Experienced 357 Carbine Hunters.

[Lnf Crzr]

My 357 Carbine will be in the woods for deer this year.

Can you give any details to the dog/wild boar(sizes lb Est.) and results of the, hard cast? Just a #2 pencil he through em or ???

 

[Lnf Crzr]

H110/296 or Lil Gun is my choice as well.

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.

 

[Bfh_auto]

H110/296 or Lil Gun is my choice as well.

I like your Marlins. But they don't have the freedom of COAL like my R92. Being able to seat in the second cannelure on the 180xtp or the lube groove on my Cast bullet allows for more powder than a standard load. Brass life is still good.

 

[Lnf Crzr]

Yes I’ve read where guys have some work done to this Marlin action to assist that issue. Yet 2000+ 158gr and 1700 180gr fps is pretty good.

What are yours capable of ?

My brother has a 357 Winchester- it’s Robust!

I like your Marlins. But they don't have the freedom of COAL like my R92. Being able to seat in the second cannelure on the 180xtp or the lube groove on my Cast bullet allows for more powder than a standard load. Brass life is still good.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Yes I’ve read where guys have some work done to this Marlin action to assist that issue. Yet 2000+ 158gr and 1700 180gr fps is pretty good.

What are yours capable of ?

My brother has a 357 Winchester- it’s Robust!

I got 2100 with a cast 158 and 1980 with a 180 cast. That was with lil gun.
H110 is slightly slower but more accurate.
I figure low 1900s and a wide flat nose is good enough.
It you zero at 100, you better know your drop after about 130.

 

[Lnf Crzr]

Really like the 180xtp
I’m my area 100 yards or closer

1700 outa do

I want to know about that hog and 15 yards

 

[Bfh_auto]

Really like the 180xtp
I’m my area 100 yards or closer

1700 outa do

I want to know about that hog and 15 yards

My brother was checking my trap. His pit ran in the brush and came running backwards toward him. With the boar chasing her.
He said he squeezed the trigger as soon as the front sight was in it's head. It went nose into the dirt. The 180 entered just under the eye penetrated the neck and obliterated the heart and lungs.
I asked if he was scared it wasn't going to kill it. He said he figured if it didn't kill it. He was going to jump over it when it got to him.

 

[Flight01]

I really think the 180grn XTP is ideal for 357 carbines.
Push them to 1700fps, they expand reliably, and hold together well.
One of the most accurate loads I've shot.

this is a load I’m looking at developing. Just started hand loading.
Right now I’ve only used factory 158 jsp running 1650-1800 depending on which brand. My Rossi 92 does well with a 20” barrel. I did order some real hot Buffalo Bore 158s and 180s to try out.
For the OP, I’ve only shot rabbit and coyote with my 38special/357 mag. I carry 158 38 specials for small game and 158 357 mag for deer. No luck on deer yet but the coyote i shot was 75 yards with American eagle jsp and the exit hole was similar to a high powered rifle. Certainly enough power. I’d feel comfortable on deer to 100 yards no problem.

 

[KansasTrapper77]

I’ll admit I don’t quite fit the question as I don’t own a .357 Carbine. My brother does but he hasn’t gotten a shot on a whitetail yet with it.

But I can input some for the cartridge as I have tagged a young doe with my .357 Ruger Security Six with the 6.5” barrel. That was 180gr Hornady XTP using H110 at just over 1000fps @ the muzzle. And be honest I was a little disappointed. I shot the deer at darn near point blank and I thought I’d missed as she didn’t even falter and left no blood trail. I followed her direction after waiting some time just to be sure and sure as hell found her about 50yard in the brush. You could see where she had laid down and bled quite a bit and then was bumped by us looking and didn’t make it far from there.

The 180gr XTP passed straight through on a quartering towards shot. With an exit wound that was larger than the entrance but not greatly which leads me to believe the bullet didn’t expand well. I don’t know if my 1000fps wasn’t fast enough or was too fast at point blank range.

Next year I think I will try Hornady’s 165gr FTX bullet. I used it to great affect in my 45-70, almost too much expansion. But that was at 30 yards or so, so I’m not surprised it was a bit explosive.

 

[Flight01]

I’ll admit I don’t quite fit the question as I don’t own a .357 Carbine. My brother does but he hasn’t gotten a shot on a whitetail yet with it.

But I can input some for the cartridge as I have tagged a young doe with my .357 Ruger Security Six with the 6.5” barrel. That was 180gr Hornady XTP using H110 at just over 1000fps @ the muzzle. And be honest I was a little disappointed. I shot the deer at darn near point blank and I thought I’d missed as she didn’t even falter and left no blood trail. I followed her direction after waiting some time just to be sure and sure as hell found her about 50yard in the brush. You could see where she had laid down and bled quite a bit and then was bumped by us looking and didn’t make it far from there.

The 180gr XTP passed straight through on a quartering towards shot. With an exit wound that was larger than the entrance but not greatly which leads me to believe the bullet didn’t expand well. I don’t know if my 1000fps wasn’t fast enough or was too fast at point blank range.

Next year I think I will try Hornady’s 165gr FTX bullet. I used it to great affect in my 45-70, almost too much expansion. But that was at 30 yards or so, so I’m not surprised it was a bit explosive.

If it was a flat point XTP then you were too slow for good expansion. Your bullet acted like a hard cast bullet at those velocities. For a flat point 180 bullet I’d go to 1200-1800 ft/s as a good expansion. Easy in a carbine but revolver it would be possible but potent