Author Topic: 357 mag (Read 4852 times)

Dixie Slugs · « **Reply #30 on:** May 01, 2005, 12:38:09 PM »

Well, this thead got stirred up pretty good! I am now retired from working for the gun and ammo co's. I agree with the poster about today's gun rag writers.
Now.....I started hunting with a handgun in 1956 using a then new Ruger Blackhawk in .44 Mag. I started with the old Keith 429421 and 2400. I never killed a deer in it's tracks and would have lost quite a few if we had not had good dogs. Too much penetration and not enough meplat. Then went to the old Speer 240 gr Soft Point (remember that one) and had better kills. Time with by and I tried many "Wonder Bullets", none worked better than that old Speer design. Finally it dawned on me that the most important factor was the area of of the meplat (either expanded or not). I then switched to a wide meplat LBT and found that game goes down quicker.
I had messed up my right hand years ago and 4 years ago had the thumb bones replaced with metal. I swithced over to a tuned up Smith & Wesson 686 with a 6" barrel......shooting hard cast 180's with a .300" meplat at 1400'/".
That combonation has proven good on Florida deer and hogs. ........James@Dixie Slugs

S.B. · « **Reply #31 on:** May 01, 2005, 04:32:56 PM »

Dixie Slugs, you make a good geographical point. Florida whitetails, at least when I lived down there, went around 70 maybe 80 pounds for a big one. Illinois whitetails go around 110 pounds average and can go as high as 180-190 pounds for a big one? I wasn't fortunate enough to get to hunt hogs while down there, but native forest rangers told me they lasso them and take them home to fatten them up before butchering. Still wild hogs, no matter what size they are, can be a hand full.

Mongoose · « **Reply #32 on:** June 13, 2005, 02:03:24 PM »

I took a doe with my S&W 686, 8 3/8" barrel using the Winchester 180 Partition Gold. It worked GREAT! The recovered bullet looked exactly like the expanded bullets it the Winchester catalog. I try for heart/lung shots and avoid the shoulder at all cost, even with my 44 mag. I know what I am capable of doing with this round and limit my shots to 50 yards or less.

Buckeye · « **Reply #33 on:** July 08, 2005, 03:07:19 PM »

I'm suprised at the negative comments about this greatly underated round, The 357mag. with the right bullet ,I perfer the 180gr. SJHP Remington bullet , backed by 15.5gr.s of LIL"GUN. Its a deadly combo on WhiteTail and BlackBears, I'd just as soon use it in my .357 Puma Carbine ,than any of my 30-30 's or 35Rem.s,And the 44Mag. {.429 Mag}
Has absolutely nothing on this Round. Yes the 44mag. is more powerful but does not increase your range, and Dead is dead, The 180 gr. .358 Bullet penatrates like no tomorrow and expands very reliabily,with less recoil and a lighter gun.
If I wanted a more powerful handgun round I would handload 45 Long Colts ,with heavy bullets {.452}, but I see no need. The 357Mag. punches holes thru. WhiteTails, What more could you ask.
And for the article written by the "RAG WRITER" take it at face value.
They write for money, Nuff said!

ratgunner · « **Reply #34 on:** July 23, 2005, 09:27:25 AM »

I agree with Jerry Lester about the one shot drops and ethical kills.I shot a grounhog at 10 yds. with a .454 casull and blew it nearly in half the only thing holding it together was a small strip of hide All the vitals were blown out,but when I approched it was still gasping.So much for all that power it did'nt kill it any quicker or any deader than my .357 would have. :roll:

Old Griz · « **Reply #35 on:** July 23, 2005, 08:37:30 PM »

:cb2: The .357 has taken too many deer to say it isn't enough gun. Personally, I hunt with a .44, but that's just because I do believe that bigger is better. However, a .357 will do the job. Just because a handgun will kill out to 100 yards or better, sure doesn't mean I'm gonna try it. Just pretend you are bow hunting with a really short bow and a really fast arrow. That's how I hunt with my .44 and that's how I'd hunt with a .454 or .475.

By the way . . . I have never seen a deer drop to the ground instantly after being hit by an arrow. Not that it may not have happened, but I sure haven't seen it. And placementI saw a Realtree video where the bowhunter shot the deer in the butt. They eventually found it dead, but no one said it was unethical.

I'd take a .357 over a bow anytime.

Van/TX · « **Reply #36 on:** July 24, 2005, 03:25:30 AM »

Treat 'em like a loud bow. You'll be ok.

.....Van

ratgunner · « **Reply #37 on:** July 24, 2005, 08:20:45 AM »

lisa1lacy2, you didn,t mention if you use open sights but if you do a .357 will be plenty cause most folks can,t shoot beyond 40-50 yds. without a scoped handgun anyways and the .357 is potent atleast out to those ranges on deer.Some nitwits are starting to doubt the .44 magnum now that we have .454,480 and 500's.Thats how the .357 lost favor,bigger guns came along and gun makers promoted the heck out of them often comparing them to the .357,just like they are doing to the .44.How many articles about a new caliber have you guys read that didn,t compare the new wonder round to a .44?Same thing is happening to rifles with the new short mag calibers,they would have us believe a 30-06 or 300 win mag. is useless. :roll: BTW, even at 40-50yds with a handgun takes ALOT of practice.

Old Griz · « **Reply #38 on:** July 24, 2005, 09:08:33 AM »

:cb2: Excellent point ratgunner.

stevinator · « **Reply #39 on:** July 31, 2005, 04:52:50 PM »

Shot this one with a 357 and a red dot. Shot a doe a day later. The doe was 18 yds and the buck close to 40 both from 12' to 15' ladder stands.

Jack Ryan · « **Reply #40 on:** August 04, 2005, 05:34:18 PM »

If I was buying a revolver to hunt deer with it wouldn't be a 357, but if I owned a 357 and wanted to hunt deer I'd use it.

Cuz · « **Reply #41 on:** August 05, 2005, 05:43:31 AM »

I like the 'loud bow' comment.

I hunt/shoot a .44 mag Ruger SBH and my hunting buddy has a .357 mag Ruger BH. Both of us take deer, he uses a scope and I use open sights. Preference, mostly, but I agree with one poster, PLACEMENT is paramount. We hunt in good cover (scouting will help to achieve a successful hunt) and WAIT for a good, close shot.
Now, IF you are a 'banger' and need the smell of blood, get a cannon. Someone above spoke of the articles on the big boys of today, yelp, they got to have something new to write about because they never learned about the .357 mag or the .44 mag while they were 'writing' about them. From some of the articles I have read, I doubt the writer even took the gun to the range much less hunted with it.
Ethics, we will NEVER agree as we will never agree on the choice of weapons to achieve our 'goals'. Are you a hunter or a killer?? hunter can use a .357 mag, wait for a clean shot and enjoy the hunt ever IF no shot is fired. Now, a killer will go 'armed' and start firing at the first sight of hair. A bit of a stretch, I know, but you should get my point. IF you HAVE to kill, go bigger, but if you are looking for a good time afield, a time out in God's wonder and MAY take a deer if presented the opportunity, then the .357 mag will do just fine. My 2cents worth.

Cuz

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #42 on:** August 05, 2005, 12:26:07 PM »

I like your answer Cuz. What holler you live in anyway?

tommy_tsunami · « **Reply #43 on:** August 18, 2005, 05:29:12 AM »

:grin: Well, that was fun reading! I agree with many of the posts, especially those that are in favor of using a .357.

I am a regular reader of hunting magazines, internet articles and hunting posts. EVERYONE seems to have their own, and yet different opinions. If you read articles and books by Jim Zumbo, for example, you should not 1. go into the woods with a single shot of any type 2. not hunt with anything less than a bolt action .300 Win mag.

I've killed deer with only a few guns in my life. Mainly a .243, 100 grain and a 20 gauge single shot, rifled barrel shooting sabot slugs. All of those deer are DEAD by the way. Humanely? Cleanly? I call dying within seconds and in some cases nano seconds DEAD.

My brother hunts with two guns. A TC Encore .50 cal muzzleloader and a Ruger Blackhawk .357. He hunts on his own property and from a tree stand normally. He's killed countless does and bucks with that .357, usually from 40 yards or less. He rarely takes a second shot.

I'm not sure how we've come to the point in time where anything short of an RPG is adequate for deer, elk, etc. Somehow, deer, elk and other game used to fall to black powder .45/70's, .44-40's, .30-30's, .357 mags and on and on. Not that I want to brag about this, but my dad has killed more deer with his .22 magnum than with anything (we lived on deer, fish, small game and what he grew in our garden, so I'll admit those deer weren't always taken in season, if you know what I mean :? ). But somehow, those deer regularly fell dead with a bullet most people would say is a squirrel/woodchuck round.

I really like the post a couple above mine about the plethora of new rounds that somehow make the old ones obsolete. I was in Sportsman's Warehouse the other day talking about rifles with one of the salesmen. He said, "why a person today would buy a .30/06 or a .270 is beyond me when they pale in comparison to the new short mags in the same calibers". I thought, "what is this dope talking about"? All of a sudden, cartridges that have been "cleanly" killing big game for decades is no longer viable because something new came out? Amazing! Again, I'll stick to my premise that deer, elk, bear and other game are built the same in 2005 as they were in 1805 or 1905. Maybe evolution has mutated their skin and other tissues into Kevlar in the past few years and I missed something. :-D

I plan on hunting two things this year here in Colorado. Mule deer and elk. I will be using a .357 rifle (H&R, 22" barrel) for the muleys and will use a .44 mag in the same gun for elk. Mind you, I will be hunting private property and my shots will be 50 to 80 yards. It's not a penned in game preserve, but it's definitely not the typical hunt where you need to shoot 200 to 400 yards. I WILL post my results this year with both guns and let you know how things went.

Again, thanks for the enjoyable reading everyone. Keep those .338 mags sighted in for those bulletproof elk this year!

TS

tommy_tsunami · « **Reply #44 on:** August 18, 2005, 05:57:52 AM »

Steveinator: How do you post photos other than the Avatars?? I'm a dope, because I CANNOT figure it out! TK

Tom H. · « **Reply #45 on:** September 16, 2005, 11:22:51 AM »

I agree with James of DS on the meplat response. It seems to make the cartridge act more effectively.
I took my first deer with a .357 RBH this year at a bit over 40 yards. The only shot I had was a forward shoulder/neck and I had a good rest.
The 165 gas check caused a great deal of damage, and continued on to take a slice out of a tree and keep going. I doubt that the bullet expanded, but the results seemed out of proportion to the bullet used.

Just one deer but I was pretty impressed and wouldn't hesitate in using it again.

Tom

jro45 · « **Reply #46 on:** September 17, 2005, 03:29:23 AM »

I shot a deer with a 20ga shotgun using buckshot one time and only one pellet went threw the lungs and killed that deer. So I know a well placed 357 bullet could do the same thing.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #47 on:** September 17, 2005, 07:53:34 AM »

Having read thru all these posts, all I can say is wow! Many opinions, I agree with most.

I have shot many big game animals, mostly Deer and Pigs, and never had one, shot in the lungs, drop on the spot. With a firearm, I shoot for bones. Everytime I have done so the critter has dropped in his tracks and been dead by the time I reach it. I believe this is because, I have chosen enough gun and placed my bullets carefully.

My opinion is, I would prefer more gun than the 357 mag in a pistol offers. Will it work? Of course it will. Ask all the maniacs (A term of endearment) who shoot countless deer/moose with 22 mags!!!

I have shot one Boar with my 4 5/8 357 mag blackhawk. It worked well enough. I have shot half a dozen in the same general spot with my 45 and they expire much faster. Now I prefer the 45 COLT handloaded.

Just my .02

CW

longwalker · « **Reply #48 on:** September 20, 2005, 12:17:11 PM »

Aren't we lucky we have so many choices. I wonder how boring it would be if everyone used the same thing. And of course there is no such thing as the best. Because what works for me in South Dakota may not suit an other hunter in New York. We all make our choices depending on what we want to do and how we want to be viewed.

The only point I think no one can argue is the need to practice shooting your handgun if you plan on hunting with it. There is no substitute for trigger time. Through practice you will gain the comfort and confidence needed to kill big game. Regardless of what you are going to hunt with.

longwalker

35Rem · « **Reply #49 on:** October 16, 2005, 05:19:13 PM »

S.B.,

When was the last time you been to FL to hunt deer? I would get my money back if you killed a 80-90 pound deer there. I now live in SE Alabama, but in my 20 years in SW FL no deer a pulled the trigger on weighed less than 125 pounds on the hoof (a doe). Two bucks at 155 and 145. I guess you can shoot em as small as you want, just watch for those spots :-D . All kidding aside, those FL deer aren't any smaller than the ones in TX, just the Antlers (can't eat those anyway)

If you can legally (and ethically) kill a deer with a 35 lb draw bow (in AL), I think a 357 mag at similar distances (In a handgun) wouldn't be a problem at all. As long as you have enough penatration from the bullet, those lungs shots do it every time.

AND, don't underestimate a 35 Calber anything. Ask anyone who shoots a 35 Remington. It kills much better than the papers say.

Sgtshultzy1 · « **Reply #50 on:** October 25, 2005, 08:54:30 AM »

Personally, I use my truck to kill deer cleanly and drop them on the spot. Then, if theyre still moving I shoot them with my .357 :grin:

PaulS · « **Reply #51 on:** October 25, 2005, 11:52:20 AM »

Sgtshultzy1,

That is a great way to make hamburger!
Most of us like some steaks and roasts from our deer and that is best accomplished with a firearm or bow of some sort.

I use a lighter bullet than most but I limit my shots to those under 50 yards. The 357 magnum is a marginal gun for deer but it can be effectuive if you choose your shot placement and have the accuracy to place it.

PaulS