357 good for deer

[Lloyd Smale]

by the way for a 44 mag load just stick 9 grains of unique in a case with any 240-260 grain swc or lfn and a standard primer and go to town.

[Mikey]

Lloyd:  that's some pretty heavy stuff for a 357.  I can see any of those combinations for the 44 mag or 454, and I think that is what you meant... Mikey.

[Lloyd Smale]

yes that was for the 44 mag.

[336SC]

The three deer I shot with a 6" Ruger Security Six .357 Magnum won't be joining the debate as to whether the .357 Magnum rifle is adequate for deer, but as for me, it gets my vote!  I am able to duplicate the ballistics of the oringinal 30-30 load using the HDY 158gr
XTP FN bullet and LILGUN powder.  Hunted deer with both my 1894C and 1894CBL but no score yet.  The former owner of the CBL
shot a nice 8pt buck with it before I acquired it. 
336SC

[rickt300]

Way back in the 70's we thought the 357 was a heck of a deer killer. I used a beautiful Colt Trooper 6 inch to knock off at least one deer a year and usually two till I got a 41 magnum. Used it one year and went back to my 357. I generally used a 158 gr. jacketed soft nose until I started casting then a 160 gr. semiwadcutter on top of a top load of AL8 or 2400. I started using a bigger handgun when the feral hogs came on the scene.

[dstegjas]

My first deer kill with a pistol was with a 357 mag. Colt Trooper. It only took one shot in the chest at 35 yards. He dropped in his track and didn't move. So yes, the 357 is a good deer round if used at appropriated distances and you place the shot well. I would say anything within 75 yards would be a good kill range. Other will stretch that distance and that's alright. I feel more comfortable at the 75 yard range with a 357 mag..


All that being said, I did eventually switch to the S/W 629 and then to the T/C Contender in 44 Mag. The reason, more knockdown power and longer range.