orion
8 Pointer
Posts: 128
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Post by orion on Nov 4, 2009 13:10:38 GMT -5
My buddy wants to use his 357 mag on Michigan deer. He has a S&W 686 with long barrel. I have shot many .357s but never hunted any deer with one. My feeling has always been that the 357 has and will continue to kill a lot of deer, and in good hands is adequate. I told him to limit his shots to less than 50 yards and to use a good 158 or 180 grain bullet. I told him that the Winchester Supreme load with the 180 grain nosler partition bullet looked like it would be promising. He doesn't handload and I don't have time to load some for him, this late in the year.
Any thoughts on favorite factory deer loads for the .357 from a pistol?
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Post by whelenman on Nov 4, 2009 14:29:01 GMT -5
What you told him sounds like good advice to me. I used to have a 357 barrel for a Contender and the 158 and 180s are what I liked in the Federals. Several folks around here are now using the Hornady Lever Evolution load even though it's a little lighter and seem to be happy with it. I can't say from personal experience though. www.hornady.com/story.php?s=760
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Post by jimmonn01 on Dec 14, 2010 16:41:46 GMT -5
i shot a doe last week in pa at 30yds with the Hornady Lever Evolution in the neck it dropped in its tracks you would have thought i shot it with my 30-30 in they are very accurate
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Post by mshm99 on Dec 21, 2010 19:02:02 GMT -5
I don't like to rain on any ones parade but,unless you spine them , your going to have a long ,bloodless tracking job ahead of you.
You kill em with blood loss or hydrostatic shock. It don't poke a big enough hole and don't move quick enough.
Just my opinion.
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Post by rick59 on Dec 24, 2010 1:29:03 GMT -5
Myself, I wouldn't use a .357 for deer unless it was a .357 maximum. And even then it would be a 180 grain bullet.
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Post by dans on Dec 24, 2010 17:39:33 GMT -5
For me the key is to stay with Jacketed soft point bullets of 158 grain or heavier. I like the Federal 158 gr. jsp. My grandson has killed two deer with the Remington 158 jsp in a handirifle and had no trouble with boiler room shots.
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orion
8 Pointer
Posts: 128
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Post by orion on Jan 5, 2011 20:13:46 GMT -5
This is an old thread. Myself I wouldn't use a .357 either because I am lucky enough to have something bigger, but lots of guys are a one gun show and feel they have to try with what they have. My feeling is that you are getting into archery type situation. You had better be pretty picky about your shots. Just like archery there are those who can strech the range and be just fine (experts), then there is Joe Six Pack who can't hit a pie plate at 10 yards. My friend was going to hunt with his regardless, so I thought it would be good to give him the best advice, I could drum up. My first comment to him was to buy a .44 mag or something bigger.
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Post by Rifleman on Jan 6, 2011 7:02:39 GMT -5
I used a 357 for several years until I could get a 44. It will kill deer just fine, 158 JSP was my bullet of choice. Bloodless track jobs? Not hardly, double lung them and they bleed out the mouth and nose just like anything else. 50 yds? hardly, bullet placement depends on the shooter. I killed several at 125 yds or better.
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Post by Al on Jan 8, 2011 8:17:23 GMT -5
158gr hardcast does wonders too.
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nsb
Forkhorn
Posts: 77
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Post by nsb on Jan 14, 2011 10:21:00 GMT -5
I've shot over 50 deer with a handgun, most with the 357mag. Going to a bigger caliber isn't the answer to being more successful. Caliber nor muzzle energy kills a deer with a handgun, shot placement does. Neither the 357 nor the 44mag offer much in energy compared to a rifle. Both are more like shooting one with a bow. As commented above, shot placement is the key. I personally believe too many people put their trust in caliber and energy and neglect to hone their shooting skills. I've shot and killed deer at well over a hundred yards and recovered the animal. The only deer I ever lost with a handgun was shot with a 44mag and it was a result of the deer spooking just as the trigger broke and resulted in a bad hit. My go-to load is a 158 grain JHP which has rarely resulted in a pass through and expands pretty well. It also retains most of its weight. This year I shot a buck at ninety (lasered after the shot) yards and it ran towards me after the shot. At 51 (lasered after the shot) yards it stopped broadside and I shot it again. Both shots were found in the off side shoulder. The first bullet barely expanded and the second mushroomed nicely. Both retained all their weight. Handguns shed energy rapidly and expansion isn't a significant factor in recovering a deer. Like bowhunting, practice is tantamount to success.
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Post by joe21a on Jan 15, 2011 18:58:40 GMT -5
nsb; You hit it right on the head, shot pacement is the key.and I have never had a problem with the blood trail and am only using a 140 hp in the .357 mag
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orion
8 Pointer
Posts: 128
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Post by orion on Jan 17, 2011 22:00:42 GMT -5
Some say your better off hitting with a .22 than missing with a .44. Lots of deer have been killed with the lowly .22 rim. I will say one thing, most people (joe sixpack included) can shoot a .357 mag way better than a hot loaded .44 or .460 s&W (myself included), and I shoot a heck of a lot more magnum hand guns every year than joe six pack. But all things being equal (primarily skill), for me, that means limiting my distance with a larger gun. Myself I can hit deer size targets much futher and with more regularity with a smaller caliber. But you can take that argument to nth degree either way (i.e., use a .22 and make hits easy or use a .500 s&W and limit your range to what ever yards). I know people who think the .22 hornet is perfect deer rifle. I think they are nuts. But in the hands of skilled shot they are deadly. Like I said in the first post, the .357 has and will continue to kill deer. Caliber choice will always be personal opinion, and debate will most likely continue on longer than I will be around. If you use one, good on you, by all means have fun.
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Post by Savage Shooter on Jan 25, 2011 15:49:14 GMT -5
Kilt many deer with 357mag and setup right it is very deadly........
first good bullet = Nosler HG (partition) 180 gr.
next the right load = 15.5gr lil gun get u about 1500fps from 6"barrel.
next good scope = something like Burris 2 x 7 HG scope.
zero'd 2" high @ 50 will get u dead on at 100.
have kilt several over 100yds.
can't load then the Win Supreme with the same bullet is deadly just not near as fast for longer shots.
if you want to spend $2 pop u can get someone to load them for you.
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