My thoughts, had a M77 SS in 350 RM, loaded 225s both Sierra for deer and NPs for elk, as my buddy bought it as he borrowed it one evening 2 seasons ago, and darned if it brought him good luck, SLAMMED a deer, 10 pt buck NICE at 200 yds w/Sierra, around 2700 it seems for MV. Bullet was BEAUTIFUL pic perfect mushroom and IIRC weighed 158 grains, core intact, found the bullet on off shoulder just under hide, thought I felt bullet when got to deer, later at camp, cut hide and there was the bullet, no problems.

If I were you, shoot the Sierras, a 35 cal slinging 225 grains of lead is doing close to what handgunners throw at deer at FAR less mv and impact vel.

Perhaps you are like many of us and over think things, but that is ok, you are just trying to maximize your success.

Ironically, my buddy booked an elk hunt last season, and the airline regs now would not allow him to carry my handloaded NPs, as they were in a zip lock bag, not a properly marked box.

In a nutshell, he dumped a nice 6x6 at around 150 yds using none other than the lowly factory loaded 200 corelokt!

To your point re: low BC on 200s in 358, that is precisely why for a short mid bore I like the 338 fed as its 200 hornady has a better bc, at close ranges the 35 is fine w/them. I did take and buy some Rem CLs for my 350 as they were cheap, did not shoot near as well as the 225s, and surprisingly plinked a bit with 158 JHPs/JSPs and to 200 yds, very deadly to water filled milk jugs! Would not hesitate one second to bust a deer at 200-250 if I could get a broadside shot thru lungs, it would destroy them I am sure as there is violent expansion going on.

I'd also not worry as to anyone telling you what you can do/or not w/358, or how far.

"Beware of the man with one gun, he probably knows how to use it" so that said, the fact that you have practiced more than most and know your rifle/load/scope reticle set up, I'd say any deer w/in 375 yds is yours whether you choose the sierra or np.

Could be possible the nose on the PTs are softer and open further out easier as Rich -tech at Sierra (uses the bullet himself in a 358 Ruger 77 under healthy dose of H335 IIRC for around 2500 mv) assured me the 225 is a stout bullet. I am sure it'd take elk fine. Core separation is not a guarantee of failure, nor a sure correlation of 'lack of desired quick kills' but on an elk, the cost of a box of NP's is cheap vs the hunt as I told my friend.

Sure you have seen this but perhaps others have not:

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/358_wcf.htm