.357 vs .357

[Socrates]

Springmom, you HAVE to post pictures of the holster setup you end up using.

I REALLY like super Redhawks, and wish I had about 2 grand laying around to buy a custom I was fondling Friday day.

Don't know what size hands you have, but, grips are critical with big bores. If they are too small, can't hold on to the gun right. I have a feeling the SRH grips are going to be perfect for you, however. I really like the rubber around the edges, and the flat panels letting the gun move in your hand a bit, without tearing your skin up.
These are the grip type, right?





S

[FirstFreedom]

.357 mag out of a carbine/rifle with heavy 158/170/180s: marginal, but fine for deer at close range.

.357 mag out of a handgun - not enough gun for deer, IMO, regardless of bullet. Can be done, but not a good idea.

.357 sig out of a handgun - not even close to being enough gun for a vitals shot. Again, can be and has been done, but just not proper. The .357 sig is *almost* equal to a .357 mag in light loadings -125s and such. But cannot equal the .357 mag out of a handgun with heavy bullets, let alone the .357 mag out of a rifle. The deer deserve better. If you're going for a high neck / CNS shot, then I suppose it would be ethical/enough gun, assuming you can get close enough to make that kind of shot consistently. If you must do it, go for the heaviest possible bullet (158 handloads?) with a flatnose profile, if possible, for tipping the scales a little in favor of penetration over expansion.

Happy hunting.

[Socrates]

FF:
Springmom bought a Super Redhawk, in 44 magnum, with bugs bunny barrel!!! 9 1/2".

That is way too cool!!!

S

[FirstFreedom]

Springmom bought a Super Redhawk, in 44 magnum, with bugs bunny barrel!!! 9 1/2".

That is way too cool!!!

Now THAT's a deer handgun! Want to see pics of that one soon.

[john in jax]

The 9.5" bbl was a better choice than you might realize. The extra weight/bbl will mean less "felt" recoil over a 3" or 4" bbl in the same model revolver. You did real well!

Take your time at the range - - I find that when brushing up on my shooting skills with my .44 mag that my accuracy declines if I try and slow fire my way thru a whole (50 rnd) box of full power .44 mag ammo. It seems that with the continuous pounding of magnum ammo I start flinching a little after 30 rnds and a liitle more after 40 rounds. BUT if I put the .44mag aside and shoot some lighter calibers, then come back to the .44 I can keep good consistant groups.

[springmom]

I am trying to figure out how to post pix. They'll be over on the revolver forum if/when I figure this out. They're on my hard drive, they don't have a url, so I'm stumped.

Springmom the non-technological

[dave0520]

So here's the stupid question. Will a .357 SIG do the same? I have pored over the ballistic data in my Hornady reloading book, and for the life of me I can't figure out why it would NOT. A 124 gr. bullet in .357 Sig, loaded to near max levels, yields about 1200-1250 (maybe a bit more, I chose figures that weren't absolute maxout levels, though). A 125 gr. in .357 mag yields higher velocities; 1250-1350. But that is not an enormous difference.

Assume a 4" barrel, whether, say, a GP-100 or a XD-357. Would a .357 Sig accomplish the same goal at the same distances (again, 75-100 yards) as a .357 mag?

Look here: http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunition/default.htm#357
The .357 magnum can send 125 grainers @ 1700 FPS, and 180 grain LFN-GC bullets at 1400 FPS. That should do in any deer, but the .357 Sig is not even close. In fact, it's closer to 9mm than it is to .357 magnum.

By the way, I wouldn't take a shot over 50 yards with a .357 magnum (which doesn't really matter in the PA mountains as that is a LONG shot). I wouldn't take a shot over 75 with a .44, mostly because I am not that confident of a shot at long range with a handgun.

[springmom]

Well, the picture of my new boom stick is over on the revolver forum. I don't want to chew up bandwidth duplicating it so bop over there and check it out. It's sitting with it's little sister, the snubbie

Sspringmom

[azredhawk44]

I know you already got the 44mag (excellent choice, btw)... but I do want to resurrect a suggestion made back early on in the thread.

400 CorBon

You already have a Kimber 1911. For a $150 barrel, a 20# recoil spring and some dies and brass, you could get into this cartridge easily. I have a barrel for my Glock 21 and if you need any pointers in loading for it, drop me a line. I am saving for a drop-in barrel for my Charles Daly 1911 right now, so I am definitely pleased with the first experimental foray into this caliber.

It takes the case capacity of a 45acp case (slightly larger capacity than a .357mag case), then bottlenecks the diameter to .40. This gives you a lighter bullet to push with all that case capacity, then increases the sectional density of the bullet so that a 180gr .400Corbon bullet makes out to be a respectable light hunting load, whereas a 180gr .45acp bullet would be an irresponsible choice for deer, hogs or javelina.

I've found this cartridge to work spectacularly in single stack configs. My 13rd mags seem to fumble the cartridge on feeding, but my "Clintonized" 10rd mags feed it wonderfully. They squeeze the cartridges closer to center and put more upwards force into the top cartridge. I guess I can thank Bill for something, at least.

Corbon sells a hunting load that pushes a 170gr bullet at 1330fps. I have a pet load that I (slowly and carefully) worked up for Hornady 165gr XTP-JHP's and Titegroup... I based it on data I researched for 40S&W, 10mm and 45acp, keeping the 45acp's low pressure standards in mind. I don't have a chronograph, but it packs a heck of a lot more whollup into my hand than any 45acp +p stuff I have shot. Primers look good after firing, and the brass isn't splitting even after 3-4 loadings.

It ain't a high pressure cartridge, so it is much more controllable than some of the hunting magnums out there.

Not on par with that 44mag by any stretch, but will convert a good self defense pistol into a suitable hunting sidearm for most of the lower 48, IMO.

I'm going elk hunting this week and I'm taking my redhawk. 2 weeks later I am going for javelina, and I'll probably take the glock in 400corbon.

[springmom]

You already have a Kimber 1911. For a $150 barrel, a 20# recoil spring and some dies and brass, you could get into this cartridge easily. I have a barrel for my Glock 21 and if you need any pointers in loading for it, drop me a line. I am saving for a drop-in barrel for my Charles Daly 1911 right now, so I am definitely pleased with the first experimental foray into this caliber.

I saw the original post, but had no clue what it was talking about It's an interesting thought. Are you saying there are barrels for that round in a 3" size? Somehow, 3" seems small for something that honkin' big (but then a .44 Ruger Alaskan seems too big for THOSE too, LOL).

I assume what you're telling me is that a 1911 is engineered strongly enough to handle these loads without any damage. (Can you tell I'm a WEE bit overprotective of that lovely Kimber of mine? )

I may check into it, but at the moment I think my dear loving and very generous husband has the call on our gun money for some time to come

Springmom

[Socrates]

Springmom:
DO NOT SCREW UP YOUR ULTRA CARRY II, IF IT WORKS. LEAVE IT ALONE...

THE ULTRA CARRY IS BEST LEFTIN 45 ACP, AND, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO TRICK IT OUT, YOU COULD GO 45 SUPER. STILL, WITH A 3" BARREL, i DON'T THINK I'D DO THAT, AGAIN...

YOU NOW HAVE A REAL HUNTING GUN...

S

[azredhawk44]

Oh... didn't know it was a 3" micro-1911. I wouldn't screw with it; those are touchy little buggers.

If you had a 4" or 5" 1911 with a barrel bushing, swapping barrels is a breeze. But, you ain't got that, so never mind.

[springmom]

Nope. The hubster has a 5" Springfield GI, but mine's the little sneaky hidable version

Which, of course, cannot be said at all about my new SRH, LOL.

Springmom

[Art Eatman]

Opinion: The "bottom line" on any pistol hunting is how good you are at hitting a particular spot on a deer, not just "hit the brown".

Vignettes: My uncle used an old Signal Corps Harley to check on his cattle around his small ranch. Hated horses. He regularly rode up close to deer; they were used to the slow puttering-along of his bike. So, with pure lead bullets from his old GI 1911, he occasionally killed some little buck. Probably not more than 20 or 30 yards. But he could take a little .25ACP "Lilliput" pistol and spin clothespins on the line. "I seen 'im."

Back when there were still deer-lease ranches near New Braunfels, Texas, a one-armed guy showed up with a longish-barrelled S&W in .38 Special. The rancher didn't want to let him hunt, "I don't want a bunch of crippled deer." There was a bench rest and 100-yard backstop, with a target in place. The guy takes his revolver and offhand puts six rounds into about a six-inch circle at 100 yards. He commented that he'd not shoot at a deer beyond maybe 50 yards. The rancher smiled...

I don't figure that .45ACP or .38 Special are really good as hunting cartridges. But there are those few who can reliably get away with using them. I'm not one of those folks.

If you can regularly hit the end of a beer can at 50 yards with your .357 revolver, you can regularly hit a deer's heart at 50 yards--adrenalin permitting. "If", the largest word in the English language. "Adrenalin" might be the most important.

Art

[FirstFreedom]

You gonna put all those stories into a book at some point, Art? I'd buy a copy.