Capabilities of .357 as a rifle round....

[slyfox_1973]

I am planning on buying a SA .357 revolver and thought it would be prudent to also look into buying a .357 lever as it's partner.

What is the maximum effective range for this caliber in a rifle? (2 & 4 legged)
Up to what type (size) of game can this round handle?

BTW.... I am looking at a Marlin 1894 regular Cowboy (24").

Thanks!

 

[griz]

The 357 gains a lot of velocity from a rifle. 158 grain bullets get up to about 1800 FPS. To me that makes it usable as a short range (100 yards) deer cartridge. Others may quibble over the range, but as long as you don't use light weight bullets most will agree that it is effective. It would be good for two legged problems well past the range where you are aware of the threat.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

My experience with my .357 Ruger Security Six and
Puma 1892 carbine (so far) has been paper and
metal sulhouette shooting.

.357 from a carbine barrel will put craters in one side
of a 3/8" metal swinging target and dents in the other
side: I stopped using my carbine on my metal swinging
target after that! Literally hundreds of .45 ACP, 9mm
and .38 Special were just smearing lead on that swinger,
though 7.62x25mm will make small craters from a CZvz52.

Loads rated 1400 fps from a 4" revolver give 1900 fps
from a carbine. That gives an 80% increase over the
revolver in kinetic energy on bullet impact. I would
check your wildlife resources regulations to see if the
.357 rifle is legal for big game. But it is certainly
adequate for coyotes and other varmits.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

I agree with griz. Anything bigger than mule deer gets iffy unless you are VERY good.

Just use tough slugs like hornadys XTP or a HCSWC. At those high speeds lightly constructed bullets act like a varmit round.

 

[bigger jon]

357

I shot last years deer with my Browning 92 in 357 i was using a 158jhp at 1880fps My first shots were at 150 yards i kept missing?my aim was high to coppensate for bullet droping but by my 4th round i found out it was still shooting POA and by this time it was almost 200 yards away so i aimed right at the kill spot and took out the hart with my 5th round and he went down rightaway the bullet went right threw and i never found it,

 

[Brian Williams]

I like 180GR SP XTPs or some LSWCGC loaded over Lil'gun, Look in books about how much to use, somewhere around 15grs.
38s and factory 357s out of a Marlin 1894c is like shooting a hose. Load up some fulltiltNboogie loads and the little rifle jumps a little.

 

[dracphelan]

Depending on the round your are using, you can take most deer out to 150 or 200 yards. But, shot placement can be critical. I recommend you practice at the same distances as you think your maximum and minimum shots will be. This will let you know what your true point of impact will be.

As another said, check with your state hunting regulatory agency and see what is legal for you to use. But, shot placement is critical.

 

[dm1333]

Buffalo Bore 180 grain

Seems like it puts the power up to about .30-30 level. Think of all the deer and bear that were killed with .44-40 and other rounds in that range and then compare it to what a .357 is capable of.

 

[roscoe]

Check out ammo from Buffalo Bore, DoubleTap, Corbon - they have pretty serious ammo for the .357 that is plenty powerful from a rifle. Near to 30-30 power at the muzzle.

 

[stiletto raggio]

I undestand the appeal of a .357 rifle, but only recreationally. I don't mean to be a pessimist, but what use does one have in the real world? I mean, it beats a 9mm or .45 rifle by sheer muzzle energy, beats a .30 carbine on some fronts, too, but for what you give up in capacity for anti-personnel uses or raw power and range in hunting uses, it seems to be a no-win situation. Basically, any rifle you can have in .357 can also be had in .44, so why bother? Recoil fro
m a rifle is still miniscule, and it will be a lot more practical on deer-sized game.

Also, 200 yards with ANY mid-range pistol round is simply irresponsible on a game animal of any size. While I ackowledge that shot placement is critical, it is always critical, and I would like to see a .357 lever gun that can hit a 6" circle reliably at 200 yards in field conditions. I would never feel comfortable taking that shot, but then, I think that is on the very outside of 45/70 range for killing critters.

Leave the gun for shooting targets at SASS matches or perhaps close-in defense, but for anything else, pick a more potent round/rifle combo.

 

[Sam]

It duplicates the 30 WCF in it's original loading

Sam

 

[roscoe]

I don't mean to be a pessimist, but what use does one have in the real world?

Well, it is like a lot of generalist tools - fairly good at a lot of things, while not excelling at any. It is a perfectly good antipersonell round and 9-12 rounds on tap is plenty for most any engagement. It can match the power of a 30-30 from the muzzle, and with a hardcast load, puts a reasonable hole in anything out to 100 yards, which is distance of the vast majority of shots in the woods. It has a PC appearance, is simple to operate, and is no less inherently accurate than a 30-30.

Just what does it not do within 100 yards?

 

[115grfmj]

I regularly hit at 200yds with my 1894c

I don't ususally measure groups at that distance, but I use a williams 5d site
and hit 10 out of ten on a 12" pie plate regularly. BTW how many shots (in the eastern half of the US) that present themselves on game out to that range???? Having hunted in both PA, and NJ I would say 100yds or less is more the norm.

At that range I wouldn't hesitate to use a .357 rifle.

Betcha a lot of deer are wounded with those super modern Loundenboomers
because more attention is paid to power and less to accuracy.

 

[Z_Infidel]

Around my property at home, the .357 Mag lever has proven very practical. It is more than capable of dispatching varmints, the ammo is relatively inexpensive, and the range is much less than a full rifle cartridge -- which can be a plus in certain environments. I limit my shots to about 75-100 yards, which is about as good as I can do with ghost ring sights on that particular gun. In a defensive situation, it would be very potent.

Pure fun is also a legitimate reason for owning a gun, and the .357 Mag carbine excels in that regard. I have other rifles I would use for large game, but that doesn't lessen the value of the little carbine.

 

[115grfmj]

I agree with Z Infidel...

What is the particular conceit we see regularly now about owning a gun for
it's " FUNNESS Factor". That attitude doesn't serve us at all as fellow gun
owners. One thing my father taught me was you never down another mans
tools.

 

[Brian Williams]

I was at the range and shot my 1894C 40 times with some heavy Lil'gun loads and was shooting fairly fast and was hitting low on my target. But I got 40 rounds of offhand practice, the 5 other people there while I was, all shot about 5 rounds from a bench and tried to walk their shots on target and they stopped when they got one in or near the center. I got practice and had fun, they got beat up by large caliber rifles and did not have much fun.

 

[Ranger J]

I lost the usage of my 1894 when I made the mistake of letting my wife shoot it. It was amazing how it soon became her gun. On the upside I regained the use of my .44 mag Deerfield which previous to the 1894 had become her gun. The 1894 is a great gun and any deer that walks in front of her within 75 or so yards is in big trouble. The other thing is that she can go through 100 rounds at the range and I hear nothing about recoil.
RJ

 

[up_onus]

SHTF

Well, as its been stated before....
Its a decent idea to have a rifle and a handgun of the same calibre for SHTF situations.
Not that SHTF would EVER happen. But....

 

[ozwyn]

Was thinking the same thing up_onus.

Versatile enough for light hunting/defense, politically correct appearance, its not a bad choice IMO for someone looking for a SHTF option with a budget concern.

 

[dm1333]

Stilleto raggio

Out here on the coast range in northern California the deer are small and the brush is very thick. A .357 lever gun would make an excellent deer rifle especially considering how steep some of the hills are and how tight the cover can get. A Winchester 94C wieghs about 5.25 pounds and is less than 36 inches long, it would make a great deer rifle here.

 

[Jim March]

I live in a motorhome. My two existing centerfire handguns are a 38 and 357. The idea of a do-it-all gun that eats the same fodder is mighty appealing.

 

[Rampant_Colt]

The ability to shoot at indoor ranges in the winter is a +
Winchester has several good loadings that would put this in the deer/black bear and boar catagory.
The compatability with a suitable revolver makes it a great choice if you ever decide to do some cowboy action shooting as well.

 

[wanderinwalker]

I prefer the .44 Magnum 1894PG myself, but my father's 1894C .357 is quite a bit of fun as well! Stoked with full-power 158-180gr ammo, I wouldn't hesitate to take it deer hunting around here. Most shots will be within 50 yards and that little Marlin will have plenty of punch.

Then again, I'd take the .44 moose or black bear hunting in a pinch, so I might not be the best judge!

Did I mention fun? Show up at the range for an afternoon with a .30-cal can of .38 Specials and just plink, plink, plink. I can't deny that it's cheaper than doing that with my .44 (not that that ever stops me...).

Get one and have fun. You won't be sorry!

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Why a .357 carbine?

If you have a .357 pistol, a .357 carbine is just a natural progression.

 

[High Planes Drifter]

My FIL hunts with a Marlin .357 levergun. Truth be told its all he hunts with. He killed an elk with it years ago. The last few deer seasons have been good for him, taking 4 or 5 a year. Some of them beyond 200 yds (by his account), and he says he hasnt lost any. Who am I to criticize his choice in weapons? Say what you will, but its hard to argue with a deep freezer full of deer meet.