.357 Herret

[doulos]

Anybody still shooting this for deer hunting in a carbine or pistol.  Im thinking of getting a carbine barrel for my G2. Ive used .357 maximum in a super 14 Contender years ago to take 4 deer and am also considering this. have also thought of .35 remington. 30-30 or 30-30 AI. Id like it to be a solid 150 yard performer and maybe 200.  I thought that would be stretching the .357 Maximum.  The .357 Herret seems like a cartridge nobody talks about anymore. What do you guys think?

[Swampman]

As a huge fan of Bob Milek and Steve Herrett I love it.

[cwlongshot]

I have had one. Too much trouble getting it to reliably fire!! (Headspace issues) I tried everything, all worked for a time, but in my case, frame stretch was to blame. Plus the hassle making cases for it....I loaded it down and the misfire issues went away, but the velocities where no better than the maximum and that was a heap easier to load for!!  I dropped it when I bought a Maximum and haven't looked back.

CW

[Dezynco]

It's a great cartridge, but a little finicky (in my opinion).  You can purchase ready formed brass from Midway, but it's a little on the expensive side.  Making the brass from 30-30's is a little time consuming, so making brass is not for folks who have no patience.

There are only a few "spire-points" that will work well in the 357 Herret as a pistol, one of the best is the Hornandy 180 grain SSP/SP (Single Shot Pistol/Spire Point).  In a carbine, any bullets that will work in the 35 Remington will work, the extra velocity will allow the bullet to expand.

The problem I found is that my 10" barrel will not fling some bullets fast enough to expand. I lost a big doe this year because of this (live and learn).  However, any of the bullets that are for the 357 mag and 357Max will work well, but I don't know how far.  For the extra distance, you'll need to get the SSP/SP's for pistol length barrels.

The 357 Herret lost some of it's following when TC started chambering the Contender in 35 Remington.  In fact, you might consider the 357 Herret to be a 35 Remington with a rim.

I'm certainly not knocking the cartridge.  My 10" barrel is very accurate,capable of 1" groups at 100 yards, but it's not one of my favorites in a pistol length barrel.  Might be great, and worth the trouble in a carbine length barrel, but you could alsways get a 35 Remington.

[Grumulkin]

My advice would be to go with a 30/30 Win. or 30/30 AI.

I have a 10 inch scoped T/C Contender barrel in 357 Herrett with which I've taken Black Wildebeest, Mountain Reedbuck and Springbok using Hornady 158 gr. XTP HP bullets which expanded in an excellent classical mushroom fashion.  So, it would work fine on deer and even larger animals.

Mine will print 1 to 1.5 inch 3 shot groups off the bench at 100 yards but working up a good load wasn't real easy and you either have to buy expensive brass or make your own.  For deer, you'll get better long range performance, better accuracy and less expense with a 30/30.

[Hopalong7]

     The 357 Herrett, like it's little brother, the 30 Herrett was designed to give ultimate performance from a 10" pistol barrel.  Milek and Herrett were both dissappointed in the performance of the 30-30 and 35 Rem in their 10" Contenders and the 30 Herrett was born and soon afterward the 357 Herrett.  I think either one of them would quickly tell us that the scale tips back the other way(in favor of the 30-30 and 35Rem)when we go to longer tubes.
Walt  

[FredWT]

I have a 14 inch .357 H from the custom shop. I traded a .357 Max for a used H. The H was stretched and T/C honored a lifetime warranty and make me a new one. Wasn't that nice. I really do like my Herrett. Took one buck with it. Favorite projectile is the Hornady 180 XTP. It will put 5 shots into 1.5 inch at 100 yards.

Easier to make brass out of .32 SPL or the best is .38-55 brass. .375 Win brass is good, but thick.

I love oddballs. If I was really serious and had to do it all over again, I would get a 15 or 16 inch .35 Remington.