This is my first post into the Handgun Hunting forum so bear with me a bit. I did search to page 5 before posting.

Is the 357 Magnum in a revolver a viable hunting gun? I am talking about deer or smaller at close range.

I am wondering about loads etc. I think 158 SJHP or SJFP would be the limit; a good blend of velocity and power.

I did finish off a Black Bear with 357 Mag, 158 gn SJFP that was shot with a 30-06 and trailed.

What is a good powder for this? I am really not interested in heavier bullet weights but have an open mind if I hear good experiences with 160 or 180's but don't want to hear about what they should do. I want to hear what they have done if you know what I mean.

I have taken a fair amount of hogs with 160 grain flat points. Nice wide meplat is the ticket and I like H-110/W296 for powder

yes you can kill whitetail with a 357.Personally i consider the 41 mag as minium for deer hunting.if using 357 the proper bullit and shot placement is a must.My longest tracking job was from shooting a deer with a 357 and was glad when i heard the shotgun that finished the job.Never used a 357 for deer again

IMO, the 357 is fine for whitetail and similar sized game, though it would be my minimum. I would, however, tend toward the heavier/tougher bullets and stay away from the lighter/frailer end of the scale. Obviously, shot placement is the most critical factor in any kill, and with proper shot placement and reasonable range, I think you'll get along just fine.

Wile I have not used a 357 Mag on deer I have killed one doe with a 9mm, and 2 bucks with a 45 ACP.

If I was to use a 357 mag I would use at least a 158gr SP or hard cast bullet. Either 2400 or H 110/296.

I would use the 357 the same as I use my bow, the position of the deer and the shot must be perfect.

Yes, I always try to make "every thing" perfect, even if I am shooting deer with my 450 No2...

Whitetail aren't particularly hard to kill. A .357 will do the job as long as you do your part. That said, I just like bigger holes -- they leak more.

I agree with whitworth. Deer arent that tough but if i was buying a gun to hunt with especially if bear were on the plate id seriously think about stepping up to a 44.

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:
Whitetail aren't particularly hard to kill. A .357 will do the job as long as you do your part. That said, I just like bigger holes -- they leak more.

I took a doe in the TX hill country about 15 years ago with a 158-grain handloaded SWC out of a Smith 686. I shot her through the lungs... Granted she was close, but the result was no different from many deer I have shot with a 270 and 130-grain Speer Grand Slams: she ran about 50 yards and piled up, dead as last year's bird nest. Bullet went completely through the ribs and exited.

My father shot a buck at 70 yards a year later with the same load... He was in a tripod and the buck was looking up at him when shot. Dad shot him in the white patch... The bullet went through the neck and exited, re-entered and cut the entire plate of ribs from the left side of the spine. I found the bullet lodged in the left side ham. Dad said the deer looked like you dropped an anvil on him.

So put the bullet where it belongs and get to skinning...

I think it's the bare minimum.I like the winchester loaded nosler partition(180)@ ranges up to 60yards.But like others have said use it like a bow.I had a lengthy conversation years ago with Hal Swigget and his opinion was 40-50yards and broadside shots only.

I've had poor results when using a .357 on deer. I guess when everything is perfect it will work, just seems that perfection is frequently elusive. I've done much better since going to .41's and .44's. The last deer that I lost (one of the few) was a high lung shot at about 50 yards with a .357 cast semi-wadcutter, we trailed that deer the rest of the day, over a 1/4 mile and lost it. It was found later by some other hunters not far from where we finally gave up the track.

Sorry to hear you lost the deer... A high lung shot is iffy at best, and I sincerely believe there would have been little difference had the deer been shot that way with a .41 or .44. The blood trail might have been a bit easier to follow, but that is probably about it. If you don't get both lungs, the animal is going to eventually drown in their own blood, but it will take a while.

And to me, 400 yards is not really much tracking at all. I have (unfortunately) helped several folks track deer much further than that, typically when they were using the almighty .223! We haven't lost one yet, but tracking and finding the deer was not easy.

quote:

And to me, 400 yards is not really much tracking at all. I have (unfortunately) helped several folks track deer much further than that, typically when they were using the almighty .223! We haven't lost one yet, but tracking and finding the deer was not easy.

Whitworth and I had the same with the .223 that a friends daughter used on a large doe. But there was not a single spot of blood anywhere. I lucked into it a little later and gutted it, called my friend and then shot one for me.
That .223 had only gone 6 to 8", exploded inside and the deer went over 150 yards.
I back tracked the deer and never found even the smallest drop of blood.
Nobody could have tracked this deer 10 yards, let alone 400!
Give me two big holes and leave the toys at home. Bigger IS better and it will ALWAYS be better.
I will not even use a bow unless it goes all the way through an animal from any angle.

One specific story comes to mind out of my experiences: a friend shot a doe for the second straight year, using his H&K .223 bolt rifle. He was shooting 60-grain Nosler Partitions, and although the bullet was a pass through, the hole was quite small. We literally were going 30' or more between drops, and sometimes said drops were no bigger than a ladybug. Every so often the deer would stop and there would be a bit more, but there never was "a lot" of blood.

When I found the doe, some 600 yards from the shot, I pointed her out to my friend and told him "That's two. You shoot another deer with that .223 and I am going to tie a knot in the barrel!"

He took the hint. Deer are far too valuable to lose like that, and they deserve a more humane dispatch, as I see it.

quote:

Deer are far too valuable to lose like that, and they deserve a more humane dispatch, as I see it.

I've helped others track deer. Sometimes called off the rest of the hunt and spent an entire day and wore myself out doing it. Have also found a number of deer alive or dead that I have no idea who shot. They came from far away and were shot with no telling what kinds of guns. Because of that I do an end of season "sweep" of remote areas of the farm to look for "foreign" cripples that might turn up. I carry along a .30-30 and a handgun for this chore. So I readily agree with what you were saying there.

Btw, since there's been mention by bfr of the .223 bullet exploding, that brings to mind a question that might be related to that. It's O/T strictly speaking, but the inquiry about .357s having been mostly answered already, I hope everyone will be OK with me going ahead and asking about this here.

I had a shot at a nice buck a couple years ago from real close, about 20 yds. The gun is a .30-06 with 180 gr W-W pointed soft points. I started watching him from 100 yds but did nothing because he was feeding towards me and was closing the distance. When he got up close I had a downwards shot almost facing but very slightly quartering. The shot went down into the top of the body where the neck joined and should have come out roughly thru the left front leg or just behind it or thru the left lower chest.

Anyway, he dropped to the shot about as fast as it gets and never even twitched. The funny part is that of course I found the entry hole but not the exit hole. And it certainly wasn't for lack of looking. I looked EVERYWHERE before and after field dressing him. I even looked all thru the insides as I removed them. And my partner came along and helped me look. As it turns out he's a pathologist. And he couldn't find anything either. I'm not used to that happening with an '06 at 20 yds.

Is that strange, or not?

Its funny when the discussions about caliber arrise. When the smaller calibers are discussed and the subject of lost game comes up, the answer is always, well if you'd used enough gun you wouldn't have lost the animal. When the larger guns are used and animals are lost, the discussion is, well the recoil was too much.

What it all boils down to is using proper bullets and even more importantly, properly placing your shot. Plenty of game was taking in the black powder era with rifles that honestly didn't have much more power than a 357 mag. You have to place your shot.

The potential problem with the 357 is ammo. When original introduced the 357 ran at high pressures and would push a 158 gr 1500 fps. Then some time later manufacturers chambered smaller framed weaker guns and the opperating pressure was dropped, and hence the power.

In a full strength 357 opperating at full power levels, it is fully capable of taking deer so long as you can place your shots.

If your keeping your distances within 50yds or so the .357 with 140 - 180gr loads should work fine if your putting the shots in a nice tight group. Like has been mentioned, taking out the breathing and pump system will work.

I have taken one doe and quite a few hogs with my .357's. Shot placement is key, and most times on the larger hogs 150# and up I do not generally get a complete pass through. I suppose I could switch over to some heavy cast bullets, but I have found that the Remington 158gr SJHP works for me time and time again. I also use the 158gr Oregon Trail as well with good results.

I use the same load for both bullets as it has proven to be accurate and adequate for my purposes. I use Starline cases for the most part, as well as a mix of factory Rem, Win, and Fed, which were new once fired range brass. I use CCI and Win primers and 15grs of W-296.

When I initiall y worked up the loads I was cautious about the Oregon Trail bullets shooting well in my GP's but found that the equivalent load for the Remington bullet shot as accurate as I could hold the sights, and presented no leading that I could detect.

With 2400, or H-110/W296, and some decent 158gr bullets you should be on your way. The doe I shot was taken broadside at about 60yds. It didn't look that far at all, but due to the terrain fooled me. At the shot I could easily see a stream shoot out of both sides as she made an attempt to leave the area. Overall I think she made it about 30yds before nose diving. Another deer I had taken with my 41 reacted similarly, but on that one it only went about 10yds. About the only differences I could actually tell between the two shots was the diameter of the holes. The 158gr Rem did make a bit larger exit than entrance but it could have been more from blowing out the offside rib. I do not think it had much expansion at all. On closer shots on hogs I have gotten nice rolled back expansion, but they are about twice as tough to get into than a deer in the first place.

Good luck with your loads. Test some out in several flavors and you should find one that you like. Just keep the range in close and you should be fine.

I always do head shots with a 223.Never lost one or had to track one either.

I live in "Condor Country" so to hunt here we have to use NON-LEAD only! I have some 140gr solid copper barnes. They are certainly tough being solid copper and volocity will be high. I wish they were heavier, but penetration should be good. I only plan on using them as a back up to a rifle until i see how they actually perform. I'll let you guys know what i find out.

quote:

I always do head shots with a 223.Never lost one or had to track one either.

quote:

I always do head shots with a 223.Never lost one or had to track one either.

I used to head shoot, too. Then one fall something happened and the deer moved its head, I think. Maybe it was me. At any rate, I shot the jaw off a spike. That was the end of me head shooting. They deserve better than for me to make a mistake or take a chance without being in control of the entire situation.

Not pointing fingers, just stating my position.

The .357mag is the min.I personaly would use . I prefer the .41mag. that having been said, I have killed 1 medium sized doe with a .357. The range was about 40yds. and it was a broadside shot in a mostly open field.Shot placement is a must. I also agree with other poster's above. If bear are on the menu I would definately opt for something bigger. H-110 is my powder of choice for the .357mag.


"Back off man!!I'm a scientist..."

I've shot 4 mule deer does with a .22 LR (which is legal in Montana). All shots were under 50 yds, and were one shot kills. All shots were also in the lungs, behind the shoulder.

I currently have two .357 pistols, and I would not hesitate to shoot a deer with them. I would keep my shots within archery distances, and place my shot tight behind the shoulder with a hard cast SWC bullet.

quote:

I used to head shoot, too. Then one fall something happened and the deer moved its head, I think. Maybe it was me. At any rate, I shot the jaw off a spike. That was the end of me head shooting. They deserve better than for me to make a mistake or take a chance without being in control of the entire situation.

I saw this happen some years ago when a group of us were hunting Whitetails in NW Montana. Two of our group were twin brothers and each of them shot a buck in the head, hitting the lower jaw, and both of the animals were lost.

I do not like head shots on deer!

Here is another consideration:
Deer come in different sizes. A Northern deer or Rocky Mountain high country deer may run upwards of 250 Lbs, sometimes over 300 while an East or South Texas Whitetail may only be 110 to 130 Lbs.
You need to consider animal size as part of the equation.

My thread about "standardize bullets for ME" - content exactly what you are saying.
I will not use my 357 on animals beyond 100 lbs.
And not beyond 70 yds.

Airgun1
PA doesn’t get much better than Potter County, known for its trophy bucks and growing elk population not to mention black bear.

I would take a deer using a 357 magnum weighing in at 158 with H110 at around 25 – 45 yards from my pajama’s, but never on opening day.


.

Used to live on Delmarva. Hunting was done from a tree stand and it was hard to see more than 30 yards. Dropped many deer with a .357 using 180gr lead, not one ran more than 50 yards before dropping.