S&W 686 357 MAG , 6 INCH BARREL

[brown-trout]

OK.....Thats what Ive got.....not being a handloader what would my best factory load be for whitetail deer.....no shots over 50 yards ever.
Also ...Ive got the factory iron sights.
I will treat it as bow hunting with a firearm.
Thanks....bt

[Stillhuntn]

BT,
Winchester makes a good hunting round.  I think these are 180 grain hardcast.  Although I have not seen any in a while Federal made a hunting round at one time.  CorBon ammo is good also.  At one time Hornady had a factory round for the 357 Mag.
The most important thing is your confidence in your ability to properly place the shot.  If you can put 6 rounds into a 9 inch circle at 50 yards consistently then you will drop your deer.
Dry fire at night to familiarize yourself with the pistol.
Just my .02.
Rick

[Dave in WV]

I'd use a 158gr HP. I like the Remington load.

[LMM]

I have a Ruger GP100 6" barrel.  Williams Fire Sights.

I haven't been able to locate the CorBon or Winchester yet.  The Winchester Supreme is a Nosler Partition Gold bullet, not hardcast.

Federal makes a hardcast load in 180grs.  I haven't tried them yet.

I've tested the following over my chrony.

Buffalo Bore will give you the following from a 6" barrel revolver.

125gr Gold Dot 1700fps (Wouldn't use for deer)
158gr Gold Dot  1500fps
170gr Gold Dot (Haven't tested yet)
180gr Hard Cast Gas Check 1400fps (My choice for this upcoming season)

Remington 165gr Core Lokt 1350fps. This surprised me as they are advertised as 1250fps from a 8 3/8" barrel.

Load Data
~~~~~~~~~

Name: .357 Cal, Buffalo Bore Hard Cast, 180 grn
Ballistic Coeff: 0.210
Bullet Weight: 180
Velocity: 1400
Target Distance: 100
Sight Height: 0.750
Temperature: 70
Altitude: 900

Ballistic Data
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Range  Elevation  Velocity   Energy
  0 yds   -0.75 in  1400 fps   783 fpe
 25 yds    1.36 in  1339 fps   717 fpe
 50 yds    2.27 in  1282 fps   657 fpe
 75 yds    1.86 in  1229 fps   604 fpe
100 yds    0.00 in  1182 fps   558 fpe
125 yds   -3.40 in  1140 fps   519 fpe
150 yds   -8.48 in  1102 fps   486 fpe

I will also be hunting from a deer stand for the most part.  50yds should be my maximum range shot.

[Somerled]

Check your state's regulations before buying ammunition. Here we have to use a expanding, jacketed bullet. That leaves out the heavy cast bullets.

I usually load my own. I like the Hornady 158-grain XTP bullet. I'd look for a factory load using the same bullet from Hornady. The Speer Gold Dots work well, too. I have used Remington and Federal ammunition with the 158 grain JHPs on deer. I wouldn't use any bullet less than 140 grains on whitetails.

There are better choices I suspect. This is what has worked for me. There's a lot of brush here. I've not shot one over 30 yards. With my eyes in dim light, that is tricky enough with the S&W factory sights.

[brown-trout]

much appreciated!!!

[Jerry Lester]

A good 158g SP factory load should do nicely for you.

[Old Griz]

:cb2: The Federal 300-gr. CastCore shoot great in my .44, but when I tried the 180-gr. CastCore in my .357 they shot all over the place.

Someone who has tried the 170-gr. Gold Dots tell us what your experience has been. (Please!)

[Raging480]

I have the same gun as the title of the post, and let me share my experience.  I have loaded some of the 170 grain Speer Gold Dot Soft Point, but the load data from Speer limits this round to about 1100 fps.  Ok, it is advertised to work like a cast bullet, but has the jacket to make it cleaner.  I can load Hard Cast gas checked bullets faster than that, which are more accurate, and more powerful, so why wouldn't I?
Secondly, someone mentioned the Rem Cor-lokt ammo.  I have written about my experience with that round before, but I will share it again.  I shot a spike buck in the shoulder at about 60 yards with that round.  The shoulder was decimated, but the bullet broke up, and hardly penetrated the chest cavity.  This buck ran on three legs for a few hundred yards before we were able to finish him off with shotgun slugs, and he was still running when he was killed.  Forget THAT.  CPBC, here I come!

[Van/TX]

Dang Griz, I hate to hear that about the 180 Cast Cores.  What is your setup?  I just got a box of those Fed 180 CC's but haven't tried 'em yet.  Hoping they will be accurate enough from my 8" Dan Wesson  :wink: .....Van

[Del]

If I were going to hunt deer w/a .357 mag handgun and wanted to be able to buy the ammo "off the shelf", I'd use the Winchester 180grn Nosler Partition factory ammo!  A good bullet that will give you expansion, penetration, and is loaded fairly stout.

Shot placement is important w/any caliber used, but IMHO the smaller the caliber the more important the shot placement becomes!  Good Hunting!

Del

[LMM]

Del,

What velocity you getting with the Winchester 180gr Nosler PG? I'm not impressed with there advertised ballistics and my experience with Winchester is they probably won't live upto the advertised ballistics.  To bad someone doesn't load it to .357 Magnum potential.

I was surprised at the Remingtion 165gr Core-Lokt's they exceeded there advertised ballistics but have been hearing the bullet doesn't deliver on deer.

I haven't been able to find a box of the Federal 180gr CoreCast to try yet.  Does this round have a Gas Check?

The Buffalo Bore 180gr HardCast has a Gas Check. I've had no problem with leading.  Delivers as advertised and shoots great out of my 1894CP and my Ruger GP100.

Indiana doesn't allow FMJ non expanding jacketed bullets.  Don't know why a state wouldn't allow a lead bullet. Of course they expand.

Anyone have any reports on how the Speer Gold Dot bullets perform on deer?

Shot placement is important no matter what your using.

[Del]

The only .357 mag handgun that I chronographed the Win. 180grn Partiton factory ammo through was a 3" barreled S&W J-frame.  And it clocked an average of 1121 fps.  So I'd guess that it would chrony about 1250 fps or more from a 6" barrel, if I remember right (I know that's a big if) that is what they are rated at, which is the same as the Federal Cast Core 180 grn hunting load.  

Hope that helps anyone thinking of / or are already hunting w/the .357 mag and have thought about the Win. factory 180grn Partition ammo.

Good luck!
Del

[LMM]

Thanks Del,

That is impressive, Winchester advertises them at 1180fps from an 8" vented barrel.  I've been wanting the test them but haven't been able to find them locally.  If I can find them I'll test them in my 6" Ruger.

[Van/TX]

I ordered the the Federal 180 Castcores thru CheaperThanDirt.  About $26 per box of 20 with shipping and tax.  Haven't tried them out yet.  They are rated by Federal as 1250 fps MV and 625 ft #'s with an 8" vented barrel.  They should work fine for 50 yard deer with my 8" DW.  Hope so anyway .....Van

[Mikey]

brown-trout:  I would have responded to your original post earlier but you specified that you did not handload for your revolver.  Some of the factory or name brand ammo out there for the 357, with the 170 and 180 grain bullets will be fine for whitetail out to 50 yards from your revolver.  

However, if you know someone who reloads for the 38/357, ask that person to get some 200 grain semi-wadcutter hard cast bullets for the 357 and to load them over 12.4 grains of WW296- Winchester advertises 1335'/sec (probably from a test barrel) in the 357 caliber.  I use that load exclusively and it is a hard hitting load.  It is also much easier on you and the handgun although that S&W can eat those things all day long.  They actually shoot at a lower pressure than the factory Winchester 158 grain 357 loads.  I find them accurate and very hard hitting.  Failing dinding someone to reload for you or to take up the hobby yourself on possibly a one caliber basis, obtain some of the 180 grain 357s and use those.  They have proven effective out to 50 yds.  Sorry about being the last post.  Good luck and let us know how your hunt went.  Mikey.

[Cabin4]

If I were going to hunt deer w/a .357 mag handgun and wanted to be able to buy the ammo "off the shelf", I'd use the Winchester 180grn Nosler Partition factory ammo!  A good bullet that will give you expansion, penetration, and is loaded fairly stout.
Del

Ditto. These 180 partitions do the trick. Revolver or lever gun.