357 Rifle Hunters

[teamnelson]

Hope to hunt next year, specifically with a Rossi 92 20" barreled 357. Reading through here I see a few folks hunt with 357; what've been your experiences? What's a preferred load, bullet? Anybody use cast?

Mahalo, Chaps

[GH1]

In a couple of weeks I'll be taking my .357 Marlin out, I'll let you know how I do. I plan on using 158 gr Cast SWC.
GH1

[snapcrackpop]

Check the Handi 357 threads.  Huge following there.

Me....180 or 158 Hornady XTP with H110

[teamnelson]

In a couple of weeks I'll be taking my .357 Marlin out, I'll let you know how I do. I plan on using 158 gr Cast SWC.
GH1

Please do let us know; I cast 158gr SWC and would love to hunt with it. Thanks!

[yukondog]

Yes let us know I was going to hunt with mine but plan on useing my new/old 44 mag. as I'll be hunting in the swamps this year and we have hogs and I feel a better carring a 44 than a 357.

[schoolmaster]

My grandson uses the Jerry Lester load. 17.5 grains of Lil Gun, 158 remington soft point, CCI mag pistol primer. He has killed two deer with this load, both one shot kills, no recovered bullet complete penetration, longest distance 58 yards. Longest to recovery 30 yards. Jerry claims to have killed more than 50 deer with this load and I believe him. Also this load shoots cloverleafs at 25 yards in my son's Ruger GP-100 as well as 1 inch at 50 yards in my grandson's handirifle.

[jedman]

  I have taken a couple with the 357, I shot a small buck out of the tree stand and due to the sharp angle and not holding on the correct spot I got him thru the liver.
 That was with a handgun shooting a 173 gr. hard cast SWC, strangely the deer acted like nothing happened at the shot ? I was about to shoot him again when I seen the blood  squirting out of the bullets entrance hole. I just watched as he started walking away slowly and looking like he was drunk, he went about 25 yards then made a couple circles like a dog getting ready to lay down then just died.
 The bullet passed thru and the wound did not look like it expanded at all but it did the job as the deer died quite quickly.
 The other animal I shot with a 357 was just last month, A big doe antelope at about 100 yards with a 18' barreled carbine shooting a handload with a Barnes 140 gr. XPB.  That animal never twitched, just went down and didnt move a inch.  To say I was impressed was a understatement.
 That shot was just above the heart and would have made a good kill video for Barnes DVD that they have out showing there all copper bullets dropping game.
  I have seen alot of game killed with rifles, muzzleloaders, shotguns, and arrows and shot placement is always the the most important part.
 My experience with the 357 is very limited but I feel its certainly up to the job within the limits of its rainbow trajectory and your ability to hit the right spot with that bullet.

[GH1]

 I load mine with 13.5 gr of AA#9.  I like it becasue I can use standard small pistol primers with it, and since I have very limited space for my reloading gear, the less components the better.
 I use AA#2 in my .380's and when I finally use up the last of my Bullseye, I'll use it in my .38's as well. I really like the AA stuff for it's clean burning and precise metering. Bullseye seems a bit dirtier. But it's still a good powder.
GH1

[Mohawk]

Killed 2 with a S&W Model 28 4". Rem 158gr SJHP. Both ran about 30 yds and piled up. No bullet recovery. Exit hole about the size of a nickel. If it were me I might try a JSP in a rifle due to extra velocity.

[GH1]

Well, I'd love to tell everyone how my aim was spot-on and my handloads were devastating but I didn't get the chance.
Never even saw one.
GH1

[Land_Owner]

So far, I have chickened out using my 357 Handi-rifle for deer and hogs.  Right now, there are no hogs and the bucks are fewer and further between too!  I continue to take my trusted 270 Winchester, but the lure of my 357 Handi is almost within reach.  It will mean my sitting in a different stand than I normally would to prevent me from being tempted to shoot farther than it is ranged (100 yd zero).  My favorite stand has the potential for 260 yards (max.) and the Winchester is zero'd for 200 yds.

[Mohawk]

Trust me, LO. At 50 yrds you will notice little difference if hit through both lungs. If that hit is achieved then under 50 yds of tracking would be my estimate. Probably won't knock it down but it will expire quickly. Bow stands work VERY well for handguns....

[Land_Owner]

Getting the deer to first participate, then cooperate within 50 yards of my shooting position is problematic for my 357 Handi-rifle unless I sit in one of the stands with a maximum 95 yard visibility (see post http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,220347.0.html).

In general, if the deer or hog is not anchored, DRT, making an exit wound and finding a blood trail in the thick woods surrounding me can be problematic too.

[Dee]

I've gone thru several 357 magnum rifles over the years, but about 6 years ago I ordered the Deluxe version of the Rossi that Navy Arms was selling with a 24" octagon barrel. After refinishing the really nice walnut to look exactly like my old Winchester, and smoothing the action, I immediately started shooting the Remington bulk bought 158 grain jacketed soft points in it, at right at 2000fps. It will do anything the 3030 will do, and just as well, out to about 125 yards.
My longest shot was a coyote at 160 yards (paced off). Both shoulders, and he fell like someone cut the power off. I wouldn't hesitate on the biggest deer walkin at inside 100 yards with my rifle and load. Unless you go to a game ranch and shoot a casterated, corn fed hog, (which I would still use the 357 mag rifle) our hogs here are both plentiful, and big, for a feral hog (around 375 lbs), and the 357 mag will down them just fine. I doubt your deer are any tougher. Ours aren't.

[cwlongshot]

So far, I have chickened out using my 357 Handi-rifle for deer and hogs.  Right now, there are no hogs and the bucks are fewer and further between too!  I continue to take my trusted 270 Winchester, but the lure of my 357 Handi is almost within reach.  It will mean my sitting in a different stand than I normally would to prevent me from being tempted to shoot farther than it is ranged (100 yd zero).  My favorite stand has the potential for 260 yards (max.) and the Winchester is zero'd for 200 yds.

BRING 'EM BOTH!!! Sumpin' steps out closer, tag'em with the mag!!! MR big horns steps out a 250, well Mr O'Connors favorite caliber will take care of that if your able to place your bullet.  :

CW

[deernhog]

I have taken several hogs and a few deer with a 357 handirifle. I mostly used the federal 158 gran jsp because I had a couple of boxes leftover. All thru shots and blood trails with them but not large exit wounds. I did use some 125 grn jhp and recovered a couple of them from hogs. A lot of expansion but no exit wounds. Never lost an animal but I used head shots or boiler room shots 30 yards or less.   I was torn between the .45 Colt and the .357 Mag when I ordered my EMF Hartford moedel 92 and the .45 Colt won.

[Thebear_78]

My dad has a short barreled marlin lever gun in 357 magnum.  It has accounted for a pretty fair share of whitetailes.  He always shot the speer 158gr JSP.   Anything out to 125 yards is in big trouble.  I have killed a few while still hunting thru corn fields with it,  average shot distace less than 50 yards.   9 out of 10 make a short sprint after getting hit and then pile up.  Its extremely handy in the tight cover.