Hunting .357

[stangfan93]

What ammo is good for hunting in .357? I just bought a 6" Trooper MKIII and the only purpose for this gun is hunting. I was at Gander Mtn. today and I saw Federals fusion line of ammo for this caliber but i wasnt sure. Then i saw a whole mess of other calibers there that I still am not sure as to whether or not to use. This gun will be for deer and hogs and various other varmints.
Could I use Federals Fusion line or their Hydrashok? Speers Gold dot? Buffalo Bore? Magtech? I know there are tons of ammo out there and i want to use the thing. Or is the .357 not really that great for hogs?

I have a Marlin in .44mag that i use for hog hunting and in that i use WWB with great results because it knocked a sow clean off her feet when i shot her.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[fisherman66]

I carry Winchester Supreme 180s, but it's more for self defense from hogs than for hunting hogs. I got the rifle route when I go looking for trouble from hogs.

A big boar has a pretty thick gristle plate. I might consider head/ear shots if revolver hunting. Sorry I can't help any more than that. Buffalo Bore has one of the the hotter load I hear, but it may be considered a "Ruger Only" load. The cast lead is not likely to expand much I understand.

Good Luck

 

[buck460XVR]

IMHO...with my .357 I'm more concerned with being able to hit a deer in the boiler room than I am in the particular load. I generally stick with the 158 gr sjsp or sjhp. I have killled 3 deer with Blazer 158 jhp in the past, but all were close and all were well hit in the lungs. All three went approximately 40 yards before going down for good. I used 158 gr fusions this year for the first time, they shot well out of my gun, but I didn't have the opportunity to take a deer with my pistol. My son shot a 170 lb hog in Texas this year with my gun and the Fusions and said it went right down........

 

[JKump]

I used the Fusion this last deer season and they worked well. I took one
Doe with it using a 4" Taurus Tracker. The Doe was facing me (almost starting to quater) and I put one in the chest at about 30 yards. The bullet entered about three inched from the right shoulder blade off center, travelled down the leg breaking it. She dropped right there.
IMHO, there is nothing wrong with the 357 as long as you know your limits with it. When I handgun hunt for deer I go as if I am Bow hunting, I would not try taking a deer out past 50 yards with it but that is just me.
As for hogs I would carry it as a back up and use the rifle as primary hunting tools. That is what I do since I hunt with a single shot rifle.

 

[tube_ee]

the .357 and range limitations...

How many of us would take a shot at game beyond 50-60 yards with an iron-sighted handgun, regardless of caliber?

I sure wouldn't. I'm just not that good of a shot. If you can't put that bullet where it needs to go, the first time, every time, don't pull the trigger. It doesn't matter how big the bullet is.

Yes, bigger bullets kill better (assuming roughly equal velocities). But where that bullet hits the animal is more important than anything else, and that's all up to you.

For those who can shoot well enough to take 75-100+ yard shots at game with a handgun, more power to you. For those shots, especially beyond 100 yards, a 44 magnum or bigger is what you need.

For most of us, our effective handgun hunting range is shooter-limited, not caliber-limited. For me, the .357 with the right loads has sufficient penetration and diameter to do the job, at any range that I'd consider taking a shot at an animal with a handgun.

Oh, and get a Marlin 1894C to go with your wheelgun.

--Shannon

 

[skeeter1]

Oh, and get a Marlin 1894C to go with your wheelgun.

Yep, That makes for a nice combo. I'd consider my 1894C as my primary piece and my Smith & Wesson as my backup. A .357 Magnum out of a carbine barrel has a lot more whollup than out of a handgun.

 

[CarbineCaleb]

The main thing in my opinion is to avoid the light/fast/bucketmouthed anti-personnel loads, and go for something heavier, stronger and slower expanding. In the Speer line, they make a bonded 170gr soft point, and Winchester has the 180gr Partition Golds - those are a heavy Nosler style bullet. Federal has a reasonably priced CastCore hardcast load. A little harder to find but still reasonably priced, Double Tap has a *hot* hardcast load.

To me the Speer bonded softpoint or Winchester/Nosler would be ideal for all around use, and if you want better penetration for something *really* tough to get through, the DoubleTap or Federal hardcast.

Then there's always boutique (and pricier) loads like Grizzly, Corbon, Buffalo Bore. Corbon makes a 180gr bonded soft point that is loaded warmer than the Speer, but also costs about 50% more.

FWIW, the .357 and the .44 magnum have the same case height, and (almost) the same SAAMI pressure limit. That means if you choose the same bullet construction and sectional density, they can not only be loaded to the same velocities, they should be expected to do the same thing on target regarding expansion and penetration. The only difference will be the diameter of the hole!

 

[jrothWA]

Presently using...

Federals 158gr spj in 4" Sec6.

max range to shoot is that which a full cylinder stay on a paper picnic plate.
And practice, practice, etc

 

[44 AMP]

Be aware

Some guns will not handle the heaviest bullets well. I personally have no use for the 180gr .357s, good 158gr JSP/JHP or 160gr SWC is as heavy as I ever needed.

The Marlin carbine is a nice little gun, and as long as you stick to factory ammo, it is a great companion for your wheelgun.

I just recently picked up one of these carbines, after having gone many years without one, and got a small surprise at the range. All the .357 ammo I have on hand right now is hot handloads for my S&W M28. This heavy revolver handles them just fine, but the Marlin only got off one round, and the case stuck in the chamber, with the primer cratered. I am going to have to work up a load for this rifle seperately, as the hot stuff for my N frame is just too hot for my carbine!

For deer and hogs, stay away from the 125gr (and lighter), these are intended for men, and may not give the penetration needed for humane hunting at longer ranges.

 

[tex45acp]

When I was hunting with a 8" Python, my ammo was the Federal 180gr. JHP. It never let me down and I took 11 Texas whitetails with that load. It was extremely accurate out of that Python.

tex