.357 and hunting

[45long]

Foot pounds

I think it was 6 years ago one of the archery magazines did some testing and decided the best compound hunting rig generated about 76 foot pounds of energy. thats just 32 sw LONG energy.

Kinetic engery really doesn't matter with a bow because your bow as long as it has the inertia to carry the arrow all the way through. broadheads slice a wound canal.
A bullet has a whole lot of other things going on when it hits the target and relies on everything in conjunction with one another to get that stopping power.

But ya, a 357 mag will do nicely on whitetail deer at close range . However if I was hunting a big 300 pound corn fed Iowa buck I wouldn't mind bigger bore pistol.

 

[45long]

Pinning em to the ground

Quote:
Originally Posted by bezoar
5. most people only shoot deer through the shoulders in an effort to "pin it to the ground" then run up and finish it off.

People do that? No one I've ever known.

Well I have, But not intentionally

 

[Bezoar]

to ilustrate the point of .357 'bad' compound good.

ive watched to many so called hunting shows. there was one were they culled a half hour hunting show from 8 people spending the entire bear season in canada hunting with a crossbow. the company sponsored it. the Best shots at 30 yards could not even get the 20 inch long crossbow bolt to bury itself half way to the fletching...
thats "good" to use
a 180grain hard cast designed to penetrate the HEAD of a blackbear at that range is "bad' for tiny little bambino at 30 -50 yards

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

Best shots at 30 yards could not even get the 20 inch long crossbow bolt to bury itself half way to the fletching...
thats "good" to use
a 180grain hard cast designed to penetrate the HEAD of a blackbear at that range is "bad' for tiny little bambino at 30 -50 yards

The 357 is certainly fine and dandy as a deer gun.

This example, though, shows why single instances don't make for good basis for opinions.

Too many unknowns. What broadhead were they using? Were they shooting through shoulder bones? Did they hit the opposite shoulder bone?

There's a huge following right now in the archery world for massive, wide broadheads. They penetrate for crap and take too much energy to get through the ribs.

Most of those shows are using either Muzzy (which generally are fine, though not the best) or Rage. Rage are really not good broadheads [donning firesuit]. They penetrate for crap even on deer unless you have at least 75 ft-lbs and even then you don't want any quartering shots.

Otherwise, I can't explain why those crossbows didn't penetrate because getting through a bear should be like a hot knife through butter with a good bow and good broadheads. That arrow should be buried 4 inches in the dirt on the other side in most cases.

In any case, I wouldn't have the slightest reservation about using a 357 on deer, knowing that certain shots won't be made. What those are and at what distances, is for you to decide.

 

[PawPaw]

I'm always curious about claims of the distance that deer travel after being shot. What I find most interesting is that the claimed distances "20 feet" or "40 yards" or whatever always seem to be right in the zone that the deer in my world ALMOST NEVER end up. What I've found, from personally shooting and helping others recover/drag hundreds, is that they either go no where or they go 100 plus yards. Very few go a little ways and stop. Sure, a few, but I can't understand the "never had one go over 50 yards". Mostly, they're either DRT or they go 100+. This is over a cross-section of weapons, from compounds with various broad heads, cross bows, muzzle loaders, shotguns (10, 12, 20ga) with various slugs and several rifle cartridges.

It might be the terrain, Peet. Most of the deer we shoot in our home woods fall into several patterns. Either DRT, or go about 50 yards if the shooter made a good shot. However, the thickets we hunt in make 50 yards a long way. When I'm looking for a shot deer, I'll try to establish the exact spot that the deer was hit, then try to establish direction of travel, then go out about 50-60 yards and start looking for the deer backwards to the point where the deer was shot. I find that a severely wounded deer will make a quick dash, then try to hide. If you leave them alone for a few minutes, they'll bleed out. But, they try to hide in the last seconds, and they'll work their way under stuff, behind logs, etc. We generally scour that first 50-60 yards and if the deer is hit hard, we find him close-by. They generally tend to run downhill, toward cover, and try to hide.

OOPS - Edit to add to the original post.

The .357 is an entirely adequate cartridge for deer hunting, if the hunter is proficient with the weapon and keeps distances short. One way to use the cartridge and expand the range a little bit is to use a longer barrel. The .357 magnum become a whole 'nuther cartridge when fired from a carbine. We generally see an extra 400-500 fps when fired from a 16" barrel, either with standard factory ammo, or with good handloads. The extra benefit also accrues to the carbine when you consider the longer sight radius.

 

[Deja vu]

I have killed about 20-30 deer in my day and about 75% of them have been with a 357 magnum. Of those only 1 was with a handgun. It was about 7 or 8 years ago and I had been skunked so far that year. It was the second to last day of hunting season and I was tired from work. I got home and climbed in to my hot tub. Closest neighbors are about 2 miles away. So I just disrobed right there. After about 10 min I see a small 2 point (4 point for you eastern people) walking cautiously up to an oak tree in my yard about 25 yards from where I was. It was pretty close. It was probably looking for acorns. I was aware of me because it kept looking at me but it must of been really hungry for acorns.

Any way I try to sneak out of the tub and the deer spooks a little but does not run. So a feel around my pants (on the opposite side of the tub from the deer) and find my 640 I carry in my pocket. I got down low and used the side of the hot tub for a rest. 1 shot and the deer jumped straight up then ran about 10 feet and dropped.

My wife makes fun of me for "hunting naked like a savage" but it was a fun deer. It was not really big (for a mule deer) but it tasted good.

 

[45long]

"Any way I try to sneak out of the tub and the deer spooks a little but does not run. So a feel around my pants (on the opposite side of the tub from the deer) and find my 640 I carry in my pocket. I got down low and used the side of the hot tub for a rest. 1 shot and the deer jumped straight up then ran about 10 feet and dropped. "

Did you have on your hunter's Orange ?

 

[Deja vu]

fortunately in Idaho it is only recommended you wear hunter orange.

 

[SteelChickenShooter]

A 357 Mag sure knocks down the steel plates with authority. And it packs quite a lot more punch compared to a 38 special. But in my case (just for me), I question it for my deer hunting. I took a deer with a 44Mag, and based on what I saw, I just can't imagine using anything less. As a matter of fact, I've been thinking about getting something with even more power. Something like the 454, 460's, 475 or 480's. Maybe a BFR. Something having one-third more or maybe about double the power of a 44Mag. I don't know how many of you ever fired a Brenneke, 12ga, Heavy Short Field Magnum slug through a thick target stand into a clay berm. But that thing really packs a whallop! I get the impression from the impact it would knock over a Mack truck! Maybe that's what I'm looking for in a handgun for my own deer hunting. Something a lot more hard hitting. But as stated in another related thread, I'm a bit of a novice regarding handgun deer. My expectations of the actual hit could be colored by watching too many Dirty Harry and Charles Bronson movies.

 

[goalie]

A 357 Mag sure knocks down the steel plates with authority. And it packs quite a lot more punch compared to a 38 special. But in my case (just for me), I question it for my deer hunting. I took a deer with a 44Mag, and based on what I saw, I just can't imagine using anything less. As a matter of fact, I've been thinking about getting something with even more power. Something like the 454, 460's, 475 or 480's. Maybe a BFR. Something having one-third more or maybe about double the power of a 44Mag. I don't know how many of you ever fired a Brenneke, 12ga, Heavy Short Field Magnum slug through a thick target stand into a clay berm. But that thing really packs a whallop! I get the impression from the impact it would knock over a Mack truck! Maybe that's what I'm looking for in a handgun for my own deer hunting. Something a lot more hard hitting. But as stated in another related thread, I'm a bit of a novice regarding handgun deer. My expectations of the actual hit could be colored by watching too many Dirty Harry and Charles Bronson movies.

What load were you shooting? 240g Hornady XTP's over a stout charge of W296 has worked well out of my 7.5" SuperBlackhawk.

Lotta blood, not a lotta tracking......