Help me with a deer hunting Load 357.

[gethuntin]

I want to start of saying i see there is always debate on whether to use a 357 for deer and get a .44. Well i have have 357 and thats what i carry with me.

back to the question, I have a gp100 with a 6" barrel. I am right now thinking i will use Hornady's 158 gr XTP. They seem to be very well made like all hornady bullets and capable of taking down deer and not overly expensive where i can shoot alot. some cases they are only 2 to 3 dollars more per hundred than some supposed bulk plinking bullets. anyone do testing between the 158 and 180 grain bullets?

I would like to know a good powder relatively clean burning and i would like to get good velocity. I was leaning towards H110. I also thought of Unique bc i can load it with 125s if i want a easier plinking round and also use it for 158's but i would lose about 150 fps on top end.

Thanks

[Ken ONeill]

Whatever 158 shoots the best (I use Speer JHP or Sierra 158 JSP) driven by 16.5 gr. WW 296 & CCI 550's.
The fact remains that a .357 is not a great choice in my opinion. Forget Unique and 125's.

[mbopp]

H110 and W296 are the same powder now. Probably the best powder for all-up 357 loads. You may want to consider a 158gr JSP for more penetration than the XTP's.

[shot1]

With a 357 mag revolver keep your shots under 75 yards preferably 50 yards or under and stay away from the shoulder bone. Put the bullet through the lungs broad side or you most likely will loose your deer. From my experience I would use a 180 gr Hornady XTP or Speer Gold Dot and 13.5 grs H-110 or WW 296 (Their the same powder). The reason for the heavy bullet is to get an exit. A 158 gr HP may not exit and when you don't have an exit you don't have much if any blood trail to follow. The reason for the broad side shots only is with angles you may only pop one lung and a deer can go a loooooooog way on that remaining lung. If you do not hit the spine most of the time the deer will not drop on the spot and can cover quite a bit of ground with both lungs popped before it drops. A 357 mag will kill a deer, BUT, where that deer will end up running off to before it dies is a big problem. I have killed deer with a 10" barrel Contender shooting the 180's out to 107 yards but in a Contender you can push the 357 mag almost to the velocities you get with a revolver in 357 Max.

[Badnews Bob]

I prefer hardcast slugs at 180gr, If you want to use the XTPs stay with the FP not the HP and even then I like 180s there too. Another good bullet to use is the remmy 158gr JSPs I buy them in bulk they shoot great and work well on deer. H110 or win 296 are also what I would normally use.

 My hunting revolver is usally a GP 100 .357.

[buck460XVR]

If you want to use the XTPs stay with the FP.

I agree.....you wanna blow a hole all the way thru with the 357.  I stuck to 40 yards and closer when hunting deer with my .357 revolver. The ones shot with JHPs only had one hole. The ones shot with JSPs had two.

 

Another good bullet to use is the remmy 158gr JSPs I buy them in bulk they shoot great and work well on deer.

I've had good luck with the  158 JSP from Speer you buy in the 450 round bulk pack. It shoots very well for me in both the revolvers and the levergun. They are generally about the same price as the bulk Remmies.

H110 or win 296 are also what I would normally use.

Same here, altho I also like IMR4227.

[Sverre A.]

I have shot deer-sized animals with 200 Cast Performance HC, Hornady 180 HP/XTP  and Hornady 158 HP/XTP - and can`t say that I have seen any difference.

Some of the animals run 150 yds.
Others 10 yds

BUT: A 200 CP HC - will penetrate better than the others.

[Bigeasy]

My experience on deer with a .357 is limited, but I would recommend the XTP in the heavier weights (158 grain and up)  I have used this bullet in a .357 for several deer, and the .44 / .45 version for a lot more, at it just plain works.  As in any handgun hunting situation, pick your shots, and try to avoid extreme angling shots, especially thru bone.  Some will tell you that a 158 grain bullet at 1300 fps will bounce off a deers rib, but that's not true.  Just be aware as a bullet expands, penetration decreases.  I like full caliber hard cast bullets because they penetrate deep and cut a clean hole, leave a good blood trail, but that's in 44 / 45.  I don't know if a hard cast in .357 is going to have the same, immediate effect as a larger bore, that's why I like the expansion from a soft point in that caliber. 

As stated elsewhere in this post, 296 and 110 are basically identical powders, and are great full power powders for top velocity in magnum loads.  They are not suitable for use in reduced velocity, practice loads.  To get the best out of the .357, you need two powders - One like 296 for max hunting loads, and another for loading mid-range and plinking loads.  Faster burning powders like Unique fit well in this role.

Larry

[gethuntin]

Thank for the reply so far they have been very helpful. i was afraid i would need two powders if i were to plink.  Sounds like it could be a tough decision between 158's and 180's i know my gun has been shooting some  factory 158 JSP's farily good already.

[Graybeard]

Jerry Lestor was our resident expert on the use of .357 Magnum on deer. He has taken dozens of deer with it in both handgun and rifle. Sadly he lost his job and seems to have left the internet for now. Hopefully he will one day be back on his feet and able to rejoin us here.

His load of choice after trying a great many was the Remington 158 JSP over a near max load of Lil'Gun. I think it was around 17.0 or 17.5 grains but be sure do double check in a load manual don't take that as a load recommendation. After trying both JHPs and JSPs he felt the JSP gave the best performance.

Me I've never shot a deer with a .357 as I have far better choices and just never seem to get around to using it.

[tc scout]

Jerry Lester was our resident expert on the use of .357 Magnum on deer. He has taken dozens of deer with it in both handgun and rifle. Sadly he lost his job and seems to have left the internet for now. Hopefully he will one day be back on his feet and able to rejoin us here.

His load of choice after trying a great many was the Remington 158 JSP over a near max load of Lil'Gun. I think it was around 17.0 or 17.5 grains but be sure do double check in a load manual don't take that as a load recommendation. After trying both HPs and JSPs he felt the JSP gave the best performance.

Me I've never shot a deer with a .357 as I have far better choices and just never seem to get around to using it.

Best I can remember, I asked Jerry about using Speer 158 Gr. Unicore SP bullets, he replied that he thought it was a very good bullet for hunting.
I have even shot some in my 357 Max with good accuracy using H110.
Will have to try some Lil'Gun in the 357 mag. Shoot it alot in my 22 Hornet.

[3030guy]

The one deer I took with a handgun was with a Hornady 180 gr, broadside at 10 yards. In that instance, the bullet punched through both lungs, not much of a blood trail. The small deer went about 50 yards then dropped. I've since moved to a lighter 158 grain, the 180 grain seemed too tough. I hunt like a bowhunter with my handgun and have a lot of fun. And that's what it's all about for me. When the time comes that I really need venison, I'm grabbing the 270 and not messing around!

[rybo]

I've only got one 357 experience. Shot it with a gold dot 170 gr FP & got the same size hole out as in. Deer didn't go but 30-40 yds, but there was no blood trail.
But from my 44 experiences I want some expansion. I'd find it hardto believe that a 158 XTP behind a full load of H110 would not punch thru a broadside deer.