Hottest .357mag load?

[model 70]

does anyone know the what the most powerfull, hardest hitting .357mag FACTORY load is that's out now?

[gregarat]

Im not shure wich is the hotest, but I like Cor-Bon.

[Lone Star]

You are not giving us enough information to help you. What is the load to be used for? Varmints? Deer? Bear? People? Targets? Cars? The term "hottest" is meaningless without the other information.

[model 70]

ok, we all know the .357mag is not the ideal round for close quarters black bear protection but it's better than nothing, right?

which load would hit the hardest and also penetrate the deepest?

[HANDGUNNER]

There are plenty of off beat companies with hot loads such as Corbon. But I've found some good ammo right from the shelf. If your looking for thick skin take down, the Federal cast core 180 grain goes through just about anything. I purchased the Sellier & Bellot 158 grain Soft Point. Check out the stats on this round, high FPS and FT LBs. There was a guy up here in NH last year that had his S&W 686 in the tree stand with him while bow hunting for deer. A bear wandered by and he dropped the bear with one shot from his .357mag. in the neck. The .357 mag aint the best round, but it can get the job done.

[model 70]

well in a scenario that's somewhat common...

camping. you have a cooler that didn't get put away or scraps left on the grill. middle of the night yogi comes wandering in looking for the goods. hollering won't get him to leave and he seems to be getting a bit aggitated by you trying to prevent him from sniffing around. you have a fully loaded .357mag in the tent with you. what now?

i know prevention is the best way to keep this situation from happening but it does happen.

i'll have a look at those loads. thanks.

[model 70]

I recently read in another thread that the .357mag doesn't have much stopping power. I'm assuming they meant people?

[wrenchman]

The 357 has greater stoping power then a 9m and the 40 and 45
the problim is over penitration for law inforcement they have to think beyond a target like some ones home.
I like the 357 i have one in in ruger gp100 i have killed deer with it
i have never killed a bear with it i have carryed it when doing bait runs
wenchester has a nice load in there supream but i like to shoot my deer with a hand gun at bow rangs.
The farthest i have shot a deer with a hand gun is about 40 yards.
I tend to carry a hand gun as a secondary firearm and most deer i have killed are products of them comeing in close anuf for a good hand gun shot.
If i was going to leave my shot gun at home or the rifel i would use a scoped 44

[model 70]

thanks for the replies. i guess the fact of the matter is that i want a handgun. after reading all the replys to the many questions i ask i have determined that a 6" barreled .357 mag is the most versitile for the situations i myself would want to use it for(plinking, target shooting, home protection, small game, close-in predators and a saftey gun for REAL TIGHT cover black bear trailing). not the recoil of the .44mag and harder hitting than a .22mag which were my other choices. more reliable than a .40cal or even .45acp(i hunt/shoot in some really dusty conditions) and more "knock down" power to boot. i plan on putting MANY, MANY rounds through this gun so reliability is a factor.

i guess in the end i just wanted to find out what all i can do with this .357mag i'm looking to buy. what brand/model? not sure yet but what ever it is, it's gonna be a wheel gun in .357mag.

thanks.

[Esox357]

Mike Mcnetts company Doubletap makes probably some of the hottest 357 mag rounds available. Check him out, he hangs over at glocktalk.com in the 10 ring forum. Esox357