How is the 357 sig round for hunting?

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Well, Zander, here's your answer . . .

.357 magnum rounds ARE NOT ALWAYS THE SAME WEIGHT/MASS as the .357 (really .355) Sig. One example is Federal's 200 grain (and 625 pounds of muzzle energy from a four-inch tube) Cast-Core hunting round.

If there is a factory-produced, 200 grain .357 Sig, I would like to know about it.
 
The only way they are similar is in the 125gr JHP loads made for self defense agains humans. That's where the similarities end. If a .357mag was loaded to it's max pressure like the sig round is, it would be pushing that 125gr bullet well beyond 1800fps. Won't even get into the 180 and 200gr sillouette loads.
 
It won't be my primary hunting piece, I'm borrowing a rifle.
Click to expand...

He's not hunting with this handgun. He's just taking it as extra insurance. In that capacity it will work fine. :)

Kilgor
 
If you believe much of what has been said about the .357 Sig, it was designed to replicate one .357 load's (125gr from a 4" revolver) performance in an auto pistol.

That 125grJHP .357 loading was considered to be (and probably still is) the best proven load for self defense vs. HUMANS.

The .357's other loadings, either in their current weakened state, or at the original power levels (or close) is a much different matter.

You can kill a pig with the .357 Sig, no question in my mind. But its not the best choice, nor even a really good choice. You can kill anything with anything, including the "lowly" .22RF, under just the right conditions. Carrying a handgun for backup means you are considering its use under less than just the right conditions.

While pigs and humans share a lot of things, the same ammo being optimal for both isn't one of them. For pigs, I would choose a bullet heavier than the 125grJHP (I'm partial to the 158s, and not the 180s), and the .357 Sig simply isn't up to launching these bullets at the speeds the .357 Revolver is. Not even close.

Also, the semi auto round's bullets are all nicely rounded (for feeding reliability) and until they expand, that shape is the least efficient for wounding & stopping game (or, for that matter, people).
 
I've shot pigs with everything from a 30-06 to a 9mm MAC-10 SMG (legal in Texas), though I don't know if I'm a "true" hunter or not. But I've probably killed the most of them in a pig trap with a suppressed Ruger 22/45, so take the tales of impenetrable pigs needing a .50BMG with a grain of salt.

Personally I wouldn't carry a .357 Sig while hunting pigs, but then I have tons of other guns that are a better fit. However, you're not going to be undergunned carrying such a pistol as a backup. Though I would recommend, as others have, getting some Buffalo Bore rounds for it. I have some for my 10mm and they're a blast.
 
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