[marco]

After the results of shooting my .357 in to our clay berm yesterday I am convinced that I haven't encountered a deer in my neck of the woods that would do well with a good vitals shot within a 100 yrds. I am very convinced that I can place a shot in the vitals of a deer even with the factory sights on this rifle no problem. I've looked through the old threads and haven't seen many .357's used. Is there a lack of confidence in the cartridge or just not that many .357's used? What say you guys?

 

[imashooter2]

Jerry Lester has killed more deer with a .357 lever than most folks have had hot breakfasts. That said, it is apparent to me that most on the forum that buy the 1894 with hunting in mind buy the .44. I assume they do so based on the "if some is good, more is better" principle...

 

[Ranch Dog]

I shot four hogs this week with my 175-grain cast bullet. Three at seventy yards, one killed being from a shoot through, and one at 30-yards. If it does what I saw done to the hogs a deer cannot stand up to it.

 

[44-40 Willy]

I've killed several deer with a 357 rifle using both 158gr JSP and Winchester 145gr Silvertip JHPs. Got a few hogs as well.

My cousin killed one or two deer a year with her 1894C using 125gr JSP factory ammo for twenty years.

 

[ncoop25]

They work great on deer

 

[358 Win]

I've killed Whitetail Deer with a 6" Ruger Security Six and the old style Hornady 125gr HP .357 bullet at 1430fps so
I'm pretty much convinced that my two 1894's will also kill a Whitetail using either my 165gr cast bullet or a HDY XTP 158gr FN, both at 1900fps +. I've never recovered a bullet from a Whitetail with that old HDY HP, but I have from the .35 Remington, .308 Win, and 30-06. Go figure!!
358 Win

 

[Halwg]

I would never use a 357 mag. on deer unless it was the only gun I had available and most of the world had ceased to exist. It's not a deer cartridge, was never intended to be a deer cartridge, and using one on deer doesn't give them the respect as a game animal that they deserve.

Of course that's only my opinion. ;D

 

[Lucky1]

The 357 mag using 158 gr JSP bullets work great on deer...as long as you are a committed, ethical hunter who limits your shots to 100 yards or less. Like a bowhunter or blackpowder hunter...the tool sets the standard and applied properly, (a broadhead or round ball) it works just fine. I killed three whitetails with my 1894c last year...with no different results than the three I also took with a 30-30 and the two I killed with my .308.

 

[358 Win]

Halwg, you might want to express your opinion to the three deer I ate killing them with the .357 magum revolver. At
the time I was shooting upwards of 500 rounds a week practicing for competition. I also knew to limit my range and
to place the bullet where it counted. I could see open sites VERY well at the time and the fact that my eyes are failing me now is the reason I no longer hunt deer with any handgun, .357 Magnum or otherwise. Your disortation in
expressing your opinion is like some people's opinion of the 30-30 being "barely" adequate for deer also, it doesn't
hold water with me or the thousands of other people who have killed deer with the .357 Magnum. But then again,
a man has to know is limitations. Oh by the way, have you lost any deer you've hit with so called high power rifles?
358 Win

 

[marco]

I'm going for it next season. All my shots are within a 100 yards anyway.

 

[Halwg]

Halwg, you might want to express your opinion to the three deer I ate killing them with the .357 magum revolver. At
the time I was shooting upwards of 500 rounds a week practicing for competition. I also knew to limit my range and
to place the bullet where it counted. I could see open sites VERY well at the time and the fact that my eyes are failing me now is the reason I no longer hunt deer with any handgun, .357 Magnum or otherwise. Your disortation in
expressing your opinion is like some people's opinion of the 30-30 being "barely" adequate for deer also, it doesn't
hold water with me or the thousands of other people who have killed deer with the .357 Magnum. But then again,
a man has to know is limitations. Oh by the way, have you lost any deer you've hit with so called high power rifles?
358 Win

The 30-30 is a deer rifle, the 357 is not and was never intended to be. I stand by my opinion and I don't care how many deer have been killed with it. I won't be using one for deer hunting.

You have a differing opinion, and that's what makes the world go round.

 

[358 Win]

Hawlg,
Although I respect your opinion it is obviously based on what you have read from so called arm chair gun writers who hunt with typewriters (now a PC). My opinion is based on actually killing deer with the .357 Magnum not some
gun writer's opinion in print. I killed those deer with handloads worked up safely and chronographed. Those loads
were tested for accuracy, bullet expansion, and actual bullet drop at various ranges. Said loads were not used beyond their physical limitations. Now maybe others don't take the time to experiment and verify their loads like I
did resulting in misplaced opinions that are wrong. As I said, this was with a match tuned Ruger Security Six back
in the late 1970's and if a deer falls dead from a well place shot from a .357 Magnum revolver I stand by my statement that a rifle in same will surely kill a Whitetail deer. Once again I'll ask the question, how many deer have you hit and lost (and that is the ultimate disrespect for a species) with much more powerful weapons than the .357 Magnum?
358 Win

 

[Papalote]

I made history, well maybe something less than a footnote, by taking what we believe to be the first whitetail with the RD359190 IN THE 357 MAGNUM.. The 357 works fine if employed within limits. I will use it again and I will try other calibers that give some folks a sour stomach. Like others, I base my opinion on actual field performance. Wesson took all manner of NA game with the 357, in a handgun, back in the 30's.

RD and Jerry Lester have proven the viability of the 357 on Hogs and Deer.

Papalote

 

[358 Win]

I made history, well maybe something less than a footnote, by taking what we believe to be the first whitetail with the RD359190. The 357 works fine if employed within limits. I will use it again and I will try other calibers that give some folks a sour stomach. Like others, I base my opinion on actual field performance. Wesson took all manner of NA game with the 357, in a handgun, back in the 30's.

RD and Jerry Lester have proven the viability of the 357 on Hogs and Deer.

Papalote

A big +1 Papalote
358 Win

 

[gyrhed]

A 357 will pretty much do anything a 30-30 will do. The problem is the whole bigger is better rifle mentality. Back is the 80s nearly every article you red said the 30-30 was on its way out as a deer cartridge because it was soo underpowered compared to what was availible.

Funny its still around.

Same goes for the 357, its bullets are smaller, lighter and lightly constructed when compared to 44 mag so therefore its not good. As long as you recognize the range limitations of the 357 30-30 or whatever you choose to shoot it will perform.

I have seen more deer wounded with a 243 beyond 200 yards than anything else. I believe its because people buy them because they are recoil sensitive and therefore just do not practice enough for proper bullet placement at longer ranges.

 

[tlc361]

I would never use a 357 mag. on deer unless it was the only gun I had available and most of the world had ceased to exist. It's not a deer cartridge, was never intended to be a deer cartridge, and using one on deer doesn't give them the respect as a game animal that they deserve.

Of course that's only my opinion. ;D

While conferring all due respect on my esteemed fellow member, one must also agree that the 30.06 and the .308 Win was never intended to be a deer cartridge. Yet these are very capable and highly valued as such. The 44 Mag and even the 12 gauge shotgun was not intended to be a deer cartridge, yet they perform well in that charge.

While we may have our opinions (as Halwg stated) the proof is in the pudding as they do bring home the bacon so to say.

All things being equal, shot placement prevails.

 

[Leverdude]

A 357 is a fine deer cartridge within its effective range, just like a 300WSSM is a fine cartridge within its capabilities. Everybody here knows it too, just load your gun and go hunting.
I killed only one deer with one, I used a 158 grain American Eagle Federal load. It ran in a 30 yard circle, crashed into a tree & died. The biggest thing I can find marginal with it is if you end up witha 100+ yard shot. It'd probably still be fine, the bullet will likely be going the 1100-1300 or so muzzle velocity of a revolver at that distance. I was hunting open sights & wouldn't have tried a 100 yard shot anyway, but it should still work. Those loads were approaching 1800 fps from my Rossi.
You can get real close to 2000fps from a lever action handloading, I'v heard guys I respect getting better than 2000 with published data. Thats approaching 30/30 power close in.
It'll never be a long range flat shooting caliber, but, IMO its a fine woods deer caliber.

 

[lesismore]

44-40, 38-40, 32-20, 25-20 and many others. Were any of these cartridges meant to be a deer cartridge? Do you suppose the deer were smaller and more puny back then or what?

What about the old muzzle loaders 200 years ago? What about a bow and arrow? What about a spear? People were hunting deer and killing deer long before firearms were invented.

I don't know what the hunting intent by Winchester was but I do know many countless deer have been hunted and killed with them. 110 years ago they were considered as hunting cartridges by the people who used them.

I guess I have never seen any ammo in the stores or anywhere that were labeled as Deer cartridges.

I feel safe to say that a 357 mag is most certainly for deer providing you use the correct ammo with good shot placement at a distance you are confident in hitting the mark and penetrating to the vitals.

 

[jackruff]

"The 44 Mag and even the 12 gauge shotgun was not intended to be a deer cartridge, yet they perform well in that charge."

This is an interesting statement. If the 44 magnum was not intended to be a deer cartridge, what was it intended to be? I've always heard and read that it was developed as a hunting round. As for the 12 gauge, I'm pretty sure it was developed for wing shooting, but around here years ago, when I started deer hunting, only shotguns were legal. Most serious deer hunters had Browning 5 shot automatics. I felt just a bit out of place with my Ithaca pump. But back to the thread, I have not yet shot a deer with my 1894C, but I do sometimes carry it in deer season and would not hesitate to use it under the proper circumstances.

 

[Longfin]

Like 358 Win, there was a time when my eyes were good and my hands steady and I shot a lot of .357 mag from my 4" S&W Model 28. Killed my first deer with that revolver. A thirty yard shot to the head with a Remington lead SWC bullet. Watching my two daughters drop deer after deer with the little 85 grain Partition from a 6mm TCU taught me it really is mostly about picking your shot and bullet placement. Just put together a .357 Hartford with a peep sight rear and a green fiber optic front sight. I'm thinking after 35 years, I just might go back to a .357, just in a rifle.