.357 Cadet finally made it home

[mitdr774]

It's for sure not a hot load in this situation. I was warned ahead of time about the firing pin hole and hot loads. I was thinking I could get a little hotter before it became an issue, but that's okay. If I want to play with hot .357 loads I still have the 77/357.

Based on test results, dropping to 9gr will probably put me around 1200 fps. That's good enough to have what should be a workable load year round. I don't know how sensitive 2400 is to temperature changes, but I have had handgun loads in the past that were safe in the cold.half of the year, but very questionable in the warm half of the year.

[mitdr774]

The Martini went to the range with me today. I took some too nds loaded up with the 180gr powder coated cast bullets with 9.5gr of 2400 and it's right around 1200-1225 fps. My eyes let me down, but this is 10 shots at 50 yards, holding on the bottom of the black circle. I'm okay with how it's shooting.

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[Chiro1989]

Aiming for center of mass, you are good to go

[Bigslug]

My eyes let me down. . .

I think I may have the answer for you. There is no originality to that rifle to get a collector excited. Two to four extra holes in the barrel won't be an issue.

Figure out what Weaver base fits your barrel radius back near the receiver. The thinner top surface to barrel measurement - probably - the better.

Find a square window pistol red dot with a Weaver attachment system that allows it to sit as low as possible. Zero that for a hundred yards - trajectory shouldn't be off more than a couple inches vertically across that distance. Now turn the optic off.

Raise the elevation of your rear sight until it becomes visible at the bottom of the red dot's window, shoot it to get some idea of where it throws, and purchase a front sight of appropriate height to give yourself a usable auxiliary long range sighting system. While I doubt the trajectory of your load and that of the original .310 will be hugely different, your shortened sight radius will make the adjustments of that original sight much bigger, so you'll probably have to cook up a cheat sheet to tape to your stock to indicate what the markings relate to.

[CPJ 2.0]

My eyes let me down. . .

I think I may have the answer for you. There is no originality to that rifle to get a collector excited. Two to four extra holes in the barrel won't be an issue.

Figure out what Weaver base fits your barrel radius back near the receiver. The thinner top surface to barrel measurement - probably - the better.

Find a square window pistol red dot with a Weaver attachment system that allows it to sit as low as possible. Zero that for a hundred yards - trajectory shouldn't be off more than a couple inches vertically across that distance. Now turn the optic off.

Raise the elevation of your rear sight until it becomes visible at the bottom of the red dot's window, shoot it to get some idea of where it throws, and purchase a front sight of appropriate height to give yourself a usable auxiliary long range sighting system. While I doubt the trajectory of your load and that of the original .310 will be hugely different, your shortened sight radius will make the adjustments of that original sight much bigger, so you'll probably have to cook up a cheat sheet to tape to your stock to indicate what the markings relate to.

I’ll make it easier.
Install a red dot and throw away the irons. Your eyes will only continue to get worse. Sights suck.

[Bigslug]

[
I’ll make it easier.
Install a red dot and throw away the irons. Your eyes will only continue to get worse. Sights suck.

More thinking in terms of updating the concept of barrel mounted mounted open sights for short range - which would be the red dot in this case, becuase (A.) that'll probably do most of the short range plinking this thing is intended for and (B.) once zeroed, most red dots are a pain in the ass to adjust on the fly.

The irons will be the long range option taking the place of the old tang-mounted peeps. Mill out a big square notch in the back, and hang a corresponding big, black, and square post up front. No, it still won't be clear with old eyes looking through their distance prescription over a short barrel, but it'll give you a much better suggestion of a sight picture than barleycorns or beads fitted into V or U notches. Basically, look at a CZ-452 Ultra Lux or Mil-Trainer and copy the sights.

[mitdr774]

Oddly enough my eyes have not gotten any worse over the last 3 years.

Im going to leave this one as iron sights. I have two nephews that will eventually be introduced to it and I would prefer they learn iron sights before optics. Honestly, that kind of grouping with the load used and the intended use of the rifle is acceptable to me. If I want something better I will get the 77/357 or Marlin out and dial in a load with either one of those that already has a scope on it. This is a paper punching rifle to just have a fun time at the range with. It is just a bunch of fun. Some day at my dads club range I may attempt to put a target at 200 yards and see if I can even hit it.

Iron sights at 50 yards and its better than some of the targets I see for guys with scopes at that distance. Thats not saying anything good about me, but more the crap shooting a lot of people around my area think is acceptable.