Is the .357 Herrett enough? Opinions please!

[Miller]

I need opinions do you think the .357 Herrett is enough gun for elk at less than 100 yds.  The reason for asking is that I dropped my rifle during the season and my only option was my contender in said caliber.  I wasn't sure it was enough so my season ended prematurely.  I use the Speer 180 flat point bullet.  FWIW the barrel is a 10 inch.  Help me out, yeah or ney!

[Reed1911]

I have never hunted elk, however I think that the .357 Her. should be limited to deer sized game.

[Sixgun]

I would ask myself how the cartridge stacks up to a 30-30 with a 170 gr bullet at factory volicitys.  There has been a hell-ova-lot-of elk killed with a 30-30 and I think your 357 Herret would do just fine as far as you can be accurate with it.

I carry a 357 Max with a 180gr laser cast bullet with a max load of 296 for a velocity of 1860fps at the muzzle.  It will break both shoulders on a big cow elk at 75 yards.  I know this from experience.

Hell, people kill elk with a 50 cal round ball from a muzzle loader.  If you can do that, you can kill them with a 9mm.

Sixgun

[Graybeard]

The .357 Herrett was specifically designed to do just that, hunt elk. Is the round adequate? From a fellow who's never hunted them I think the answer is yes if the shooter is up to the challenge. For sure it's not a long range elk killer but inside 100 or a tad more yards I think the round is up to the job.

I can't say the same for your choice of bullets. For sure I'd not go after then with it. I'd use a hard cast of at least 200 grains I think or the 200 grain RN jacketed bullets that the .35 Remington uses so well. The 180 for me at least is just too light in this application.

[Grumulkin]

I took a Black Wildebeest with a T/C Contender with a 10 inch barrel in .357 Herrett useing Hornady 158 grain hollow point bullets.  I hadn't been intending to use those light bullets on something that big but they expanded perfectly, didn't come apart and worked fine from 35 to 40 yards.

[Bug]

As Bill said, the .357 Herrett was designed to do just that. So, I would use it with confidence.
 Now, as to your choice of bullets... That's a whole 'nuther horse race. Not to be obtuse, but why are you using flat-point bullets? In the single-shot, that's just a needless loss of ballistic coefficient. There's no reason not to use pointed (or round nose)bullets,,,,,,, except one: a long throat.
 My Herrett barrel has a chamber with almost a half-inch leade, or throat, from the end of the case neck to the origin of the rifling. I can get close to the rifling with 180gr RN bullets, but not with the spitzers, and still have anything left in the case neck. Luckily, it will shoot almost as well with a bit (.250-.300") of jump as it does with the RN bullets up close to the rifling. I just settled on a 180gr (190gr checked & lubed) RN cast bullet. Contender chambering is well known for this. Kinda' like Weatherby.
 If you go much over 200gr, you begin to loose too much velocity. At least from my point of view. I'd try loads with the 180 RN and some spitzers. Also try out the 200gr bullets of both types. By juggling seating depth and powder charges around a bit, I'm sure you will find something you like... Good Luck!!!

[Bug]

As Bill said, the .357 Herrett was designed to do just that. So, I would use it with confidence.
 Now, as to your choice of bullets... That's a whole 'nuther horse race. Not to be obtuse, but why are you using flat-point bullets? In the single-shot, that's just a needless loss of ballistic coefficient. There's no reason not to use pointed (or round nose)bullets,,,,,,, except one: a long throat.
 My Herrett barrel has a chamber with almost a half-inch leade, or throat, from the end of the case neck to the origin of the rifling. I can get close to the rifling with 180gr RN bullets, but not with the spitzers, and still have anything left in the case neck. Luckily, it will shoot almost as well with a bit (.250-.300") of jump as it does with the RN bullets up close to the rifling. I just settled on a 180gr (190gr checked & lubed) RN cast bullet. Contender chambering is well known for this. Kinda' like Weatherby.
 If you go much over 200gr, you begin to loose too much velocity. At least from my point of view. I'd try loads with the 180 RN and some spitzers. Also try out the 200gr bullets of both types. By juggling seating depth and powder charges around a bit, I'm sure you will find something you like... Good Luck!!!

[Bug]

As Bill said, the .357 Herrett was designed to do just that. So, I would use it with confidence.
 Now, as to your choice of bullets... That's a whole 'nuther horse race. Not to be obtuse, but why are you using flat-point bullets? In the single-shot, that's just a needless loss of ballistic coefficient. There's no reason not to use pointed (or round nose)bullets,,,,,,, except one: a long throat.
 My Herrett barrel has a chamber with almost a half-inch leade, or throat, from the end of the case neck to the origin of the rifling. I can get close to the rifling with 180gr RN bullets, but not with the spitzers, and still have anything left in the case neck. Luckily, it will shoot almost as well with a bit (.250-.300") of jump as it does with the RN bullets up close to the rifling. I just settled on a 180gr (190gr checked & lubed) RN cast bullet. Contender chambering is well known for this. Kinda' like Weatherby.
 If you go much over 200gr, you begin to loose too much velocity. At least from my point of view. I'd try loads with the 180 RN and some spitzers. Also try out the 200gr bullets of both types. By juggling seating depth and powder charges around a bit, I'm sure you will find something you like... Good Luck!!!