357 or not

[rc51kid]

Ok I need to know if a 357 mag in a handi will really cut it for white tail out to 100 yards.  I know shot placement is always key.  And even more so in a smaller cartridge.  But I don’t want to be limited to just head shots.  What I want to know is will a good 357 in  a Handi work well at say 75 or 100 yards on white tail.  I want to take nice clean body shots at the heart/lung organs.  I don’t want to have to take just head/neck shots.   It looks like if I lode a 158 grain bullet to around 1700 fps it should have plenty of power.  Is this doable out of this length barrel?  What bullet do you suggest?  Is there any lighter bullets that I could push faster that would be tough enough for deer?  What’s your input? I want to use 357 mag ( or max) over 44 mag.  But I would hate to buy the 357 stuff just to find out I doesn’t cut it and then have to start over again.

[Cookiemann]

rc51kid, I don't reload, but I would like to see the comments on this subject also.  So, for all those who chime in, thanks for the info.

[Gutshot]

Short answer- It will cut the mustard at 100 yards.



Long answer- I know somone who hunts deer with a Marlin 1894 in 357 mag. At 50 yards I saw him shoot a 120# or so doe. He was using a max load with Hornady 158 XTP. Not sure of the velocity. That bullet entered high in the front shoulder area and passed almost the entire length of the deer. Found it in the rear quarter opposite side. Perfect expantion, good channel and not to much meat damage. I dont see why a braodside shot at 100 would not produce a pass through with a good exit hole. I dont see a big differance between a 44 or 357 compared to a muzzle loader with sabots. A 357 Max would be better insurance of a clean kill.

Good luck with it.

AL

[darat100]

I have been hunting with a gp100 for several years.  I won't hesitate to shoot up to about 75 yards out of a handgun.  I have had no problems. Most drop very quickly.  The only problem I have is with accuracy out past that.  I have no doubt that there is plenty of power @ 100 yards.

By the way, these factory loads.  I use the remington high velocity loads.

Kind of expensive, but work great.

[knight0334]

I personally would lean towards the .357max for 100yd shots.  But like you said, shot placement is key.  A well placed .357mag would do it..  

I've taken a couple whitetail with my .357mag Colt Python upto 50yds +/- with 125gr JHP's, although they were some zip'n little bullets at 1900fps MV.  Expansion was explosive, the slug completely fragmented with most of the fragments going 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through the chest( broadside heart/lung shot).   The internals were pretty much liquid from the multiple projectiles and 100% shock transfer.   Even though the slugs broke up on both deer like a hi-velocity varmint round on a groundhog, only one of the two deer made it 50ft from point of impact.  ...the other died like it was struck down by god.

Some 158gr slugs from a .357max would give a little more insurance on longer shots.  Reaming the mag out to max is an easy job.  You can use the same powders and primers, maybe even load .357mags with a set of .357max dies too.

[45/70fan]

Check out these loads from Buffalo Bore..........
5.    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?!!!

[myarmor]

Many have mixed views on this one. But here is a couple good reads off the bat:

http://www.rt66.com/~korteng/SmallArms/1stmag.htm

http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/p357m.html

In a rifle, with the added velocity over a revolver, I say it will do the job. And I recall several members here at Graybeards that have used it with good sucess. I personally want a little more umph, and in a pistol cartridge I would opt for the 44Mag.
I seem to remember reports of Eskimos using the 357 to kill Polar Bears with not long after it was introduced :eek: I wouldn't recomend it.......though the tale of them also using 22Hornets spread really far too

[Blammer]

I hunt with a 357 mag rifle 24 inch brl and use 170 gr speer gold dot flat points. I use Lil Gun powder.

I shot a smallish 8 pt at 40 yards broadside, entrance and exit wound, dead deer, good heart lung shot.

I can get very good accuracy out to 100 yards with my combo.

I would have no hesitation shooting a deer out that far.

I shot through 3 1 gallong jugs of water at 100 yards with this combo. Pleanty of penetration and expansion.

NOT tough enough for hogs..(based on my experience....)

[tallyho]

rc51kid
You might already know that many here (with 357 mags) have indicated that their chambers are long enough (common with Handis) to accommodate loads using the slightly longer .360 Dan Wesson case. You could do a chamber cast to find out if this is the case (pun intended) with your 357mag, and if so, this would allow some improvement in performance when you handload.

Also, have go at the search feature to find previous threads about using .360DW brass and loads in a Handi.

And, to simply answer your question: Yes, I think a 357 mag with good shot placement and bullet selection would be just fine at 100 yds. I hunted for a few years with different rifles chambered in 357mag; a Rossi Model 92 clone lever action, a Marlin 94 lever action, and a Handi in 357 (I used factory rounds in those days, so I don't have any first hand info to pass along regarding handloads).

Though I never actually shot a deer at 100 yds, (it was rare where I hunted) I was quite confident that I could put meat in the freezer if I had to shoot that far.

Currently I have a 357 mag, as well as a 357Max (factory) Handi. And since both are relatively new to me I haven't yet worked up specific hunting loads for them. When I do I will have no concerns about either at 100 yds!

Cheers
Kerry

[Plinkomatic]

Have a look at Marlin lever action boards and what they have to say about hunting with 357....  Resounding approval abounds for >100yard deer hunting with a Marlin Model 1894C.

[jbtazgrabber]

this is a hard one.....i hunted 2 years with a 357 lever gun.....killed two deer <under a 100 # and under 60 yds>was ok deer travled under 50 yds...1 exit ...1 didnt..158 gr xtp with perfect expansion....went to handi 357 max....killed 6 or 7 deer <under 60 yds average 100#> all went down in sight or sound.....good exit holes only 1 quartering away didnt exit......still 158 gr xtp........the last year i used it i shot a big fella behimd shoulder at 45 yds.....he went over a fence and was gone out of sight...waited 7 to 10 min. and walked over he got up and i put 5 more 357 mags in him as he run off <2 broadside and 3 in rear or the outhr way around.> at 25 yds...he went 200 yds < behind  the bloodtrail>to another hunter who was happy to run me off his private land as he was loading my deer <he never fired a shot that morn....>went to a 445 the next year and have not had one move from where its shot <yet>.......now the question......would a 180 gr be better/????im about to find out soon my 6 yrs old has a 357 max so it will be using 180 gr xtps .im hoping the heavier bullet will make just the little extra help it needs on a bigger deer..........jb

[Paul5388]

Probably part of the problem people have with the .357 Mag is due to trying to use little weenie bullets!  :eek:  There isn't any reason a 250 gr LRNFPGC at 1200 fps wouldn't do the job on white tail.  Here's what they look like in .360 DW brass (in the middle) with the same bullet in .357 Mag brass to the right.


The 250 gr Beartooth is capable of this group at 100 yards.  (If you click on the image you can read the data, including an OAL longer than a .357 Max OAL)


Of course, the 180 gr is also capable of that kind of group, whether it's out of  .360 brass or .357 brass.