Confused, can you hunt with a .357 Ruger?
- Thread starter Glen J
- Start date
Kreyzhorse
New member
Also depends on your State's laws. In Kentucky its fine to hunt with but it Wyoming its not. I'd check your state laws before buying.
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Hagar the Republican
New member
If you stay within bowhunting range, the .357 is fine. 158-gr loads will work as well as 180.
rem870hunter
New member
when i carried a 357 it was loaded with hot handloaded 158 gr. JSP. i am pretty confident that if a deer came within range,the 158's will do fine.
and yes be sure to check the f&g laws of the area you will be hunting in to be sure that the 357 is legal. last time i hunted VA it was legal. for black bear, a 357 if thats all i had.
and yes be sure to check the f&g laws of the area you will be hunting in to be sure that the 357 is legal. last time i hunted VA it was legal. for black bear, a 357 if thats all i had.
bluetopper
New member
If it's OK with the local laws.........go ahead.
kennybs plbg
New member
Some states require the barrel length to be a min. of 4".
kenny b
kenny b
Every time someone is asking if you can hunt with 357 magnum they are told that they need to practice - a lot. (That is good advice IMO).
But what about 44 magnum? Do you need to practice with them?
Or 500 S&W magnum? Are they so powerfull that you don´t need to hit your target?
IMHO: The more powerful a round you plan to use - the greater the need for practice.
Maybe 357 magnum is the best place to start if you want to hunt with a revolver. Just stay away from angry rhinos
Happy shooting (practice shooting??)
But what about 44 magnum? Do you need to practice with them?
Or 500 S&W magnum? Are they so powerfull that you don´t need to hit your target?
IMHO: The more powerful a round you plan to use - the greater the need for practice.
Maybe 357 magnum is the best place to start if you want to hunt with a revolver. Just stay away from angry rhinos
Happy shooting (practice shooting??)
cimarronvalley
New member
357 vs deer
I've killed 3 whitetails several years back with my Ruger Blackhawk (old modl 62 manufacture) 357 with 7.5" barrel. This was back in the late 70's and I shot my own custom over-pressure loads ( the great thing about Ruger BH and Super Blackhawks they are or were designed to accept about 1.5 times the pressure ratings in the standard reloading manuals). So yes they will work for deer. Just be carefull of the range!
I've killed 3 whitetails several years back with my Ruger Blackhawk (old modl 62 manufacture) 357 with 7.5" barrel. This was back in the late 70's and I shot my own custom over-pressure loads ( the great thing about Ruger BH and Super Blackhawks they are or were designed to accept about 1.5 times the pressure ratings in the standard reloading manuals). So yes they will work for deer. Just be carefull of the range!
vanilla_gorilla
New member
Our tiny deer here in North Florida are no problem. I even hunt pigs (which I consider to be somewhat dangerous game) with a .357 and a heavy cast bullet.If black bear were legal, I'd probably go after them too, as long as I could use a 190 WFN, but I'd feel much better with a heavy .44 bullet for bear.
The .357 was conceived as a hunting cartridge by Doug Wesson and he took about every species of game in NA with it before the cartridge was ever released to the public. It still works as well today even though there are other more powerful cartridges. With 158 or 180 or 200 grain loads it will take care of everything from black bear to hogs to deer. Lighter loads in 148 or 158 grain will take care of bunnies and squirrels. I would consider a 4" barrel the minimum with 6" a better choice and 8" a much better choice.
Match the gun to the game, and be sure to check your local game laws.
Yes, a .357 Mag will work with deer and similar size critters. Especially for the smaller deer like in the Texas hill country. Be sure to load it with proper HUNTING ammo.
Also, a .357 Mag revolver can work really well for small game, just load it up with light .38 Spls, like wadcutters. Again, be sure to check your local game laws. I know that this is NOT legal to do in Georgia. At least it was as of last year. Idiotic, but true.
Yes, a .357 Mag will work with deer and similar size critters. Especially for the smaller deer like in the Texas hill country. Be sure to load it with proper HUNTING ammo.
Also, a .357 Mag revolver can work really well for small game, just load it up with light .38 Spls, like wadcutters. Again, be sure to check your local game laws. I know that this is NOT legal to do in Georgia. At least it was as of last year. Idiotic, but true.
Folks with a lot more experience than myself would argue the opposite. Any handgun hunting requires a significant commitment. The .357 is not the best tool for the job and is considered the bare minimum by most who have made it their life's work. With any such marginal tool, it requires more of the hunter. Not less.
CraigC: IMO if you want to hunt with a handgun then you need to be accurate with whatever gun you plan on using. And you need to be able to fire a 2. shot if need be.
IMHO a 357 magnum revolver is less difficult to master than more powerfull revolvers.
All this is good advice if and only if you stay within the limits of your tool.
If you need to take out a Rhino then a 357 magnum is to small. But all I´m trying to say is: Maybe you should start out with something smaller than a Rhino on your first hunt with a revolver.
Way too many people think of themselvs as beeing "sniper - accurate" with thir super magnum revolvers. In reality very few people are.
In the old days a lot of boys startet out shooting rats and other very small critters with a .22. Now thats good practice.
IMHO a 357 magnum revolver is less difficult to master than more powerfull revolvers.
All this is good advice if and only if you stay within the limits of your tool.
If you need to take out a Rhino then a 357 magnum is to small. But all I´m trying to say is: Maybe you should start out with something smaller than a Rhino on your first hunt with a revolver.
Way too many people think of themselvs as beeing "sniper - accurate" with thir super magnum revolvers. In reality very few people are.
In the old days a lot of boys startet out shooting rats and other very small critters with a .22. Now thats good practice.