Thanks Mike. Being anxious to shoot it and having good advice helped immensely....more the help than the "anxiousness"
Huvius, I don't know that I'm any better a custodian. More impatient perhaps...lol
It shoots...very good. I wanted to say "magnificently" but that seemed a bit strong for having only put fireforming loads on paper. I wasn't really shooting for group, more just plinking at stumps and rocks, learning the feel of the rifle but I did try a 4 shot group at 50 yards. They all went under an inch and I wasn't off the bench. I was shooting, kneeling and leaning across my bench, holding the rifle. All the ones I did put on paper were about 6 inches high with the Lyman aperture set at its lowest level but they were pretty mild loads. I'm hoping these next ones with more "oomph" will drop into the center of the black.
Axel has offered some historical info on the cartridge but he was unable to find any velocities. If I remember correctly he said that pre-WWI they were not often published. I assume because they didn't really have honest velocities. Axel mentioned early gun writers using a typewriter for a chronograph. From what he implied they read high. He and I had a similar thought in that 35 Whelen data could be used. At first I thought it and Axel believed it. Now I believe it too! I also have an acquaintance who has a program for calculating optimum charges in cartridges by using the volume in grains of water, bullet weight, bullet length, COAL and a couple pieces of data I forget. He ran 6 or 9 loads for me with 3 bullets and the optimum loads, lower pressure at 35K-40K, fell about in the middle of the Whelen data. They were for 200, 225 and 250 gr., .356 bullets. I have some of each loaded and ready to go. I backed off 2 grains and will ladder up the best load while watching for pressure signs. Supposed to rain for the next 3 days...and it is deer season here...so it might be a few days before I can really wring it out.
Mike and that same friend also suggested swaging bullets down in my sizer/luber and that worked beyond my wildest expectations. I would never have thought the RCBS tool capable of it. .358 bullets ran through a .356 die and I'm good to go. I am confident that if this cartridge was loaded to it's upper limit it would be a real thumper....on both ends.
Vic