It’s no secret that the 360 Buckhammer has caught on as a great new lever-action cartridge. I had the opportunity to take the new-kid-on-the-block to Ted Nugent’s fabled Sunrize Acres in Michigan, in pursuit of a Texas Dall ram; the cartridge worked perfectly, with a 200-grain Core-Lokt dropping an old ram with a single shot in the boiler room. With this success comes an expansion, with Big Green seeing the wisdom of offering more than just a traditional cup-and-core bullet, and giving options to those who hunt in regions where lead-core projectiles are prohibited.
There are two new options for those who enjoy modern ammunition choices in a more traditional lever-action rifle. First, Remington has modified the Core-Lokt Tipped to make it suitable for use in a tubular magazine. Second, that polymer tip helps to offer a more reliable level of expansion, as the tip acts a wedge upon impact, driving rearward toward the base of the bullet, and opening the nose section. With a 180-grain Core-Lokt Tipped at 2400 fps, the better ballistic coefficient (BC) of the new tipped bullet will show itself out past 200 yards.
Second, the Core-Lokt Copper is now available in the 360 Buckhammer, making the cartridge compliant with those states and provinces which have banned lead-core ammunition. Though the 360 Buckhammer isn’t exactly a speed demon—to the point that bullet breakup is an issue—it is fast enough to reliably open a copper monometal projectile. Core-Lokt Copper is a hollowpoint bullet, and in the 360 Buckhammer it is loaded at 160-grains, at a muzzle velocity of 2500 fps. Despite the lower bullet weight, the Core-Lokt Copper’s structural integrity will prevent bullet breakup, though the hollowpoint will ensure reliable expansion.
Offering two new projectiles just makes a great cartridge even better. Remington’s line extensions will make your Henry or Rossi lever guns just that much more flexible.
But wait, there’s more…
Remington’s sister company—Federal Premium—just announced that the HammerDown line will include a 220-grain bonded core bullet for the 360 Buckhammer, cruising at 2000 fps, thereby adding further dimension to the cartridge.
