.357 Magnum Rifle for Hunting

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100 years ago, the 32 WCF (aka 32-20) was considered an entirely adequate deer cartridge (deer being kind of on the smallish end of "big game"). I have a friend who grew up in Idaho who killed his first deer with a Remington 14 in 25-20 and no one thought it was unusual or inadequate. Of course, he got pretty close to do it. Lots and lots of animals killed with 44-40. Before that, black powder front-stuffers killed everything imaginable, Lewis and Clark even took on grizzlies with them. So I will go out on a limb and say that a 357 mag carbine/rifle can do the job out to about as far as the shooter can land a slug in the deer's ribs.
 
The penetration of a .307 150gr or 170gr is going much greater in the instance of a less than perfect shot angle. A 357 carbine will do it under the right conditions but to say it is ballistically the same as a 30-30 is a stretch.
 
357 MAG has a mighty punch at typical archery distances. But beyond 50 yards or so this cartridge has limitations that must be respected. After all, this is a revolver cartridge and not in the same class as a true rifle cartridge such as the mentioned 30-30 cartridge.

JACK
 
.357 mag is very odd in that it gains a tremendous, inordinate amount of extra velocity in a rifle length barrel, quite unlike other handgun rounds, with certain Buffalo Bore 158s reaching over 1800 fps in an 18" bbl, and 125s reaching well over 2000 fps. This round becomes a real rifle round in a rifle. Almost approaching the .30-30 realm.

So I'd say you get definite material gains out to at least 18 or 19. My Timberwolf is 18.5, and I wouldn't want to cut it any shorter than 16, even if there were no silly SBR restrictions and the mag was easy to modify.

http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/357mag.html
 
I have killed about 50ish deer in my days. id bet about 60% of those where killed with a 16 inch 357 magnum marlin. It works fine so long as you do your part.

These are Idaho mule deer I have killed.
 
typically 50-100 yards. I dont think I would go much farther than that (may be 120) I have gotten them as close as 10 yards before.

Where I hunt up near the selway the area is very wooded so not a lot of chances for long shot unlike most of Idaho.

since my son has my old marlin I went and got a new 357 magnum rifle. This one is a Ruger 77/357 and its scoped with a Leupold CDS dial and it even has a suppressor! I still kept iron sights on it just in case.
 
A 357 rifle is no were near a 30-30.
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No, but it handily matches the published data for an AK 47 :D

I've clocked 125gr JHP at over 2200fps from the .357 Marlin carbine. Plenty fast enough and plenty of energy.

HOWEVER, the drawback with the .357 in a carbine is FACTORY AMMO, loaded with PISTOL bullets.

Particularly the 125s. The are optimized for performance from 4-6" and from an 18" carbine they are going too fast to do well when they hit. They tend to "blow up", and some guns just won't shoot them accurately.

The 158s are generally better performers, not being driven as fast, and so closer to their designed velocity performance range.

If you want penetration and consistent performance, go with either a FMJ or better, a hard cast SWC. Forget expansion with these bullets.

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.
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Which only proves your brother is a poor shot and the guy with the 06 wasn't. :D

I watched a friend put 3 158gr Luballoy SWC in a skunk without stopping it. CLose range (dozen yards, or less). All shots went in aft the diaphragm. HE gut shot it. 3 times. Nothing wrong with the rifle (marlin) or the ammo (Winchester) the fault was ENTIRELY with the shooter.

I won't hunt with him, or even dispatch varmints with him, as after 3 tries and fails he begged me to finish the skunk. Disgusting. yes, I did, one .45Colt to the head ended the poor beasts suffering.

Anytime I hear about this or that round failing, I think of this, and how 99.99% of the time, its neither the gun nor the ammo at fault.
 
.357 sure gains mightily from the longer smoke pole, no questions there.

It'd be good for deer and MAYBE even lightly built pigs at distances under 50 yards, but no more. Just not enough power IMHO.
 
It'd be good for deer and MAYBE even lightly built pigs at distances under 50 yards, but no more.
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If its effective deer range from a rifle is under 50 yeards, then what do you consider it's effective range from a 6" revolver?
 
Within it's parameters and the skill level of the shooter, a .357 rifle is just as effective on deer size game as any other caliber. No different than a bow or crossbow. Anyone who disputes this does not know what the 'ell they are talking about. Problems arise when folks without the skills needed, shooting at excessive distances and using improper bullets for the job, take to the field with one. No different than with any other caliber or platform. I've taken several deer with a .357 revolver and none went more than 40 yards. I've also taken a couple with a .357 carbine. Same ending.
 
The paramount factor is the skill of the shooter, both in their knowledge of deer anatomy AND their ability to put the shot in just the right place, for the weapon used at the range needed.

Fail in any of this, with ANYTHING and you fail to cleanly take the game.

Many, many deer have been killed with guns of lower power than the .357 Magnum. The energy is not the issue, the shooter's ability to deliver it properly is.

And that includes choosing a suitable bullet (and speed) for the shot to be taken. If you don't have a bullet that will reliably punch through heavy bone, DON'T SHOOT through heavy bone. Its really that simple.

If that means you pass on some shots, then that's what an ethical hunter does.
 
I know an ex green beret who shoots deer in the head with a 22 magnum rifle.
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And I knew an old hillbilly who ate venison year round because he was deadly with a .22LR.

Also met an old fellow in his early 80s who had just taken his 6th elk with a .243Win. And I have heard that Inuit consider the .243 to be a "heavy" round and use it for polar bear.

What you use isn't as important as being able to use it well.
 
I know an ex green beret who shoots deer in the head with a 22 magnum rifle.
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Don't know what that has to do with legally hunting deer with a .357 rifle. Poachers around here regularly do it with .22 shorts.....less noise, doubt very much if any of them were Green berets tho. What does being a Green Beret have to do with it? Does that make it legal or a good thing?
 
if you are useing custom loaded shells in a .357 rifle, lets use custom loads in a 30-30 rifle. a 125gr 30 cal bullet can be pushed over 2600fps at 35,000 cup and a 150gr 30 cal bullet at 2400 fps at 38,000 cup with out breaking any thing. and if you use pointed bullets in a 30-30 bolt action(rem-788-savage 340) or (H&R handi rifle) single shot rifle, the 357 mag don,t look so hot. eastbank.
 
As mentioned in an earlier post, if the OP would be comfortable as to the lethality of
a 357MAG handgun put right up to the chest of a White Tail and trigger pulled, then
he gets the same result w/ a rifle out to ~75 yards.

The game is then all about shot placement & discipline.
 
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