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Old May 18, 2012, 05:11 PM   #1
azmark
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.357 Magnum

I want to get a big bore revolver to hunt with, but it may take longer than hoped to gather the cash. I have a .357 now and I'd like to feel out the people here on the caliber's usefulness for hunting deer and wild boar.
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Old May 18, 2012, 05:35 PM   #2
buck460XVR
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My first 4 handgun deer were with a 6'' 686. The gun is certainly up to the task if you are.
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Old May 18, 2012, 06:22 PM   #3
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Get some of these and give em hell...

http://www.shopcorbon.com/CORBON-Hun...20/300/Product
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Old May 18, 2012, 08:36 PM   #4
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If you can shoot the .357 in a six to ten inch barrel will kill the game you mentioned. If you can't shoot there is not much future in anything larger.
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Old May 18, 2012, 10:30 PM   #5
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How odd, the deer I shot with a 4" barrel .357 didn't know they weren't supposed to fall over dead.
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Old May 18, 2012, 10:55 PM   #6
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Well placed hits (aim to break the off-side shoulder) and heavy for caliber bullets of expanding (HP) design for deer, and wide flat nose design for piggies. If you want one bullet design for both, use the piggy loads. There are hotter, but Federal Premium Hunting 180s are easy to come by.

IF you are hunting from a stand, and willing to wait for the animal to present you with an archery-type broadside-to-quartering away angle, then a self defense style 125gr HP will be okay for deer.
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Old May 19, 2012, 04:21 PM   #7
azmark
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I wouldn't mind hearing about what different kinds of game some you guys have actually taken with a .357.
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Old May 19, 2012, 04:50 PM   #8
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I wouldn't mind hearing about what different kinds of game some you guys have actually taken with a .357.
Shot while trying to attack my patrol car, with a 4 in Model 28, 150 Grn LSWC



Ignor the rifle, the photo was staged, (long story) shot with the same revolver and ammo above. Will admit, the first shot bounced off his forehead.

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Old May 19, 2012, 05:05 PM   #9
azmark
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Wow. A moose attack. I have heard they can get cranky. I think I would have soiled myself. Now, THAT'S a story for the grandkids.

Was the Bison a nuisance situation?

Thanks for that post.
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Last edited by azmark; May 19, 2012 at 05:19 PM. Reason: adding a comment
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Old May 19, 2012, 05:31 PM   #10
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The 357 is idea for deer and hogs. Don't know what you'll be hunting.
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Old May 19, 2012, 06:17 PM   #11
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Was the Bison a nuisance situation?
Not really. Custer (SD) State Park has lots of wild bison. Every fall they auction off excess. I bought the sucker with the ideal of turning it loose in my back pasture and after a few days hunting it, but mainly for the meat. (They have lots of meat).

BAD IDEAL

First off, it wasn't happy being loaded in the trailer. When I got it home my wife and granddaughter thought it was hungry so they decided to feed it.....it dern near tore my trailer apart.

I figured turning it loose was a bad ideal, I'd end up fixing fences for days.

So I decide to shoot it in the trailer to keep from having to repair fences.

I called my neighbor, the local taxidermy for advice on shooting it with out tearing up the future mount. So he comes over, tells me not to use the rifle but use a pistol.

OK, so I stick my Model 28 inside the trailer and promply bounce a bullet off his forehead. Now he's really mad. My so called taxidermy is rolling on the ground laughing.

I start to get the rifle and he says no, "draw an imaganary line from the base of the horn to the eye, then from the other horn to the eye, where the lines would cross is where I want to shoot. That worked.

I took the picture using my Remington Rolling Block in 44-90 Sharps BN, so I'd have a story for the grandkids. But turns out the real story is better then anything I could make up.
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Old May 19, 2012, 11:26 PM   #12
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I guess over the years I've killed about 20 or more deer with a .357. Some, likely half or maybe 60% from a carbine. I've also killed possum, rabbits, a bunch of armadillo, one squirrel and a bunch of dogs and cats. The dogs and cats were feral, running loose killing wildlife and wild birds.
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Old May 20, 2012, 12:39 AM   #13
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I'd like to hunt deer here in AZ and hogs in FL. I would try any varmmint here plus nuisance javelina if it's legal. My son's girlfriend has a problem with them coming right up to the house and believes they are responsible for a missing dog. I'll have to check with law enforcement on the legality issue.
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Old May 20, 2012, 06:41 PM   #14
Newton24b
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it was done in the 30s and into the 60s. with the 357.

however they have created energy rules in some states. some have minimum barrel length.

the ultimate factor is how well can you shoot that gun and bullet combination?
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Old May 20, 2012, 08:28 PM   #15
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Yep, I need to practice, but the law in AZ just says you have to use a centerfire handgun for deer. No other requirements.
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Old May 22, 2012, 08:41 PM   #16
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Probably won't help you much but if you want a revolver caliber gun you could always go with a mare's leg .357 since I don't know too much about revolvers
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Old May 23, 2012, 07:46 PM   #17
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Quote:
Not really. Custer (SD) State Park has lots of wild bison. Every fall they auction off excess. I bought the sucker with the ideal of turning it loose in my back pasture and after a few days hunting it, but mainly for the meat. (They have lots of meat.
Great story Kraig.
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Old May 24, 2012, 01:01 AM   #18
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357 will work fine for deer & hog. Practice,practice,pratice.
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Old May 24, 2012, 01:49 PM   #19
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Check your local game laws. It should be fine, but some states are picky.
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Old May 24, 2012, 02:54 PM   #20
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I used to quail hunt a lot (back when we had quail in south Alabama) and I always carried a pistol for snakes, dillers, and other varmints. started off with a 22 then moved up to a .357 and finally a 44mag. I killed lots of deer with the latter two mostly the 44 but the .357 worked just fine when the right shot presented itself.
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Old May 26, 2012, 01:32 AM   #21
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story

Kraig,

I have read your stuff and looked at your photos for several years now, but................

the bison story tops them all!!!!!!!
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Old May 27, 2012, 01:04 PM   #22
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I want to subscribe to the kraigwy channel. I'm learning stuff all the time.

Regards,
Tom
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Old May 28, 2012, 09:46 AM   #23
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I have killed a mule deer with a 357 magnum. The shot hit the heart and 1 lung then stopped on a rib on the other side, the round was a 180 grain cast lead bullet from buffalo bore. The deer dropped when hit but got back up and ran 30 feet then dropped again.

as my name implys I love the 357 caliber. I have taken several deer a 357 maximum Dan Wesson revolver.

I recomend using heavier bullets 158+ grain but that is just my recommendation.
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Old May 28, 2012, 10:04 PM   #24
azmark
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Buzzcook: the only caliber requirements here are for buffalo. 41 Mag minimum.

CCCLVII: I do plan on using big hardcast bullets.

I ran across some ammo the other day that intrigued me. It had a 140 gr. FMJ truncated cone bullet. It's supposed to be for practice but its velocity is listed as well over 1400 fps. That load seems like it would penetrate well. Have any of you used anything like this?
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Old May 29, 2012, 05:57 AM   #25
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I dont think that would be an ideal hunting bullet. You want a wider meplat to transfer more energy. A combination of penetration and energy transfer is ideal.

Wide flat nosed gas checked is what you're looking for in cast.

Hornady XTP's in 158 and 180 are good jacketed hunting bullets.

Speer made a half jacket hollow point and soft point that were excellent hunting bullets. They're hard to find now.

The BEST factory 357 hunting load Ive used is the .357 Corbon load linked above. It worked very well out of a 6.5" Blackhawk on deer and pigs.
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