Like Handirilfe, I posted on your 30-30 thread, this is an example of a too hard bullet. I shot some Remington CoreLoct 200 Spire Points into wet newsprint last year, and got a bullet that flattened itself on my steel backstop after passing unexpanded through some 16" of wet newsprint. They did perform admirably on some beaver I shot for my neighbor, though none showed any sign of expansion. That bullet is designed for the 35 Whelen, and I wonder just how much expansion one would see on the light weight deer of this region even when driven as fast as 2700 fps. I think that bullet was designed to be used on stuff like elk and moose. An interesting side note is that firing the Remington 200 grain CoreLoct RN into wet newsprint, (the bullet made famous in the 35 Remington) I only got expansion to about 1/2", and I was never able to get a velocity greater than 1850 fps from either of these bullets.
The Hornady XTP 180 is a bonded core bullet that performed perfectly in both newsprint and on a deer, even when driven to the upper limits of its velocity performance window. Interestingly, in newsprint the Remington 180 SJHP (made for the 357 Maximum) peformed exactly as the 180 XTP in newsprint. I doubt there is a proper made spire point that will give good performance on deer and such in the 357 Maximum. It is possible though that a Hawk custom bullet with a jacket thickness of .025" could work well. I don't see how it could outperform the 180 XTP or the Remington 180 SJHP
I do understand your efforts at nice groups Vance, and am not commenting on your choice of bullets, just commenting on the topic of bullet performance and what I have seen so far.
