Deer Taken with .357 Carbine

M

Martin Luther

New member
The Winchester 94 Trapper in .357 is looking better and better.

Anyone with experiences / pictures of deer taken with the .357 from a carbine?
 
I used to have a Browning 92 in this calibre. It is OK to about 60 yards but 'iffy' beyond then.

While a great home defence gun it, it leaves a lot to be desired as a deer rifle.
 
I've got a H&R single shot .357 mag/20 ga. I brought it with me once up north in here in Michigan & I was laying in wait under a low hanging pine tree, when a very nice six point whitetail started coming straight at me. I was already laying down with the rifle pointed in the same direction as the deer. At about 40 yards, it stopped & locked it's eyes on me. I put one shot through the front of the chest. the bullet luckily went up & hit the spine collapsing the deer. Another shot through the chest to kill it after I got up. I think I was very lucky & I never took that gun hunting again---Don't want to tarnish it's reputation. That's my 2 cents.
 
Thanks gents. I'd be using it on Southern whitetails in dense woods, paper targets, and maybe home defense.

Something to practice with in addition to my Win 94 in .44mag. It's true- you can't just own one levergun.
 
.357 is plenty gun for deer.

I own a 1894c, and not to disagree with anyone opinion, but
the .357 out of a rifle is a whole diff. animal. Buffalo Bores 158gr loading
supercedes 30-30 energy.
 
I am relatively new to deer hunting, but it seems to me that if a debate exists regarding the effectiveness of .30-30Win in taking down deer (not that I agree with that), a .357mag cartridge would be a worse choice. :confused:

That having been said, I'm intrigued by these .357 lever action carbines. People seem to like them for plinking and HD. What's their effective range? Do they have any other applications?
 
Leif put it rather succinctly, I think.

.30-30 is not underpowered for deer-- it's just not at all overpowered. The .357 falls into the same category, but with less power, still.

And as much as I enjoy shooting the M92, I wouldn't hotrod it-- it's just not that strong an action. Any talk of loads that take a .357 up to .30-30 power is definitely "hotrodding it."

That said, in shortrange situations, I would happily press a .357 Mag carbine into use as a deer rifle. But there are more effective choices, even among the pistol caliber carbines.
 
Any one that wants to debate whether or not a 30-30 is adequate for deer is just not being practical.
I prefer a Marlin 1894 in 44 mag, but the 30-30 works just fine.
.357 works well for Southern Whitetails also. The savy hunter using one of these three, keeps his shots under 75 yards, practices his woodscraft as much as his marksmanship, and has a good understanding of Whitetail anatomy.
My son's GF takes deer year after year on her farm in North Fla, using a .357 Rossi Model 92, and my handloads. She hunts in the swamp, takes short distance shots, and is deadly accurate.
 
Couple weeks ago had a guy telling me he had a Winchester 357 that he kept around the house. Had a possum hanging around and getting into things and he shot him with the 357. He said there was little blood, but the bullet entered lower jaw and drove the animals whole upper body back into his belly. Said that it looked like somebody hit the animal with a sledgehammer. Image stuck in my mind.
 
Not to hijack away from the .357 mag. I carry a 6" S&W 586 deer hunting for close in stuff. Per Federal's ammo catalog, a 30-30 with a 170 grain FN Federal Power Shock delivers 1900 f.p.s. and 1355 ft. lbs. @ 100 yards. A .44 mag with a 300 grain Cast Core Federal Premium Vital Shock delivers 1060 f.p.s. and 775 ft. lbs. @ 100 yards. A .44 mag may get it done, but it is not even in the same league as a 30-30.
 
That rifle would be illegal here in Nebraska. A rifle must have 900 ftlbs. of energy at 100 yards, minimum.

Heck, a .44 Magnum rifle wouldn't be legal, although .357 and .44 revolvers are, since a revolver needs only 400 ftlbs. at 50 yards.
 
Artsmom

.357 158gr buffalo bore from my marlin 1894c= 2200fps from the muzzle, and
1698 ftlbs of energy.

At 100yds it has 1100 ftlbs of energy and doesnt cross the 900ftlb mark
until it has traveled 145 yards. So it would be legal in your state.
It still has more retained energy at 200yds than most 158gr loadings
do at the muzzle of a 4" revolver. With 700 Fpe remaining at that range
it is only about 200 short of a 170gr 30-30 loading.

The Buffalo bore stuff, and the Georgia Arms stuff both do what they
claim to, I've chronied them both out of my 18.5" barreled Marlin.


Heres another point to consider, this stuff is NORMAL .357 loads operating
at the pressure the cartridge was designed for. Most commercial stuff
now (I,E. Winchester, Remington etc.) is actually loaded down to
just above .38spl +p power.
 
Thanks for the Replies

Thanks for the replies all.

Anyone used the Federal Premiun 180gr lead flatnose on deer? Seems like a mini sledgehammer.
 
Keep it a 75 yards or less

If you hunt somewhere that most shots are up close and personal then I would say go for it. My daughter uses a 1894 marlin in .357 and never has any trouble with it. In a wheel gun I would say the it is at the lower end of the power level. But keep em at 75 and do your part then life is good. I love it when I talk to the power nuts that hunt with 7mm Rem mags for whitetail , that end up with deer tag stew while me and the girls are eating venison taken with a .44 mag or less. :)
 
These rifles (in traditional handgun calibers) always interested me in 357, 44 mag etc. Have not bought one, but something in 480 Ruger, 460 SW or 500 SW might be really interesting guns for woods type whitetail hunting. I am leaning toward more handgun hunting of late for woods hunting and taking a longer range rifle for situations where you can anticipate shots longer than 75 yards. But, nothing is engrained in stone and I change.
 
theres just something addictive about them..

maybe its the handiness, accuracy, shorter action stroke, capacity, accuracy, the huge boost in power vs a pistol of same chambering,
major fun factor :D :D , or maybe its the fact that there not only
drop dead gorgeous, but they go great with your handgun......I don't know ;)


heres mine
 
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Another vote for the 357 carbine.

I have friends who hunt hogs and deer with 357 revolvers. I don't see why it wouldn't work out of a carbine even better, at the same ranges with better accuracy.
 
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