Experienced 357 Carbine Hunters.

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Lnf Crzr

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If You have Experience with using a 357 Carbine for hunting ,
Can you elaborate on it. What type of firearm, ammo, bullet/powder… Type of animal and distance.
Good or bad information welcome- Yet keep the Technical Data out of it. I’m not interested in opinion of IF you feel it is a Good choice or 0D0977E7-08F9-419E-8863-7A208192A0BF.png shouldnt be used compared to____ Cartridge . It has done the Job.
I know other threads about this carbine have existed… Yet not much on the Experience from Hunters. Thanks Much for the information- Take care.
 
Sorry Lnf Crzr, but I don't hunt with mine. I have a Marlin 1894 in .357 and I got it as it has side eject. I can't tell from your pictures whether or not those two are top or side eject. If top, that will make mounting a scope more of a challenge.
I do reload for the .357 and I use two 158 gr. bullets. One is a semi-jacketed hollow point (SJHP) and the other is a semi-jacketed flat point (SJFP) and they are loaded to just under a max charge of Winchester 296 (or Hogdon H110) powder. The flat point won't penetrate as well but is more likely to stay together and break bones, esp. in a tough animal like a feral hog.
Good hunting !
 
357 isn't legal for big game in my state, but I have read with interest what people do use. The cast bullet crowd seems to swing for a 170 or 180 grain gas checked with a big meplat. They load that up as hot as they can and still get accuracy, and they keep ranges short (max 75 to 100 yards). If you are using jacketed, you pick a tougher bullet and load it hot. If I were going to do this with my 357 lever, I would probably use the Sierra 158 grain JSPs which have a reputation for toughness and I would load it up with Lil gun. That combination has documented very high velocities, and when I tried this combination it was quite accurate. I'd keep it to 75 yards.
 
Both are Jm stamped side eject Marlin 1894. One is a 16” Cp ported and other is a 18” Css. Both are very accurate with most any ammo. I had a 24” yet not practical. These Carbines can do a multitude of different things. Small game to medium, Target and Self defense. They can do a lot- just wanting more Hunting information.
Thank you for your time
 
I’ve had great accuracy with the 296 and 158gr xtp-fp. Open sites and a paper plate with that 16”…. No problem.
 
I've only taken three bucks with my 1894 CB LTD all three inside of 50 yards ... I could have taken more but I am always either going back to the 30-30 or the 35 Remington ... little more range, little more ooomph.

I took two bucks with straight-up Wally World Winchester White Box 158 gr JSPs and one really nice 180 pounder with a Federal Hydrashok HP I'll have to go in there and dig to get the exact nomenclature because I still have some of those, I just can't remember the exact specs. I did load them hot, I remember that ... it's been some time ago but that bullet made a really impressive hole.

The CB LTD has an 18" barrel if I remember correctly and it sends'em pretty good. I'm too old to use it past 50 yards with open sights anymore regardless the load. I may put some skinners on it though and take it out on the back forty when the weather gets cooler in December.

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Lnf Crzr said:
Both are Jm stamped side eject Marlin 1894. One is a 16” Cp ported and other is a 18” Css. Both are very accurate with most any ammo. I had a 24” yet not practical. These Carbines can do a multitude of different things. Small game to medium, Target and Self defense. They can do a lot- just wanting more Hunting information.
Thank you for your time
Click to expand...

Did they make an 1894P in 357/38? I must have forgotten about that somehow. I have an 1894P in 44Mag that I've taken quite a few whitetails with and even more pigs .... it's probably my favorite all-around levergun. It's a trapper, they didn't designate it a guide gun like they did the 1895G (also ported) ... so they called it the 1894P (ported, as you mentioned) Trapper.

Some like ported, some do not. Have no clue why they would port something in 357 as light shooting as it is. But it does make a difference in 44 Mag and 45-70, it really does.

This is the 1894P in 44 Mag with her Montana sling. Handiest rifle (carbine) in my safe. Had to add some padding after my rotator cuff surgery ... well, even before honestly. It was killing me. It's even worse with the 45-70 which is why I wish 357 had just a little more punch behind it out to say 75 yards.

2013-03-06_00-00-36_74_zpscdf844db.jpg
 
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I’ve got the 1894 Cp - Ported 357 as stated. Then the 1894P model you have in 44- I’ve tried to track one down, yet no luck. I did acquire a 45 colt version that’s identical with a 16” (Only 250 made) and truly is a mini Guide gun. As much power as a 454 handgun ,when hot ammo is used. Tho it hurts my shoulder as well.

The Cp 357 really need not be ported, Yet that little rifle is definitely great- ported or not. With a 16” barrel, it’s like a Red Ryder BB gun, maybe 5lbs.
 
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Marlin 1894 CSS.
XS ghost ring sights.
180gtn XTP loaded with 14.3grns of VV N110 SR primer.

I can hit a 9" target at 125yrds every time.
I think the longest I've taken a whitetail was less then 100.
Shot a big doe once through both shoulders, that 180 XTP did some damage, and kept going.

20210626_223139~2.jpg
 
357 Terms said:
Marlin 1894 CSS.
XS ghost ring sights.
180gtn XTP loaded with 14.3grns of VV N110 SR primer.

I can hit a 9" target at 125yrds every time.
I think the longest I've taken a whitetail was less then 100.
Shot a big doe once through both shoulders, that 180 XTP did some damage, and kept going.

View attachment 1031060
Click to expand...

Is that a “Jm” stamped Css Marlin? 2008ish production. Rare item if so- looked for a while for mine

I’m a huge fan of the 180xtp- shoot very accurate, Glad to know they can do the job.
 
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Don you find the Aperture site a hindrance for Woods hunting? I’ve pondered a scope- except I don’t need one just yet. Tho they do assist in light gathering.
 
Lnf Crzr said:
Don you find the Aperture site a hindrance for Woods hunting? I’ve pondered a scope- except I don’t need one just yet. Tho they do assist in light gathering.
Click to expand...

I really like the XS sight.
Big improvement over the factory sights for accurate 50+yard shots.
Eyesight may dictate an optic someday.
 
I couldn’t be in more agreement about the 180xtp- Very accurate and flat shooting, Just the rite combination.
I think I’ll be looking at a Xs scout scope with a Leupold 2x Silver pistol scope. My Buddy has one on his Cp 357 and has no problem using it. The only problem I have is the Scout mount. Ain’t the prettiest. :) Yet It would be nice to have a QD scope in Warne rings.
 
My experience is limited to 1. After hunting for years with a 12ga 1oz slug I decided to switch to a PCC once Ohio started letting us. I don't get out to hunt as much as I used to, but this was my shortest hunt. Walked behind my house and into the woods about 20 minutes before dawn and picked a tree to lean up against, and this yearling walked 25 yards in front of me 5 minutes into shooting light. Put a Hornady 140gr FTX right behind her legs, she jumped about 4ft up in the air and was dead before she hit the ground. I dug the slug out of a rotten log she had been in front of, it was about 1" deep and well expanded. It's a small deer and only one instance, but she died as quickly as any deer I've putt a slugger into. I'll take the same gun out again next time I hunt deer but might opt for a heavier bullet, I don't need much range and will probably never have a shot past 40 yards.

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Don’t see to many scopes - You guys must have good eyes :)

Had a Blue 18.5” - Gold trigger. Traded for a rare 44. Quickly replaced it with the Css.
Great rifles… Gold nowadays.
Great post and information.

A underestimated rifle by most.

Ps-Jerry Lester on line has a lot of good information of you want to read up some more.
 
Lnf Crzr said:
Don’t see to many scopes - You guys must have good eyes :). . . .
Click to expand...
The others may be like me and hunt where
there are the insane trophy laws, and most
of the time a scope is necessary to eyeball
the deer's rack to check for legality in the
few seconds of the shot opportunity
 
Mine is not a carbine per-se, I believe it is a rifle length barrel of 22" on my Henry Single shot. I do not have any personal experience on a deer with it. My neighbor's daughter used it last year, and likely got a very poor hit and lost a deer.

I have used it a reasonable amount on snowshoe hares. I've taken numerous Snowshoe hare with it, using either a 125 gr TC ACME hardcast or a 156 Keith style SWC of unknown maker, possibly home cast (auction buy). Both are run in .38 brass over various suitable powders I have lying about, and I keep them in the 850fps wheelhouse for this purpose. I do a lot of informal plinking and "birch golf" with this gun up at the cabin, so it gets a lot of use with random components I wish to use up in target loads. It is fitted with a 2.5x Shotgun type scope. With these 2 cast bullets, it is outstanding on the hares with little meat loss and fine accuracy. As this is not a "shock and awe" load, they do sometimes move a little bit before expiring, which is not an issue as I'm generally hunting them with full snow cover.

The deer load I have worked up is a book max load over H110 with the Speer 158 JSP. Recoil is mild, and accuracy outstanding. Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to take a whitetail with it, and the neighbor's kid made a bad shot.
 
Snowshoe wabbit to Deer in this thread. That’s the stuff rite there.

I read where one guy used snake shot to get rid of birds in the barn…. slid the site back up few notches, Used 38s fir Squirrel and then 357 hot rounds for deer.

Now I don’t know about everyone, yet to me- That’s very practical. Target shoot, Hunt and Self defense. Definitely is a one all kinda firearm.

Im sure it’s capable of more than just deer…. I’d like to hear about that.
 
I run a 20" 357 it has a Williams receiver sight.
I run a 180 WFN at 1900 and change. H110 or Lil Gun is definitely my powder of choice.
Do far it has only accounted for a dog that attacked my son and a large wild boar.
Both were inside 15 yards.
I will be shooting a deer with it this fall.
 
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