A general question on 357 Bolt Action Rifles.
I like the idea of one for plinking and short-range hunting for pigs up to 100 yards.
The only experience I have had was with a modern bolt action that shot a 4.5" group at 100 yards off a bench.
While fun, it gave me not confidence for hunting.
I suspect that these were cheap factory rounds and I have subsequently read of people getting very acceptable accuracy of, say 1.5", at 100 yards.
Anyone have experience with handloading and decent accuracy? What bullet?
This is a hypothetical question for now, but perhaps a future project.
Ruger sells one in Model 77 with an 18.5" barrel and I would probably add a suppressor.

Too weak for pigs at any range. At least get a 350 Legend (not for me because it is really a 9mm, not a 358), and for me, 450 Bushmaster is minimum, in bolt actions. Easier to build too because it uses standard .473 bolt face so I can put them on any Mauser; the 91 is best and smoothest feeding.

A 357 will do a pig at 100 out of a rifle with no problems.

You will however have to reload. You either need 180 gr or 200 gr bullets which you can get or you can move to cast buklets and work up a load there.

I have done it with a 10” Contender so a 18” rifle barrel will give even better velocity.

My ruger 357 shoots 180gr cast into a 6 inch steel plate at 100 yards 8 or 9 times out of 10 offhand. I have not shot it for groups. I just use it for offhand practice

quote:

Originally posted by Hasher:
A 357 will do a pig at 100 out of a rifle with no problems.

You will however have to reload. You either need 180 gr or 200 gr bullets which you can get or you can move to cast buklets and work up a load there.

I have done it with a 10” Contender so a 18” rifle barrel will give even better velocity.

I have a 16” Contender carbine in .357 Maximum.
180 grain cast over Lil Gun. Took two hogs. Both were down after one step.

Some pigs in Africa seemed quite big to me - and you never know what else you might run into. I would look for something more powerful

Thanks for the feedback.
Point taken about the lack of power of this cartridge and one does sometimes overestimate its ability.
However, I would stick to close range and the pigs (warthog in this case) are not overly big.
The alternative to this cartridge would be a 300 BLK with much the same limitations, I suspect.
Cast bullets are impractical, unfortunately, and I would still like to hear from more who have good loads.
Thanks in advance.

Not a bolt gun but a 357 rifle marlin carbine with a 18 inch barrel.

Of the bench she well kept 158gr rem spts in 2 inches at a 100. Velocity at 1830fps

They kill deer about 2 dozen. But I wouldn't recommend them for bigger and tougher game.

I wouldn't take hard angle shots with them either.

As with many cartridges that can be on the edge of performance.

One needs to carefully pick ones shots.

More good advice, thanks.
I guess it best to reduce the maximum shooting range even further.
I always reckon that if bowhunters can keep shots under forty yards, then with these gimmicky rifle cartridges, we can do much the same.

Not a 357 Magnum in my case, but a 44 Mag in a Ruger 77/44.

I am absolutely in love with this rifle. I shoot a 300gr cast bullet at 1460fps and it hits with surprising authority for such a 'small' cartridge.
After a little bit of fiddling with the bedding and loads it gives me a 1" group at 50 meters, if I miss the 5" gong at a 100m it was me not the rifle.
I have shot 2 kudu with it, a heap of impala and a couple of warthog. Have yet to recover a bullet.
It is my favourite 'back up' rifle when tracking wounded plains game, it is compact, short and light to carry in your hands while tracking wounded game and will give more than adequate penetration from any angle. The flat nose lead solid leaves a big hole for blood to leak out and air to leak in.

In South Africa we don't see a lot of rifles in handgun calibres which is a sad state of affairs, they are actually very effective, cheap to shoot and an absolute joy to hunt with.

My plinking load is a 240gr bullet at 1000fps and shoot into the same zero, the kids can get rid of 100 cartridges in a range session with little damage to my pocket.

a 357 Mag sound like just as much fun, go for it.

quote:

Not a 357 Magnum in my case, but a 44 Mag in a Ruger 77/44.

I am absolutely in love with this rifle. I shoot a 300gr cast bullet at 1460fps and it hits with surprising authority for such a 'small' cartridge.

I shoot a Ruger 96 lever in 44mag

The 44mag out of a carbine is a whole different critter then the 357. With a standard 240sp at around 1800 it just blows through deer.


I get just over 1500 with a 315 gr WFNHC and one gets all kinds of penetration with
them.

Several years back, I got a Ruger 77/357 for my daughter. After a couple trips to Texas I was impressed enough to get one for myself. She took deer and hogs out to 140 yards with ease, using various 150-180 grain hard cast Keith style bullets, Barnes X Bullets.
I had DPCD fit a Zytel boat paddle stock from a 22 Mag for me. I added a NECG peep sight and a white bead front sight. It's my go-to hog and Mountain Lion gun.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
Not a bolt gun but a 357 rifle marlin carbine with a 18 inch barrel.

Of the bench she well kept 158gr rem spts in 2 inches at a 100. Velocity at 1830fps

They kill deer about 2 dozen. But I wouldn't recommend them for bigger and tougher game.

I wouldn't take hard angle shots with them either.

As with many cartridges that can be on the edge of performance.

One needs to carefully pick ones shots.

If you went 35 Remington in a 336, that would be the lever gun ticket!

If you can, get 180 grn jacketed or cast there, they are the way to go. The 158's would be fine for springhare or similar, but 180's in a rifle will penetrate and kill better on vlakvark.

quote:

If you went 35 Remington in a 336, that would be the lever gun ticket!

Used one in the past.

quote:

The alternative to this cartridge would be a 300 BLK with much the same limitations

I built a .300 Blackout on a Sako L46 action. First thing I killed with it was a pig -- DRT. A 130 grain Hornady spire point at 2170 fps shoots very accurately and has all of the energy you need for any warthog that has walked the African continent in the last thousand years (they're considerably smaller than most domestic pigs).

quote:

Originally posted by buckeyeshooter:

If you went 35 Remington in a 336, that would be the lever gun ticket!

I liked mine a lot but finding brass for them is hard anymore. I like the 360 Buckhammer concept. A simple necking up of 30-30 brass and youre there.