Good day gents! I've been musing about looking for a nice English single shot or double rifle in .360 Express 2 1/4" for deer hunting. Unfortunately, my locality has a max case length restriction of 1.800". How detrimental to the gun or accuracy would trimming the cases to 1.8" and shooting them out of a 2.25" chambered gun? There are very few English cartridges that fit my need, the .360 seems to be the closest. Is it a possibility or am I just dreaming

claycrusher,
It is possible, but I wouldn't shorten 360 cases. Use 30-30 cases shortened from 2.080" to 1.800" and load the bullets "out". A better and easier solution would be to buy a new .350 Winchester Legend AR 15.Tell Swallwell(?) you do hunt with an AR, regardless of what he says.
Mike

I bought a Remington 700 in .350 Legend and topped it with a nice Luepold. That's my utility rifle... but I could appreciate a fine English rifle on a nice day. I've thought about looking for a stocked action and rebarreling it, but haven't seen any for sale

I wouldn't load a tapered cartridge that short. If you're good with shooting lead bullets, I'd consider looking into breech seating the bullet out into the rifling and using a separate fire formed case with appropriate powder/charge. I suppose unless the hunting laws by you require fixed ammo, but I'd think it might be worth jumping through a hoop or two to hunt with the rifle that you'd prefer. Best of luck with it.

craigd,
Of course you are absolutely correct, but using 30-30 cases would make case loss insignificant.
Mike

One other part of this joyous law is straight walled cases. Between 1.17 and 1.80 inches... lovely isn't it?

I am unfamiliar with breech seating bullets- it would sound as if the bullet and case are loaded into the rifle separately? The case being loaded with powder only, and something to contain it?

Yes, the bullet and primed case with powder are loaded separately. Generally, the bullet, bore, throat, alloy, etc. are decently matched for the process, but it doesn't have to be.

If it were me, I'd consider trying what's called a plugged case, brass with a length of dowel in it. The idea would be to push the bullet into the rifling to whatever depth chosen when the plug is fully seated, maybe into the throat just ahead of the chamber.

The powder in the case does not need to be contained. If it were me, don't use any card or wadding. In a somewhat similar situation, I've use a layer of thin mylar tape over the case mouth, but a stopper in the case can be pulled off just before it's loaded in the rifle. If someone were inclined to, the muzzle could be tipped up to shift the powder back before the rifle is leveled off to fire.

I'd consider looking up, if I'm thinking of the right .360 2 1/4", breech seat loads for the 38-55, and maybe the 32-40 to get in the ball park. Who knows, maybe one of the 4227 powders would do the trick. There are other thoughts, but as mentioned earlier, if it were me, I'd look into options to get a classic rifle back out in the field.

Only guessing with the new info you provided, but to load a fixed cartridge in that chamber at 1.8 inches, chances are it would look like a bottle neck or at least heavily tapered. Anyway, best of luck with it.