Well I got two boxes of 160 gr. 358 Raptors and tried them in my 358 Winchester. First, thing I noticed was they were accurate. I only had access to a 25 yard range when I did a quick check but their POI was only about 0.25 higher than my 225 gr. Swift A Frames. So no need to rezero. Velocity with a max load averaged about 2700 fps. I was happy. First two shots at the 25 yard range were one hole that was just big enough to let me know I'd hit again. So presumably sub MOA at 100.
I was a bit concerned about using them because the area I was hunting was pretty brushy. So I loaded one Cutting Edge round on top and traditional 225 gr. Swift A Frames below that.
I ended up shooting a large cow moose through the lungs. She did what many moose do, she stumbled a bit and stood just behind a screen of tree branches. I fired between the branches as best I could with a follow up shot and dropped her.
View attachment 553922
This picture shows the entrance wounds. The smaller one is the CE bullet. The higher one is the Swift A Frame. Notice how close the A Frame is to the spine. I think it was delfected by a tree branch. At any rate I don't think the A Frame touched the lungs. I wonder if the impact so close to the spine is what caused her to drop instalty.
View attachment 553923
The lunges were a mess so she was clearly dead on her feet and my follow up shot probably wasn't needed.
View attachment 553925
Now the prettier pictures
View attachment 553928
Notice how my wife's feet don't touch the ground. Moose are big.
In summary the CE bullet worked well. I didn't get to examine the insides a lot and never found the blades. Both the A Frame and CE bullet stopped just under the hide. The base of the CE bulllet mushroomed a bit. I don't know if the hole in the lungs was a lot bigger than a traditional heavy 358 bullet might have caused but it was enough. Its a bullet the stretches the usable range of a short barreled 358 to 400 yards (although wind reading would be important). The bullets appear accurate. So I can't complain. I'll probably try them a bit more and see how they compare. Its good to have options since premium 358 bullets are not always easy to find.