Hi guys,

Never really noticed, but there's no hunting section on this forum... none the less, I'm contemplating using my TRR8 for hunting.

I typically use a 10mm, but love my 357, see a squirrel-38 spl, see larger, 357 Mag, etc would be my thought. And my S&W 357 is more accirate than my 10mm. Many say that the 357 isn't good enough for hunting. They push towards 10mm, but I just saw a few vids on youtube and really started to look at the ballistics of these rounds. Seems almost the same to me, sometimes leaning towards the 357 Mag in energy.

So what gives? Have any of you taken deer or hog with your 357? If so, what ammo?

Thanks for any advice!!

I've used a 357 magnum with 158 grain hollow points for deer with good results. I'm shooting within 50 yards at max where I hunt though. I'd have to admit I'm sure a 44 mag or hot loaded 45 Colt would probably be a better all around deer gun though.

Oh, and i typically stay within 50 yds or less. I know some people are gonna ask "depends on your limitations", my limit is 50 yds personally.

But if you've hit longer, please, let me know, my revokver will hold to about 80 yds, just not me, lol. Getting there..... slowly but surely....

Sure. 158gr SP over 296 in 8" 686. Prefer to be 75yd or closer.
With a big hog, be prepared to keep shooting.
If you're too far away to shoot in a 6" circle, don't shoot.

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Science plus Art

We may not have a hunting section, but what we really need is a "Bear Section"....

(Joke)

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Nice guys!! You never let me down!!

Even with my 10mm I had to shoot a hog a few times, no no change there. Tough *******s...

I have a 44 mag, but im opposite to most hunters, go out looking for small game, only go for hog and deer when no rabbits or other small game, lol. So 357 gives me 38 spl for those guys.

I can keep them in 6 inch circle no problem, my TRR8 is a 5 inch barrel. To me, perfect size to carry and keep the velocity and accuracy up. I have a 44 super redhawk, after a while, feels like I might as well have carried my M1A, hahaha!!

I have killed 6 deer, three hogs, 10 javelina, two turkeys, one black bear, and about 50 woodchucks with .357 magnum either in 4" k frames or a lever gun. All but the hogs were one shot kills with 158 grain JSPs. The hogs were multiple 180s each.

This is going to be a fun thread.

I've taken deer beyond 100 yds with my M27-2 6".

I’m thinking for small game a H&R 22lr revolver would work. For little small game use 22 shorts.

My 357 Python could make pinpoint accurate shots using my 140gr Jhp. @ 100yds. I have faith in the 357. Accuracy I can hit Little Rock’s on the 100yd berm all six shots.

The only thing is you pack lunch, snacks(hard candy) ammo for the rifle, handgun, plus the rifle and handgun, emergency pack it gets heavy.

Gets cold hunting bare/bear. Lol. I can never find his zipper to steal his coat.

You have to install the zipper yourself. Might get a little exciting if he's not *quite* expired when you start.

If you think about it, anything that will kill a person will kill a deer.
Hunting is all about correct shot placement.

A Texas whitetail doe at 39 steps, taken three years ago with the Smith & Wesson Model 27, a Sierra 158 grain JHP, and a heavy charge of 2400.

Only time I've used a .357 Magnum for deer hunting. Deer dropped and never twitched.

I carry a 4” 686, and a Marlin 1894 in 357 Magnum, great combo, like the old days same caliber for revolver and rifle.

Opening day of deer season, about 25 yards, 158 grain mag tech, dropped in its tacks.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Might want to try a hard cast SWC, like the Lyman 358429 (170g from WW) or the Lyman 358160 GCSWC (160g from WW).

Some suppliers sell them if you don't cast.

Big metplat, hard hitting, two holes.

There’s no feeling like sitting at the top of a field with the 6’ tall grass infront of you with a bear coming your way.

Or going to your stand in a apple orchard with a bear to the left and a mountain lion on your right talking to each other.

Or being in the thick pines with something busting up the place going the other way.

I love it.

Interesting thread, for years I carried a .357 while deer hunting as a second weapon. In all those years it never got used because I had a rifle in my hands and didn't even think about it. Then one season I decided to just leave the rifle at home, took a deer from a ground blind at about 25 yds it was a gratifying to know that it could be done humanely. They're not as efficient as a rifle but will do the job.

6 ft tall grass. At least You know the bear isn't much of a vegetarian.
Bear and the lion discussing how to divvy up You.
Whats going the other way is what You were there for in the first place.
I thought this thread was about hand gun hunting. Never tried a .357 Myself. Not legal here for anything but small game. I just use a .44 and a .475.

It was my first time bringing my brother with us. In the dark he said nothing but in the daylite he seen the bear tracks in the soft mud which made them larger by 1/3 he took the next year off from bear hunting. I had no problem. If it bleeds I can kill it.

A 357 will kill deer at reasonable ranges: 50 yards or so, depending on your skill.

I prefer hard cast 158 gr swc ammo.

As a primarily handgun hunter, I would like to see a hunting section.
Not a .357, but the pic is of a buck I took a few years back with a M29.
I hunt with an assortment of open sighted only .357's, a 10mm, .41 mag, .44 Spl., .44 Mag and .45 Colt.

Attached Images

bfarm44buck_n.jpg (167.8 KB, 96 views)

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

aliens if they bleed I can kill them.....I'm all in on this one.

Good results on a deer with Federal 180grn jhp out of a 6" 686 many moons ago....range was only 15yds. Very dead deer

IMO , If I were to go hunting with a 357 magnum revolver , I would use one of the two bullets . Either the Keith 173gr Lyman 358429 , or LBT Molds 180gr rnfp bullet , I cast either myself . I want them to go deep . I would probably use either Alliant 2400 or H110 for powder . I would use my 6.5" HP 28 to get the most velocity and give me the best accuracy because of the sight radius . Regards , Paul

If an arrow launched at 300 FPS will kill North America's largest big game, I'd say that a .357 Mag would do it better. All you gotta do is place a bullet where it'll stop topside oxygenated blood flow, and commence to guttin'.

I have killed one Whitetail with a 4 inch barreled Security Six , used 158gr
Gold dot ...,
I've killed several Whitetail and a couple of hogs with the same bullet with a 16 inch barreled 357 mag Puma levergun carbine ...

It's amazing how time brings major changes in how people perceive things.

The .357 Magnum "was" an outstanding hunting caliber 30 years ago and is to this day. Granted the 10mm is also an outstanding caliber for hunting purposes - generally in semiautomatic pistols, but this does not limit the .357 Magnum in any way.

Revolvers tend to be highly accurate and simple to operate.

Based on barrel length, the .357 Magnum has much to offer. In the short 2" length it's a superior choice for personal defense. Bump up to 4" and it's a good SD choice while capable of defense against dangerous animals. Bumped up to a 6-8" barrel and the .357 Magnum is truly potent against all North American predators when using the right ammunition.

In the barrels longer than 6" a hard-cast 180 grain SWC makes a lot of sense.

Excellent comment—The .357 Magnum Revolver of Smith & Wesson

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No school like the old school.

I have taken a number of deer with a .357, Ruger Blackhawks, S&W's , Dan Wesoon's and TC Contenders, no problem.
I have done it, ranges out to 75 yards. I take my time and pass on anything that's not a good shot. 158 grain JSP's work just fine.
I admit I was younger then,better eyes and a steadier hand. Now mostly use a Dan Wesson .44 mag with a 10" barrel mounted with a Nikon scope.

Most of the posters to this thread seem like sensible guys - no one has claimed to have harvested a deer at stupid-long range with a .357. I frankly find the caliber lacking for deer hunting however.

The popular theory is that it takes 500 lbs/ft of energy to humanely harvest a deer and that's about what a .357 carries at the muzzle while a .243 WIN or 6mm REM, for example, retains that much energy at 300 yards. But if you limit yourself to 50- to 75-yard shots, a .357 will work.

Accuracy obviously is better with a rifle but there are plenty of people who can shoot well enough to use a handgun so I won't debate that point. I will claim to have taken woodchucks at up to 120 yards with an open-sighted 8-3/8" Model 14 using 110-grain .38 Special hollowpoint handloads fired from the prone position but I don't think I would try that shot on a deer with an open-sighted handgun, especially a .357. For a shot like that, I would much prefer having my Super-14 T/C Contender in 7-30 Waters or my XP-100R in .260 REM, both of which are scoped.

When I carry a revolver while hunting deer, I use a .44 Magnum, either a 6-1/2" Model 629-4 Classic or a 5" 629-3 Classic DX, and since I shoot perhaps three or four rounds of that ammo a year, so far all of which have been used for confirming my gun's point of impact, I don't bother handloading that ammo. Instead, I use Hornady 240-grain XTP factory loads because of that bullet's excellent reputation on game. Unfortunately, I've never been able to confirm that reputation.

Arrows make up for their much lower energy level by the massive wound channel of a broadhead. They cut vitals up instead of shocking them.

Ed

357mag is sufficient for whitetailed deer.

I would rather use 357mag versus 44mag or larger for the easier shootability.

When I'm feeling froggy, I take my 6" Python loaded with 158gr. XTPs for whitetail.

Since the age of 17, my son has taken so many deer with his M686 they can't even be counted. It's the only gun he uses for deer hunting. He's 47 now. It's almost too powerful for deer hunting. Kind of like hunting squirrels with a 12 gage shotgun. Shoot, even I killed a 4 pointer three years back with my Glock 40 caliber because it was the only gun I had with me.

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Dr. B