WFN beats SWC for hunting?

[Steven66]

Do the WFN designs perform enough better that I should just not bother with SWCs for hunting? After reading Veral Smith's book and this forum, it seems that the WFN is the preferred shape for hunting. I'm using a .357 Magnum carbine.

[sixshot]

Depends. The WFN is a bigger hammer in the 357 & will probably feed better in your carbine but again it might not feed, there's a good chance the SWC won't feed. Also you will need to keep the speed up with the WFN to maintain accuracy but that shouldn't be a problem with the carbine. It boils down to, you should probably try a few of each through your gun if you plan on buying a mold. A LFN "might" be a better choice than the other two. Good luck in your hunting.

Dick

[35Whelen]

Check out this article and have a look at about 3/4 down on the right and check out the 358627 lyman mould slug and what is said about it.....I have one now and will be using it in my .358 along with other boolits
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell38SWC.htm

[Cowboy_Dan]

Depends on a lot of factors. What are you hunting and at what kind of range? Weight also can make a difference. The WFN style does tend to pack more punch, but there are definately times when a similarly weighted SWC is more than plenty. My one whitetail was with a SWC, the RCBS 44-240, at about 40 yards. Bang-flop, dead in 30 seconds. In a .357 pistol, the 180 gr 358429 Keith bullet hits with authority.

[knifemaker]

I do not think you can say across the board that a RNFP is better for hunting then a SWC. Elmer Keith and others have shown that the SWC is a proven game boolit. Both styles have a flat nose that is superior then a round nose for better disruption of soft tissue in a animal.
Where a RNFP bullet may be superior to SWC in a rifle is it's ability to feed better into the chamber from the magazine. SWC have a habit of hanging up while feeding into the chamber due to it's sharp edge band just behind the bullet ogive. In a revolver I would have no hesitation in using either style of bullet. In a rifle or carbine I prefer the RNFP style because it feeds into the chamber far better then MOST SWC style bullets.

[Jeff Michel]

I have seen no difference between the two either in terminal performance. I use both, my choice is which feeds better and is most accurate in a particular rifle. Either route, I've never had one not shoot through a deer at 100 yards.

[dverna]

Check out this article and have a look at about 3/4 down on the right and check out the 358627 lyman mould slug and what is said about it.....I have one now and will be using it in my .358 along with other boolits
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell38SWC.htm

Great article!

[Steven66]

I got a Ruger 77/357 when the DNR okayed straight wall cartridges for deer hunting a few years back. I almost never get a shot past 70 yards. I'm a little unclear on the distinctions among RNFP, WFN and LFN boolit profiles. I want to stick with the 158 grain weight range because I can't find much pressure-tested load data for the heavier bullets. I bought 400 Cast Performance 187 grain WFNGC boolits that I don't want to use because I can't get tested powders (Western/Ramshot) very easily (local gun store just closed). I plan to try to sell the Cast Performance boolits as soon as I get enough posts to qualify for S & S status.

[quilbilly]

First of all, there are not degrees of dead and both work very well. My experience especially with elk has been that at ranges of much less than 100 yards the SWC has the edge but beyond, the RNFP has the edge

[500Linebaughbuck]

i don't know. i use ranch dogs, wfn, lfn, rnfp and keith's. but i'll say the lfn has my vote.

[Smoke4320]

put in the boiler room of deer size or smaller either will do just fine.. Its down to what your gun will feed and shoot accurately

[white eagle]

rifle or revolver makes a big difference

[bluejay75]

First thing...Shim your bolt.

https://www.triggershims.com/ruger_m77.html

You will think that you don't need them until you start shooting higher pressure loads. Not sure how much youve shot your 77/357 but without shims, the lighter the load the better it will group until you sure up the bolt halves.

Keep the cast performance Boolits. They are going to serve you well. They are hard and are likely going to group better than most boolits that you will cast yourself. So find a load and keep them stashed for a meat trip.

I have 2 x 77/357s. 1 that shoots cast exclusively. It is going to shoot the heavier boolits more accurately than light . 12-14 grains of H110 or W296 somewhere in that range will be close to a MOA load with your cast performance.

Follow those up with any number of molds that will get you a WFN 175-185 grains. I cast a 3 gallon bucket full of NOE RanchDog 180s and about half as many MP 358-180s. They both group less than 2 inches at 100 yards as plain base boolits.

[Steven66]

First thing...Shim your bolt.

https://www.triggershims.com/ruger_m77.html

You will think that you don't need them until you start shooting higher pressure loads. Not sure how much youve shot your 77/357 but without shims, the lighter the load the better it will group until you sure up the bolt halves.

Keep the cast performance Boolits. They are going to serve you well. They are hard and are likely going to group better than most boolits that you will cast yourself. So find a load and keep them stashed for a meat trip.

I have 2 x 77/357s. 1 that shoots cast exclusively. It is going to shoot the heavier boolits more accurately than light . 12-14 grains of H110 or W296 somewhere in that range will be close to a MOA load with your cast performance.

Follow those up with any number of molds that will get you a WFN 175-185 grains. I cast a 3 gallon bucket full of NOE RanchDog 180s and about half as many MP 358-180s. They both group less than 2 inches at 100 yards as plain base boolits.

Thank you. I had gotten the bolt shim kit and hadn't gotten around to installing it/them, but I remembered it after reading your post and got it where the directions said I should be with the 0.005" shim.

Since you've got 77/357s, may I ask which boolits feed well in yours? The only problem I've noticed with mine (using Hornady 158 grain JHP XTPs temporarily) is that occasionally the cartridge below the top one in the magazine will get its rim ahead of the top cartridge rim and require an intervention. At this point, it may be that I need to increase cartridge OAL which will require a heavier (longer) boolit. Also, have you firelapped either or both of the barrels?

[tja6435]

I also have a 77/357 that only shoots cast boolits. It for sure prefers 180gr and heavier. Your 187gr boolits will do well over some 2400 or 300-mp. In my experience, 300-mp is too slow for 357 mag (won't seal the brass to chamber even at loads well beyond published, even in my FA model 83) but it is very accurate for me, it is loud though compared to 2400.

[bluejay75]

I have not had feeding issues. I load them just short enough to turn the corner in the rotary magazine.

As you're doing the shims go until the bolt takes a little resistance to close. I wish I would say that the .005 shim worked but I tried every combination until I got the fit that gave the best accuracy.

Hornady 158 XTP FPs and 300 MP is my magic jacketed load. As mentioned above, you need resistance of a jacketed or heavy boolit, right COAL and a good crimp to take the soot out of shooting that powder.

[RMc]

Here is another viewpoint on WFN .357 Magnum hunting rounds:

http://www.dixieslugs.com/images/357...st_bullets.pdf

[jmort]

James was completely right
I have linked that article many time
Some people have been there and done that
James was one
Thank you RMc

[Steven66]

As you're doing the shims go until the bolt takes a little resistance to close.

The bolt got harder to close with 0.006" shims so I backed it down to 0.005". I shimmed the trigger too. I'll have to fiddle around with the magazine to address the feeding problem.

[Bigslug]

I'd be more concerned with the internal ballistics side of this puzzle (the what goes on inside the gun), than the terminal.

Unless I was dealing with the parallel-to-bore, elevator-style, in-line feeding system of a replica 1873, I'd be first most interested in how it's going to feed and chamber. You can learn a lot about that just by running a couple different types of factory ammo before you lay out the cash for a mold.

In a .357, a RNFP is going to be a more efficient use of your available space for a given amount of weight - more lead forward of the case, not taking up space that could be used for propellant; a wider, heavier, potentially shorter front section for making length on a revolver cylinder.

Once it smacks meat, I think there's little to choose, so ask "What does the GUN want?"