Picked up a Marlin 1894C since last season, and I'd like to use it a little this year for deer. Anyone have a good heavy round that their rifle likes? Probably needs to be store bought, as my reloading stuff is all packed up at the moment. I've been using the 180gr load from Double Tap in my revolvers and it's been good, but it won't cycle in the Marlin. I've just started seeing a 180gr load from Remington in my local stores, but I haven't picked any up yet. I believe it's a semi-jacketed hollow point which looks like it will feed better than the wide, flat point of the Double Tap. Anybody try these? How about any of the Buffalo Bore loads? Thought I'd check before buying another box or two that don't end up working. Thanks.

A Federal PR man told me that their 158 grain Hydra-Shok is an excellent deer load. He was speaking of revolver use, but I rather suspect that it'd carry over to carbines.

Just shoot the deer in the lungs or heart. Don't try to drive a .357 all the way through the body with a shot in the rear. I guess the people who do that are the ones who think they need a .338 for deer...

DoubleTap makes a good round as do most of the other factory manufacturers. Most have a "hunting round" in their .357 Magnum line. The Grizzly Cartridge Company has a great 180gr .357 Magnum round using a 180gr hard cast GC bullet rated @1350fps. They use the same Cast Performance bullet I use to load my .357 Magnum hunting ammo. (both the same company)

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I started shooting Blaser 158gr JHP because they are cheap. But they turned out to be accurate to so I'm going to use them for deer. I zeroed 2" high at 50 yards and they are about 4" low at 100 yards. Some of the areas I hunt 100 yards is long range so it should do great.

My particular Marlin 94c likes Independence 158 gr JSP. Shoots very well and lots of apparent clout.

Tried some other brands of 158 Jacketed, including Mag Tech and CCI Blazer alum case. Not as accurate in my rifle, even though good in revolvers..The Blazer also lacked the apparent power of the Independence.

Regards,

Dyson

Thanks for all the recommendations. Looks like I need to pick up a few boxes and go shootin.

Mine seems to like the Fiocchi Extrema that is loaded in Starline brass with Hornady XTP bullets. I don't have a chronograph, so I don't know how fast it's coming out (although I am interested if anyone knows.) But the XTP should be just dandy on deer or hogs. I've also had good luck in other guns with the Buffalo Bore 'Heavy .357' loads. They appear to perform as advertised.

The Remington 158 grain Jacketed Soft Point with give you a good balance of penetration and expansion. Most hollow points are well over their design envelope in a carbine.

I like the old 160 grain #358156 bullet with a gas check and 13.0 grains 2400 for all my .357 work, plus I know it's not too long for the cylinder so you should have no problem in a Marlin.

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I have a Marlin 1894 in .45 Colt. Reading through the entire 'manual' it does caution to not use a 'pointy' bullet
profile or a 'chain fire' could occur in the tube magazine.

Also, I read a gun test of a .357 mag lever gun ( leverguns.com ? )
and the author pointed out that the manual also gives a minimum and maximum overall loaded cartrdige length that will function in the 1894
for each of the chamberings offered. He was using some factory jacketeed HPs which have a flat face profile like Hornady's XTPs as well
as some cast SWC keith syle hard cast. he found a .357 Mag load
with 200 gr. bullets was too long to operate in the action but the same
200 gr. bullet in a .38 special case did work.
He also stated the 158 gr. bullet weight seems to be the best all arounder .

I have some .357 Mag loads from Reeds Ammunition and Research,
Oklahoma city 125 gr. 140 gr. 158 gr. and 180 gr. all Hornady XTps
look at the web site for R.A.R. for velocity of each load / Reed lists for
6" Bbl. pistols SInce my current .357 Mag is a J-frame Model 60 and
my carry load cjhoice is .38 Spcl +P that .357 Mag RAR ammo
will last a while.

.357 Mag isn't legal for big game in Wash State. fwiw

Randall



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You may want to stay away from HP's most are designed for handgun velocities. Shooting a 357 out of a rifle is a whole other game. I made the mistake once and used a HP on a deer out of my Marlin and it did kill the deer but it blew-up the shoulder and ruined the meat. I now use a 158gr. XTP-SP with a max load of LiL'Gun and I've never lost a deer or recovered a round. The one time I used a HP it was a XTP which is built more rugged then most HP's and it just did way to much damage. Any soft-point round will give you good service. I have not used all lead bullets mainly due to the results of friends who used them. They killed deer but didn't drop them as fast as jacketed rounds.

I have not shot a deer with mine (although I might some day since it is my ATV gun), but it is very accurate sighted in at 50 yards with Federal 158 grain JSP using a 2.75 Redfield scope.