.357 Magnum Rifle for Hunting

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Hi
I want to learn from those experience hunter who have used 357 mag in a rifle for hunting. I want to know how much this cartridge is more effective through rifle than when its fired from a handgun? What are its limitations and practical use in hunting?
Thanks
 
Shooting a magnum pistol cartridge through a rifle gives it about the amount of power from a typical handgun's barrel at the muzzle around 100 yds. Not a bad round for medium game at shorter ranges (100-150 yds). And the compact rifles you generally find chambered for 357 Mag make great woodland stalking rifles. Small and light.
 
OK for small deer at close range. My youngest brother dumped a full mag. (Marlin) into a fair sized hog and it only ticked it off, two 30-06 rounds dropped it.
 
.357 carbine

My use of the carbine on game has been limited to ground hogs, coyotes and similar sized ferals. Most of this has been done w/ .357 , 125 gr jhp.

From a carbine, the 125's are truly destructive on critters this size. The slugs are traveling in excess of 2000 fps, and were intended to expand at about 1300. Huge exit wounds and avulsed tissue. I used to groundhog hunt w/ a 6' M27, and dispatched quite a few road crippled deer w/ 4" K and L frames, same load, and did not see the same effects.

Were I to hunt small/medium deer w/ a .357 carbine, it would be w/ the hardest, heaviest bullet my rifle would shoot well. The 180 partions by Nosler might have been ideal, but just speculation. I would not choose anything lighter than 158 gr mags, and lean towards soft points, believing they would not expand too rapidly and rob me of penetration. I'd pick my shots carefully, and stay under 100 yds.
 
I am about to try it out this year... I have a marlin 1894 with a 16 or 18 inch barrel. I shot it the other day at the range, and with cheap 158 grain jacketed hollowpoints, I was hitting a 12" steel disc at 100 yards consistantly, offhand. I was just screwing around, but I have no doubt off a rest of some sorts, I could shoot a 5-6 inch group at 100 yards.

for hunting, I'm going to use some 180 grain corbon loads... I'm going to try it out on some hogs and javelinas for certain, and possibly a doe.
 
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I don't know about actually losing velocity with longer barrels, but the 357 is a pistol round, and probably designed for optimum performance with a barrel length around 6" give or take... you will get a little mroe velocity with rifle length barrels, but it is not a linear relationship.
 
Going by dinosaur memory I think maximum velocity depending on load and powder used is around 16-18" so a 20" carbine length barrel should give you all the power you can wring out of that caliber. I practice at 100 yards and have confidence in it with my revolver so there is no reason why you shouldn't get at least that amount of range in a long arm.
 
I load for a cousins .357 mag rifle. She has got a few, and wounded a few. I think they can work o.k. on deer at close range, and very good shot placement, that you should have with any caliber. Just myself it is a pistol round, and I would go into a rifle type caliber for deer. But that is just myself.
 
Does anyone have experience and good penetrating load recommendation with 357 on hogs? Leverevolution maybe?
 
I can get the same energy out of a hot loaded 357 lever as I can from an average or slightly anemic 30-30. Which is really very good. Ballistic coefficient and range is less but the lever revolution ammo may change that.
 
Last year was Ohio's first deer hunt with legal pistol caliber rifles. .357 is very popular. From the revolver you are limited to pretty close range, but the added 300-400fps in rifle is effective at most practical off hand open sight distances.

The heavier XTP has almost become a standard for a pistol hunting bullet for deer. The old school Jacketed soft points seem to work okay too. Avoid semi jacketed or half jacketed hollow points. Stick with 158gr or heavier. The Leverevolution bullets don't seem to get used much here. I have heard they don't expand as easily as XTPs so might be a better choice for rifle at closer ranges or where lack of penetration is concern.

Would probably help to know specifically what OP means by "hunting".
 
I can get the same energy out of a hot loaded 357 lever as I can from an average or slightly anemic 30-30. Which is really very good. Ballistic coefficient and range is less but the lever revolution ammo may change that.
Click to expand...

..... :rolleyes:

....and you could get even more energy than that out of a .38 special .....ONCE ....... if you fill the case with plastic explosives .....

The logic is is the same, just exagerated a bit : gunbeating, casewrecking loads vs. "slightly anemic" loads just ain't exactly apples to apples, now is it?

Most lever guns are inherently weaker than most other action types, because they (most of them, anyway-there are a few exceptions) lock at the rear, and the lugs that lock the bolt in place are not that stout. Stress them if you want to: it's your face, after all ..... but please refrain from posting such claims on a public forum, lest some less new handloader try it because he read it was done on the internetz.....
 
Out to about 75-100 yards a 357 mag loaded with 158, 180, or 200 gr bullets is every bit as effective on deer as a 30-30 loaded with typical 150-170 gr bullets. At longer ranges a 30-30 wins handily, but at closer ranges a properly loaded 357 is quite effective.
 
Jimbob86 check out ballistics by the inch or some other data before you rolleyes at me *wink wink*
I'm speaking of factory ammo, not reloading. The additional velocity comes from the barrel length, not reloading ammo in an unsafe way. You can also reference the buffalo bore website and look at the velocities they have listed for their ammo out of a lever gun. It rivals an anemic factory 30-30. The numbers are there if you care to look at them. You can ignore the numbers if you want, but these are published velocities.
Buffalo bore 125 gn 357 mag does 2298 fps out of a 18.5 inch marlin (see their info for item 19D/20)
Buffalo bore 158 gn 357 mag does 2153 fps out of the same gun. (Item 19C/20)
Remington core-lokt PSP 125 gn 30-30 does 2175 fps from a 20 inch rifle (see ballistics101.com)
Remington copper solid tip 150 gn 30-30 does 2220 fps (ballistics101.com)

So . . . yes a hot factory 357 mag from a lever action WILL rival an anemic 30-30 load. But, as I said, the ballistics of a 357 bullet shape means it loses velocity more rapidly and does not perform as well at longer distances.
 
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As a youngster I used a marlin 1894 in 357 for deer hunting. I shot 158 grain semi jacketed hollow points and never lost a deer. Not the best for penetration but it sure killed them with very short tracking jobs. A many of hogs fell victim to these same loads but I usually use full Metal jackets on them now days. Still doesn't always pass thru but always a dead hog. Before I get criticized for this I must say I use them because stalking pigs n the swamp doesn't always present you with a good shot. I prefer penetration over energy transfer on chest shots or Texas heart shots. ( stove pipe ) or whatever u want to call it. I seldom use that rifle anymore but it sure was one of my favorites growing up.
 
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