thanks to everyone for the info about the .357? Now I was wandering if anyone knows were I might get some good reliable ballistics info comparing the .44 and 454 and 500s&w?

I have killed several deer only one over 100yrds so I am mainly interested in how the pistols perform inside that range, but if I tried to go past it would they still hold up?

From past experiences, the .454 will hold up "better" out past 100 yards than either the .44 mag or .500 s&w. This is not to say that if one practices and becomes proficient that these shots can not be made.

The most practical advice I can offer to this thread is to either choose hunting sites which do not offer shots past a range you are comfortable shooting or work on enhancing your woodsmanship and stalk closer to your game.

The long shots are best left to the bottleneck cartridges in the singleshots.

Powderburner,

From the experience I have in learned a couple things, first off, every revolver bullet takes a serious nose dive much past 100 yards.

Are they still effective past that range, you bet, but they fall fast. It really does not matter how fast they are initial fired, revolver bullets all shed velocity in a very similiar mannor, FAST. because of this they also fall to mother earth quite quickly too.

To be fair, the 454 does have an edge in trajectory but not enough to matter at the ranges a revolver will or should I say "should" be used at.

Personally, I limit my shots on big game to 125 yards with a scoped revolver. With iron sights, I feel 75 yards is a good long shot especially in the dark river bottoms where I love to hunt whitetails here in Montana.

As far as comparing caliber effectiveness at the extreme case is kind of tricky.

I have hammered whitetails at 50 yards with a 440 gr .500" WFNGC bullet traveling +1600 fps with absolutely no visual effect of the impact, the deer simply ran off snd died a dhort diatance away.

This is basically the results you will get with any revolver round capable of fully penetrating the vitals of big game. If the bullet is placed in the correct spot, a good 357 bullet will kill just as effectively as a 500 will.

Even more so then rifle hunting, shot placement is all important to a successful kill. Do not get caught up in shaving a couple inches of drop just for the sake of flatter trajectory.

An effective big game revolver load shoots accurately and penetrates deeply with a heavy for caliber bullets.

I will never say the 357 is as effective as the 44 Mag, 45 Colt or even the 41 mag, but for deer size critters it is fully up to the challange. If I were hunting game I knew would be hard to anchor such as most game over 600 lbs, I would use the 44 Mag as a minimum with at least 300 gr bullets.

Even better then that I would choose either my Ruger 45 Colt with 360 gr WLNGC or my 480 with 425 gr WFNGC. I own a 454, but would pick one of these over it every time because they are fully up to any big game animal I would ever hunt and are much easier to shoot accurately.

Good Shooting!!!

50

My opinion is if for Whitetails and it's under 100 yards as you say then there all good,with the .44 Mag with a good bullet and shot killing a small Deer just as well as the other two.Now if Elk was on the Menu,I would opp for the .454 or .500.
I sure love my .454 and would love to have a .500.

Best of luck.Jayco.

I'M CURIOS(?)... IF ONE WAS TO HUNT DEER WITH A .357 MAGNUM HANDGUN WHAT BULLET WOULD BE SUGGESTED?? WHAT ABOUT A .357 MAGNUM RIFLE? I GOTTA SAY THAT THE BIG CALIBER STUFF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT SOUNDS LIKE OVER KILL TO ME ...AM I WRONG?? I HAVE A 6" MODEL 27 S&W I'M WONDERING IF THAT IS ENOUGH TO STOP DEER SIZED GAME........





THE 2ND AMENDMENT PROTECTS US ALL.....

As others have mentioned, you need to consider shootability, and I would also add cariability in the field. Despite the awesome paper balistics of the 500 S&W, I could never see carrying such a massive gun in the field, I honestly think it is a novelty gun and not a practical hunting tool.

Now, when you look at the typical 5 to 7 1/2" barreled revolver in 44, 45, 454 or 480, then you have a gun that can both be comfortably carried in the field, and shot with reasonable accuracy. Most important is finding the gun that you shoot the most accurately. As much as I like the single actions, I've found that I shoot a Ruger SRH much more accurately then the various blackhawks, super blackhawks, bisleys and Freedom Arms mdl 83's I've shot. If you can't shoot the gun accurately, then it doesn't matter what the paper balistics are, or what the gun writers or internet posters say is best.

I personally prefer the 480 to all other rounds, because I've found it to be very accurate, very easy to load for, and very shootable. Yes, full patch loads kick more then a 44, but aren't nearly as sharp as a 454. I also have a medium power load, 310 gr @ 950 fps that is scary accurate, and very easy to shoot. If I were hunting white tails, or blacktails on islands that didn't have bears, I would simply use that load.

To the 357 question, it is a good one. I'm debating how to load my 357 blackhawk, as I'd like to use it for black tail hunting. My two options are a 160 gr with a very large meplat that I should be able to drive over 1500 fps, or a 200 gr WFN that'll do 1200-1300 fps. I'm kinda leaning towards the 160 gr, as it should exit, and should produce a larger dia wound with the larger meplat and higher impact velocity. This would be for close range use, inside 25-35 yds.

There is an article in the newest Rifle mag on .357 in a rifle. He says it kills surprizingly well with the added velocity. Also bullet to velocity is similar to a 30-30. The 357 bullets just have a lower BC. I used a 110JHP to take a deer and it did great, but I would rather have had a 180gn hard cast. I put the 110JHP in just behind the near side sholder so it wouldn't have to go through any heavy muscle or bone. It ended up in the offside sholder still weighing 110gns. Had it hit the nearside sholder it may have been a different story. I'll vote for a heavy hardcast bullet.

Paul H wrote:
My two options are a 160 gr with a very large meplat that I should be able to drive over 1500 fps, or a 200 gr WFN that'll do 1200-1300 fps

That is exaxtly why I lobbied hard for the 180 grain mold. There are bullets available below and above that weight, but few (I know there are 170s and 180s out there) in that in-between range.
I can't wait!

THANKS FOR REPLY LAR..... WHAT I HAVE LOADED TO USE IS A HARDCAST 150gr. SWC. I LOAD IT UP TO ABOUT 1300fps....I'M THINKING THAT WOULD TAKE A DEER WITH A WELL PLACED SHOT THROUGH THE HEART LUNG AREA............


THE 2ND AMENDMENT PROTECTS US ALL......