.357 bullet for hogs?

8.8 Unique over the 158gr JHP showed no signs of over pressure. Be advised, this is not pistol data, but rifle data, which the manual states as a max load.

Mostly, I'm looking for the best bullet. Looks like the flat nose should be my choice.

Concern for my liability is appreciated, but not applicable.

No one touches my tools.
 
Just for snits and giggles, I pulled out a couple of old manuals, and guess what, ALL the old loads are NOT hotter than today. Even some of the ones worked up in real guns, not pressure test guns.

Lyman 45th Edition (1970) does not have a rifle section for .357 Magnum. It lists max Unique with the 158gr jacketed as 8.0gr it also lists 8.0gr as max for the 158gr lead bullet.

The Speer #11 (1991edition) in the RIFLE section using a Marlin 1894 as test gun, lists Unique and the 158gr jacketed with 8.2gr as max, and 6.0gr as max with the 158gr lead bullet. It also lists these exact figures as max in the pistol section, using a Ruger Security Six as the test gun.

DO note how these loads are well below the 8.8gr loaded by the OP.

Unique is not the optimum powder for max performance in the .357 Mag, it does gain some benefit from the carbine length barrel, but not as much, proportionately as the slower AA#9, H110, or 2400.

Unique will get a 158 into the 1450fps range from a carbine. 2400 will get you into the 1800fps range.

Bullet selection is most important, anything made to expand well at pistol speeds has a good chance of overexpanding and under penetrating at carbine speeds.

A couple of points about the Marlin carbine, I've had a few of them, and sometimes they are not happy with feeding SWC slugs, and they are never happy with rounds that are too long. Other than that, they are light, handy, efficient little guns capable of taking larger game than many think, with the right load, and proper shot placement.
 
Thanks again for all the responses.

And thank you, ss30378, for the link. Hunting bullets are new to me.

Will relay all this info to my friend, and see if he wants to work up a load with another propellant. An expensive proposition for a few hunting/protection rounds.

Numbers in manuals are like recipes, they give you a good starting point, but just like food, can be made to "taste" better. I do not throw caution into the wind.

Believe, "Nothing that you hear and half of what you see", is still good advice, but with this day and age of photoshopping, I'm not so sure that "half of what you see" is still valid.
 
My friend has a Ruger 77/357 rifle with 18.5" barrel.
His rifle groups well with the Hornady 140 FTX factory load.

We chronoed them at:
1,850 fps for his rifle and
1,540 for my 6" revolver!

This was Hornady's LEVERevolution ammo for a rifle.
It was safe in my Ruger GP100 and his rifle.
Still the heaviest recoil I'd felt from my revolver.

He deer hunted twice last fall with it but hasn't shot anything yet.
Does anyone have any experience with what this bullet will do to a deer?
Or tried to capture one?
 
http://missouribullet.com/details.ph...y=10&keywords=

Cheap and great profile

Alliant lists 7.0gr of unique under a 180gr for 1125fps.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that link, ss30378! I've got some 170gr LSWC & 180gr SJHP, but those are right up my alley.

I'm sure this goes without saying, but you can't rely on the velocity figures in the reloading manual. Barrel length, twist, etc. all come into play. The only way to really know is to shoot over a chrony. For example, Rem's 125gr SJHP is advertised at 1450fps. I don't know what gun or barrel length they used to determine that, but I can tell you it runs 1675-1700fps from my 6.5" Ruger Blackhawk. I'd love to know what they'd run from a carbine/rifle, but never got a chance to chrony 'em from my Rossi 92 before I sold it.

cecILL- I think yer barking up the wrong tree with Unique. I'd seriously think about using 2400, as it'll give you the velocity you need, plays very well with cast bullets & meters better/more consistently than Unique.
 
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cecILL- I think yer barking up the wrong tree with Unique. I'd seriously think about using 2400, as it'll give you the velocity you need, plays very well with cast bullets & meters better/more consistently than Unique.

Well, guess I'll be looking for a different powder. Appreciate all the advice.

Great forum!
 
id go with 158+ grain bullets using some thing like 2400 or H110 or 300MP. All good magnum powders. Id favor a large flat point over a hollow point.

The reason I picked those powders is they tent to have the highest velocity in a 357 magnum.
 
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