.357 mag, .44 mag, .45 colt carbine for short range shooting

[TexasPatriot.308]

I own all three pistol calibers in Ruger Blackhawk revolvers, I hunt hogs every day when I check my cattle pastures, pretty much hunt year round. I got couple pastures with houses or roads nearby and thinking bout getting a carbine in a matching caliber that I could take hogs with and not worry about the bullet trajectory. I want a round that will do the job inside 100 yards and then drop and not worry about a stray round.

 

[Dr.Rob]

My Marlin .44 shoots fairly flat out to 100, beyond that it drops like a rock.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=627775&highlight=marlin+1894

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

i would look for a marlin 1894 in 44 magnum in older one made by marlin
with the JM stamp on the barrel pre-safety, i have never shoot a hog but
i know they can get big and are tough. and you cant send a 300gr bullet
down range out of a 357 magnum.the 45colt would be my next pick

 

[Jim Watson]

I want a round that will do the job inside 100 yards and then drop and not worry about a stray round.

I fear there is no such thing. A high trajectory does not mean the bullet is going to be falling out of the air at some short range.

W.W. Greener said the ideal Rook Rifle would shoot flat and accurate for 100 yards and then fall to the ground. It can't happen, but gunmakers worked toward it with low sectional density bullets in the traditional Rook and Rabbit calibres.
Greener did not like the .22 LR because it was too low powered for the large rabbits and hares in England but still had a long terminal range. Likewise the .310 Greener training rifle was too long ranged to be an ideal Rook Rifle round.

But all that is a relative thing, you must always consider the fourth rule of firearms safety, know your target and what is beyond it.

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

in 870 with a rifled slug barrel would work very well too 12 or 20ga

 

[Reloadron]

Any of the three would compliment a revolver just fine. I have a Ruger 44 Carbine that I hunted with for years as a companion to my S&W Model 29.

However, as much as we like to use the term "drops like a rock" nothing, as pointed out really does drop like a rock. That needs considered. Even with the larger 300 grain 44 Magnum bullets they do not drop like a rock.

Between the 3 calibers, 357 Magnum, 45 Colt and 44 Magnum I lean more towards the 45 Colt and 44 Magnum but only because I have or have had, carbine type rifles chambered for them and they may drop a little quicker than a 357 Magnum.

Ron

 

[BullfrogKen]

I like that 44 magnum rifle. Problem with it is when it ricochets, it has a lot more mass to stay intact and keep going afterwards.

As always, be sure of your target and what's beyond it.

 

[HOOfan_1]

Varmint bullets shooting at a downward angle may be a better proposition.

 

[LAGS]

I use a Ruger Blackhawk and my Marlin 1894 in .357 for Javalina.
They both work great to 100 yards.
But Javalina are only about 60 to 80 pounds at best.
You might want the .44 mag for the bigger HOGS that you have.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

Yup, as others have said any of them would work fine. I love my Marlin 1894C in .357, it is as accurate as any rifle caliber I own in the 50 to 100 yard range and I am sure it would drop a hog without a problem.

 

[zerobarrier]

I love my Ruger 77/44 44mag carbine. It has a 18" barrel and is very light. I use it for deer hunting. It has a set on nice iron sights with a gold bead on the front. It also comes with 1" rings to mount a scope if you want. It is a bolt action and hold 4 rounds in a detachable rotary magazine. It will definitely take care of hogs.

 

[rcmodel]

I want a round that will do the job inside 100 yards and then drop and not worry about a stray round

None of the three pistol calibers you mentioned will do that.

Yes, they will do the job on a hog nicely aside 100 yards.
But, no big heavy slow bullet will just stop moving past 100 yards like they popped out a drag parachute!

Big, slow, and heavy bullets may deform on the target, then when they pass through, and hit the ground the first time.

Then, they ricochet off the ground and keep whining away for a very long ways!

Light varmint caliber rifles use high velocity, and light bullet construction to explode the bullet into tiny fragment on contact.

Those tiny fragments won't go far, or do any damage, past first target or ground contact.

You are barking up the wrong tree if you think a heavy / large caliber handgun bullet is just going to stop being very deadly past 100 yards after it hits the ground and takes off at another tangent again.


Look at .223, .243, or light varmint bullets in a .308.

Pistol caliber carbines won't Get-R-Done.
They will stay together, and bounce and skip a long long ways before they run out of energy.

rc

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Of the 3 handgun cartridges you mentioned, even though I'm a fan of the .357 Magnum I feel the 44 Magnum will do a better job on pigs... I enjoy carrying a Ruger Vaquero and a Marlin 1894C in the woods, both in .357 Magnum but I'm not hunting pigs.

If you are up for changing calibers I feel an AR in 6.8mm SPC will really do what you need done. My second choice would be an upper in 300 Blackout, especially if you want to use a can.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

I shoot everyday, I kill hogs and or coyotes everyday, all my pastures are infested with hogs so I drive up on them all the time. I am a very good shot even at 60, I have looked at some trajectory charts, I realize they don't just drop, I don't plan on ricochets cause I know what type bullet to use on a stout animal like a hog, prefer cast bullets. My closest concern is over a half mile away.

 

[Revoliver]

I am heavily biased towards saying .357 as that is what I shoot, but honestly, all three are good choices and capable of killing hogs out to a hundred yards and then a little.

I am also biased towards recommending Ruger's 77/357. Fantastically fun little lightweight 'carnival gun' (as the wife calls it) that barks enough to let you know you're shooting but has next to no recoil.

 

[mgkdrgn]

Rossi makes a very nice M92 lever action rifle in all three. I own a SS model in 454 Casull myself (mainly shoot 45 Colt with it) ... one of my favs.

If you can't knock it down at 100 yards with 45 Colt ... then you best learn to run FAST!

 

[jim243]

Big, slow, and heavy bullets may deform on the target, then when they pass through, and hit the ground the first time.

Then, they ricochet off the ground and keep whining away for a very long ways!

If you reload, you can just use frangible bullets, they will kill what you are shooting at but just break up on the ground or anything else and not ricochet off into the wild blue yonder.

Jim

 

[heycods]

I have had them all, I cast so the micro grove was unsatisfactory to me. Presently my truck gun is a 92 Rossi in 16" barrel 45 colt cal. Wish I had one years ago.

 

[Furncliff]

1894c 38/357 loaded with Lil-Gun and a Hornaday 158gr xtp bullet.

If you don't reload...Buffalo Bore loads .357's that have velocities close to the 30-30 range.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=100

 

[M1key]

+1 on the Ruger 77/357

Mine with 158 XTPs will shoot three into ~1/2 inch at 50 yards.

M

 

[DPris]

Did the accuracy work on a new Marlin 1894C today.
Three Federal CastCore 180s produced a 1 13/16-inch 100-yard group.
Winchester 158 Super X JHP put 3 holes in 15/16 of an inch.

More than enough 100-yard accuracy for hogs, with the right bullet.
That CastCore hard lead solid would do a job when penetration's needed.
Denis