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357 Mag?

10K views 29 replies 24 participants last post by  Golfbuddy45 
#1 ·
Does any one hunt with a 357mag? I was thinking of saling my 1895GBL andbuying a 357 rifle eather a Marlin or a Ruger M77/357. I just have never hunted with that small of a calaber. I will be casting my bullets most of the time.:hmmmm:
 
#2 ·
Hey there tcrocker, I am no expert and I don't hunt with the .357 at the time, but only cause I haven't gotten around to it. I have an 1894 in .44 that I've hunted with great success and now am looking at getting another 1894 in .357 to hunt deer and hogs with. I wouldn't feel under gunned hunting with the .357 especially in a carbine or using good ammo. I hope this helps.
 
#5 ·
tcrocker Yes they are just to fun to leave home :biggrin: I bought mine for short shots on black tail deer... but it does coyotes and rabbits good.
Took it for a 3hr walk in the snow today.:hmmmm: I'd walk a mile for a coyote :vollkommenauf: Snow Revolver
Snow Winter Tree Natural environment Freezing
Sky Cloud Atmosphere Atmospheric phenomenon Water
 
#6 ·
I have killed 2 deer and 1 bear with a 357 magnum- my S&W model 586 6" barrel. I'm calling it marginal for deer and not a good idea for bear. I was using 158 grain hard cast bullets that went all the way through the bear- well, 4 of them did. 1 stopped on spine- which I was glad for.

I hot rodded that gun. Had to have the barrel turned down after about 150 of those rounds. Now we stick with XTPs at normal velocities.

M
 
#7 ·
My wife would beg to differ that my 1894 CB LTD is too light for whitetails. She downed a nice little buck the very first week I had the thing - with open sights no less. She's dropped two more since in the past couple of years and my son killed his second deer with the same rifle before he grandpa gave him a Winchester 30-30 this past Christmas.

Heck yes. I would not feel undergunned in the least taking any whitetail out to 70 yds or so with 357 out of an 1894. You hit'em where they are supposed to be hit and they go down in short order.

Next question ... which pill, right?
 
#9 ·
I would limit myself to 4" groups. Out to 50-75 yds or so the 357 and a good hollow point is plenty for deer and hogs. You hear all sorts of stories about X not being enough gun. Some folks would have you believe. The minimum for deer is a 45-70. That cal is great for bison. Ethics? How about a quick humane kill with little meat damage? The 357 will do that. Shoot a deer with a 45-70 and you can expect to throw away 1/4 a 1/2 of the animal due to bloodshot meat. How ethical is that?
 
#12 ·
My wife dropped 3 does around 75yds with her 1894C and factory Rem 180SJHP's before she bought her 1895G. Shot placement is more critical with a 357. She switched to the 45-70 when the last doe she shot with the 357, at last light of the day, didn't die quickly and flopped a while. She hit it in the shoulder instead of neck or ribcage. The bullet broke both shoulders but didn't exit or hit a vein/artery.

Stick to neck or heart/lung shots and it will work fine. And put a firesight bead on it if you plan to use irons. All Annie's rifles wear one now.

Jeff
 
#14 ·
Roger that. Best deer hunting factory load you can run through an 1894C imho. It's built around the old corelok technology with the scalloped jacket and it does the job. I actually lucked on a can full of unloaded pills about a decade ago at a gun show that I had forgotten about after tossing them in my old reloading room. Then, a few years ago, I decided to clean the place up getting ready to move it into a new, remodeled, man cave and in the process I found this coffee can full of 180 gr SJHP ... forgot I had them. I load'em hot and my 357 CB LTD loves'em.

 
#13 ·
MIKEWOOD,WITH ALL DUE RESPECT,YOUR STATEMENT OF LOSING 1/4-1/2 OF YOUR GAME ANIMAL BECAUSE OF USING A 45-70 IS A LITTLE OVER THE TOP IN MY OPINION.WHILE i DONT HUNT WITH ONE MYSELF, MY BROTHER DOES.aND JUST LIKE ANY OTHER CARTRIDGE,HIT THEM WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO AND THERE WILL BE NO MEAT DAMAGE.
 
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#17 ·
T, I plan on using my 94 and vaquera 357 for deer and an occassional hog. I`m going to hunt from my bow stands and not shoot over 40-45yds.. I`m confident in the fact that it will do a great job with a semi jacketed soft points. I just prefer them over hollow points. Good luck!
 
#19 · (Edited)
I think a 357 carbine is a great choice for deer and hogs out to, say, 75 yards or so. My personal choice would be a 44 carbine. Bigger bullet, more momentum, what's not to like? I think the 44 just gives an advantage if things don't go perfectly.

Here's a great source for caliber and bullet choice for hogs.

TIPS HUNTING WILD HOGS TEXAS BOAR HUNTING TIPS FERAL HOGS HUNTING WILD BOAR

I'm a glass half empty kind of guy. I like to visualize this scenario when asked about pigs and guns. I picture myself on a ground blind at night with some feeder lights and corn. I have my back against a tree and, having had a tough week, I doze off on the warm summer night... When I awaken, there is a boar, well over 500 pounds, about 15 yards in front of me, looking me in the eye... Am I glad I brought my 357 carbine to the fight? Or would I rather have my 44 with a big hard cast bullet? Or would I rather have my shotgun with a 2 ounce hard cast slug?

My pick is the 12 gauge. But, as a minimum, I would want a big, hard hitting slug with a wide meplat slamming into it, like a hard cast 265-280 grain WFN.

Back to my visualization, I'm actually squirrel hunting with my 39A with sub sonic 22 rimfire ammo and when confronted, aim carefully and put one in its eye to bounce around its brain, killing it and dropping it where it stood.

And, in my opinion, leave hollow point ammo at the house. Use either JSP or hard cast.
 
#24 ·
I use .357 for about everything and have carried it for Hog. I can do my part and I am comfortable. I just use 180gr hardcasts loaded up hot. I'm actually hopin to take one with my Ranch Hand now.
 
#28 ·
I hunted 5 years with a 357 in the Marlin 1894. I used ppu 158 jhp and had complete penetration on every deer I shot during that time shots from 35 yards to 90ish. I shot 3 does & 2 bucks including the biggest buck I've ever seen in the woods.

I'd show you a picture of him but I took a neck shot on him at 35 yards, he stumbled and recovered and I tracked blood for 70 yards and never recovered him despite looking for days with the help of friends and dogs, He was truly a buck of a lifetime. That experience soured me on the cartridge and rifle and I went back to actual rifle cartridges. All other deer were body shots and ran between 40 yards & 120. Some where shot with different ammo with little difference and the ppu jhp were the most effective

Now that it's been 4 years and I've played the moment over in my mind a million times I realize I hit him in the fleshy part of the neck just below his bone, his neck was swollen from rut & I screwed up. I won't lie I was extremely nervous when I shot and I don't get nervous shooting deer but he was that nice. I said all that to say this... The 357 mag works fine if you're selective about your bullet e where you put it, if not then I'd go to something bigger. Just my personal experience
 
#30 ·
I know some of you use the .45-70 for deer but it just seems like so much overkill (no pun intended). Bear, Moose, Caribou, OK but .45-70 just seems like way too much to me.

I would have no problem using either of my 1894's - -
1894SS .45 Long Colt on top (only full length barreled Marlin in .45LC ever made) ,
1894SS .44 Magnum Middle,
1894CSS .357 Magnum Bottom.
825640


By the way it is legal to shoot deer in North Carolina with .22 Long Rifle . . . . . . we have sooooo many of them the Wildlife Commission just wants them taken . . .
 
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