Would you consider a 4" .357 sufficient for deer @25 yards or less?

[Gene R]

Never killed a deer with a .357...
BUT.....
My oldest son has taken 7 or 8 hogs with one Ruger BH 5.5 inch BBL, they range from 100lbs to 250lbs and their much tougher than any deer.

We reload now but at the time he was using standard 158gr Federal Eagle, nothing fancy but did the job just the same. As I recall, he killed a 200lb boar at about 40 yards. It entered behind the left shoulder and lodged just under the skin in the front of the right shoulder. He went about 20-25 yards.

It will do the job............

[bubbinator]

Been reloading all manner of handgun and rifle calibers since 1970 and there has NEVER been a .357 JSP bullet that I found worhty of further testing in any medium.  They just don't expand and kill like JHP, and if you need all that penetration, you don't need a .357!  The best .357 loads I have found use Sierra 140 Jacketed Hollow Cavity bulets.  I use them in my Winchester Leveraction rifle @ about 2100fps and S&W M66 @ about 1400 fps. Personal self defense loads used to max loads of SR4756 powder over a 125 Sierra JHC, which has killed as truck load of viable targets as an Animal Control Officer,but once into Sate LEO duties, all my carry loads where factory for the CYA factor!

[Larry Gibson]

If so, what ammunition or bullet type/weight would you prefer? 

Yes, I consider the .357 out of a 4" barreled revolver to be "sufficient" within a reasonable range.  The range will be limited by your ability, under field conditions and positions, to put every shot into a 6-8" target (the heart/lung area)...every time.  Personally I would not shoot past 50 yards as a maximum with a 4" .357 revolver regardless of whether I could hit the heart/lung area.

Depending on the size of deer in your local I would use the 125 gr Win or Fed HPs if the deer are 125 lbs or smaller on the hoof.  If larger then I'd look at the Speer 158 gr Gold dot load.  If handloding I use the 125 gr XTP HP and load it over Blue Dot to a genuine 1400+ fps.  That load works for me on deer up through 150 or so lbs.  On larger deer I would again look at the Speer 158 Gold Dot bullet loaded to 1200+ fps. However, if your revolver is a medium frame then you might want to stick with the 125 XTPs at 1400 fps.  A soft cast HP'd GC'd 150 -160 gr bullet at  1300 fps will also do nicely.  Do not expect the deer to drop at the shot.  Continue to shoot additional shots as long as they are presented. 

Practice shooting, a lot, from field positions (sitting, kneeling, standing with and without support to know your own abilities to put every bullet in the heart/lung area) and also practice with an adjustable bipod (shooting sticks - I prefer Primos Trigger Sticks) if you "still hunt".  Then when you think you are good enough to hunt with the revolver go practice some more before you go hunting.

Larry Gibson

[Spencer, Carey]

Sir, the lethality of the round has certainly been established as long as  the bullet used has sufficient weight, and you do your part on the shot placement front, but check local laws regarding barrel length. Here at home in N.C. for example we must use a minimum of 6" tubes on our handguns to hunt legally with them. Would be a dang shame to fill your tag with your 4" version(which will certainly kill them just as dead as the 6" if you can shoot it accurately) only to find the game warden frowning at you when you get back to the truck/car/camp etc. Food for thoght.

[1911crazy]

When i had my colt 357mag python with the 6'' barrel it always shot very high at 25yds at the range.  To the point it pizz'd me off.  I aimed it out to 100yds on the berm and i was pinging the smaller rocks on the berm that i could just see and i did it many times that day infront of a local LEO (brother in law) I was shooting with.  He was in shock at the 357mag w/6'' barrel could be that accurate.  I tried the 125gr bullets and the 158gr bullets but the accuracy was pinpoint only at the longer distances with the 140gr speer JHP's using 2400 powder.  I never tried it with shorter 357mag barrels but it just maybe the sweet spot for accuracy with the 357mag. I remember reading that Elmer Keith used a 4'' barrel for longer than 200yd shots too.  I would think a heavier frame like an "N" frame S&W model 27 or 28 or a Redhawk ruger in 357mag would work very well with a 4'' barrel.

[tanoose]

yes but if you need to take a 50 yard crap i like the 180 hard cast around 1400fps.i think buffalo bore or grizzly make them

[tanoose]

i must check my posts before i send then that should say 50 yard shot. sorry

[dakotashooter2]

I've never had a reason to contradict Lloyd and I can't speak for the 357 but I have taken deer with the 41 (and 41 special) with both jacketed and cast bullets and honestly could notice the difference. Generally range has been under 30 yards. At that range even the special has put down deer as large as 180# mostly in their tracks and if not at least within 30 yards. I know my special loads did not exceed what a 357 could be loaded to.

[keith44]

For what passes for hunting and shooting skills these days I will say NO.  Not due to any shortcomings of the .357, it is powerful enough if you can in fact tell 25 yards from 45, and will hold your shot for correct bullet placement.  If the load you choose will group into 3" at 50 yards then test for penetration.  A perfect broadside shot will need 10 inches of penetration to be considered by me as sufficient.  I prefer to be able to shoot lengthwise through a large whitetail buck (200 ish pounds live weight)  180 grain hard cast wide nose flat point plain base or gas checked backed by a healthy dose of either 2400 or 296 will do the job if your gun likes them.

[Ladobe]

"For what passes for hunting and shooting skills these days I will say NO. "

Unfortunately you've got that right.   But for those who know their revolver and loads from plenty of use and can place their shots consistently in a hunting situation, the 357 will kill even big deer just fine at reasonable ranges.   

I killed a few muley bucks with a S&W Model 19 6" & Ruger Blackhawk 4 5/8"  357MAG's, and a Herter's 401 Power Mag in the 70's & 80's.   Never had to track any of them very far and some were DRT.   Only remember one I had to use a follow up shot on (with the Mod 19) - that one a nice 4X4 I'd shot head on.    The follow-up my fault... it had laid down about 30 yards away and would have died, but I didn't wait long enough before walking up on it.   Second shot when it stood up sealed the deal though.   Passed up a lot of shots I knew I was capable of making too though, because I felt the range was just too far for the 357/401 to kill effectively (as it often is in the Rockies for a revolver).    Switched to Super Blackhawks and my Model 29's to reach out and touch at those longer ranges better, and killed several with the 44's that all were DRT. 

[keith44]

Ladobe,

I used a Blackhawk in .357 Mag for a couple years (3 or 4) and never really felt under gunned, with my hand loads.  Took three does with it, and like you had one follow up, and no tracking.  I switched to Super Redhawk .44 Mag for better range, and slightly more penetration.