357 for Deer Hunting

Tim,
That SWC is more than likely a 160gr Speer half jacket. Good old bullets, like a big gas check over the entire bearing surface but with a soft lead core. Okay for varmints out of a rifle as they shed their jacket real easily. Good point about just buying some laoded ammo designed for medium game hunting.
 
Yeah Guv, I remeber those well! They made those so you could load .357 SWC to .357 velocities because their lead bullets were so soft they filled the rifling at high velocity. I always thought they would be a great personal defense bullet, but a lousy hunting bullet.
 
WATERMAN... I can see you are passionate about hunting, & probably about the 357...

^^Your logic is severly flawed.I suggest reading your posts over before putting them up.^^
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I take this comment of yours as a personal attack... I personally think the mods aught to delete that comment, & reprimand you for making it... but I guess I'll do it publicly here, now... A)... I'm, an old fart, I hand load for close to 75 different calibers, I'm quite familiar with what most calibers are capable of... B)... I own 5 - 357 revolvers & 1 lever action carbine in 357, as well as a revolver in 357 Maximum & a Contender barrel in that cartridge... I used to use a 4" GP-100 as my around the farm varmint gun, it was on my belt everyday... I've shot everything from woodchucks & skunks, to deer ( even used one to finish off a buffalo one year ) I've shot everything from 110 grain bullets to 190 SIL bullets out of the 357, so I'm very familiar with the cartridge... C)... when I 1st started hunting deer ( many, many years ago now ), my FIL had me field dressing all the parties deer for the 1st couple years, both because I was the youngest, & to make sure I knew how... that covered field dressing close to 20 deer... I was already interested in reloading at that time, & used that experience to study cartridge / caliber damage to meat, & bullet performance... D)... I always try to compose my posts well, often re-reading them 3-4 times & editing as needed...

I probably should have put "close to a mile" in my original post, it was well over a 1/2 mile... I would not have believed it myself, if I had not been there...

I suggest you re-read your posts over before putting them up. & take into consideration how those effected might read your post :mad:
 
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I won't be buying any factory ammunition, but I have no problem buying some more modern bullets if that's what is recommended. What are some easily available, good hunting bullets to be on the lookout for? I am a big fan of hornaday, so if any of those would work really well, let me know what you would buy? And remember we are talking short range shots, under 50 yards.
 
Just to state that some that take some deer out of season use a 22lr rifle.I can not see that a 357 would not work beside what others have stated.Like what one said it is shot placement is the main thing.
 
MAGNUM WHEEL MAN,

Wow! You sure like to brag on yourself, but you're not the only one on this forum that has many years of hunting and firearm experience. So give it a rest.

BTW, the Hornady XTP bullet is NOT designed as a rifle hunting bullet and the OP is interested in knowing about hunting with a .357 Mag RIFLE.

Regards,

W-M
 
BTW, the Hornady XTP bullet is NOT designed as a rifle hunting bullet and the OP is interested in knowing about hunting with a .357 Mag RIFLE.
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No, it was not but that doesn't mean it can't be used as a 'rifle bullet'

The XTP's seem to be fairly tough bullets for their weight.
A carbine will increase velocity 300-400fps at best, at the muzzle over a 6'' revolver. Might be a problem at very close distances with some bullets, but we also have to remember that .357 bullets tend to have poor aerodynamics and will lose their velocity rather quickly. That extra 400FPS burns up FAST especially with lighter lower BC bullets. By 50-100 yards you've basically burned up all that 'extra' velocity.
the 158-180 grain XTP would make a decent 'rifle bullet' for a carbine at reasonable ranges. Point blank, it might get a little 'iffy' with the high velocity but by 50 yards, there shouldn't be any problems, especially with the 180 grain XTP

According to Hornady's data the 158 grain XTP FP can operate from ~1150FPS-1800FPS
From the same page
Most handgun bullets are designed to perform at a single factory specified velocity, but you want more! The XTP offers controlled expansion over a range of velocities
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Why would you choose to use a pistol bullet in a rifle when there are so many better choices?
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What 'pistols' do you know of that are pushing 158 grainers @ 1800FPS from a .357mag?
 
Originally posted by Water-Man:[b/]

BTW, the Hornady XTP bullet is NOT designed as a rifle hunting bullet and the OP is interested in knowing about hunting with a .357 Mag RIFLE.
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Well.......there is a 158gr XTP that is a FP instead of a HP also. It is what I use in my .357 carbines and it works very well.

As for a deer that ran for over half a mile with no lungs and a hole in it's heart, I used to live along the bluffs of the Mississippi in Southeastern Minnesota. A deer could take one leap and roll downhill farther than that in many areas.
 
buck,

I have no idea what you're talking about in reference to a deer running.

You have your posts screwed-up.

That FP bullet is a .38spl., not a .357Mag.
 
That FP bullet is a .38spl., not a .357Mag.
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Well that '.38 spl. bullet' is rated up to 1800FPS. What .38spls are running that? Hell .357's don't even do that, unless from a rifle length barrel.

www.hornady.com/assets/files/catalog/2009/19-22_bullets_handgun.pdf

Minimum velocity is 1150FPS. But wait, you said, it's a '.38 spl. bullet'

From what I can tell standard .38spl loads will push a 158 to about 770-800FPS, which is a considerable distance from 1150FPS which is what IMPACT velocity should be, not muzzle velocity...
Since in many cases, you wouldn't be able to reach a 1150FPS impact velocity in .38spl(standard pressure), while .357 should easily do that, I'd have to say that it's a .357 mag bullet, not a .38spl bullet, unless you want a bullet that's going to perform like a jacketed SWC, with little to zero expansion.
 
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I dont own a 30-30. I wish I could buy a new rifle right before Christmas, but I have a family that might appreciate some gifts under the tree. I own a mosin nagant, two .223s, a 9mm carbine, a .300blk with an 8" barrel and a .357 lever-action. I feel in the heavily wooded area Iwwill be hunting, that the .357 will be the best choice. I would feel comfortable with the ar that has a 9x scope if I had to hunt farther range, but the deer in middle Georgia are really small and I just don't see how a .357 is inadequate at 50yards and under. I guess I will find out. I am all for using the best bullet available though, so I would love to hear a good debate on that.
 
Marginal calibers and weapons (410, handgun, bow, etc..) are best left to hunters with allot of experience. Not judging you skizz, but a 357 rifle is at the bottom of the acceptable list. Of course you know your situation and abilities better than any of us do.
 
Quote:
^^Your logic is severly flawed.I suggest reading your posts over before putting them up.^^
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I take this comment of yours as a personal attack... I personally think the mods aught to delete that comment, & reprimand you for making it... but I guess I'll do it publicly here, now... A)
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It's not that different from some posts BY the "mods" at times
 
BTW, the Hornady XTP bullet is NOT designed as a rifle hunting bullet and the OP is interested in knowing about hunting with a .357 Mag RIFLE.
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While they may not be "designed" as rifle bullets, they perform quite well at those velocities.

I've used them for years in carbines and even muzzle loaders at much higher velocities than a revolver can achieve, and rarely recover one.

The only one I can remember was a 300 gr 44 cal at about 1600 fps that penetrated nearly three feet lengthwise in a deer at 50 yds, and was a perfect mushroom just under the hide
 
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