358 JDJ-Bullets-Sierra, Nosler, any others?

[Minnesota1]

Hey guys,

Just a quick question.  I absolutely love my 358 JDJ.  I shoot 225 gr. Nosler Partitions through it but they are about $40 for 50 bullets.  I've seen Nosler accubonds for about $30 and I've seen 225 grain Sierra Game Kings out there for less than that.  Has anyone tried the accubonds or the Gamekings?  Do you have any loads or how is the expansion on them at lower velocities.  I have been told that the Partitions expand down to 1800 FPS. Any luck or bad luck with these bullets?  If so, I would appreciate anyone to let me know what they think of them. 

I'd like to stay with the 225 gr. bullet and I like hog hunting and plinking around with this gun but it can be pretty expensive unless I reduce out the cost of the bullets.

I only wish there was a ballistic tip type bullet for a big bullet like these.

I also saw for my 7-30 waters that sierra has a 120 pro hunter bullet out there.  Anyone like these?  or is it best to stick with the hornady v-max and nosler ballistic tips?

Thanks,

Bob

[Graybeard]

The Sierra according to what they told me is too stout for proper expansion in the .358 JDJ and that was my experience as well. I used mostly the Nosler 225 BT and PT. I think the 225 BT is really the ideal bullet for it myself and that's what I used most often. All game I took with mine was with that bullet.

I messed around a bit with the 180s and 200s but never liked the accuracy I got and velocity wasn't any better than with the 225s so I gave up on them. If you cast bullets you might get a mould to make your bullets for practice and just use the good stuff on game. No more than you shoot at game the cost of bullets is too small a part of the over all cost of a hunt to worry about it.

My favorite 7-30 bullet was always the Sierra 130 SSP but it's now discontinued. I've used the Hornady 120 SSP also now discontinued and the Nosler 120 BT as well. I have no experience with the Sierra 120 but I do like bullets of 120 to 130 grains over the heavier 140s in the 7-30 for handgun use.

[358nutz]

Take a look at the speer 220 gr  flat points.  They were designed for leverguns, and were often found in factory ammo for the 356 Winchester. 

In my 358 Win I use Hornady 200gr pointy bullets, along with 180gr Speer Flatpoints and 180gr XTP Hornady.  I haven't had a chance to take game with it yet, but I have with the 356 Levergun with the 220's...makes a helluva hole.

[7-30 Waters]

Graybeard: 

I have been in contact with the ballistic technicians at Hornady.  I am told the 7mm SSPB & 7mm V-Max are the same bullet.  I asked them to vertically split a 120 V-Max and send it to me.  Sure enough on the inside of the jacket was the Inter-lock ring.  I am told if you load the 7mm 120 V-Max at high velocity it will react like a V-Max should.  When shot at 7-30 Waters pistol velocities the 7mm 120 V-Max expands like a SSPB bullet should because of the Inter-Lock ring.

So I decided to shoot some in my T/C 14" Hunter barrel. into wet phone books at 100 and 200 yards.  They mushroomed perfectly with the jacket and core still together. 

Then I loaded some in my 280 Remington rifle and shot them into wet phone books at 100 and 200 yards.  The bullet did as it was expected when shot at 3200 fps.  Blows big holes in coyotes too.

Just thought I would give hope to any 7-30 Waters shooters out there.