New .357 Mag hunting bullet suggestions?

[Lonegun1894]

I have been using the Lyman 358156 for hunting anything I should be hunting with my .357s for years, and it has always performed well, so I really don't "need" a new bullet, but I have the itch for one. I have done a lot of reading and all the recommendations of a 180gr have me curious. One mould that I keep looking at is the NOE 360-180-WFN, but open to other suggestions if there's a better option. Most of my shooting is at paper, but this would also get used to hunt my local (Central Texas) deer and hogs. The guns used will be assorted Ruger revolvers, a TC Contender, and a Rossi 92, all in .357 Magnum. Any advice y'all have is appreciated, so talk me into it, out of it, or whatever else you think. And for this year, I am sticking with my old load since it is proven and has a familiar trajectory, so this wouldn't get used until next year after I have time to develop a load and get enough practice with it to hunt with it. So no time crunch with the season coming up soon.

[marshall623]

NOE 180 WFN is a fine bullet , my T/C likes it cast with 50/50 COWW &Pure water cooled and sized .360 over 13.8 gr of H110 . I'm working with new NOE same profile but a 158 , so far its a good one also but all I've messed with is target loads .

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[Lonegun1894]

Thank you, Marshall623. I have a few NOE moulds, and am becoming more of a NOE fan with each one. Between NOE and Mihec, they have been the best I have seen as to the actual diameter being what the manufacturer claims, beating out Lee, Lyman, and to my surprise, RCBS too.

[Stephen Cohen]

It is interesting you mention that mould, I have one that I carefully removed the lube grooves from and ended up with a mould that drops a 172gr cast. I of cause Hi-Tek coat all my cast and this bullet shoots well in my 357 Max but I am yet to try it in my 357 Rossi Lever gun. I hope this is of interest to you. Regards Stephen

[Lonegun1894]

It is, Stephen Cohen. I honestly have doubts about it stabilizing in the Rossi 1:30" twist, and if it doesn't, I'll just stick with 158s in it. As I said, I really don't NEED another bullet, but just scratching an itch and wanting to try something new.

[Winger Ed.]

158s with a gas check are hard to beat.

But to shortcut your research-- you might want to look into what the long range silhouette shooters are using.

[Walks]

I'm a BIG N.O.E. fan too.

But I used to shoot the Saeco #354 180gr FPGC in my T/C 10" .357 Maximum for Silhouette.
And it gave very good accuracy in the .357Mag, My Blackhawk loves it with 2400. Can't remember the specific charge I used, but the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook #4 shows 11.1grs to 12.3grs. And I've always used std small pistol primers.

Saeco Molds are expensive, and they drop Perfect bullets. I have about a 5% rejection rate once It's up to casting temp. And it's as accurate as the #358156 in my NM Blackhawk 6 1/2". And just a squeak more accurate in My Daughter's 1894CS.

And It's great as a plinking bullet in my .35Rem 14" bbl for my old Contender.

[curioushooter]

I strongly suggest the MiHec 359 Hammer. Many WFN and SWC designs have trouble in carbines. This one feeds flawlessly in my Remlin. It does well everywhere else as well. Check the performance.

The SAECO #354 is a sweet looking design as well. I've been looking for a used one for a while now.

[megasupermagnum]

The NOE 360-176-SWC is one of the best copies of the Elmer Keith bullet that I've seen. I like that bullet with 10 grains of Bluedot. I have no idea how well it will work in your 92 rossi, but if the Lyman 358156 cycles good, this one should too. I don't think a better target bullet exists, and it's performance on game speaks for itself. 180 grain bullets are a good compromise of speed and momentum.

[Petander]

But to shortcut your research-- you might want to look into what the long range silhouette shooters are using.

.

That's why I'm here. I don't NEED anything but I'm looking at a very little used,well kept S&W 586 AF 8 3/8 that wants to be fired. Enter a med/heavy mold for accuracy & Hi Tek coating.

Keep them coming,thank you.

[SSGOldfart]

Well I kinda want a little different than what you would think the 358156 has been my go to for the 357 mag so I got a 358156 HP makes a great mushroom,with a soft alloy.The NOE 360-180gr.works really well in the 357maximum as does the noe 360-200.
Just be sure you don't down load it much in my Ruger superblackhawk a lighter load doesn't shoot as well as a full load does.remember
if it anti broke don't fix it.

[Lonegun1894]

I went ahead and ordered the NOE 360-182-WFN. Good things in the future.

[cwlongshot]

I think you are gonna like it!

I have a older LEE block with six cav. Im told its a old group but and it drops 190g 360 bullets needing a GC. This has been my favorite bullet for many years. I shoot it mostly in the Maximum and killed a few deer and pigs with it. I push it with H4227 to about 1800 fps and it works very well. It also well in my 35 Remingtons! Recently I have been shooting it on top Of 25g Trail Boss in my 358 Norma Magnum @ the same 1750ish fps with very good accuracy!

I ran out of H4227 about the time I found the 180 RD GC and powder coating a few years ago.

That 190 PC’d dosent fit in my revolvers and only one of my Maxis. But the RD profile is real
Close but LIKES PC and chambers well In all My 35’s.

Its a great design. Now I use it in 38/357mag/357Max/350L/35Rem356/358/35 Whelen and now my 358NM too! Im kinda a 35 cal fan.

CW

[curioushooter]

NOE 360-182-WFN

Just tested this bullet. Performance seems similar to the Mihec Hammer bullet. It has a smaller meplat and weighs about 10 grains more. Cast out of 91-6-3 pb-sn-sb and lubed and checked it weighed 184 grains. It think the two smaller lube grooves may be better than the single big groove. It seems that more of the lube pushes out of the grooves. I size them .358 in a lyman die and it worked great once I got the proper depth dialed in. The NOE provided top punch fits PERFECTLY and I highly recommend it to preserve the the nose edge.

Two observations I've made is that the WFN profile offers the best feeding, ballistic, and terminal performance that seems possible with cast boolits. I prefer it to SWC for all applications that I am interested in (I don't shoot paper for score).

[curioushooter]

Now I use it in 38/357mag/357Max/350L/35Rem356/358/35 Whelen and now my 358NM too! Im kinda a 35 cal fan.

It is my opinion that 35 caliber is the most versatile and overall effective caliber available. If I had to pick only one caliber it would probably be 35. Its the only caliber that is large enough to work in handguns effectively and the only caliber small enough to retain good external ballistics in rifles (well, .375 ain't bad either). The same mold can often be used in 38 Special all the way to 35 Whelen.

I have a 38SPL/357MAG/357MAX/357Herret in my stable. Someday I'd like to add a Whelen! If I ever come across a long action Browning BLR with messed up barrel it is going to be made into a Whelen.

[cwlongshot]

I started my 35 affections with a Browning BLR in 358. My pop said it was too much. (I don’t think he really realized it was built off his favorite 308 case) I cut him both times he shot it. Too much drop in the stock makes it rear up hard if you don’t hang on. I liked it allot. Bought a 35/336 Marlin and enjoyed that one almost as much.

I thought the Whelen was tremendous. About 1986 I built one on a 1909 Argentine 98 Mauser action. I received it the same year remington decided to make there Classic in 35 whelen... (Buying that would have saved me near 800$!!!) But I had my whelen and just how I wanted it. I shoot Hornady 200g Spitzers at near 2900 FPS for some darn flat tredjectories. Then Sierra brought out there 225. Nice bullet. Maybe a lil soft. But good bullet as most sierras are. Later I discovered the fine Accubond. I didn’t use another jacked bullet. It combined with RL15 gave real good velocity and darn respectable long range tredjectories!

I always wanted a 358 Norma mag. No real practical purpose. Just wanted a big 35. Almost built a 358 STA when I started reading about it in the Shooting Times. But again no practice purpose. The Whelen brings more power to the table for anything i would hunt.

This spring I ran across a JES re bored Winchester in 358 Norma Magnum and a deal was struck. I have my NOrma Mag!

In there somewhere there was a 358 Herrert. A 35 Rem 14” Tender. A 10” 357 max tender. A 21” Carbine Barrel Maxi then a dandy lil H&R factory chambered for the 357 Maximum. I’ll never sell that one!! Of coarse there is a few 38/357 revolvers levers and Savage 24’s.

I also picked up a 350 legend this summer. Yup. I’m a 35 cal nut!!

Go get that whelen, you will be glad ya did. It’s a good cast bullet caliber able to do well with Pistol size Bullets up to the grand 358009 @ 280. Mine likes that bullet with H4895. Burn i cant powder coat it.

CW

[John Van Gelder]

The 358429 is hard to beat, it has according to lyman a BC of .286 it retains its velocity better than some other bullets at longer ranges.

[1Papalote]

I load the ranch dog 360190, made for 35 Remington in my 357 Marlins. I drive it with H110 and crimped on the ogive for critical length. It is accurate and I have only taken 1 wtd with this boolit.

1Papalote

[Petander]

Do you coat your bullets?

If so here is Mihec NLG 170 grain .360 cup point. Pins for HP and FN are included,too. Easy casting mold.

Vihtavuori N110, 1870 fps , Rossi 92 20". What size does your Rossi like?

[murf205]

Lonegun, in my experience the heavy weight boolits in the 357 mag seem to shoot more accurately than lighter ones. Maybe it's just me but I have had great luck with a Cast Performance 180 in my 6" 686 S&W. I do not own a heavy boolit 357 mold but if I bought one for hunting I would by a 170-180 gr.