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Thread: .357 hunting boolits

  1. #21
    Boolit Master
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    Jul 2009
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    Thanks for the excellent info guys. Contrary to the rest of the Internet where apparently you need a 180gr bullet for anything bigger than squirrel your collective opinion has me feeling pretty good about my current 158gr mold/boolit, I just need to get out and shoot it this summer which shouldn’t be a problem.

  2. #22
    Moderator Emeritus / Trusted loob groove dealer

    waksupi's Avatar
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    I prefer the extra velocity from the 158 gr. bullet. I recently got a Ruger GP 100 Match Champion, and took it up the mountain shooting today. I only shot out to 80 yards, but the accuracy is certainly there. I don't have to keep to lower charges like I do with my S&W 19-6.
    The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
    John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"

    Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!


  3. #23
    Boolit Grand Master


    Larry Gibson's Avatar
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    I always figured if a 358156 cast soft (20-1 or 16-1) at 1400 fps out of my Ruger Security Six with 6" barrel wasn't a heavy enough bullet I go to the 41 or 44 magnums.
    Larry Gibson

    “Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
    ― Nikola Tesla

  4. #24
    Boolit Master


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    I've used the 180 WFN in 357 rifles for years, 12 grains of 2400 will fetch you a fuzz under 1500 FPS. I'll take at least one deer per year with this combination, never had one travel thirty yards. Can't speak to 158 grain for a deer, but I'll trade speed for momentum any day of the week. Let us know what you settle on for a mold.
    “Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.”
    ― Mark Twain
    W8SOB

  5. #25
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
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    462
    Hard to beat the 158s in the rifle. Lil' Gun and great accuracy all the way up to 2050 fps. The 180s and Lil' Gun will do 1850 if you push it a little, but the 158s beat it in energy at muzzle, retained energy at 200 yards, trajectory, momentum, you name it. 200 fps faster for just a little less bullet weight is significant.

    My problem on my first few deer was too soft of alloy and no exits, so once I started jug testing and toughening up my alloy I have gotten exit wounds on pretty much every deer minus Texas heart shots and a full frontal neck shot that clipped all the neck vertebrae and passed through the neck. I am really happy with 2-2-96 baked at 420 for 25 minutes, then water dropped. 60-65 cal mushrooms, 5 jugs penetration and 100% weight retention at 1800+ impact velocity. I sight in for 2-2-96 air cooled for longer shots and deer drive with the water dropped where ranges are close, impact velocity is high, and I need more penetration for bad angles. I am up to 15-16 deer now with the 357 rifle and cast bullets.

    The 158s do all I want them to. I am messing around with the Ranch Dog 178 right now and I might try to hunt it if there is a significant difference in muzzle blast. If it's not any quieter it will go up on swappin & sellin because it sure doesn't shoot as flat or hit as hard. I have also killed a few deer with the Ranch Dog 135 and I think it is a better deer bullet than the heavy Ranch Dog. The flat noses are the same size and the lighter bullet is going faster. When hard, it got me consistent exit wounds from 1600-2000 fps impact and jug tests showed 5 jugs penetration with 50-53 cal expansion and 90% retained weight with plain ol' water dropped wheel weights. The lack of tin allowed some of the outer edges of the mushroom to slough off and allowed it to penetrate great.

  6. #26
    Boolit Buddy
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    Jun 2013
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    I want to add that I see you are primarily focused on revolver usage. The heavier bullet takes substantially less powder, so for roughly equal penetration, energy, momentum, etc, the 180 will have less muzzle blast. It willl still be more than a 38 special, but much quieter than 22 grains of H110 and a 125 grain bullet.

    Penetration increases with velocity up to 1600 fps when the bullet doesn't deform. After 1600 fps, the flesh, ballistic gel, water, etc, gets harder and harder to penetrate, and penetration goes down even if the bullet doesn't deform. Since both bullets will be under that speed limit from your revolvers, if you can get a HARD cast 158 that doesn't deform at your top speed, it won't give up any penetration to the 180. Both bullets will penetrate 30-36 inches ballistic gel, 8-10 jugs of water, or penetrate like "elk" rifle bullets. The only advantage is the 180 might ring your ears slightly less.

    In the rifle where velocity is higher, my first 180 Ranch Dog penetrated less than my 158 grain deer drive load. The Ranch Dog was cast out of 1.5-1.5-97 AC and the 158 was 2-2-96 WD. The Ranch Dog only made 4 jugs when it mushroomed freely at 1800 fps and the tough 158 penetrates 5 jugs at 2000+ impact speed.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master derek45's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Gibson View Post
    I always figured if a 358156 cast soft (20-1 or 16-1) at 1400 fps out of my Ruger Security Six with 6" barrel wasn't a heavy enough bullet I go to the 41 or 44 magnums.
    exactly

    .


    NRA LIFE Member

    USPSA/IPSC

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check