Good .357 load for Whitetail Deer?
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shermacman
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Good for you? Or good for the deer? The best load for the deer is a squib load, no powder, so just the primer pops and the bullet limps down the barrel and drops harmlessly to the ground. Deer runs off laughing.
No personal experience, but I would think something like a 158gr JSP would work well. I would stay away from the light and fast Gold Dots as I have seen them open way too early on coyotes and other small critters. If you use a hollow point, probably something around 140gr and up in a traditional construction. Big, heavy bullets are the name of the game for deer in my understanding.
Ohen Cepel
Member
Winchester was loading Partitions in 180gr bullets. It's what I have carried for deer. However, none of them co-operated and let me shoot them with it :banghead: Therefore, I think it's a good choice however, don't have any real world experience to share.
If you have to order stuff check into Buffalo Bullets and Garrett. They may also load some hot/heavy stuff. I think Cor-bon did but not sure they still do.
If all else fails I think a 158sp should do the trick if you do your part.
If you have to order stuff check into Buffalo Bullets and Garrett. They may also load some hot/heavy stuff. I think Cor-bon did but not sure they still do.
If all else fails I think a 158sp should do the trick if you do your part.
RON in PA
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158 grainer minimun, 180 grainer preferred.
critter
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I have not taken a deer with my .357 (a Ruger GP 100 4") but I did take a hog. Used a 180gr Hornady XTP loaded warm. Did a good job-got both plenty of penetration and good expansion. Distance was CLOSE though.
stans
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158 grains is a good minimum weight. The 110 and 125 grain loads have no place in hunting deer, they expand way too fast for game.
I was discussing the effectiveness of Federal's 158-grain Hydra-Shok on men a couple of years ago, and the Federal PR man exclaimed about well that round also works on deer. He said it's fine for that.
However, with a .357, I think I'd try to take shots inside of about 60 yards.
The better bullets above 140 grains should be okay with heart or lung shots.
Hornady's XTP's have a good reputation.
Lone Star
However, with a .357, I think I'd try to take shots inside of about 60 yards.
The better bullets above 140 grains should be okay with heart or lung shots.
Hornady's XTP's have a good reputation.
Lone Star
Corbon makes a couple of loads at 180 and 200 grains that should be useful for deer.
A few years ago, i did some shooting with the remington scalloped JHP 158 from a 5" 627-8. There were accurate and busted 1300 fps as I remember. They would have been plenty good for the texas deer I've been near- of course they are so small that anything placed well will kill them nicely.
A few years ago, i did some shooting with the remington scalloped JHP 158 from a 5" 627-8. There were accurate and busted 1300 fps as I remember. They would have been plenty good for the texas deer I've been near- of course they are so small that anything placed well will kill them nicely.
[email protected]
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I watched a friend of mine shoot a 170# Sika deer at about 20 yds with a 12" .357, load was the Federal 180gr CastCore. The bullet completly penetrated the body of the deer... the long way! Went in the front undeneath the neck, all the way through...drilled the deer a new %#$hole, so to speak. The deer dropped right there, waited about 5 seconds, jumped up and ran about 15 yds (downhill of course) and fell stone dead. Just some anecdotal info to help you with your decision.
DanO
Drew: "What's this hole in his a$$?"
Dan, Dave, Mark, Bill (in unison): "That's his ******* Drew!"
Guess you had to be there.... I cracked up...
DanO
Drew: "What's this hole in his a$$?"
Dan, Dave, Mark, Bill (in unison): "That's his ******* Drew!"
Guess you had to be there.... I cracked up...
For what it's worth, the late Larry Koller, one of the best known gun writers in the1960's, tested Colt's then-new Diamondback .38 on a deer. He used a 125 grain bullet, but I can't recall the type. It was almost surely a handload back then. The gun had a four-inch barrel.
He killed a whitetail with it, and wrote that it did fine. He lived in New York, so it wouldn't have been a small one, especially.
For Coues deer, (if you get close enough), Key deer, tropical brocket deer, small Texas Hill Country bucks, etc., the .357 should be plenty. For northern deer or the big south Texas animals, a .357 needs to be just right for the circumstances, and I wouldn't push the range.
A friend of mine began deer hunting with a Winchester M92 in .32/20. He ambushed deer in southern Arkansas and shots were usually within 40 yards. He said it killed well. If a deer is big, the range is long, or it's adrenalized and moving, the .357 is probably marginal.
Lone Star
He killed a whitetail with it, and wrote that it did fine. He lived in New York, so it wouldn't have been a small one, especially.
For Coues deer, (if you get close enough), Key deer, tropical brocket deer, small Texas Hill Country bucks, etc., the .357 should be plenty. For northern deer or the big south Texas animals, a .357 needs to be just right for the circumstances, and I wouldn't push the range.
A friend of mine began deer hunting with a Winchester M92 in .32/20. He ambushed deer in southern Arkansas and shots were usually within 40 yards. He said it killed well. If a deer is big, the range is long, or it's adrenalized and moving, the .357 is probably marginal.
Lone Star
Cosmoline
Member
I feel the same way about 110 and 125 grainers for human foes, who are after all a notch LARGER than deer and may be on more illegal substances.
Bob F.
Member
Loaded up some 158gr Hornady XTP-FP's ( not HP's) with a big load of 2400 for my Blackhawk. Unfortunately, deer and coyotes haven't cooperated.Figure it will punch plenty of hole at reasonable (read:"close") ranges.
Stay safe.
Bob
Stay safe.
Bob
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