Questions about 357MAG

[kc5rkg]

Happy Holidays Everyone....

I am thinking about getting a 357 to pack around while walking through the woods and stuff.  It'll probably be something like a Ruger GP100.  I will probably also carry it to the stand with me while hunting.  I want to use it just in case I have one walk right up on me.  I shot a doe this year that was less than 25 yds away, and its a pain to get a rifle up and be quiet when they are that close.  So I would like to be able to use the pistol in a case like that.  

Would the 357 fill that spot okay?  Whats the furthest you would shoot at a deer with a 357?  And what types of factory ammo would you chhose, I dont reload.  

Thanks!
scott

[DennisB]

Scott:

More than a few replies are gonna tell ya to get a .41 or .44 and stay away from the .357 for deer.  That said, I carry a Bisley Blackhawk in .357 for just that--a shot within 25 yards.  I have Blackhawks in .44 and .45, but the Bisley is a good shooter too and I'll not take a shot unless I'm sure that I can put it where it does the job.  I'm using cast 162 SWCs that I loaded myself.  If I had to go with commercial stuff I'd look for something with the Hornady XTP.

Good luck,
Dennis (AL7DF)

[volshooter]

I tote a 686 S&W 4 inch .357 quite a bit. Stoked with XTP's, a 25 yard shot is a done deal. I hand load all my own loads and I personally limit my self to nothing further than 40 yards with a .357. I'm sure some will claim the .357 should not even be condidered for deer. I can assure you that the .357 will do the job if you do yours. ( I only shoot for heart/lung shots with the .357) Many boar hunters here in East TN use a .357. I like the .44 better but more power will not make up for poor shooting. I have loaded up some hard cast SWC that shoot fair but haven't tried them on deer yet. Good luck,
Rick

[Gregory]

Took one small doe at 40 yds used a 357 Mag with a 170 gr. cast SWC going about 1300 fps out of a 10" TC Contender. It worked fine.


Try these for ammo:
http://mysite.elixirlabs.com/catalog/index.php?file=catalog&action=catalog_productinfo&uid=12665&pi_id=49226&clist=0,49198,49225

[Larry Gibson]

kc5rkg

As stated this question will ellicate numerous do's and don'ts.  I will offer this;  you do not state what length barrel and it does make a difference.  I have seen numerous deer killed with .357 revolverss using a variety of ammunition, both factory and reloads.  Most of these were with 4" barrels.  The most effective (killed the quickest with the least travel of the deer after the shot) facory loads were the Federal and Winchester 125 gr HPs.  These provided the best velocity, expansion and penetration in giving the quickest kills.  The heavier 150-158 gr bullets offered little expansion and acted like their hardcast counterparts.  All these killed the deer with proper shot placement but were not quite as "effective" as the 125s.  Penetration with all was quite sufficient on deer with most all providing complete penetration on broadside shots.  There was little difference in blood trails.

With the use of factory ammo in 6" barreled revolvers things even out a bit as the 150-158 (the quality ones) SP and HPs begin to expand (at 50 yards and under) and offer termanal effects equal to the 125s.  In 7 1/2 and 8 3/8ths revolvers the 150-158 factory loads really begin to show their stuff as they get up into the 1400s fps velocity wise.  The Federal 158 Hydra-Shok is very effective.  Federal, Winchester and Remington regular 158 jacketed HPs give reliable results in these longer barreled revolvers.  I have recieved a couple reports that the Speer 170 Gold Dot factory load is very effective in these longer barrels on deer also.  

Of course Contenders or other single shots with 10" barrels are in a league of their own and it's best to stick with the 158 SPs there.

Shot placement is paramount.  I have seem many, many deer shot "behind the shoulder" go a great distance even when larger caliber handgun cartridges or even rifles are used.  I long ago learned that if you envision a soccer ball low in the chest cavity of a deer directly between the legs and put your bullet in that soccer ball the deer will be yours in short order.  Regardless of the angle, put the bullet in the soccer ball.

Reloads of course are another matter.  I carry a 6" Ruger Security Six.  It is hell for stout and quite accurate.  I do however limit myself to 50 yards with iron sights.  If I use factory it is the Winchester 125 HP factory load (1465 fps) but since I reload I use the Hornady 125 gr FP/XTP over Blue Dot at 1690 FPS.  It IS very deadly on deer.

Larry Gibson

[Graycg]

I'm gonna steal someonelses line here, can't remember his name, but thanks for the idea "Best answer I've heard to this question is this:  Treat the 357 magnum on deer like it was a loud bow"...real good out to 35-40 yards, but you are pushing it after that.  I think this is sage advice.  I have shot deer and pigs both out to around 50 yards and agree, the difference between a pig hit at 15 yards and 45 yards is very noticable.  I prefer 44's with big bullets, but if you use the correct loads and treat that 357 like a loud bow,  you should be ok.

regards,
 Graycg

[Mikey]

Kc5rkg:  I use a short barrelled Model 27 with 200 gn semiwadcutters over a charge of 12.4 gns of WW296.  Winchester stats on that load are 1335'/sec.  Don't have a clue what they are doing from my shorter bbl but I would limit my shots to 50 yds or so.  POI is on the shoulder, and those loads will break bones on the way in, and out at that distance.  HTH.  Mikey.

[kc5rkg]

The gun will have a 4-6" barrel.  Like I said, I want it mainly for walking around, something easy to carry.  The only time I'd really plan to hunt with it is if I have one walk very close, around 25 yds or less.  I have my rifle for everything else.  Thanks for all the responses so far!  Keep em coming.  

scott

[Mikey]

cknight98:  Yeah Man, that is a great load.  Your 686 should be able to eat those things up all day long.  I know whatcha mean about 'never much at one time' (makes it tough to button up your shirt afterward but interestingly enough, those are the lowest pressure loads in the Winchester loading data for that bullet, and even lower than some of the 158 grainers.  

Will you be hunting hog from a stand (I guess they call that 'over bait' ?) because I think you could drive one right down through the beastie.  Those 200s have a lot of carry and I think they should penetrate the grizzle plate on hogs pretty well.  

When you do get the chance to take one, please let us know how that load performs.  I know what it does to whitetail but it would be interesting to see what happens with a tougher critter.  

Actually, the recoil on my 27 with that load is not bad at all.  It wears a pair of buffalo horn small panel grips and a Tyler T-grip adapter and fits well in my hand.  In that configuration it recoils but not bad, but when I go to the range for a session I put the factory magnum grips back on.  This beast started life as a 6" Model 28, the Highway Patrolman but I got tired of the thing wearing a hole in my hip everytime I went out with it, so I sent it back to S&W for a 4" bbl but they didn't have any.  The only length bbl S&W had in stock for that revolver was the 3.5" bbl for the Model 27.  So they installed that and blued the gun to match, and it looks purdy (and shoots pretty good, too).  

BTW, where do you get your 200 gn swcs?  I think mine came from Colorado Bullets (gotta check), but they work incredibly well in every 38 spl and 357 I've got.  HTH.  Mikey.

[Gregory]

Unfortunately many states have a 4" min barrel length for deer hunting.