357 for Deer Hunting

F

fshfindr

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Hi, I have never hunted but I'm getting interested now. Maybe a little late, I'm 76. I am looking at getting a rifle and since I reload 38/357's I would like to use a 357 rifle. It would be nice to be able to use the ammo that I've been loading for years. So does anyone have experience with 357 rifles for deer? Do you think it is a good idea?
 
Hi. .357 for deer starts an argument every time. Said to be marginal, but if you keep the shots under 100 yards and place the right bullet there's no reason not to use it. The right bullet being the key. A heavy HP should do nicely. So if you're loading heavy bullets, your load will do. The longer barrel will up the velocity some too.
 
A .357 rifle/carbine will do just fine on deer out to 100 yards or so. I use JSPs or the XTP-FPs instead of HPs iffin I use 158 gr pills.
 
It's much more effective from a carbine, but is still marginal, so I'd keep the ranges under 100 yds, and under 50 would be ideal

I'd still use a hollowpoint though, since deer aren't all that tough if you have good shot placement, which you should at close range

I'd use the heaviest XTP I could find, and load them close to max velocity

Edited to add:

I just noticed you're in NJ.
Can you even HAVE hollowpoints in a "handgun" cartridge

If not, I'd want a semi-jacketed soft-point with some exposed lead
 
fshfindr, you didn't say where you're hunting, but if you're hunting deer in NJ, I think it's shotgun only.

Edit: Except muzzle loaders & bows.
 
I've shot over fifty deer with a 357mag in various handguns and another seven or eight with a Marlin lever gun. I have yet to lose one deer shot with this caliber. The caliber is adequate out of a rifle for a hundred yards or less providing you place the bullet in the heart/lung area. The only deer I ever lost with a handgun was with a 44mag and it was a poor hit/shot on my part. Nothing will kill with a very bad shot and most calibers will kill with a good shot. Shot placement is the key with the 357mag. It sheds energy and velocity quickly and even after seventy-five yards in a handgun you'll see a big reduction in expansion and penetration. Stay within your comfort zone for shooting and only take good shots and you'll be fine. Good luck and have fun. FYI, my favorite bullet is the Hornady 158 XTP HP in front of a max (within book limits) of WW296 powder.
 
158gr Hornady XTP will do just fine over some slow burning H110 or W296 powder. The carbine packs significantly more whallop than the same ammo from a revolver. You're probably good for as far as you are comfortable shooting an iron sighted carbine - 100-125yds, but I'd limit shoulder shots to 50 yards or less.
 
as was eluded to... your location ( & thus deer size or type ) make a lot of difference...

I agree with most, that the 357 with proper bullet placement & bullet type will do the job... I don't choose to use a 357 in my area, as the deer can be quite large bodied, so I feel it's marginal in my area... however my FIL used a 6" scoped revolver shooting 357 Maximum, to cleanly kill a large doe, out around 150 yards... with the less velocity of the magnum instead of the Maximum, I'd limit it's shots to 100 yards as mentioned above...

without pulling out the ballistic books, I'm betting you're pretty close in energy to the 30-30, shooting a 357 out of a carbine... & everyone knows the 30-30 has killed more deer than ( insert your word here ) ;)
 
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Make a good shot, and you'll have your deer. It's hard to go wrong with a Hornady XTP 158, but I hear good things about the Barnes XPB 140. Both shoot well from my GP-100, and I'm guessing the copper bullet would stand up well to rifle velocities. Cast Performance sells a nice gas checked 180 also. When you compare the .357 Mag with some of the deer calibers from the days of yore (Elmer "Big Bore" Keith shot deer and one elk with a 32-20.) it stands up pretty well.
 
It's much more effective from a carbine, but is still marginal, so I'd keep the ranges under 100 yds, and under 50 would be ideal
Click to expand...

At 50-100 yards from a carbine it will pretty much do anything a 30-30 will do. I wouldn't call it marginal. After 100 things go downhill fast.
 
Absolutely no comparison between a 30-30 carbine and a 357 carbine. Penetration and SD of a 150/170 30-30 bullet are much higher than a 158/180 357 slug. Add to that the additional muzzle velocity and it's not much of a contest.
 
I plan to deer hunt for my first time this year. I will be using my rossi 92 20" with speer 158gr half-jacket hollow-points, loaded hot. they are so close at my parents house, I wouldn't nee to go past 50 yards, and that's the gun I am most accurate with excluding .223's
 
I took down a fat cow elk with my 357MAG at typical archery distance. I used plain Jane PMC ammo featuring a 158 gr hollow tip bullet. No problems with penetration through the vitals. A rifle produces higher velocities so you should have a bit more reach. But 357MAG does its BEST work at 50 yards or less. I would not shoot farther than this distance.

Jack
 
My dad has a marlin in 357 that has killed more deer than any other rifle in the house. At normal swamp ranges <125 yards it works like a charm with 158gr JSP @ 1750fps.

I've used it several times while still hunting in standing corn. I couldn't think of a better rifle for that kind of close fast action. Never lost a deer with excellent terminal effect.
 
My take on it...you can use the same powder to reload 357 and 44, so if you bought a .44 rifle you'd just need dies, brass and some bullets. This way you'd be using a much more effective cartridge and bullet for deer hunting. Worth some consideration anyways.
 
I have had success with the Federal 180gr cast cores out of both a Ruger Blackhawk and a Marlin lever action. The Ruger was at about 20 yards from a tripod and the Marlin was at about 55 yards from a nest I made on the ground.
 
At 50-100 yards from a carbine it will pretty much do anything a 30-30 will do. I wouldn't call it marginal. After 100 things go downhill fast.
Click to expand...
It might if you could get pointed bullets.
Handgun bullets weren't made for that
 
Old Speer loading manuals use to show loads for the 357mag with their 180gr HotCore bullet designed for loading in the 35 Remington rifle cartridge. Mainly intended for single shots they claim it can be single loaded in a lever gun, OAL is longer than standard loads, this should be much better than any 357 pistol bullet. I load this in my 10" T/C 357 Maximum and it gives very good penetration, while having a much higher BC than most pistol bullets.
 
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