125 gr .357 Round Comparison Question....

Zebulon · January 12, 2011, 07:06 PM

I'm trying to save some time and effort. Can anybody point me in the direction of a comparison of penetration between the 125 gr. .357 rounds available? Specifically between the Gold Dot and the Cor-Bon DPX......It's an issue more of time than laziness. I have a friend leaving for a boar hunt tomorrow.....He is looking for the "optimum" .357 Magnum round from his 6" 686.....Thanks Guys....Zebulon

fsmitka · January 12, 2011, 07:58 PM

Boar Hunting with a .357. I wouldn't, but I know very little about Boars. That 180 gr. hard cast bullet by Buffalo Bore is a nice round.

roaddog28 · January 12, 2011, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Boar Hunting with a .357. I wouldn't, but I know very little about Boars. That 180 gr. hard cast bullet by Buffalo Bore is a nice round.

+1.

A 125 gr does not have enough pentration. Go with 180 gr. BB. Question? Does your friend really want to hunt Boar with a 357

I would go with a 44 magnum to hunt boar.

I wish your friend luck.
Howard

Webleymkv · January 12, 2011, 09:06 PM

Neither loading is optimal for the purpose you describe. Most 125grn .357 Magnum JHP's, and both the ones you listed, are designed for self-defense against humans. The anatomy of a boar is different enough from that of a human that a deeper penetrating bullet is needed. A 158-200grn JSP or Hardcast bullet would be a much better choice for boar hunting than a 125grn JHP.

Biff Tannen · January 12, 2011, 09:20 PM

The corbon 125 jhp for 357 are Some of the best ive seen (my favorite) as far as having a perfect mushroom/expansion combonation... Thats tested out of a 4" barrel, and shot through denim and into water, meant to mimic personal SD from human attack... All i can say is, if youre shooting large beasts, i hope youre a good shot and you can put one right in his eyeball and through his brain. If not, take something a lot larger, please. Id hate to see you get run through by a wild pig!
Good luck!

YARDDOG(1) · January 12, 2011, 09:28 PM

158 gr SJSP are good for most shooting hogs down hear, That's not counting
that big smelly

Boar Hog you can smell 100 yrds away ; ) PS ^That's with 16gr of H-110 behinde em
Y/D

700cdl · January 14, 2011, 05:37 PM

I have hunted with my .357s for many years and have arrived at some of the most effective hand loaded bullets in my opinion. I wouldn't personally go with the Gold Dot, although it does have a very dependable structure, being that it is a well bonded core. But my primary choice since having used the Gold Dot, is the Hornady XTPFP. I took a good sized mule deer with that bullet, and it delivered exceptional penetration, and maintained a good controlled expansion. In my opinion based on testing, is that most of the hollow poinnts for the handgun are excellent designs for self defense. I think the fact that they are designed to produce rapid expansion, makes them more likely to have limited penetration on a rather large game animal. Hunting something such as a boar, I would deffinitly lean toward a jacketed flat point or round nose, for reason I described above.

tipoc · January 14, 2011, 08:17 PM

As others mentioned the loads and bullets you mention are intended for self defense and are designed and built to get about 12-14" penetration and expansion in 10% ballistic gelatin. This will do on a hog if you have a perfect shot but hogs are tougher and denser than humans. You would want a bullet that will penetrate at even a quartering shot.

All the major manufacturers make bullets for elk hunting with a .357 and these will take a hog. You can begin with a 158 gr. SJSP from Remington or Winchester at about 1300 fps or soand go up from there to 180 or 200 if your friend can shoot well with these loads.

Get a few boxes of different hunting loads and go practice and see what shoots best from the guns you will have. No good carrying a load that does not work for you from the guns you have.

tipoc

langenc · January 15, 2011, 12:32 AM

Nosler Partitions will work on any hog. Dont think they make a 125 gr. They have been making for quite a few years and whatever they do make will do the job. If they dont make it-there is a reason.

Rampant_Colt · January 15, 2011, 12:44 AM

Try using the following .357 Mag for hogs:

Federal 140gr Vital-Shok with Barnes' all-copper XPB bullet (DPX)
Federal 158gr Fusion
Federal 180gr Hardcast
W-W Supreme 180gr Partition
W-W 145gr Silvertip hollowpoint
Speer 158gr Gold Dot
Hornady 158gr XTP
R-P 158gr & 180gr SJHP

The lightweight 125gr SJHP bullet selections are intended for self-defense as already mentioned above..

Chesster · January 15, 2011, 08:36 AM

158 and 180 HC is the only thing I have used or would use for hog hunting.

Jimmy10mm · January 15, 2011, 09:34 AM

Some hearsay info here but 30 years ago I was in a gun shop and a fellow was buying a 44 magnum. Told me that he had shot a wild hog through the heart with an 8 3/8" bbl S&W 357 and the hog ran 100 yards before it dropped. No idea on bullet weight, design or even if it was a true story, but your post brought the incident to mind.

buck460XVR · January 15, 2011, 05:04 PM

Quote:

It's an issue more of time than laziness. I have a friend leaving for a boar hunt tomorrow.....He is looking for the "optimum" .357 Magnum round from his 6" 686.....Thanks Guys....Zebulon

The "optimum" round is the one he has practiced with and can consistently hit to POA within the range he knows he is accurate with. Buying a box of shells and going hunting "tomorrow" without this knowledge is not being fair to his quarry. Hitting anything with a handgun without practice is relying on pure luck. IMHO.......Not the best choice.

January 12, 2011, 07:06 PM	#1
Zebulon Senior Member Join Date: August 24, 2002 Posts: 158	125 gr .357 Round Comparison Question.... I'm trying to save some time and effort. Can anybody point me in the direction of a comparison of penetration between the 125 gr. .357 rounds available? Specifically between the Gold Dot and the Cor-Bon DPX......It's an issue more of time than laziness. I have a friend leaving for a boar hunt tomorrow.....He is looking for the "optimum" .357 Magnum round from his 6" 686.....Thanks Guys....Zebulon

January 12, 2011, 09:20 PM	#5
Biff Tannen Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2010 Location: Hill Valley Posts: 266	The corbon 125 jhp for 357 are Some of the best ive seen (my favorite) as far as having a perfect mushroom/expansion combonation... Thats tested out of a 4" barrel, and shot through denim and into water, meant to mimic personal SD from human attack... All i can say is, if youre shooting large beasts, i hope youre a good shot and you can put one right in his eyeball and through his brain. If not, take something a lot larger, please. Id hate to see you get run through by a wild pig! Good luck! __________________ - BIFF TANNEN - The great-grandson of Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen.

January 12, 2011, 09:28 PM	#6
YARDDOG(1) Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: GATOR COUNTRY HA HA HA! Posts: 721	158 gr SJSP are good for most shooting hogs down hear, That's not counting that big smelly Boar Hog you can smell 100 yrds away ; ) PS ^That's with 16gr of H-110 behinde em Y/D __________________ There's a GATOR in the bushes & She's Callin my name >Molly Hatchett<

January 15, 2011, 12:44 AM	#10
Rampant_Colt Senior Member Join Date: March 17, 2006 Location: Parts Unknown Posts: 1,478	Try using the following .357 Mag for hogs: Federal 140gr Vital-Shok with Barnes' all-copper XPB bullet (DPX) Federal 158gr Fusion Federal 180gr Hardcast W-W Supreme 180gr Partition W-W 145gr Silvertip hollowpoint Speer 158gr Gold Dot Hornady 158gr XTP R-P 158gr & 180gr SJHP The lightweight 125gr SJHP bullet selections are intended for self-defense as already mentioned above..

January 12, 2011, 07:58 PM	#2
fsmitka Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2006 Posts: 248	Boar Hunting with a .357. I wouldn't, but I know very little about Boars. That 180 gr. hard cast bullet by Buffalo Bore is a nice round.

January 12, 2011, 09:06 PM	#4
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,610	Neither loading is optimal for the purpose you describe. Most 125grn .357 Magnum JHP's, and both the ones you listed, are designed for self-defense against humans. The anatomy of a boar is different enough from that of a human that a deeper penetrating bullet is needed. A 158-200grn JSP or Hardcast bullet would be a much better choice for boar hunting than a 125grn JHP.

January 14, 2011, 05:37 PM	#7
700cdl Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2010 Posts: 216	I have hunted with my .357s for many years and have arrived at some of the most effective hand loaded bullets in my opinion. I wouldn't personally go with the Gold Dot, although it does have a very dependable structure, being that it is a well bonded core. But my primary choice since having used the Gold Dot, is the Hornady XTPFP. I took a good sized mule deer with that bullet, and it delivered exceptional penetration, and maintained a good controlled expansion. In my opinion based on testing, is that most of the hollow poinnts for the handgun are excellent designs for self defense. I think the fact that they are designed to produce rapid expansion, makes them more likely to have limited penetration on a rather large game animal. Hunting something such as a boar, I would deffinitly lean toward a jacketed flat point or round nose, for reason I described above.

January 14, 2011, 08:17 PM	#8
tipoc Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2004 Location: Redwood City, Ca. Posts: 4,114	As others mentioned the loads and bullets you mention are intended for self defense and are designed and built to get about 12-14" penetration and expansion in 10% ballistic gelatin. This will do on a hog if you have a perfect shot but hogs are tougher and denser than humans. You would want a bullet that will penetrate at even a quartering shot. All the major manufacturers make bullets for elk hunting with a .357 and these will take a hog. You can begin with a 158 gr. SJSP from Remington or Winchester at about 1300 fps or soand go up from there to 180 or 200 if your friend can shoot well with these loads. Get a few boxes of different hunting loads and go practice and see what shoots best from the guns you will have. No good carrying a load that does not work for you from the guns you have. tipoc

January 15, 2011, 12:32 AM	#9
langenc Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2007 Location: Montmorency Co, MI Posts: 1,551	Nosler Partitions will work on any hog. Dont think they make a 125 gr. They have been making for quite a few years and whatever they do make will do the job. If they dont make it-there is a reason.

January 15, 2011, 08:36 AM	#11
Chesster Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2007 Location: Dixie Posts: 2,538	158 and 180 HC is the only thing I have used or would use for hog hunting.