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Old 09-12-2013, 03:26 PM
260Ackley 260Ackley is offline
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Default 357 mag for deer

Hey guys,
This is not a small calliber so I figured it deserved to be in the big game thread.
I have a 6" barrel colt trooper 357 mag, I want to use as a back up in deer season this year. I live in a shotgun only county. My farthest shots are 80yds in the woods, most shots running 30-50yds. I'm well covered in the shotgun area, but want to take a pistol along for easy shots in the 24-35 yd range for average size deer, nothing over 150lbs. For the fun of it, probably doe only, wont risk shots on buck unless I feel confident.
I bought some 125gr hornady xtp hollow point bullets last night to reload. I have some win 296, and my nosler manuals has it going around 2000fps give or take.
Everywhere I read people nock the 357 for deer, then throw in 125 bullets and its like your better off with a stone or sharp stick.
My shots will be rested from a treestand, 35 yds tops. Any opinions? nothing else is available locally and didnt want to place an internet order for one thing. I'm a fan of heavy bullets but these were there and an easy grab.
Anyone shoot a deer with 357 and this size bullet? How far did you have to track, how well do they go down?
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Old 09-12-2013, 03:44 PM
Gary in Illinois Gary in Illinois is offline
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Default 357 for Deer

The first deer I ever shot was with a scoped 6" S&W 686. I was shooting a cast 180 grain linotype bullet and shot using a fallen tree for a rest at 115 yards. First shot, no reaction; second shot, no reaction; third shot, the deer calmly walked to a fence line, laid down and died.

Probably not the best bullet choice but I wanted full penetration and I got it. I and 6 friends hunted deer with handguns in the Winter firearm season here in Illinois for 15 years using 300 Whisper, 357 mag, 357 Max (whoops, did I say that??), 44 mag and 454 Casull. The conclusion I reached is that, when using handguns on deer, bullet placement is FAR more important than the cartridge. We have some fair size deer in Pike County where I hunted and they can carry a lot of lead and pump out a lot of blood before dying if they are not hit with a well placed shot. Bigger is better but certainly not the most important factor.

The 357 is entirely adequate with well placed shots at under 100 yards.
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Old 09-12-2013, 04:39 PM
260Ackley 260Ackley is offline
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thanks for your input
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Old 09-12-2013, 06:40 PM
Teancum1 Teancum1 is offline
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Default 357 for Deer

I have a S&W Model 19, 6". Mostly I shoot the 125 gr XTP bullet and can push 1" at 25 yards. Even so, if I were going to go after deer with it, I would definitely up to the 158 gr - and probably go with the SP instead of an HP.

I prefer my S&W Model 57 .41 mag for deer - shot a doe in the head at 76 yards two years ago with my son watching, and suddenly got to be his hero again. Took a nice buck last year with a face-on chest shot at about 40 yards. He didn't go far.

I would have no qualms about using a .357, but considering the various shots your might encounter, you either restrict yourself on the shots you will take or go with a bullet capable of a bit more penetration than the XTP is going to give you.
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Old 09-12-2013, 10:01 PM
Gerald D. Gerald D. is offline
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I have taken two deer with a iron sighted S&W 686 many years ago, from my experience I'd recommend a good 158 JHP such as the XTP, as fast as you can push it accurately from your pistol. You need penetration about as much as you need expansion. JME.
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Old 09-12-2013, 11:17 PM
dungheap dungheap is offline
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I'd say 125s are OK for fox, coyotes and such, but for deer I'd use a heavier bullet -- in the 140 to 158gr bracket if using JHPs, or a slightly heavier hard cast bullet. 296 is a good powder choice.
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Old 09-13-2013, 03:42 PM
Eagle_view Eagle_view is offline
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My first deer shot with a handgun was with a .38 special M10 4" and 158 Remington lead round nose factory loads. Range was about 25 feet between the eyes, one shot DRT. I was crawling on my hands and knees through a tangle town of lodgepole and brush and jumped this doe out of her bed. My Springfield 03A3 30-06, I was dragging unloaded by the sling as I fought my way toward the creek and a logging road in a snowstorm. Fortunately the brush opened up past the deer bed so I could get her out OK.

I have probably kill more deer with a 9x19 Glock 19 with 115 Grain HP +P Duty ammo than any other pistol, they were all vehicle hit deer that had to be put down. A few were at ranges out to 50 yards, usually with a busted leg but traveling to get away from the accident scene. . Most were Mule Deer, Shot placement is the key. Always tried to do it with a single shot as many were very close to or in the town that I was patrolling. During the fall and spring migrations we had lots of deer hit on the highway, pretty tough on the cars too.

I too prefer the .41 Mag for hunting, but built a .357 12" barrel this year for my Contender and am playing with 180 Hornady Single Shot pistol bullet loaded too hot for a revolver.

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Old 09-13-2013, 06:33 PM
william t. oviatt william t. oviatt is offline
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When I think of how many deer have been killed by my family and friends with the old Winchester 25-20, I think the 357Mag at the ranges you are talking about are well within the cartridge/pistols capability. I see this mainly as the shooters ability to put the bullet in the proper location. Many times I have seen "Buck Fever" cause the shooter to be absolutely useless with a pistol (and darn dangerous to be close to)!
Again, the cartridge has the capacity, it is the shooter's talent that is the question.
JMO
Bill
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Old 09-13-2013, 09:09 PM
260Ackley 260Ackley is offline
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thanks for the advice. I think I will stick with the 125s for how close I plan to shoot. If i decide to make the pistol my primary rig and go past 35yds I will reload a heavier bullet and practice for longer ranges.
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Old 09-26-2013, 03:14 PM
montdoug montdoug is offline
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I've hunted with a handgun for many years and have shot a fair number of deer with a .357. Sounds like you're right on top of it with the 25 to maybe 50 yards tops with a hot 125 grain load on smallish deer (standing still!) idea. Like others have posted, I think you can stretch that a bit with a heavier bullet but not much with a .357. I think where most guys run into problems with a handgun is in their self control, they see a big buck that's to far out and temptation takes over, all the sudden they got a wounded deer taking off to die a couple miles away .
If a guy is serious about handgun hunting big game I always recommend a .44 mag with the heaviest load a guy can truly shoot well without B.S.ing himself (As ole Dirty Harry said in the movie, "A man has to know his limitations". Wink-Wink). Then, practice, practice, practice! and when ya combine that with a butt load a self control on which shots to take and which shots to pass on you're a handgun hunter . Kinda like a real noisy bow hunter with a tiny bit more range.
My hunting gun is a custom Ruger RedHawk all trued up with a 6 1/2 inch Pac-Nor barrel and Bowen sights with a thicker front post for old fart eyeballs . I load a 290 grain BRP hard-cast gas check and big flat meplat to 1,350ish FPS and it's a hunting machine! I took this oft re-posted buck picture at a lased 72 yards and it through and through'd em right through the lungs, out the other side and on into the next county. I'd got my back to a tree and seated with my legs bi-podding the revolver Kieth style before he stood up broad side and after I shot him he walked about 15 yards and then laid back down for about 10 minutes before he tipped over. That load'll do the same thing to an elk.


He was a big bodied Mulie, probably close to 300lbs on the hoof.

You start hunting with a handgun and one a these days ya might just be leaving that long gun at home and only taking a handgun, lotta fun!!!
Sorry if I hi-jacked yer thread but I do like hand-gunning big game, you are gonna too I bet!!
Keep us posted how it goes for ya.
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