Ok, normally I carry a rifle when were hunting wild hogs down in SC but this year I think I am going to carry a couple of handguns. One is going to be my 4" model 57 and the other is my 6" GP 100 357.

I already have a good load shooting a 251gr LSWC at 1200 fps for my 41 but I cant decide on what bullet to use for my 357.

Do you think a 158gr is enough or should I go with a 180? Should I use a hollowpoint or soft point?

Hogs usually run between 100 to 300 lbs.

Thanks in advance for everyones help.

Greetings
In the .357 I would go the 180 grain loaded as hot as your revolver can stand. Each Model 19 or whatever is a piece to itself. One may take half a grain more safely... But I would start at 14 grains and work up in half grain charges. Depending on the 180 you use you may need to trim brass a bit to be able to crimp in the groove. I would want to be shooting no more than 40 yards and less if possible on a big rooter.
In my Dan Wesson I load a gas checked 180 with 296. The Dan has a longer cylinder so I can seat it out to the first grease groove and give it more powder in my 10" barrel.

I have only used the 30/06 and 44Mag to shoot hogs with so I'm not going to be much help here. I load for carbines too so, again, not much help. Sorry.

I know that the 357Mag is on the light side for a 300lb hog though. The smaller ones, not so much. They aren't that hard to kill but, the bigger ones may take more punch than the 357Mag can muster out of a 6" barrel. At least, to provide a clean kill. The 41Mag, that will do the trick, no doubt about it.

I shot a 300lb sow, running right to left at 40 yards offhand with my Marlin 1894 using a H&G #503 @ 1750fps. I hit it cleanly right in the boiler room and it went down. Wasn't dead but down. So, while some use Gamo air rifles to take them, this ole' boy ain't taking nothing less than a 44Mag!

The last two I shot was with a 44Mag, 240gr Hornaday XTP with a full load of Lil' Gun, about 1800fps from the Marlin. One went in just in front of the left front leg and went lengthwise exiting the right rear ham breaking the leg of the hog. It went about 300 yards! It blew up the insides of that thing something terrible.

The last one I shot, was right in the eye at 50 or 60 yards with the same load. It dropped like a rock and kicked for a minute or so. The eye was gone, and the exit hole was big enough to put several of my fingers in.

Girls stick them with knives. One guy uses a spear. Me, I want at least the 44Mag.

Just got a new rifle to shoot them out of too. Ruger M77/44 stainless with a synthetic stock. Gotta get a scope and go to it.


Well, that took a long time to say nothing! Well, nothing that really helps you and what you are looking for but once I got to talking about hog hunting I just couldn't stop!

My first hog hunt is coming up in five days. I am determined to get one with an iron sighted revolver that can also serve as a concealed carry piece. I considered my 627-5 with 4" barrel but I am somewhat reluctant to use a .357 Magnum. I have a large quantity of 180 gr. non-expanding bullets (hard cast and the jacketed Hornady Silhouette) but I feel that the .357 is a bit small. I would NOT choose a JHP or JSP for fear that the bullets would blow up and wound rather than kill. I think the hogs deserve better than that. I really wanted to use a heavy .45 Auto Rim load but have decided to go with my .44 Magnum Mountain Lion. Recoil is brutal with the 240 gr. Laser Cast SWC and 22 grs. of 2400 in that light 4" barrel but the accuracy is unmatched and I shoot it extremely well offhand under field conditions. I believe in using the biggest, heaviest bullet you can manage at the highest velocity, and in my case that leaves the .357 Magnum out of the equation. If you do well with the .41 I suggest you stick with it.

Dave Sinko

Thanks for the input so far. i forgot to add that shots will be about 20yds from a ground blind.
i still have a box of Remington 180gr hollowpoints that I load over a good charge of 296 I might end up using but i will wait for somemore replys first before I make up my mind.
Thanks guys. Keepemcoming.

For my little Marlin 1894 .357 carbine, I load Cast Performance hard-cast gas check 187 gr. bullets over a BUNCH of WW 296. I get over 1900 fps. in my Marlin. I've shot it from some handguns, including a 2 3/4" Ruger Speed Six. From the Speed Six, it runs at 1356 fps. From my old 6" Security Six, it gets 1542 fps. From carbine or revolver, this load will suffice for porkers.

An excellent read that may just interest you at the present.

Beartooth Bullets > Tech Notes

158gr half or 3/4 jacket HP.

Those hogs arent made out of cast iron. I went hog hunting once...well twice Id guess...The FIRST time and the LAST time! Man told me they were TOUGH...hard to kill and thats Id better come heavy gunned..?? I took a 30-06...200gr Silvertips.

So tone at about 30 yds..standing broadside to me...Classic "right behind the front leg" hit. Went thru him and hit another running away...right under the tail. Wnet totally thru HIM from front to back and he was trout feed when we picked him up. Not a single solid piece of meat on him execpt his back 2 hams.

Hard to kill huh?? I told the guide I was bringing a Wham-O sling shot the next time!

I guided on hogs while I was in grad school. Money being tight , i decided to take a sow (we lived off of an elk, two hogs and a big Wyoming mulie=beef was a luxury). So, after our hunters left, the head guide, my wife and I took the dogs and jumped in the truck. We saw a large sow just feeding out of some chapparal. I took a bead with my 300 mag but she smelled us and spun around just as I fired. Took her leg clean off just below the hock. The dogs took off, as did we. Got up to the tussle (two Rhodesians and what turned out to be about a 240 lb sow). I pulled my Ruger and put 6, 180 grain silhouette slugs in her, just behind the ear from 6-8 feet. She spun and came at me. My buddy stuck my 300 mag in her ear and dropped her as she came by. My wife commented that it sounded like a Viet Nam documentary.

When we skinned the sow out, there was a very wide and very shallow area of severe bruising.

After that, I went to a 44 mag, then a 41 mag. The 41 with hardcast gave better penetration than did the 44, with Soft points.

Take it for what it's worth.

If you can get it to fit in the cylinder, load up some 170 grain #358429 cast bullets behind a decent charge of 2400 would do just fine in .357. If that doesn't fit due to the overall length (it won't in a N frame), then go with a 162 grain #358156 behind something like 13.5 grains of 2400 should have plenty of penetration. Personally if you have the choice to use the .41 Magnum, then by all means go for it. A good bullet for that is Montana Bullet Works 215 grain gas check cast bullet. These are perfect for what you're looking for and with 16.0 grains or so of 2400 is not that bad on recoil, probably just as stiff as a really hot .357 Magnum.

__________________
Vaya con Dios

I've killed quite a few hogs now. Some went down easier than others, but most always they run a short ways before expiring unless hit with a big hammer.

Most hogs aren't as big as most guys believe they are, and no one wants to admit they shot a 100-125 lb piggy, but most of the will run from that range and on up to around 200 live on the hoof weight for a mature boar.

It's when you come across the execption to the average that more gun is better than less.

The .357 will do, but marginally so for come what may hog hunting, and I darn sure want things in my favor if they go south in the middle of it all.

If the .357 is all you can handle well ( and for many it is) then use it, but don't waste your time with JHP's. Use a good heavy hardcast bullet of around 170+ weight with a flat, wide nose. Stick it in a tender spot carefully, and you'll have some good eating!

I took this one several years ago with a hot loaded .35 Whelen and it took 2 shots, both quartering from the short ribs on either side, and on through the heart/lungs, and out through the opposite shoulder to bring and end to him, and that's a lot more gun than any handgun. He went around 450 on the scale.

That's a big arse hog. I am used to seeing the much smaller ones down here.

I think I hear banjos playing

(nice picture)

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

I hope they ain't duelin' banjos

He for sure wasn't a run of the mill hog. Much bigger than most I've killed, and he's hanging right above me on the wall as I type this.

that's a big boy there.
myself I carry S&W 28 6" bbl loaded with Lee mold 158gr as cast and quenched wheel weight slugs over 5 gr Red Dot. that is my back up to Mini30.
I recommend you practice with that load if you make it up it has some 'whoomp' to it. but right at Lee data max so definitely safe

You might change your mind if you had to deal with them on a regular basis. Around here, we just try to hit them and anywhere will do the trick, since the idea is to exterminate, not bring in a trophy. The last three I killed were all with 00 buck and none survived.

I did shoot a few with a cast bullet in .30-30 at about 1600 fps and it killed them real good.

This one (200#+) was shot with the 870 leaning on it.



This one (about 150#) was shot with the 870 also.



This one (I forget how big it was, but probably 70-100#) dropped on the spot, again using the 870.



These were shot with bird shot.



When you consider how small 00 is, then you realize it doesn't take much to kill a hog.

That GP100 is sufficient, especially with a 358429 and 15.0 gr of 2400.

i have hunted boars for awhile now....in recent years i have used a S&W 500 mag.with a scope....i wouldn't even consider a 357 mag.unless you like trailing a wounded hog in swamp/heavy brush...the least i would use would be a 41mag.with a hot load...boars have a heavy plate of bone/gristle that goes a long ways towards protecting the boiler room area.....i just see no reason to use a marginal or insufficent caliber...

__________________
SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

If they can be killed with bird shot, like I posted a picture of, they sure don't need a .500 Mag! Here's the Gamo site with videos of hog hunting with a small bore air gun. GAMO USA | Airgun hunting videos and advise from experienced hunters

No one NEEDS a .500 Mag for ANYTHING! You gotta WANT one!

I use 357 mag only for hogs in my trap. If you use it for hunting, I'd sure stay away from the hollow points - the hide/fat/shield is just too thick. Need DEEP penetration.

yup...you use the airgun...i'll stick to the big boar...birdshot on the other hand at close range is devastating

__________________
SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

The link to the air guns was just to demonstrate the ease with which a hog can be killed. The majority of our hogs are feral and that doesn't include much, if any, Russian mix.

Bird shot isn't devastating, or they would be using it for home defense loads, which they don't.