.357 mag for deer

[bbarker]

Thanks for all of the replies to my previous post with the questions on the 44 mag rifle. Now thinking about a 357 mag as well. Gun choices seem to be a little more limited. Any suggestions on the 357 other than hollow points and a well placed shot in the lungs at under 100 yards? What about rifle choices? Anybody use a NEF Handi Rifle in a 357?

Thanks!

 

[kludge]

If you use jacketed bullets for deer hunting, full metal jacket is not allowed. They have to be soft point or hollow point (exposed lead). Lead bullets with no jacket are OK too. In a .357 rifle I would recommend the 180gr Hornady XTP bullet or a 170-190gr cast lead semi-wadcutter designed for hunting.

As for the rifle, the Handi Rifle is a good choice. If you might ever want to swap barrels, get one of the rifle calibers first and then send it to H&R and have a .357 barrel put on it.

Reason: most .357's come on the SB1 frame and you won't be able to put a rifle barrel on it. The rifle calibers come on the stronger SB2 frame, which you can put other rifle barrels on, also shotgun and muzzleloader barrels.

Another thing... the .357 can be reamed out (rechambered) for .357 Maximum which will get you close if not matching .35 Remington ballistics.

Yes, I would be comfortable with a good bullet and load out to 100 yards. In .357 Max with 200gr FTX or 180 SSP bullets I would be comfortable out to 200 yards.

 

[bbarker]

Thanks for the response. Have you had the opportunity to take any deer with a 357? A 357 maximum seems like a really neat option as well. If you had a Handi Rifle reamed out for the new cartridge, could you still shoot the 357 magnums and 38's through it? Do many manuafcturers offer a 357 maximum or would you have to reload? I have never reloaded before....it just seems like a daunting task!

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

If you use jacketed bullets for deer hunting, full metal jacket is not allowed. They have to be soft point or hollow point (exposed lead). Lead bullets with no jacket are OK too. In a .357 rifle I would recommend the 180gr Hornady XTP bullet or a 170-190gr cast lead semi-wadcutter designed for hunting.

As for the rifle, the Handi Rifle is a good choice. If you might ever want to swap barrels, get one of the rifle calibers first and then send it to H&R and have a .357 barrel put on it.

Reason: most .357's come on the SB1 frame and you won't be able to put a rifle barrel on it. The rifle calibers come on the stronger SB2 frame, which you can put other rifle barrels on, also shotgun and muzzleloader barrels.

Another thing... the .357 can be reamed out (rechambered) for .357 Maximum which will get you close if not matching .35 Remington ballistics.

Yes, I would be comfortable with a good bullet and load out to 100 yards. In .357 Max with 200gr FTX or 180 SSP bullets I would be comfortable out to 200 yards.

FYI, I don't believe anything in the Indiana DNR hunting regulations specifyies bullet construction. While it's technically legal to use "FMJ", it probably isn't a great idea.

BUT, in a "light for the game" firearm like a .357 rifle, a monolithic-type construction might be a right decent idea.


-J-


ETA: http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/6032.htm

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-Deer_Hunting_Equipment.pdf

FMJ is NOT allowed for handgun hunting. Regs are silent on bullet construction for deer-legal rifle.

 

[dave29]

If you use jacketed bullets for deer hunting, full metal jacket is not allowed. They have to be soft point or hollow point (exposed lead). Lead bullets with no jacket are OK too. In a .357 rifle I would recommend the 180gr Hornady XTP bullet or a 170-190gr cast lead semi-wadcutter designed for hunting.

As for the rifle, the Handi Rifle is a good choice. If you might ever want to swap barrels, get one of the rifle calibers first and then send it to H&R and have a .357 barrel put on it.

Reason: most .357's come on the SB1 frame and you won't be able to put a rifle barrel on it. The rifle calibers come on the stronger SB2 frame, which you can put other rifle barrels on, also shotgun and muzzleloader barrels.

Another thing... the .357 can be reamed out (rechambered) for .357 Maximum which will get you close if not matching .35 Remington ballistics.

Yes, I would be comfortable with a good bullet and load out to 100 yards. In .357 Max with 200gr FTX or 180 SSP bullets I would be comfortable out to 200 yards.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Ream an H&R to Maxi, load up 180grain SSP's with a max load of AA1680 and CCI 450's and you're good to go.

 

[Ricnzak]

IMO to light a load

 

[NDhunter]

Not saying it won't work because plenty of deer have died to a .357 mag, but you're sure going to have to think about shot angles and placement more with it. Your margin for error decreases quite a bit. I've seen a .357 that didn't even bust through both shoulders, and that was with a pretty stacked load. If you stick to basically any shot you'd take with archery equipment, I'd think it would work fine.

Ditto the recommendations for the Handi rifle, though. Really versatile and a good buy.

 

[Slow Hand]

I killed my first two deer last fall with a .357 Rossi Lever action. I've got a load that pushes my hand cast 195gr SWC-GC to 1700 fps. I cast them with a soft nose and a hard body so they could expand as well as penetrate.
Where I normally hunt, you can barely see 75 yards, so shots are kept close. I ended up hunting a different spot, but still shot both of them at about 40 yards.It shoots flat enough that I've got no problems hitting at 100 yards. Could do better with a scope; my eyes are a limiting factor. Now, I shoot this rifle A LOT! I shoot it mostly with medium to heavy .38 special loads, but still shoot plenty of the hot stuff so I feel comfortable with it. For good factory ammo, I'd look at Federal Cast Core, or a heavy load from Cor-Bon or Buffalo Bore; they both make good hunting ammo. The .357 really shines from a carbine. If you handload, you can use the slower, magnum powders and get some impressive results out of a 16-24" barrel. With my normal plinking load, it's a one hole shooter at 50 yards and groups that would stay in a deer's heart at 100.

Doug K

 

[bbarker]

Thanks Doug. How difficult is it to handload.....I have never done it.

 

[Slow Hand]

It's not tough if you are diligent and can follow simple directions. I started when i was about 20 all on my own. Best advice is to get either Lee's handloading manual and the Lyman Guide to handloading and read the info in them. They'll get you started with much of what you really need to know. I started out with all lee tools, due to teh price and still use many of them. You can get all you really need, press, dies, priming tool, powder measure and scale for a little over a hundred bucks. Less if you find used stuff here, at gunshows or on ebay. It's another great part of the shooting hobby.

Doug K

 

[IndyGunworks]

I had a 40 yard quartering away shot on a deer w/ a .357 mag, saw the dust come off the side of the doe where the bullet hit... had a small blood trail for a short ways... watched the deer run about a mile accross a cornfield into some woods and keep going.

not saying its a bad round, but i have my doubts.

 

[kludge]

FMJ is NOT allowed for handgun hunting. Regs are silent on bullet construction for deer-legal rifle.

Interesting... but I did confirm that the regs are silent. Even went to the IAC, just in case something didn't make it into the guide.