.357 magnum & deer

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Just curious as to what you folks think about using the .357 magnum to take deer (as a rifle cartridge).....from what I'm reading in various reloading manuals, opinions range from everything from "it shouldn't be used" to "in the hands of a good marksman, ect".
Specifically, if you feel it is 'usable' or 'doable', what range would you limit yourself to, what bullet weight, what style of bullet (cast, HP, soft point, ect) would you use, ect. ect.

Just for the sake of argument, lets say 'average' whitetail deer.....no 'monster' bucks, ect.

I already have two lever action rifles (.30/30 & .35 Remington chambering), and I know that ballistically they are superior to the .357, but I have a couple of old guns I'm thinking of selling/trading, and was toying with the idea of getting a lever gun in .357 to compliment my Ruger Vaquero....but I don't want something that is going to just sit in the safe and not go afield.
Thanks in advance........

[Catfish]

I`ve been useing a 357 max. in a 16 in. barrel for a few year and would guess that the 357 mag. would do about the same from a rifle. I like the cal., but stick to double lung shots. I pinned the first deer I shot with the gun in the frount shoulder joint. I was useing a 170 gr. Sierra HP bullet and the bullet failled, big hole on the outside, no penitration. At the angle of the shot I thought it would take out the shoulder and the heart.:rolleyes: Since that first deer I have taken only shots that had ribbes between me and the lungs. None have dropped on the spot, but none have went 60 yrds. If you could get a rifle in 357 max. it would make a tremondus deer gun, and you couls still shoot mags. in it.

[wrenchman]

I like the 357 becouse u can youse it as a side arm thow i do not hunt with just it i have killed a few deer with it.
I try to limit the shot to bow shots the closes one was my fist deer with a hand gun and it was about 10 yads the longest shot was about 45 yards.
Try to go with well made rounds hornady was what i used i have not tryed the leverlution rounds but have been thinking of trying them.
As a rifle i think you could shoot farther and you would find more energy.

[GoodOlBoy]

Nothing wrong with a 357 mag for deer. In 158 grain soft point or RNFP lead you have a heavier bullet than many people use in a light 30-30 load. And that light 30-30 load has taken more deer than you could shake a stick at.

GoodOlBoy

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Can't get over the prices of lever actions nowadays.....used to be some pretty good bargains out there, but now.....Jeeeezzzzzz!:rolleyes:

[PJgunner]

I don't have a .357 mag. rifle, at least one that I've shot. My Ruger #1 in .357 Mag. is too valuable as a collector pirce topossibly take out and get banged up. However, I have shot handguns in .357 mag. and can address the bullets I've used on game.
1. The .38/44: This cartrisdge was the forerunner to the .357 mag. and shot a 158 gr. bullet at a bit over 1150 FPS. Just a very hot loaded .38 Spl. I used one around 1959 IIRC to kil a Black Bear. The gun was a Smith & Wesson 38/44 Ourdoorsman. I was not hunting at the time and the gun was used to stop a bear attack on a woman in the group I was camping with. Two fast shots behind the ear did the trick.
The gun was loaded with my handload consisting of a heavy charge of Hercules #2400 powder and the Lyman #358156 cast bullet.

2. Back in the mid 1960's, I was doing a bit of free lance photography. My next door neighbor raised and train Redbone and Bluetick hounds for hunting purposes. he was wanting to make up a brochure adverising his dogs on hunts and gave me the job. I loaded up my camera and gear and strapped on a Smith & Wesson 4" Highway Patrolman (pre-number gun) and we went down into Big Sur on the Californis Coast. it wasn't long before the dogs picked up a trail and soon had a nice hog cornered. Well, so far things were going along just fine. I focused the camera and hit the shutter. The clackety clack of the mirror in that single lens reflex camera got Mr. Piggie's attention and he quickly forgot the dogs. I guess he decided I was the sole source of his misery and wanted to discuss the mnatter with me. Two fast shot as very close range took care of that problem. Again, the gun was loaded with my handloads using that same Lyman #358156 cast bullet.
Seems like when I carried a .357 Mag. out in the boonies, I had serious encounters with grumpy game. When I started carrying a .44 magnum though, nothing ever happened. Knock on wood.
I guess you know which bullet I would prefer for a .357 mag. rifle. I still shoot that one in my current 38/44 and .357 Mags. :cool:
Paul B.

[skeet]

Personally I would not use a 357 for deer at anything over 40 yds..GOB is right that the bullet is heavier than the 150 30-30 but the 30-30 is traveling quite a bit faster and has more energy Just my opinion on the 357. I have killed many deer with a 22 Hornet and the 218 Bee but all were very easy shots at very short range killing them on crop damage permits. Mostly 20-25 yd head shots. If you could get the 357 in a rifle to put out over 2200 ft per second..maybe a bit farther..But I don't know if you can get that kind of velocities. A friend uses a 357 Max to hunt deer with a Contender and kills his eating meat every year with it..but he is a very good meticulous shot and shoots 'em at shorter ranges.. Easy to do in his area

[gd357]

I've hunted with a .357 mag and Maximum for a while. Never shot anything with the mag, taken a few with the max. Keep bullet weight up, and you'll be fine. The max has a 22" barrel that likes the 180 gr Hornady ssp. It does wonders on any whitetail its pointed at. Never had one go 20 yards after being hit with that. You can't use that bullet in the lever guns, but the new lever evolution stuff might be worth a look. Kep shot distance reasonable, and you'll be fine.

[GoodOlBoy]

I have seen deer killed with one shot a 80+ yards with a 22 long rifle..... On the other hand most deer I have ever killed I have shot at less than 20 yards, and have shot them as close as 7 feet...... The 357 mag is fine for deer, BUT if the way you "hunt" is to sit in a 50' stand and plug away at a deer with a 40x scope at 200-400+ yards..... you MIGHT be disappointed. Not because the round and rifle won't do the job but because you probably don't have the necessary skills to take that animal with that particular setup. IE You have to get yer big butt out of the chair, stalk him, and put one in his coconut...

There is a big difference between harvesting deer, hunting deer, and artillery barrages for deer. If you hunt deer the 357 should do you just like a 30-30 would, IE bringin' home the meat ain't big drama. If you harvest them pick up your $4K+ custom Tika with a scope designed to shoot targets on the moon and have at it. Ain't sayin' there's nuthin' wrong with it, just sayin' you and I won't be huntin' the same way...

Everybody has to choose their own speed....

GoodOlBoy

[skeet]

Well as far as shootin my deer.. I gots me a cammyflaged bafrobe..an a cammyflaged piller and I has even got me a cammyflaged coffee cup..so I can shoot my deer from the comfort of my little ol breakfast nook. I'm gonna shoot 'im with my ol 788 44 mag. Ony fing I needs is somebody to take care of the critter after I shoots the sucker out of the winder. I might needs to go back to bed. A long shot is gonna be 40 yds..a normal one probably 25 ft. I been thinkin of gettin the ol pellet gun out fer the turkeys that is coming round the back of the house. Won't a Sheridan pellet rifle kill onea them at 25-30 ft??LOL..Wasn't knocking the 357 fer deer..just saying it ain't fer me...

[GoodOlBoy]

I know you wasn't knocking it skeet, i know you batter than that, and believe me anybody who has been doing it as long as you have has a pass in my book to do it as you see fit. I was just trying to get to the "$%# cutting" as we say down here. IE I would hate for some long range wildlife harvester to think I was suggesting to try to use it from their air traffic control tower. Be careful on the pellet gun fer turkeys, i once mentioned using a 22 short on them and you woulda thought i was caught strangling kittens.

GoodOlBoy

[skeet]

That pellet gun was kinda tongue in cheek...although I've kilt a buncha stuff with it from time to time..rabbits mostly in town where ya couldn't shoot anything loud. As far as the deer I also have used the 357 Max with the same 180 gr SSP bullet GD357 was talkin about. Rolled 'em right over using a 14 in Contender... I even had a load for a pointy 200 gr 35 Rem bullet in the 357 Max