.357 vs .358...can it work?

[priv8ter]

Okay, before I get crushed, let me state I am not a reloader yet. I have bought 'The ABC's of Reloading' and plan to get a nice setup for Christmas. As of yet though, I have bought nothing, or done any crazy experiments.

That disclaimer done...

My next rifle I'm planning to purchase is a .35 Whelen. I know that it uses .358 diameter bullets.

I also own several .357's. They use .357 caliber bullets.

Out of curiosity, I was looking at reloading components today, and I saw that 180gr .357 bullets are much more cost effective than 200gr .358 bullets.

I'm sure you can see where this is going...

What I know of reloading tell me that accuarcy might suffer, and their might be some problem with Overall Length being too short...

But...can a more cost effective load be made using heavy .357 bullets in a .35 Whelen?

Please, be gentle...

greg

 

[Chuck R.]

Greg,

I don’t see why not. I’ve loaded .357 pistol bullets in my .350 Rem Mag, and the case capacity is similar. They give modest recoil and are good loads for practice. I’ve never shot them past 100 yards though.

The Speer manual I have lists some loads that would be a good starting point.

Chuck

 

[Archie]

They will shoot...

The problem is the pistol bullets are made 'lighter' so they expand at pistol velocities.

A 180 grain pistol bullet will disintegrate upon impact at rifle velocity. If you are hunting, you will deliver a very ugly surface wound.

For plinking and practise, shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Chuck is correct. But let me add one thing. Using pistol bullets at rifle velocities=short range target varmit load, period. Pistol bullet constuction is not generally tough enough for rifle velocities.

Also your slight diameter difference may cause you a little more inaccuracy, but should "work" just fine is used as mentioned above.

 

[Chuck R.]

Greg,

I agree with the other guys, the pistol bullets won’t hold together at rifle velocities. IF hunting big game is you’re intent, you’re better off with rifle bullets. BTW, my favorite for my .350 is the Nosler 225 Partition. I’ve shot one elk with it and he didn’t have any complaints.

The pistol bullets are good for off-hand and position practice. In my rifle the POI isn’t different enough to have an effect on practice or general plinking.

Chuck

 

[priv8ter]

Oops...

Along with accuarcy and length issues, I should have put bullet staying together in the things I should already now column. Heck..I worry somtimes how a H.P. wouls stay together comming out of my Marlin at 1800FPS.

I hadn't thought about the possible varminiting applications here...

I wonder just how fast you could move a 158gr(or even 125gr) .357 round out of a Whelen.

Still when dealing with the slightly under-caliber, and way too short for good stabilization pistol round, it would never be something to use across canyons.

No..what I was really thinking was some of the 180gr Hard Casts, or something like that for punching holes in paper.

Thanks!

greg

 

[brickeyee]

For simple plinking it would be fine. The warnings about using bullets far from the desgn speed really matters. I have had lightly constructed 45 gr .224 bullets disintegrate in flight from a .22-250 AI.
I ahve also fired hollowpoints designed for .45 ACP velocites from a Wildey in .45 Win Mag into dry newspaper. From a .45 ACP the bullets barely tend to upset. From the .45 Win Mag they disintegrate, shed jackets, etc. While not a realitis test, it does show what happens as velocity moves beyond the design limits. Hornady has given velocity recomendations/warnings in some bullet boxes. I believe it was the bullets designed for the Bee and Hornet. Run these from a .22-250 or a Swift and they may never make it to the target.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I have a heavy bullet mould for my .357 magnums, and I routinely use cast bullets from this mould in my .35 Brown-Whelen (the most radical form of the Whelen.)

I find that cast bullets in the .35 B-W do best with light charges of fast-burning powders -- which is contrary to my usual practice in .30-30 and .30-06, where I use reduced charges of rifle powder.