Practical Range For 357 Handi-Rifle

[rlm2007x]

What is the practical range of the .357 in a rifle vs. a handgun?  Robert

[poncaguy]

Yep, more velocity over a pistol ...........I'm old, so I use low power scopes or red dot scopes on my 44mag and 30-30 Handi's......

[LaOtto222]

You do get more velocity out of a rifle. In the neighborhood of 400 fps more in a rifle with 158 grain bullets and around 300 fps with 180 grain bullets. Most of the folks that use a 357 Mag in a rifle keep their shots at around 75 yards to no more than 100 yards. Those blunt bullets shed their speed pretty quickly.

[canon6]

Using LillGun and a 180gr lfngc I can top 1800fps and I would not hesitate a shot at 150yds.Mine does have a  2 1/2 power shot gun scope like  has been said old eyes dont you know      Doug

[spinafish]

If you don't handload you might want to look into the Hornady Leverolution ammo..that pointed bullet outta work at longer ranges.  It only a 140 grain pill though..

[Doublebass73]

Buffalo Bore loads some hot .357's. The velocities are up in 30-30 land.
This is from their website:

   18.5 inch Marlin 1894

a. Item 19A/20-180gr. Hard Cast = 1851 fps
b. Item 19B/20-170gr. JHC = 1860 fps
c. Item 19C/20-158gr. Speer Uni Core = 2153 fps---- Can you believe this?!!!
d. Item 19D/20-125gr. Speer Uni Core = 2298 fps---- Or this?!!!

[quickdtoo]

If I were going to hunt deer with the 357, I'd use handloaded Hornady 180gr SSPs in 360 Dan Wesson brass. 

Tim



https://www.hornady.com/shop/?page=ballistics/popup&product_sku=3505

[Redford Bohica]

I was reading a thread a couple months back on gunsandgame.com regarding the Marlin 1894 in .357 Magnum. They guys there were saying not to push it much past 75 yards.

[Doublebass73]

My gun range is only 70 yards so that's the max I can practice at. I use that range as my maximum
range for deer. With Federal 180 grain Powershok hard cast I can shoot 2 inch groups at 70 yards with a Williams
peep sight.

[quickdtoo]

Here are some previous discussions on the 357mag and deer, if ya want a bit more range, you can always ream or have it reamed to 357Maxi.  

Tim

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,123514.msg1098428967.html#msg1098428967

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,121327.msg1098410744.html#msg1098410744

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,96426.msg1098239922.html#msg1098239922

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,111812.msg1098343761.html#msg1098343761

[AKbuilder]

My gun range is only 70 yards so that's the max I can practice at. I use that range as my maximum
range for deer.

That is basically what I told my youngest son this year when were hunting deer.  He asked if he should take a 400 yard shot at a deer.  He was using his 7.5 Swiss.  He did get one small buck by him self, I was watching the back door. 

I think the range you practice at should be the max range you hunt at, there would be less wounded game if everybody hunted that way.

As far as the Handi .357 magnum, I have heard people say 75 yards out to 100 yards and even a few claim to take deer at more than a 100 yards.  If you can put the bullet where you aim, I think you are good to go out to 125 yards in most cases.  I like to hunt deer during snow, so that will limit your max range.  When it is snowing hard the deer are less likely to be chased by the pickup "hunters".  I hunt on foot, do not even think of starting the pickup until the deer is dead on the ground.  Also during a heavy snow the deer are less likely to be spooked, so it is easier to hunt them.

Thanks,
Paul

[quickdtoo]

I think Paul is pretty much on about the range, I think if you want to use the 357mag for ranges any further than 125yds, it would be wise to just rechamber it to 357Max, then you're on the heals of the 35 Remington as far as terminal performance.

Tim

[Uncle Ji]

Not a Handi but a Rossi, here are pictures of "SHORTY" before, and after:

BEFORE (23" barrel, painted stock)


AFTER (16.25" barrel, stained & oiled stock)


I have used my 357 mag Rossi on wild goats as far as 125 yards but these goats are maybe 100 pounds max for a large billy with most closer to 80, but 158 grain JHPs & JSPs have no problem dropping these.  I took SHORTY to Texas last month and shot a Black Buck Antelope, these buggers are tenacious, it took 3 perfectly placed heart/lung shots to finally drop her, first at 48, then 60, and finally 80 yards, all shots exiting of course, she wasn't running but she was walking at a good rate until the final shot.  First shot had pierced both lungs and the top of her heart but it was right near sunset so didn't want to track her in the dark so 2 follow-up shots did the trick, all shots going exactly where needed.  In 35 years of hunting I have never shot another animal that was so hard to drop not even a large boar.  A couple other hunters had the same experiance with Black Buck on this hunt one using a 30/30 Marlin, another using a T/C Contender in 44 mag, man these little things are tenacious!


Here's a really good read on the 357 out of a rifle barrel
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/357_magnum_and_the_literature.htm

[AKbuilder]

rlm2007x,
One more thing, in the hands of an accomplished hunter a .357 Magnum could have more range than I said.  However I do not know you, so I tend to be more cautious.  I am surprised no one has said the range is much more.  Of course, I don't know how big your local deer are, nor do I know what is legal in your state.
If you practice frequently at hunting ranges, and the bullet does it job you will be good.

Uncle Ji,
The Black Buck Antelope look small, if that is the case, small thin skinned game are harder to stop with a large bullet.  I suspect the bullet was not delivering much energy to the antelope.  Part of the terminal effect on game is the hydrostatic shock.  Not saying all but a good part.  The hydrostatic shock stuns the animal, like a well placed hammer hit to the head.  It used to be a common butchering technique to stun an animal to be butchered with a hammer blow to the head.  Then the neck was slit and the animal died quickly.  I have had a similar shot once with a .30-06 round on a smaller white tail deer.  Several through and through shots to a standing deer, we could see the impacts on the other side of the deer, but no apparent effect.  The deer was dead but still standing, due to the bullets not expanding.  Needles to say that round was never used to game again.

Thanks,
Paul

[WILD_WEASEL]

I’ve been experimenting with both .358 Speer 180gr JFPs and Hornady 180gr SSPs in my 357 Handi.  I started with data published in the Speer #10 Reloading manual and worked up to 15.5gr of H110 with a CCI 550 primer in a Remington 357 brass case for the Speer bullet.  It was very accurate at 15 yards.  The Hornady SSP seats a bit deeper in the case so I cut the max load to 14.5gr of H110 with this bullet.  It shoots to the same point of aim as the Speer load.

While both loads are fun to experiment with, for a serious deer load I’d look at the Speer 158gr JSP with 15.5gr of H110 for a dual purpose revolver rifle load.  For rifle only the Speer 170gr JSP with H110 looks like a winner too, but I have not been able to find any locally to experiment with.  See the Speer #14 Reloading Manual for details.

NOTE:  The 357 Magnum loads are noticeably quieter when fired out of the 22" inch Handi barrel with minimal if any muzzle flash, as opposed to my 4 5/8" Ruger Blackhawk.  My 357 Handi barrel came with a .60" from sight, even with the rear sight set to its highest setting it shot an inch low.  Factory Customer Service sent me a .5" replacement front sight.  With the .5" front sight my rifle now shoots to POA with the rear sight at its middle setting.  The 357 barrel with the Buffalo Carbine case hardened receiver and checkered walnut makes for a great looking rifle.