May 18, 2012, 05:11 PM | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: August 26, 2007
Location: Palominas, AZ
Posts: 221
|
.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.
__________________
Mark Dickinson USAF, Retired |
May 18, 2012, 05:35 PM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 28, 2006
Posts: 4,341
|
My first 4 handgun deer were with a 6'' 686. The gun is certainly up to the task if you are.
|
May 18, 2012, 06:22 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 5, 2010
Posts: 514
|
|
May 18, 2012, 08:36 PM | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 18, 2000
Location: above ground
Posts: 1,558
|
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.
__________________
For him there was always the discipline of steel. |
May 18, 2012, 10:30 PM | #5 |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 3, 2011
Location: Poteet, Texas
Posts: 959
|
How odd, the deer I shot with a 4" barrel .357 didn't know they weren't supposed to fall over dead.
|
May 18, 2012, 10:55 PM | #6 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 29, 2006
Location: Montana (Montucky?)
Posts: 1,273
|
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.
__________________
You'll probably never NEED a gun. I hope you never do. But IF you do, you will need it worse than anything you've ever needed in your life. IF we're not supposed to eat animals, howcome God made 'em outta meat? |
May 19, 2012, 04:21 PM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: August 26, 2007
Location: Palominas, AZ
Posts: 221
|
I wouldn't mind hearing about what different kinds of game some you guys have actually taken with a .357.
__________________
Mark Dickinson USAF, Retired |
May 19, 2012, 04:50 PM | #8 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 16, 2008
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 11,061
|
Quote:
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.
__________________
Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071 |
|
May 19, 2012, 05:05 PM | #9 |
Senior Member
Join Date: August 26, 2007
Location: Palominas, AZ
Posts: 221
|
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.
__________________
Mark Dickinson USAF, Retired Last edited by azmark; May 19, 2012 at 05:19 PM. Reason: adding a comment |
May 19, 2012, 05:31 PM | #10 |
Junior member
Join Date: May 16, 2009
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,343
|
The 357 is idea for deer and hogs. Don't know what you'll be hunting.
|
May 19, 2012, 06:17 PM | #11 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 16, 2008
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 11,061
|
Quote:
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.
__________________
Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071 |
|
May 19, 2012, 11:26 PM | #12 |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 3, 2011
Location: Poteet, Texas
Posts: 959
|
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.
|
May 20, 2012, 12:39 AM | #13 |
Senior Member
Join Date: August 26, 2007
Location: Palominas, AZ
Posts: 221
|
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.
__________________
Mark Dickinson USAF, Retired |
May 20, 2012, 06:41 PM | #14 |
Junior member
Join Date: February 10, 2009
Posts: 974
|
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? |
May 20, 2012, 08:28 PM | #15 |
Senior Member
Join Date: August 26, 2007
Location: Palominas, AZ
Posts: 221
|
Yep, I need to practice, but the law in AZ just says you have to use a centerfire handgun for deer. No other requirements.
__________________
Mark Dickinson USAF, Retired |
May 22, 2012, 08:41 PM | #16 |
Member
Join Date: May 8, 2012
Location: SE Alabama
Posts: 40
|
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
|
May 23, 2012, 07:46 PM | #17 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: April 12, 2006
Location: NKY
Posts: 12,463
|
Quote:
__________________
"He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson |
|
May 24, 2012, 01:01 AM | #18 |
Senior Member
Join Date: July 8, 2010
Location: North Georgia
Posts: 1,679
|
357 will work fine for deer & hog. Practice,practice,pratice.
|
May 24, 2012, 01:49 PM | #19 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 29, 2007
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 6,126
|
Check your local game laws. It should be fine, but some states are picky.
|
May 24, 2012, 02:54 PM | #20 |
Member
Join Date: May 30, 2011
Location: alabama
Posts: 35
|
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.
|
May 26, 2012, 01:32 AM | #21 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 9, 2009
Location: North Alabama
Posts: 8,262
|
story
Kraig,
I have read your stuff and looked at your photos for several years now, but................ the bison story tops them all!!!!!!! |
May 27, 2012, 01:04 PM | #22 |
Senior Member
Join Date: April 28, 2009
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 195
|
I want to subscribe to the kraigwy channel. I'm learning stuff all the time.
Regards, Tom |
May 28, 2012, 09:46 AM | #23 |
Senior Member
Join Date: April 16, 2012
Location: Idaho
Posts: 432
|
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. |
May 28, 2012, 10:04 PM | #24 |
Senior Member
Join Date: August 26, 2007
Location: Palominas, AZ
Posts: 221
|
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?
__________________
Mark Dickinson USAF, Retired |
May 29, 2012, 05:57 AM | #25 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 5, 2010
Posts: 514
|
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. |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|