357 mag vs 44 mag for hunting
- Thread starter bucksnort13
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22-rimfire
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That would be my judgement as well with the carbine vs handgun in 357.
When I think of a 454 in a normal revolver, I think pain. But it is certainly a better caliber in my opinon as compared to any of the 41's or 44's.
The margin of error consideration is important. There are a lot of variables when you hit the woods and you seldom have just the perfect broadside shot with it standing still. But they happen just like that big buck that is angling quickly away from you at a fast walk at 75 yds or so.... should I or shouldn't I take a shot? (Shouldn't, unless you are very good.)
When I think of a 454 in a normal revolver, I think pain. But it is certainly a better caliber in my opinon as compared to any of the 41's or 44's.
The margin of error consideration is important. There are a lot of variables when you hit the woods and you seldom have just the perfect broadside shot with it standing still. But they happen just like that big buck that is angling quickly away from you at a fast walk at 75 yds or so.... should I or shouldn't I take a shot? (Shouldn't, unless you are very good.)
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Bucksnort.....you need to shoot some of your buddies guns or rent at a range to see what you can handle.
This thread reminds me of just a few hours ago down at the local Cabellas store. I was looking for Green Dot and this customer comes in and is looking at the larger caliber hanguns and then goes into his story about how he is shooting a .460. Both the sales crerk and I roll our eyes as the customer tells his story of what he is shooting. The guy was my size and I highly doubt that he has ever picked up a .460.
A .44 magnum is plenty for everthing in my state even moose with proper shot placement. This hunting season I was in some thick stuff black bear hunting and my .44 magnum was simply too long so I carried my Uberti Walker. If you can handle larger and be accurate then by all means go larger.
This thread reminds me of just a few hours ago down at the local Cabellas store. I was looking for Green Dot and this customer comes in and is looking at the larger caliber hanguns and then goes into his story about how he is shooting a .460. Both the sales crerk and I roll our eyes as the customer tells his story of what he is shooting. The guy was my size and I highly doubt that he has ever picked up a .460.
A .44 magnum is plenty for everthing in my state even moose with proper shot placement. This hunting season I was in some thick stuff black bear hunting and my .44 magnum was simply too long so I carried my Uberti Walker. If you can handle larger and be accurate then by all means go larger.
I think I understand that the SBH is 44 Magnum, not 44 S&W Special, but I think we should be specific, since ordinary 44 S&W Special these days is about the same as shooting 45 ACP. Also the name New Model Blackhawk is very close and does include 44 S&W Special. In the context of this thread title, one could assume you meant 44 Magnum, but I did have to stop and orient myself to interpret what you wrote.
Deer, like humans, are easy to kill. However, they are a bit difficult to stop quickly. True stores abound where a perfectly placed bullet does it's job perfectly and the deer still runs away. They're dead but just don't know it yet.
Carry enough gun for the job.
A 357 has done the trick for ages but it's a bit limiting. The 44 is a fine cartridge with an incredibly strong following.
Personally, I like the 45 Colt. It's a light comfortable shooter with the standard loads. Anyone strong enough to manage a good sight picture can likely shoot the gun comfortably.
When it comes time to hunt you simply slide in a little heavier loads and you're good to go.
There's no need to run maximum velocity loads through the Colt. If you're staying under 100 yards then a 250 grain or heavier bullet moving between 1100 and 1200 fps will do the trick. That's below 44 magnum levels and so is the recoil. It's still a comfortable recoil with the magnum drama.
My little 45 Colt is going afield in a couple weeks. I just had to decide which bullet to use.
Carry enough gun for the job.
A 357 has done the trick for ages but it's a bit limiting. The 44 is a fine cartridge with an incredibly strong following.
Personally, I like the 45 Colt. It's a light comfortable shooter with the standard loads. Anyone strong enough to manage a good sight picture can likely shoot the gun comfortably.
When it comes time to hunt you simply slide in a little heavier loads and you're good to go.
There's no need to run maximum velocity loads through the Colt. If you're staying under 100 yards then a 250 grain or heavier bullet moving between 1100 and 1200 fps will do the trick. That's below 44 magnum levels and so is the recoil. It's still a comfortable recoil with the magnum drama.
My little 45 Colt is going afield in a couple weeks. I just had to decide which bullet to use.
Maybe we should get back on 357 vs 44 Mag instead of stopping by to say what we think is better than either one. Personally, I would like to hear more about how effective a 357 is supposed to be, since I am skeptical about it as a hunting caliber except in a rifle. If a better shot than I am at some range, good on ya.
Super Sneaky Steve
New member
That's the exact rifle I used last season to take a doe. A light robust bullet like a 125XTP will give you 30-30 energy. My hand load will dump 1,376ft/lbs into the animal and it's devistating.
The exit wound wasn't much bigger than the entrance wound which means most of the energy was left in the animal with just enough to punch out the back. That is the most perfect bullet performance one can ask for.
Remington makes a good 125 flat point that should be just as good. Their factory ammo is hot and accurate.
Super Sneaky Steve
New member
The load I used may not penetrate as much as a 30-30 but it still did a full passthrough on my deer last year. I don't have to guess what it will do. I know what it will do because I've done it.
With luck on my side I"ll shoot another one with the same load.
buck460XVR
New member
The 125gr XTP-HP isn't but the 125gr XTP-FP is, and is a great carbine bullet. While the 125gr XTP-HP is designed more for small game, targets and SD/HD, the XTP-FP is better suited for medium sized game at higher velocities. Hornady uses the XTP(extreme terminal performance) moniker for both it's SD type bullets and it's hunting type bullets and thus can be confusing. This is why Speer changed the name of it's handgun hunting Gold Dots to Deep Curls, to differentiate between SD/HD and hunting bullets of the same make.
Super Sneaky Steve
New member
It expanded. I posted the picture of her liver a few times on the forum already.
A flat point may work better, this time last year it was very hard to find components so I had to use what I had.
This applies to all of them, regardless of caliber.
One thing I think is of some importance, is which .357 Magnum we are talking about when someone asks if it "enough" for deer.
Are we taking about the .357 magnum as it was back in the late 30s, when it was used to take virtually everything that walks in the Western hemisphere?
Or are we talking about the .357 toned down so you can shoot it in lightweight snubnose revolvers?
They share a name but little else.
My father carried a .357 while deer hunting for over 30 years, I never heard him question it, not even once. Nor did several very dead bucks. Of course, this was also decades before the Internet.....
Dad did switch to the .44Mag, (I think more out of curiosity than anything else), and after he had taken his second deer with it, he asked me if there was any .44 Mag load (factory, Dad didn't do handloads), that wouldn't exit the deer. I told him probably not, but to try the 180gr JHP.
sadly, he never got the chance to find out, as his health worsened soon after and he never got another deer.
I believe that the .357 Magnum (in full form) is adequate for any deer the shooter is.
If you want another plus for the .357, if needed, it is considered a better choice for self defense than the big .44.
I've got .357s and .44s and love them all, and I find them both quite good for what I use them for.
I would recommend checking your state's game laws, as there may be restrictions on both caliber and gun. And, they can change.
One state I lived in wouldn't let you use anything with less than a 6" barrel. At the time, I wound up swapping off a Ruger .41 Blackhawk 4 5/8" for a .30-30, so I could hunt deer....TODAY I wouldn't have to do that, in the same state, they changed the game laws.
SO, besides the choice of caliber, choose a gun that complies with the game laws, too.