NOE 360-180 in Ruger 77/357

[Travelor]

Jut got the gun. Had this bullet mold and am struggling to get it to shoot in my Douglas barreled Martini Cadet - 3" groups at 50 yards with both metallic and scope sights. Bullets are cast hard with an unknown alloy but it looks and feels like COWW's. Sized to .358".

These rounds loaded to the crimp groove in 357 Mag cases are too long for the magazine. What are you doing to have this function in your Ruger 77/357 and what load with this bullet shoots best in your gun?

(I know that the bullets can be seated deeper in the case, but wondering what you are doing.)

[Mica_Hiebert]

This is pertinent to to my interests.

[gwpercle]

Bottom line is , you can't make the magazine any longer.
Options :
1.) Try loading one in a 38 special case , make a few dummies. If they fit and feed , problem solved. Be sure to adjust powder charge .
2.) Seat bullet deeper and crimp over front driving band. rotary magazine will not shove bullets deeper like a tubular magazine might. Again, adjust powder charge.
3.) Buy a different mould , one that will fit. You always need a good excuse to buy another mould !

I would give #1 a shot (pun intended) first. If you load them hot , make sure they don't get in an old 38 special that could be damaged.
good luck...Gary
I almost forgot Option #4....Single shot. I still use a single shot 410 , hold extra shells between my fingers. It's the first shot that really counts... shooting after that , as my Daddy would say, "Boy , you just wasting good ammo now ".

[HangFireW8]

Exanding on gwpercle's #1 suggestion. If you want/need to crimp in the crimp groove, and the 38 Special dummies feed OK, you can shorten some .357 cases to 38 Special length. You'll still have to reduce max charges a bit to make up for lost case volume, but you can still run magnum pressures in a case designed for magnum pressures, and so marked.

[gwpercle]

Exanding on gwpercle's #1 suggestion. If you want/need to crimp in the crimp groove, and the 38 Special dummies feed OK, you can shorten some .357 cases to 38 Special length. You'll still have to reduce max charges a bit to make up for lost case volume, but you can still run magnum pressures in a case designed for magnum pressures, and so marked.

Excellent idea...

[Travelor]

The OAL is only about .05" too long. Thought about shortening 357 cases, but wanting to know what others that shoot this bullet and gun are doing before I do so.

[reddog81]

I have the NOE 360-160 WFN and it would not work to seat the bullet into the crimp groove and allow the rounds to go fully into my GP100 cylinder. I shortened 100 .357 cases to 1.24 from 1.29. These cases allow the bullet to work in my gun and are still to long to fit into a 38 special. 38 special length is 1.15

[scottfire1957]

Unknown alloy. Hmmmm. Hard. Hmmmm. Things to look at maybe?

[scottfire1957]

The cases are too long, or is the loaded ammo too long? Easy fixes for both. Trim the cases, seat the bullets deeper. Reloading manuals are a good start.

[Mica_Hiebert]

I am perplexed because I have not shot them yet but I have loaded up a dozen 360/180 wfn with speer nickel brass crimped at the crimp groove and they fit in my gp100, sp101 and my 77/357 magazine and feed... are you loading the rf nose or wfn?

[Travelor]

The OAL is too long. Loaded and crimped on crimp groove will not fit the magazine.

Alloy hardness should not affect OAL. ??????????????????????