353 casull & NOE360 230 rf hp

[coverbw]

I recently picked up a FA83 357 with a 7.5" barrel and wanted to try hunting with it. To fully exploit the long model 83 cylinder, I bought a NOE360230 brass 2 banger. It drops a 215 gr hollowpoint that resembles a beer mug. I'll be the first to admit this project falls squarely in the "why? Because I can!" rational... after working up loads with rem 7 1/2 primers and h110 I settled on a load of 14.5 grains for 1340 fps. I know the gun can spit them faster than that but I was pleased with the accuracy and planned on keeping the shots within 100 yards. After testing the loads by shooting into sand, the nose was blowing off and leaving a 140 gr wadcutter. I decided to only take shots that would avoid a shoulder. I popped a nice NE whitetail doe at 75 yards directly behind the shoulder. She jumped, paused for a sec and tried to run off as best she could. She made it only 25 yards before dropping. The bullet performed as I expected, creating a large entrance hole, blowing the hollowpoint nose off which took out both lungs and even pierced the heart. The exit wound was a smaller, perfect circle punched by the wadcutter base. I'm very pleased with the performance. I have used a 30-30 Contender on deer before and would say this combination gave similar performance.

[claude]

Nice writeup, I have a NOE 360-180WFN 2 cav. PB that I had hollow pointed by Erik, with a substantial hole in it's face, larger and deeper than NOE's RG molds. My bullet weighs 165grs. after installing a PB check and lube, very business like.

To date all I have "killed" with it was a 3lb coffee can full of water, sans a lid. I shot it at about 15 feet and split the can from top to bottom and basically blew the bottom off, it was much more severe than I had envisioned. I now keep a cylinder full as house loads for various and sundry varmints.

[Beerd]

coverbw, any pictures of bullet/loaded cartridge/revolver?
..

[coverbw]

I'll have to get a pic of the gun.

[35Whelen]

I'll bet that would be a hammer as a flat point

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Sounds like fun! How's brass life with that load?

[missionary5155]

Good morning
That sounds like a fine corn cruncher combination ! Getting the results is the "why" to me. Crawling about on hands and knees looking for faint red trails under leaves or on the forest floor is just no longer any fun.
Back in 1982 was shooting steel with a DW 357 mag with a 10 inch tube on it. Found we could seat a 180 swc out to the first groove picking up 10% more room for 296. The DW's have a longer cylinder than most and setting the barrel gap to minimum gets the power to the GC where it belongs.
You are getting similar results with your load but better with that heavier cast !!!
Mike in Peru

[Hamish]

I'll bet that would be a hammer as a flat point

This one, and it's near twin, the 360-235 Thor, are superb hammers as flat points,,,,,,,




coverbw, great post, thanks for telling us about your hunt! If you ever get bored, try 14.5 of 2400.

[coverbw]

I can't comment on brass life as I have only reloaded the brass twice with that load. It falls out of the cylinder and the primers looked good. I tried a red dot this year. I wish I had known freedom arms made a mount for burris fastfire/vortex venom. I would have bought one sooner.

I felt the why question creeping up as I was heading out hunting with a 357 and leaving the 44, 45, and 475 at home lol...