I have been lurking around and reading for awhile now. At the end of last season I came across a good deal on a contender in .357 mag 10". I also came across a 357 Herrett super 14 bbl. and picked them both up for a steal. I have been doing the long distance rifle thing for the past five years and was looking for a new challenge. Believe me when I say this has been it. The brass has been a great challenge to make but fun none the less. I have managed to produce a load that will shoot .687 ctc @ 75 yds. off my rest with a 200 grain Hornady ftx. I feel this is probably adequate for deer size game up to 150 yds. However has anybody tried these on live game?

Question number two. What scope would you recommend? I currently have a Leupold 2x on it and 75 yds is about the limit of what I can see comfortably out of the 2x. I was thinking variable but am hesitant. When I first got this bbl, I installed a red dot I had in my loading room. 5 rounds later the objective lens went downrange with the bullet. Two cheap scopes later and I went for a Leupold. The Leupold is mounted in Warne tactical Rings and is the only thing I have had hold up. What do you guys recommend?

I use a Burris 2-7 variable on my Competitor in 376 Steyr w/ 3 warne rings and a Bushnell Elite 2-6 on my Competitor in 416 Barnes w/ 3 rings also. I have a 4x Leupold on my Competitor in 50 AE w/ 3 rings and a 4x Weaver on my Competitor in 30/221 w/ 2 warne rings. Never had a problem w/ the scopes slipping in the rings.

I recommend a 4X Leupold for those 2 cartridges. A 2 ring base, properly mounted, will be fine for the .357 Mag. I recommend a 6 screw base like a T'SOB, and 3 rings for the .357 Herrett.

I Love my .357 Herrett.

Load used was a stiff dose of IMR 4227 and a 200 grain FTX. I too get little groups with it.

80 yard text book neck shot with a complete pass through.



This was a very entry level set up to see if I really liked hand gun hunting. At the time It had a Tasco 1-4. It now wears a TC 2.5-7 in Leopold rings and bases and a Packmyer pistol grip.

I've done extensive bullet testing on the 200 FTX using buckets of dirt, wet phone books, 2x12 lumber and a number of other things. I'm way convinced it would be great Elk medicine out to 150 yards. Past 100 though, I would avoid the shoulder.

Good luck,

Todd

A 4X scaope will get you a decent distance further than 75 yards. You also mentioned a variable. The scopes that top out at 6 to 8 power will get you to 150 yards nicly. The Leupold line of scopes are like Sherman tanks. I have 2X, 4X and a 2~8, that have seen some recoil and decent field abuse, (dropped on a gravel driveway) and not one hickup. There are a little pricy new, but can be had for 2/3 value used most of the time.

If money is a factor the 2~6 Bushnell Elite has done well for me on a 357 Maximum Revolver and the Bushnell 2~6 Tropy has done well on a K frame revolver and a TC barrel in 223.

1. I haven't used them on live game, but using the 200s is a great idea. I'm going to try them. I agree with Todd, should be a fine elk load to 150 yards. Back to load testing for me.

2. Burris' 2x-7x is a great hunting scope. Great field of view at 2x and 7x offers plenty of magnification. This scope has held up on my 30-30AI and a 375 JDJ. Should do fine on the Herrett. Leupold 2x and 4x fixed powers are both quality scopes.

Enjoy your Herrett, it's a great caliber and fun to load for.

Considering Bob Milek was using the 140 grain Speers on elk, it should perform just fine. I agree with the T'SOB (heavy base ) and rings suggestion. Healthy doses of IMR 4227 enabled me to slide scopes on my 10" bbl. I have shot deer with the 150 & 200 grain Remington PSP, 158 Sierra flat points, 180 Hornady SSP and the Lyman 358429. All do very well.

I would use a 4X Leupold on that caliber; this gives you enough field of view for shooting as well as enough magnification to clarify your target at shooting distances.

If I remember right ,Bob Milek ran into trouble with the 140 gr. bullet.His first shot on an elk was in the shoulder and the bullet blew up not penetrating into the chest and he had to follow up with a couple more shots.The story is in one of the older Sierra Manuals.

I have used a Super 14 barrel in .35 Remington for almost three decades - it's performance is very similar to the .357 Herrett. I have used 150 CoreLokts, 180 HotCores and 200 RN CoreLokts on deer, black bear and caribou with very good success. I even dumped a moose once with a single 250 HotCore spitzer. Of them all I think the 200 RN CoreLokt is the best bullet when driven to 2000 fps.

I have had a 4x Leupold on the barrel for all its hunts, IMO it is the optimum scope and magnification for the cartridge. I use a standard Weaver base and three of the old Bushnell "heavy" rings and never slipped a scope, even with the 250s. Those rings are no longer made, today I'd use three or four Leupold Rifleman rings. Be sure to put a strip of 400-grit sand paper on the inside of the rings - grit side to the ring. This really helps to secure the scope.



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