.357 Mag loads for small to medium hogs.

[Mohawk]

Though I have some experience shown to me with loads on small Whitetails, I haven't any knowledge on reasonable hog loads in .357. I've heard neck shots are not reliable. Any suggestions on bullet designs to handle a much tought creature than central Texas deer.

[Jim Stacy]

Mo I hunt in your area of the world , have brother who lives in San Antonio and we hunt down near Big Wells off of south I-35. I am not sure a 357 for a chest shot on a hog would be the best medicine. If you practice , get close and shoot them at the base of the ear from the side or frontal shot above the eyes a 158 cast bullet over 14.0/2400/ mag primer will do the trick. I have seen a small hog, 60-70 pounds take a 240 XTP through the chest and trot off like nothing had happened to it and it trotted for 200 yards or so and stopped coughed up some blood fell over and died. On the other hand I shot a 250# hog low through the chest at 25 yards with a 30 Herrett and 125 balistic tip and the hog flopped over backwards and died on the spot. I'm not sure I would shoot a hog through the chest with a 357 of any bullet weight and expect to see them die very quickly. In the head with the load above will kill them on the spot with proper bullet placement . Use the loud bow theory--think of a pistol as a loud bow and shoot it accordingly.

[Mohawk]

I was thinking of a head shot. I shot a 170# between the ear and the eye with a .22 mag and he fell over dead. There is a guy I work with that is a retired cop and went as far back as carrying the old 158 RNL .38. He used to shoot them in the same spot with that load and it worked fine. I asked why he used it and he said,"I knew where the bullet was gonna' go". I've seen the .357 take deer rather efficiently with double lung hits but I don't feel confident with the current crop of .357's to use it on hogs unless there is a load I don't know about, or at least, here from someone that does it regularly.

[GunnyII]

187gr LBT over max charge of H110 @ 1300 fps head or chest.

Good luck!

[Mohawk]

Oops.....I left out the technical stuff. It is a K-frame BUT I save most magnum use for things that attack me...hogs, bad guys, and so forth. It is a 4" model 19, my duty revolver. Oh, and I talked to the rancher last night and he said he has used a .357 blackhawk for years and, on small hogs, went with the 125 JHP or the 145 Silvertip through lungs, and on big ones, a factory cast load(didn't specify).

[Mohawk]

Yeah, I heard something similar also. One m19 owner called Smith and Wesson and the recommened 158 grain also. In the meantime I read a few articles on the .357 Winchester, partition gold, 180 grain. I actually found a jello test through a 4" GP-100. 1,000 or so fps and expanded to .68", 17 in penetration depth. Being a heavier, slower bullet the wear and tear should not be as abusive as the 125 JHP.
  I am in the private sector of security. Was formally with the State of Texas Attorney Generals Office. Left public service. I needed more money and time to write my next book. Our agency allows you to carry any caliber of revolver(.38 and above), any load, provided to barrel is no longer than 6" OR the any semi(9mm) and above.

[Cabin4]

200gr hard cast.

[Mikey]

I normally recommend the 200 gn hard cast swc over 12.4 0f WW296 for about 1300'/sec+.  We used to also use 12.2 of IMR 4227 for aobut 1020'/sec which matched an older WW630 load and of course there is also 5.5 of Unique for about 940'/sec which is a good accuracy load.  

However, you should use what you are good with and can hit with.  Good luck and let us know how ya do.  Mikey.

[shooter444002]

18gr of Lil gun over 158gr SP, does 1925fps out of my marlins 18 1/2" barrel, havent shot it over the chrono out of my Dan Wesson. Has hammered many hogs, some on hard quartering shots. Took lots of hogs over dogs. Head and neck shots work well with most any round, like to took ones head off the other day with the 22-250 and 52gr sierra match. Shot in neck and head just holding on by a little skin. It is over rated on what it takes to kill hogs, catch and kill hundreds a year and it isnt that hard to kill them, especially most average hogs. A knife and a good bull dog work as good as anything else!

[Mikey]

Chris - I have had a whole buncha fun with that 200 gn swc over 5.5 of Unique.  Sometimes it gets boring just listening to the gong ring when you're pelting it with a 3.5" M28 and the guys with the longer barrels are going nutz trying to figger out what you are doign right and they are doing wrong.  Ah yes, life can be good................. Mikey.

[pastorp]

Mickey, Where did you get a 3.5" model 28? I didn't know they made that length in that model. I did have a 3.5 model 27 years ago. A very handy gun never should have sold it. Thanks Byron

[Mikey]

pastorp:  the pistol began life 30 years ago as a 6" Highway Patrolman and after about that many years of digging a hole in my hip I sent it to S&W to be rebarrelled.  Believe it or not, they did not have any 4" Model 28barrels left or even a 3.75" Model 27 barrel but the did have a 3.5" Model 27 barrel, so I had them install that shorter barrel and reblue the entire piece to match.  She now wears a set of black Buffalo horn small gripstocks and Tyler T-Grip.  Her favorite load is the 200 gn swc over 12.4 of WW296, or for fun the same bullet over 5.5 of Unique.  She's a sweetie and easy to carry, now.  Mikey.

[Blackhawk44]

For anything bigger than varmints, mass and diameter have more effect on game than velocity.  Velocity is a variable, mass is a constant.   Just member, at 50yds, a .357 has become just a noisy .38 while the big slug of 44's and 45's is still a big slug.

[Wynn]

I've taken probably a dozen hogs with my Ruger Security Six, 4" barrel, using factory 145 gr Winchester Silvertips. 50 to 150 lbs, 10 to 30 yds, base of neck, chest, just below the ear, or between the eyes. 1 was quartering away, through the ribs into heart & lungs.

Haven't lost one yet.