Favorite .357 hunting load?

[Nightcrawler]

What load do you use to hunt with in your .357s? What type of game do you hunt with the .357?

Do you have any preferance for factory ammo, or do you handload your hunting ammo? If you handload, what kind of bullet weights and muzzle velocities do you get?

Check this out.

Apparently Buffalo Bore started make .357 hunting ammo, that they say will start shipping at the beginning of 2004.

This isn't making it any easier to reist buying that GP100, you know. Look at their stats:

-180 gr. LFN-GC (1400 fps ME 783 ft. lbs.) Per Box of 20
-170 gr. JHC (1400 fps ME 740 ft. lbs.) Per Box of 20
-158gr. JHC (1475 fps ME 763 ft. lbs.) Per Box of 20
-125 gr. JHC (1700 fps ME 802 ft lbs.)

Your typical .357 180 grain hunting load has a muzzle velocity of 1200 feet per second. 180 grains at 1400fps?? Thinking this is a GP100/Blackhawk kind of load, hey? LOL

Me want. Me want big time.

 

[critter]

I have a GP100 identical to the one pictued. I load 180 gr Hornady SPT with a good dose of Blue Dot powder. Just shot a hog with one. Worked!

 

[HSMITH]

If you have the self control to stay away from the shoulder on whitetail deer a 125gr JHP with a full tilt load of Blue Dot under it will boggle your mind the way it LEVELS a deer. GYDRT (graveyard dead rat thar). It WILL fail on a shoulder shot though.

 

[Nightcrawler]

So what's a good bullet for being able to punch through the shoulder of a deer? Those 200 grain hard casts?

 

[444]

The only animals I have ever shot with a .357 is jackrabbits and coyotes. My load was a 110 grain JHP at about 1980 fps (from my 6 1/2" Blackhawk) powered by Blue Dot.

If I was hunting deer with a .357 I would probably use the Keith 170 grain cast bullet over a stout charge of H110 or AA9. I also would probably go with one of the bullets sold here (which is what I have loaded up in .44 Mag): http://www.beartoothbullets.com/bulletselect/index.htm

Nightcrawler, I have that same gun you have pictured there. I own a total of 13 different .357s and that one is my faviorite. If I could only one one gun, that picture shows it. I like everything about it. I was completely satisfied with it. I didn't even change the stocks.

Oh, one more thing.
180 grain bullet at 1400 fps

 

[7.62FullMetalJacket]

In a .357 mag, will hunting loads be effective on 2-legged critters? I like the bigger bullet. Not hard cast, but jacketed soft point/partition-types.

 

[Nightcrawler]

In a .357 mag, will hunting loads be effective on 2-legged critters?

I don't see why not. If it'll kill a whitetail, it'll kill a man, to be blunt. You could also handload some, say, 180 grain softpoints and push 'em to 1200 feet per second.

 

[7.62FullMetalJacket]

That is what I was thinking. I converted to revolvers for ccw and liked the power of the 357. My only other revolver is a 44 mag. Can't cc the 44. But if i perforate someone I want them to feel the wrath of at least 180 grains.

 

[444]

I personally don't think a 180 grain bullet in the .357 would be the optimum choice for personal defense against humans but what ever pulls your chain.

Nightcrawler, note that those velocities are from a 6" barrel. They are still very stout loads. Very stout. That 180 grain velocity is faster than I am getting with a 158 grain out of my 4" GP100. I know it is kind of comparing apples and oranges considering the two different bullet weights and two different barrel lengths but if those loads prove to perform like they say they will, they are real go-getters. They are also using very good bullets. I would say that if you are going to hunt medium sized game with a .357, those Buffalo Bore loads look terrific to me.

 

[ChristopherG]

Speer's new 170 gr. Gold Dot JSP looks like the bees' knees for hunting to me: I've got a wad of them to load for my Marlin 1894c. I'm not sure if a pdf link will work here, but if it does, it's a nice supplementary load-data sheet from Speer for this bullet:

http://www.speer-bullets.com/pdf/ReloadingSupplementalDATA/357mg170.pdf

 

[prisoner6]

Georgia Arms makes a 158 grain JSP at 1475 fps. I've fired them from a GP100 like that one and they'll wake you up.

 

[Nightcrawler]

See, I like heavier bullets. I'd like to see 200 grain soft point or hollow point self-defense ammo for the .357 Magnum.

But I'm weird.

 

[HSMITH]

A 158 hard cast at 1400fps (easy to do) will punch a deer through and through no matter what bones you hit. They react just as if you hit them with a broadhead, they hump up and jump then run off 20-400 yards before toppling over stone dead. 20-400 is a pretty good range, but if you have shot deer with a bow much or cast bullets you know it is possible even with PERFECT shot placement.

Shoot that deer with a 158 XTP at 1400fps and BAM he is piled up right there or some where real close, bones are not going to stop the XTP either. Double lung him with a 125 at 1600+fps and he is DEAD right where you shot him, if he runs at all it will be 40 yards TOPS.

With cast bullets stay heavy and keep the speeds reasonable. With good jacketed bullets push them a little but stay away from the bones if you push them hard.

The 158 XTP is a dead nuts accurate bullet and AWESOME on deer. It can take 1400 FPS+ too. IMO it is THE BEST deer combo out there in a 357.

 

[JackM]

Revolvers do vary, but I don't get much over 1200 fps with the Beartooth 185 gr FNGC and a very stiff dose of W296. This is with a 6" M28.

Bye
Jack

 

[Quantrill]

The Elmer Keith .357load. Lyman mould #358429, 168gr. hard cast bullet over 14gr of 2400 powder. Yes, I know that Elmer loaded them even hotter than this, but this is what I have used. For "N" frame revolvers only and work up to it. Quantrill

 

[Lone Star]

Keep in mind that burning rates of some powders have changed since Keith died in 1984. Check new manuals. Some classic loads are now excessive!

The former PR guy at Federal told me that their 158-grain Hydra-Shok is a real killer on deer. In the controversial tests against French goats, it dropped the test goat very nearly as fast as did the 125-grain bullets, and provides better penetration. I also carry it for defense.

Oh: Speer's Gold Dot in 158-grain weight should also penetrate well and hold together.
Lone Star

 

[mtnbkr]

In my 4" GP100, I drive a 180gr Remington SJHP to 1250fps. I chronographed that load. It is tough on the hands, but still shootable for 50rnds or so.

Chris

 

[JohnK]

I've put up to 170gr Keith @ 1,386 fps through my 4" GP100 so far (and much hotter through the 357 Redhawk) and feel there's room to go up in my GP if I needed it for some reason.

I haven't tried them (obviously) but I'd bet Buffalo Bores loads will easily hit their claimed velocities from a 6" 357. Seems like it would be about as good as it gets for a 357 if you want to take shoulder shots on deer.

 

[s&w 24]

I have half a box of some handloads made with nosler's 150 gr SP bullets over a max charge of 2400 and that will do me fine untill I run out then its back to the drawing board.

 

[Win75]

I am trying handgun hunting for deer this year for the first time.

The load I will be using is the Nosler Partition 180 gr. over 14 grs. of Lil-Gun. I may move the load up a little but it is pretty stiff right where it is.

Using this in an 8 and 3/8 inch barreled scoped S&W 686.

Will post results after November 16...if there are any.

David.

 

[George Hill]

Buffalo Bore rolls some insane loads... You think "Man, I want to try some of those!"
Then you look at the prices...

I don't know about you guys, but that gave me sticker shock. I was looking at the .44 Special ammo and about fell over.

This is why I am going to have to start reloading again.

 

[Nightcrawler]

That's the problem when you buy from smaller companies like that; lack of mass production translates into very high prices. Priced a box of .600 Nitro Express? I saw a box of 20 rounds for sale for $199.00, no BS.

Unfortunately, for specialized loads like heavy .44 Special or uber-hot .357, it's either buy very expensive factory stuff or load it yourself.

 

[coop57]

I've taken two Bucks with my GP100 4" using Corbon 158gn lead. Both shots were 70 yards or less. Both shots were taken SA. They fell like they were hit with a 300 WinMag.

 

[Black Snowman]

I saw that someone hunted deer with thier .40 S&W using hollow points of some flavor and that they punched right through both sides and had never recovered a bullet. You're starting with the advantage of having a LOT more muzzle energy than that so I think it'd be pretty hard to go wrong with any full power .357 Mag.

 

[Slow]

180 grain Winchester Partition Gold!