I plan on using the 180 grain Winchester
partition gold ammo in my 357 magnum for deer and wild boar. They will mostly be in the 80 to 120 pound range. All shots should be at 50 yards or less. Has anyone had any experience with this ammo?

Hey man, thats plenty for deer. If you're a good enuff shot, you could take it out to 100yds, but that takes practice. I use a Sierra Sportmaster 158gr JHC for my .357 under 7grains of W231 for about 1200-1300fps.
I got a 4inch Colt Python and it shoots like a dream. I've shot a good bit of revolvers and this is the only one that i wouldnt want a trigger job done to it, i just love it. And since my Granddad gave it to me, then that makes it even better. Deer aint that tuff of an animal, whatever will kill a man will kill a deer. One day i hope to git a Ruger Bisley Blackhawk in .45 Colt, but i'm a poor college student. I'd rather having a .45cal 260gr Keith SWC travelling at 1200fps than a .357cal 158gr JHC travelling at the same speed. Just remember to practice, I think it was Paco Kelly who said that for every yard of distace that you plan to have as a maximum range, atleast shoot that many bullets. So 50yds=50 practice rounds ATLEAST. Since i reload, i tend to shoot atleast 4 times that much, just because i love it and i can.

cyberhick

The Partition Gold is a premium bullet and kept to a conservitive distance should be o.k. for deer in a 357. You ought to be able to drive it pretty fast so you can get good knockdown. That being said, I would still like to say I think that the .357 is to small a cal. to hunt deer with. I consider the .41 to be minimum. But good luck any ways. If you don't reload, a .22 makes a good practice gun. Practice a lot if you are going to hunt with a handgun. More than you think is necessary. I like to be able to keep all my rounds in a 6 inch circle at the max distance I will allow myself to take a shot. I still often pass on shots. Slim

With all due respect can I ask why you want to use such a small load on game animals?

On top of that a pistol is hard to aim compared to a long gun.

If that's all you have then look around the house or borrow a 12 ga shotgun and get some slugs. It will be far more effective.

Unless there is snow on the ground deer are hard to find after being shot. Some deer are hard to kill. Big old bucks are not that weak. Sure they die like everything else but a hit in a muscle with say a .270 could shock and deer and keep it down. A hit with a low energy load may just wound.

I had a Python in .357. The barrel split at the forcing cone. I took it back to Hartford and the forman put a new bbl on free while I watched. That was a long time ago. I still have the Herret grips for it.

That load will work great in your gun on deer! Most of the "experts" recommend that you keep shots to 50 yards BUT if i listened to them i would not have taken half the game animals i have. The key to killing things with a pistol is PRACTICE.

A deer is no different than a human (similar sizes and weights) and the 357 is the king in that respect.

Just practice the distances you might have to make an off hand shot.

mike

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NRA Life Member

America, Love it or LEAVE IT!

"With all due respect can I ask why you want to use such a small load on game animals?
On top of that a pistol is hard to aim compared to a long gun.

If that's all you have then look around the house or borrow a 12 ga shotgun and get some slugs. It will be far more effective.

Unless there is snow on the ground deer are hard to find after being shot. Some deer are hard to kill. Big old bucks are not that weak. Sure they die like everything else but a hit in a muscle with say a .270 could shock and deer and keep it down. A hit with a low energy load may just wound."

Respectfull, what small load? What would you say if i was using a .358 Win with a 150gr bullet at 2900fps? A .35 caliber is still a good sized caliber, nothing changed between a handgun and rifle except velocity. I dont have any problems with aiming my Python, its just as easy with my other long guns. I have a 12 gauge slug gun and a .54 caliber muzzle loader, i just want to hunt with my Python. It has the power, it aint like deer are natures tanks. I've killed deer with .22 rim fires before. I think you're getting too caught up in numbers. Energy aint got any bearing on anything. Velocity is the key, and as long as my projectile is travelling over 800fps, it will reach the boiler room. Infact, if i do take a deer with it, i'll send you the autopsy photos. I personally dont like the .270, i think the bullet is too small. Now, does that mean that its any less of a deadly round, not at all, a .270 will kill deer as quick as anything else. If i only had a .270, then i'd use it, but rifles are illegal in Indiana. The bullets i use for my .357 are designed to expand all the way down to 600fps. With a BC of .172@1200fps, with a 50yd sight in, its down 3.5 inches at 100yds and has a velocity of 1050fps. This seems to be plenty to kill a deer. During spring break next year, i'm going to be in Louisana doing some hog hunting. I plan on taking my recurve bow, my slug gun and my muzzle loader. I'm thinking of buying some 170-190gr cast SWC's for them. With a healthy dose of 2400, they will go straight thru. The only thing i'm worried about shooting my .357 is making sure the loads are accurate. I wish i could have another pistol for hunting, the more guns the merrier. But, i'm just a poor college student, cant afford one right now, and i cant really afford slugs. Since i reload, i can shoot my .357 all i want and it wont put a dent in my wallet, but slugs do. As soon as i can, i plan on buying a Lee Load All shotgun reloader to make slugs, then i'll really have some fun.
Now as far as tracking, i know my area like the back of my hand. I do not mean to boast of myself at all, but i have not ran across a deer that has stumped me yet. Not to say that there wont be, but i've had some good teaching from my Granddad and Dad. I aint a superhuman, and i know i'll git stumped sometime, but its kinda easy to track them where i hunt because its really muddy. Also, its easy to look at tracks and see if the deer was running, especially thru mud. Guess i just got it better than them guys who decide to hunt in the corn field instead of the way the deer take to it. Oh well.

cyberhick

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My best friend died for me, but came back to life on the third day.

[This message has been edited by cyberhick (edited 11-20-2001).]

cyberhick,

If you want to try a new load that really gets the ole' 357 humming. Try that same Sierra with W296 and Winchesters' Small Pistol Magnum primer. You can get the charge weight from Winchester or Sierra. I have shot so many rounds of this load that i have lost track of the number. IT IS A PROVEN WINNER ON GAME!! It has also proved to be very accurate.

mike

mssmagnum,
Have you tried 2400? I was thinking about gitting some and using that because it takes less of 2400 than 296 to get high velocities.
I know 296 is compatable with my Lee Auto-Disk, but i thought i had heard that 2400 will eat the plastic that is used for the disks that measure the powder. I use 231 regularly and i love it. Measures easy and burns clean. I used to use a lot of #5 until someone told me to try 231. I still keep some #5 around, especially for those quiet reduced loads that 231 cant do, for them pests that come sneakin' around my yard and spray my dog when she attacks them, .

cyberhick

I have never tried 2400 as it falls in between 231 & 296. I have used tons (literally) of 231. I like it for those reduced cast bullet loads in several calibers. When i go to full throttle, it is H110 or W296. I have had the best results with these.

mike

Two tons of #231 would load over 3 million .44 Specials.

# 2400 was pretty much the standard for "magnum" revolver loads. I used a lot of it along with H 240. They serve well but leave some residue in the bbl. That was never a problem at all. Those are/were very good powders.

The way to get a .357 magnum hummin for game shooting is to sell it and get a .44 or a .45!

I went thru that and the larger bores lead the bbl less and hit much harder. If a Keith type bullet is used with a large mepat it will be satisfactory even at less than full velocity for small game and target.

The place for the .357-.38 special is in medium and small frame guns for concealed carry protection.

HOGWASH!!!

If a .357 is too small, then that deer i SUPPOSEDLY killed with a .22 this summer is still living, all chopped up in my freezer!
A .35 caliber is a good sized caliber, more than capable of killing deer. I wonder where you git that notion, apparently not from fact.

cyberhick