hunting sidearm .357 ammo

[Jimmie]

I carry a .357 sidearm while deer/hog/coyote/bobcat/fox/whatever hunting in west TX and northern AR. I first started carrying it in case I wounded a hog with my rifle, but I'd also like to take game with it as the primary weapon if I get the chance. I've been carrying the same thing I use for HD (158gr Gold Dots), but I know it's not the best balance of penetration/expansion.

What .357 ammo would/do you carry in a hunting sidearm?

(180 grain seems to be the consensus from other threads, so that's all I included. If you think a different weight is better, by all means, please chime in and explain.)

1. Buffalo Bore Ammunition 357 Magnum 180 Grain Lead Flat Nose Gas Check
2. Cor-Bon Hunting Ammunition 357 Magnum 180 Grain Bonded Core Soft Point
3. DoubleTap Ammunition 357 Magnum 180 Grain Wide Flat Nose Gas Check
4. Federal Power-Shok Hunting Ammunition 357 Magnum 180 Grain Jacketed Hollow Point
5. Federal Premium Hunting Ammunition 357 Magnum 180 Grain CastCore Flat Point
6. Grizzly Ammunition 357 Magnum 180 Grain Cast Performance Lead Wide Flat Nose Gas Check
7. Remington Express Ammunition 357 Magnum 180 Grain Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point
8. Winchester Supreme Ammunition 357 Magnum 180 Grain Partition Gold

This is in a 6" Ruger GP100.

 

[MCgunner]

MCgunner's brand....either a 158 cast (Lee mold) gas check SWC over 14.5 grains of 2400, this is a general utility and hunt load, or a 180 grain Hornady XTP JHP over 13.8 grains of AA#9 for laying down the law on any sized wild hog out of my 6.5" Blackhawk.

In .357, you don't really need expansion and it's not worth wasting penetration for. A heavy flat point SWC or TC bullet will deliver adequate wounding and penetrate well. You are working with minimal energy here so you have to make sure you get full penetration. that said, the 180 XTP should give you some expansion with decent penetration. I don't know, haven't shot anything big with it, yet, but a deer would be NO problem with that bullet. So far, though, the 158 grainer, which costs me the price of a gas check and a little time at the casting furnace, has done the job well. I've taken 3 deer with it, one out of a carbine, two with the Blackhawk.

I have hunted with the .357, but I have a .45 Colt blackhawk now for the case that I might have to blood trail a hog in heavy cover. I feel better about a .45 caliber 300 grain bullet pushing 1200 fps.

 

[chemist308]

158gr lead in 38 special. Reason being that the sidarm is of little use to me if I'm consistently shooting over the target...