i have a 357 rem max in a tc contender i have loaded a lot of 158 grain softpoint do you think it is good for deer.thanks m61fan

which brand of soft point? I think the Remington soft point is the best. it holds together at 2000 fps I get from my super 14

they are remington i am gonna load 180 grain xtp but i havn't yet and being i a lot of these i just wondered if they would be good as a alaround load mostly not the main propose to hunt deer just if the occasion arise like coming back form my "shooting range".i have a bout a 100 yard clearing witha big dirt backing on my land where i can shoot and there are usaluy deer around there ever so often you will see them. thanks for the info m61fan

if you are going to a 180 grain bullet try the Speer 180 grain rifle bullet that would be used with the .358 rifle calibers. I used 26 grains of WW680(unfortuanately no longer made) and got 2000 fps with it out of the super 14. I think that Hodgdon LIL Gun might be close amd maybe Accurate 1680.

This past season, I was using a Handirifle (22")357 Max with 158 XTP's @ about 2000-2100. Opening day I shot a turkey with it at 70yds., the turkey almost exploded! It took out 1/2 of one breast! I figured it was too violent for deer, so I switched to my 243 Win. I would like to know your experiences with the Max on whitetail, as I'm working on a cast bullet load for next season.
Would a 158 gr cast bullet work better ( I'm sure ), or would a heavier one be the better choice?
Thanks!

I think the 158 XTP at 2000fps giveing explosive results isn't surprizing. A 158 JSP behind the sholder should do alright if the velocities are kept sane. You might play with some at different velocities to see what the expansion looks like in wet newsprint? I took a smallish Mulie, probably the same size as a Blacktail or larger, with a 110JHP from a 6" 357 mag. The deer died real quick.

if you are going to hunt deer with the 357 max , I think the 180 grain bullet(cast or jacketed) is the one to choose. the 158 grain and below bullet weight were designed for the 357 mag and won't handle the velocity. the 140 grain bullets out of the 357 max are pure death on praire dogs and cyotes

I worked up a load this weekend for my 10" 357 max.I stopped at 22 grains of W-296 under a 187gr wfngc from Cast Performance.At 50 yards one ragged hole,100 yards opened up to 1 1/2" - 2". That will put down a whitetail in my opinion.

Yes, there are 2 XTPs. One is the HP and the other an FP. The FP is rated to 1800 fps. A max user myself (but in a carbine), it seems to me that the 180 gr. SSP, 180 gr. XTP, 180 gr. SJHP (Rem.), and 200 gr. RN are the jacketed bullets to use although the Speer 180 gr. FP works well.

I also use the Cast Performance WLNGC 200 gr. and think that is a great bullet as well.

The 158 gr. HPs are too fast opening for anything you want to have semi-intact after impact. I think with some bigger animals, such bullets are inappropriate.