespect but I've seen a few bears shot beside mine and they can be tough, alot tougher than any deer, you may have one drop at the shot and the next may take half a dozen rounds to stop especially if it's a big one and I've seen first hand the effects of a rogue bear that had been wounded. The bear was between 400 and 500lbs and it slaughtered over a dozen cattle in two to three months before dissapearing, the state hired professionals from the dept of agriculture and they couldn't catch it even with dogs, it finally just went away. We think we know who shot it and if we are right it was hit at roughly two hundred yards with a 30-06 shooting 180gr core lokts. Although according to the guy he had a clear shot, when we went down to wear he said he shot the bear he would have had to shoot through some branches that he probably couldn't see in the low light and a simple honest mistake was all it took to cause some real problems.

I like the 180gr partition or 170gr speer gold dot in front of lilgun powder. Some people dont like this powder, but I have great success with it and these two bullets. Really hot and low pressure. I wouldnt hesitate a second about these loads and bear.

JDMAX

Brainstorm 101:

A WILDCAT!

I Just Realized That All You Need To Do Is Ship That Barrel Off To A True Professional Barrel-Maker To Have The Chamber Deepened/Extended At The Case Mouth By Just A Few Tenths-Of-An-Inch.You'll Automatically Be Creating A New Wildcat Cartridge Formed To Your Own Specifications And You'll Have The Necessary Space In The Case For Larger Powder Charges To Make A More Potent Hunting Round.You'll "Have A Blast" Slowly Increasing The Charges By Tenths-Of-A-Grain Over The .357 Maximium Loads(Until You See Pressure Signs) Once You Get A Stock Of Custom-Made Cases Built For Your New Caliber.

Try These Guys:

http://www.heritage-arms.com/custom_cartridges.htm

Or you could just get a 35 Rem. barrel, more powder capacity and a much better choice if you want to use heavier bullets.

In a 10" barrel guys come on. Iv'e already got more wildcats then I can load for and shoot in a year.
Bowers 30 Alaskan, 6 TCU, 308AI, 257roberts Imp, 35 Whelen AI. All in either Contenders or Encores. Im just looking for the the a strong bullet with the fastest velocity that I can safely shoot in a contender at a target that is noted for extreme tenacity. That being said who's got load data for a 200gr hardcast in a contender 10 or 14"?

this is data from CP which is usually hot:
200gr WLNGC-H110 11.0gr start to 12.5gr max
AA9 9.9 start to 11.0gr max

I also have the data for their 160, 180, and 187gr bullets. I just loaded some 187's in my BH 357 mag for a carry gun for my wife or daughter when she is older. I haven't tested them yet so I can't say how they perform.

MAX not Mag.

Don't Be Too Hasty There D.B.:

http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/taffin.asp?caliber=357%20Maximum&Weight=180

Just Remember That These Guys Were Working With 2 Inches Less Barrel In A Revolver Which Loses Around 6-8% Of The Burning Powder Gas At The Cylinder/Barrel Gap. Your Contender Definitely Still Has Swing-Room To Work With.

http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/taffin.asp?caliber=357%20Maximum&Weight=200

Just Imagine The Additional Horsepower Of A 25-Plus Grain Powder Charge As Opposed To Just 20. You Could Name The Cartridge:

"357 BEAR"

J E M, Hey thanks for the links. I'm slowly collecting info on the use of 200gr hardcast bullets with several powders like 296, H110, 4227, 1680, 680, and 4198. I will carefully analize all the info then tote my chronograph and loads down to the range where the barrel should tell me the rest.

sorry about that