357 mag rifle with 158gr SJHP?

357MAGelk-1.jpg


This cow elk was taken in Wyoming with my 357 MAG revolver. Plain PMC 158 gr hollow tip ammo got the job done. First shot was at approx 50 feet. Second shot was at approx 80 feet. The animal trotted away as if unharmed but toppled after about 150 yards.

Is 357 MAG ideal for taking elk? NO.

Does 357 MAG have the power to penetrate the rib cage and destroy chest organs at typical archery distances? YES.

Good hunting to you.
Jack
 
Thanks, Jack, it's nice that someone actually interjected some experience into all these opinions.

Someone just asked this same question about a week ago, and I ran the numbers on a standard 158 gr JSP at approximately 2,000 fps, and the numbers were pretty decent, but nowhere near 30-30 performance.

If you believe the gun rag writers who claim you need 1,000 ft/lbs of energy to cleanly kill a deer, then you are only good to 60 yds. If you believe the older number of 600 ft/lbs of energy to kill a deer, you are good to 160 yds. Trajectory with a 100 yds zero was -3.8" at 160 yds, so just point and click within those range limitations.

And just to throw fuel on the fire, most people have no idea how little it takes to kill an animal.
 
Scorch:

As you know, animals die quickly when their chest organs are knocked out of commission. It does not take a 338 MAG to penetrate the chest wall of an adult sized elk. Many are killed each year by locals with their so-called deer rifles and the bullets do not bounce off!

Handgun cartridges fired from carbines are still only handgun cartridges. That means a fairly close shot is the responsible thing to do.

Jack
 
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