.357 mag. handi

[mojoe]

can you tell me all about this rifle? best loads.357/.38?  how far it will take deer?any thing else i need to know?
 thank you
 

[PartsMan]

Very neat rifles.
I wish I had one.
Should be good on deer out to 100Yd.
Almost no recoil with 38 special for practice.

[db22]

mojoe: yup, gotta agree with PartsMan, .357 Handis are neat and fun to shoot. Do you handload? If you do, you'll enjoy the cartridge even more. Several members here, myself included, report their .357s have very long chamber throats. Most of us have found that we can chamber .357 Dan Wesson cases in the factory chamber, and many of us have lengthened the chamber to .357 Maximum. I'm still wringing mine out, trying different bullets and loads. The ability to tailor your ammunition to the chamber is a big help in achieving accuracy.

As far as power goes. the standard .357 round is adequate for whitetails at shorter distances, 50-75 yards. Use a good bullet -- Winchester makes a round for handgun hunting that should do the trick. But if you handload, your .357 Handi can utilize bullets that are not available in factory ammunition. If you aren't handloading now but are interested in getting started, plenty of members here will give you good advice. First step is to get a good, recent bullet manufacturer's reference book. Hornady's, Speer's, or Sierra's are all good. Read the introductory chapters carefully before buying anything else, and start slow.

I find that handloading is almost as much fun as shooting!

[Default]

 Mojoe ,

  I too have a 357 handi i picked up with the missus in mind (and of course i have wanted one for a while ,but we all know that didnt affect my decision right ?  )
 I find no troubles at all in getting good accuracy at 50 and 100 yrds with the same bullet (remmies 125 grn and 140 grn ammo)
 One recovered round was close to penny sized after it connected with the soft clay back stop at the range ( 100 yards)
 and either this round (140 remming hp) or my new 223 barrel with the Hornady Tap rounds will be coming with me on my next hunt ,maybe both ... i have every confidence in the 357 mag handi to do the deed ,Accuracy ,consistencey and 22mag recoil
 Dont let me forget great prices on ammo and the 38 spcl for practice ....hope that helped ..

  Regards,

   Default

[EVOC ONE]

My .357 bbl. arrived around the middle of October just as hunting season was in full swing. I've only fired a few factory rounds just to check it out.  I used some Blazer 125 gr hollow points that I've had for years. 

At 50 yards through open sights each round hit in a vertical line at 12 o'clock.  The string ranged from about 2" below to just above the bull.  I've since mounted the barrel onto another receiver and with another stock set.  I've yet to shoot the new combo. 

Regarding its capabilities in the rifle, there is not much more to add to what has already been written. 

The ammo selection is vast.  As stated, .38 Special ammo can be fired in the .357.  Between to two there is a plethora of types and styles.  Anything from paper punching lead to high speed semi-jacketed hollow points.  Stop into you local gun shop and ask to be shown their selection of .38/.357 ammo.  You'll be amazed at whats out there.

The .357 is a very easy case to reload and would be a good caliber to learn with for the novice loader.  A set of dies with a carbide sizer makes life easy.  The die set can also be used to load 38 Specials.  Both use very little powder to achieve pretty much any result you might be looking for.  A pound of powder goes a long way.  Reloading components are easily obtained and are inexpensive, relatively speaking.  Used dies sets are easily obtained. 

The .38/.357 is like the .30-06 in that just about every ammo manufacturer offers it, there are a variety of factory bullets weights available and you will find both .38 Special and .357 at any place that sells handgun ammo.  As far as price, they are among the least expensive handgun ammo to purchase. 

Recoil with the ammo I fired was very light.  However, recoil is relative to the individual. The .357 would be an appropriate step up for a young person who has become proficient with a .22 and has properly learned shooting fundamentals.  It should not be a problem for a typical adult. 

   

[mojoe]

The reason that i am thinking about the .38/.357 is that i can use it to hunt sm. and med. game. And that i've read that the .38/.357 was easy to start loading with as well.And later i can get a hand gun to go w/ the rifle.what shelf ammo do you buy to shoot and reload? thanks

[Doublebass73]

My .357 handi shoots very accurately with 148 grain .38 special wadcutters. These have almost no recoil either.
For deer hunting i use Federal 180 grain Powershoks.

[shaner]

ive owned 3 of them and one i took to the max, all shot great, hope to get into another one real soon,  cheap the play with too ,

[EVOC ONE]

The reason that i am thinking about the .38/.357 is that i can use it to hunt sm. and med. game. And that i've read that the .38/.357 was easy to start loading with as well.And later i can get a hand gun to go w/ the rifle.what shelf ammo do you buy to shoot and reload? thanks

I don't shoot very much shelf ammo.  The .38 special 148 gr wadcutter and 158 gr round nosed lead rounds were the quintessential practice ammo. Lately I see that 150 gr FMJ rounds appearing as the new "plinking" round.   .357 Mag ammo is hot enough that you usually don't see the low level rounds as you would in the .38 special.  Folks who have a .357 shoot .38 specials through it for practice ammo.

As for reloads. The fun part is tailoring a load that shoots best in your particular firearm.  There are many different bullet weights and powder combos to choose from.  You would have to decide what you want to use the load for.  In the .357 you would likely use a heavier bullet weight of 158 grains or more for larger animals.  For smaller game, something less may do.  This is where the purchase a loading manual or two would be beneficial.  The manufacturers explain what their bullets are designed for and at what velocities.  There are also separate loads listed for handguns and rifles.  As for paper punching .357 ammo.  That's pretty much up to what the shooter wants to use.  Many practice with their hunting loads to increase proficiency.  Some experiment to find the most accurate loads for their particular firearm.  Others try to find the least expensive load combination.

 

[OBXPilgrim]

I've never bought any "off the shelf" 38/357 ammo - if that means something other than my storage shelf of reloads.  I made my mind up to not shoot any jacketed ammo from my 357 mag since I bought it.  No need to limit yourself to 38/357 either.  The chamber in mine was long enough to easily chamber 360 Dan Wesson - not so common, but falls between the 357 Mag & Max.  But, it was also cut with a long throat & I can seat a 200gr cast Saeco & RCBS bullet out to the same overall length as a .357 Max cartridge - which I did - with a .357 Maximum load.  It worked just fine on deer this year, but I found out I need a softer alloy - didn't get any expansion.

Can't wait to find a good plinking load for it - just haven't tried yet.  My son shot some 38 loads I had for a S&W 38 - he thought he had one stuck in the barrel it was so quiet.

[PHATINJUN]

I to am using the 360DW with .358 cast 200g bullets  grouping very well to about 75 yrd so far but haven't hunted with it yet only had it a little while. Kurt

[mojoe]

what is store ammo running where you live? at wal-mart it was about $24 a box. i was just wanting to know.
 thanks
 

[Mattkc]

All I use for deer hunting anymore is the 357.  However, I hand-load a max load of Lil'Gun with a 158gr soft point or XTP-FP.  It is good out to 100+ yards, stay away from hp bullets they are designed for self-defence or pistol velocities.  Think of it this way 30-30 150gr. commercial rounds travel at 1700-1800 fps., regardless of what the maker claims.  You can easily match or surpass 1800fps with the 357 out of a rifle barrel with a larger frontal area and 158gr. bullet.  The first time I hunted with the 357 I felt a little under gunned, until I shot the deer.  Complete penetration and a blood trail a blind man could follow.  Followed the trail about 40 yards and found my deer stone dead.  Also, almost no kick.

[quickdtoo]

Think of it this way 30-30 150gr. commercial rounds travel at 1700-1800 fps., regardless of what the maker claims. 

Dunno what factory 30-30 ammo you're shooting, but the 150gr Rems chrono an average of 2330fps out of my Handi. Factory spec is 2390fps out of a 24" barrel.

Tim