Hunting with a 686 6" 357 Magnum

[SS686]

Hello everyone,

I've read debates back and forth about the 357 vs 41 mag, vs this or that, etc., but mainly I'm looking for information from you guys who hunt with a similar handgun as a 357 6" barrel. I have a great .270 Winchester that I can hunt deer with, but I have kind of grown fond of the idea of more of stalking your prey and have to keep the shot within 50 yards, preferably less.

For those of you who hunt with a 357 6" (or shorter barrel), what do you suppose is the largest game you would hunt? I live in south Texas and I'm thinking a decent sized deer would be ok, but I've read conflicting stories, sometimes from guys who have never hunted with a 357, so I'd like to know from real life experience what you guys feel comfortable hunting.

I'm not great, but I can keep my rounds in a 3-4" circle at 25 yards, unsupported. I can do better using barricade. At 50 yards, it's a little worse shooting supported. If I went hunting today, I wouldn't attempt anything past 25 yards. I realize the chance of me killing anything even within 50 yards is pretty remote right now. I'm not really a hunter, much less a stalker, but I'm willing to learn and practice and get out there.

Thanks for any help or suggestions you guys might have. I know I could move up to a larger caliber or carry my Winchester but I'm really enjoying the 686 and if I could hunt with it, I would prefer it. It's easy to carry and I'm getting very comfortable with the action. It's what I use for pistol league, for my home protection and aside from my .22 Ruger, I use it most of the time at the range. Again, thanks for your time!

Curtis

 

[SS686]

Hello everyone,

I've read debates back and forth about the 357 vs 41 mag, vs this or that, etc., but mainly I'm looking for information from you guys who hunt with a similar handgun as a 357 6" barrel. I have a great .270 Winchester that I can hunt deer with, but I have kind of grown fond of the idea of more of stalking your prey and have to keep the shot within 50 yards, preferably less.

For those of you who hunt with a 357 6" (or shorter barrel), what do you suppose is the largest game you would hunt? I live in south Texas and I'm thinking a decent sized deer would be ok, but I've read conflicting stories, sometimes from guys who have never hunted with a 357, so I'd like to know from real life experience what you guys feel comfortable hunting.

I'm not great, but I can keep my rounds in a 3-4" circle at 25 yards, unsupported. I can do better using barricade. At 50 yards, it's a little worse shooting supported. If I went hunting today, I wouldn't attempt anything past 25 yards. I realize the chance of me killing anything even within 50 yards is pretty remote right now. I'm not really a hunter, much less a stalker, but I'm willing to learn and practice and get out there.

Thanks for any help or suggestions you guys might have. I know I could move up to a larger caliber or carry my Winchester but I'm really enjoying the 686 and if I could hunt with it, I would prefer it. It's easy to carry and I'm getting very comfortable with the action. It's what I use for pistol league, for my home protection and aside from my .22 Ruger, I use it most of the time at the range. Again, thanks for your time!

Curtis

 

[Dale53]

We have rather large white tails around here (commonly over 200 lbs) and my hunting handguns for deer are .44 magnums. I have a couple of .454's but all of my deer have been taken with .44 magnums they are certainly adequate.

I think a proper deer gun caliber starts with a .4". However, good shots, careful of where and when they shoot can certainly take their share of deer humanely.

The key is to be absolutely certain you skill level is high for any handgun hunting.

I would say that the distance you can properly take a deer would be that distance you can keep ALL of your shots in a 9" pie plate. When you are certain you can do that, then pick your spot, do a bit of anatomy study and you should be good to go WITH THE RIGHT BULLET.

I favor a rather heavy bullet (like the 180 gr) with a good, wide meplat driven at maximum safe speed and you should be "good to go" on the smaller deer.

Here again, hitting well is more important than which caliber.

FWIW
Dale53

 

[Horse91-686]

I sometimes carry a 6"/686+ for lion protection, very active on the property: also .38Super and 10mm. The .41mag will give you performance at distance.

Bob

 

[SS686]

Dale,

thank you very much for the reply. I feel very certain that I could keep all of my shots inside a 9" plate at 50 yards, unsupported. This wasn't always the case, but I've gotten much more consistent since I've had the time to practice much more. Getting a nice revolver with a 6" barrel didn't hurt either : )

I did find some 357 mags from Buffalo Bore Ammo that look like they would work. I don't reload quite yet so I have to get factory stuff right now. About 6 months ago I started to study the anatomy of many native Texas animals as well. I will be shooting at the range and studying much more for probably the next 6 months before I realistically do anything as far as hunting goes. I also need to read some of the hunting laws in Texas. Who knows, I may need a longer barrel if I'm going to hunt deer in Texas. Anyhow, thank you for your input.

Curtis

 

[SS686]

Lion protection?!!? Wow, that's crazy. Those things can get pretty large. I remember my brother used to work for a wildlife orphanage many years ago and I would go visit and those lions would be jumping on the cages when it was feeding time and it seems like they were around 7'upright.

I considered the 40 and even 41 mag, but that would be another gun, another round and another expense. I'm not against getting another gun, but to train adequately and feel totally comfortable shooting a 41 mag, I think I'd have to shoot quite a few rounds. An inhumane kill is unacceptable, ya know? Right now, I'm pretty proficient with my 686 shooting 357s out of it, and only stand to get better as I dry fire it quite a bit and go to the range at least once a week. I'd like to stick with the 357, but not at the expense of a bad kill. Thanks Bob!

Curtis

Originally posted by Horse91-686:
I sometimes carry a 6"/686+ for lion protection, very active on the property: also .38Super and 10mm. The .41mag will give you performance at distance.

Bob

 

[mnhntr]

I have taken 1 whitetail doe at 35yds and 3 hogs at under 50yds with my ruger blackhawk 357 in a 6in barrel. I would however, prefer a 44mag in a hunting revolver, if i were to purchase one for that specific purpose. The largest animal i would attempt to hunt with a 357 is a hog they are tougher than deer but not hard to kill with good shot placement.

 

[RobO]

Go for it, but treat it like a loud bow. Broadside lung hits.

 

[SS686]

Thanks mnhntr, it seems that most prefer the larger 41 or 44, but sometimes they are talking about bigger game than a medium sized deer. I guess the biggest question might be, is it size or shot placement, when we are talking about 357 vs 41 vs 44. If shot placement is the bigger deal, then I can easily stick with the 357 and just practice and practice. If even a great shot with the 357 is questionable, then it's time to start thinking of the larger 41 or 44. Thanks for your input!

Curtis

Originally posted by mnhntr:
I have taken 1 whitetail doe at 35yds and 3 hogs at under 50yds with my ruger blackhawk 357 in a 6in barrel. I would however, prefer a 44mag in a hunting revolver, if i were to purchase one for that specific purpose. The largest animal i would attempt to hunt with a 357 is a hog they are tougher than deer but not hard to kill with good shot placement.

 

[SS686]

I was actually just thinking something similar earlier today. That's a great way to look at it. In fact, I heard Ted Nugent on the radio a few days ago and it made me think of hunting deer with a bow. I then thought, "well, my 357 should be fine if I know the best area to place my shot". I also wanted to check with experienced guys as well. Sometimes things in my head seem logical, but in reality are not!! Thanks!

Curtis

Originally posted by RobO:
Go for it, but treat it like a loud bow. Broadside lung hits.

 

[Pigman]

Most of the mule deer I've taken over the past 30 years have 80% of the time been no further than 25-50 yards away, I guess it depends on where you hunt, I have no bones taken one with my 686 with a 6 inch barrel, as stated above shot placement is crucial with what ever weapon you use! Pigman

 

[BE Mike]

I used to live in southwest Texas. I took a couple of deer with a 4" S&W Model 28. Both were at 40-50 yards. I was using some Supervel .357 Mag. ammo with 137 grain soft point. One deer dropped dead in it's tracks and the other had to be tracked for a couple of hundred yards. One thing about any pistol cartridge is that they can't be expected to work as advertised every time. I'm inclined to use a soft point rather than a hollow point for deer. I like a medium to heavy bullet. Bullet placement is super important when handgun hunting. You seem to understand just how important knowing what your marksmanship limitations are and applying them to the field. Get or reload some good rounds. Practice with them before heading to the field. Have a great time!

 

[mississippi revolverman]

Me I have both 586 and 41 mag. I am a 41 shooter for years. Ammo a little more expensive so I got into reloading. Have dropped many deer and hogs and a couple of feral dogs with 41.

Highly recommend this unrated calipher

 

[mnhntr]

In my opinion bullet selection for the 357 is as important as shot placement. I like the hardcast heavyweights for hogsas their shoulders are solid. I like the 158gr jsp for deer but the heavier lead cast will work also. It is very important for good shot placement, especially if using a lighter jsp over a hardcast lead. If you are using a 158gr jsp you want perfect double lung without hitting the shoulder. If you have a heavy hardcast then it will go through the shoulder and the animal will not go as far. I said i prefer the 44mag only because the bullet selection can get you into a 200-300gr hardcast and these are excellent along with the knockdown power of the round. I have heard great things about the Hornady leverevolution rounds for hunting but i have only tested the rifle versions so far.

 

[alde]

Good for you for knowing your limitations with your 686. You sound like a responsible person.

You should really think about taking up reloading as it will open more doors for you. You can load some pretty hot 180 grain hard cast bullets for your 357 that should do you good. You might also find that your own loads can be more accurate and increase your chances of a clean shot.

 

[diamonback68]

You may want to check out the Winchester 180GR Supreme Partiton Gold HP. I haven't taken any deer with it, but it is a powerful load. I believe Buffalo Bore also makes a simular load.

 

[SS686]

So, mainly just study and talk to guys about their shot placements? I'm glad to see some guys have hunted successfully with the 357. I mean there were a few I had seen in other forums, but I wasn't always sure how reputable they are. Thanks Pigman!

Curtis

Originally posted by Pigman:
Most of the mule deer I've taken over the past 30 years have 80% of the time been no further than 25-50 yards away, I guess it depends on where you hunt, I have no bones taken one with my 686 with a 6 inch barrel, as stated above shot placement is crucial with what ever weapon you use! Pigman

 

[SS686]

Mark,

thanks for the advice. Do lots of guys prefer the softpoint over hollowpoint, or do you think you are in the minority. As far as marksmanship goes, I know on my good days, I can keep 50 yards in a few inch circle and at 25 yards on those days, forget about it, I feel like superman. The problem is on the bad days, I can keep the 50 in an 8" circle and the 25 at a 4", but I have a feeling once my bad days start to tighten up to my good days and my good days become great, I'll be ready to hunt. I have lots of deer around where I live so I've been watching them more as well. It's just a matter of time, but it's encouraging to know I can use the 357, as long as I'm a good shot and have really paid attention to where to shoot and I may even go out with some guys I know that hunt and just watch. It may not be as fun just watching, but hey, I'm not starving, so there's no need to kill a deer right at this moment, ya know? Thanks for your input!

Curtis

Originally posted by BE Mike:
I used to live in southwest Texas. I took a couple of deer with a 4" S&W Model 28. Both were at 40-50 yards. I was using some Supervel .357 Mag. ammo with 137 grain soft point. One deer dropped dead in it's tracks and the other had to be tracked for a couple of hundred yards. One thing about any pistol cartridge is that they can't be expected to work as advertised every time. I'm inclined to use a soft point rather than a hollow point for deer. I like a medium to heavy bullet. Bullet placement is super important when handgun hunting. You seem to understand just how important knowing what your marksmanship limitations are and applying them to the field. Get or reload some good rounds. Practice with them before heading to the field. Have a great time!

 

[SS686]

Hey Revolverman,

did you hunt with your 585 ever? From what I've read over many forums, it seems that everyone prefers the 41 or 44 mag and I can definitely see why. I'm hoping to get into reloading this summer. I got a few more toys I'm going to buy, then I should have the money to get a dillon 650 and get into reloading the 38, 357, 45 and hopefully my rifle cartridges in time. Thanks for your input!

Curtis

Originally posted by mississippi revolverman:
Me I have both 585 and 41 mag. I am a 41 shooter for years. Ammo a little more expensive so I got into reloading. Have dropped many deer and hogs and a couple of feral dogs with 41.

Highly recommend this unrated calipher

 

[SS686]

Mnhntr,

so, to keep the ammo the same, do you suppose I could use a hardcast heavyweight 357 for hogs and for medium sized deer? I don't really know how differently a 180gr compared to a 158 gr, etc., if they shoot differently at all. I do know my 357 shoots about 2 inches below my 38 special rounds. I'll have to go through several of the hunting loads anyways to get a feel for them and site them in. Do you guys wear earplugs when you hunt?

Curtis

Originally posted by mnhntr:
In my opinion bullet selection for the 357 is as important as shot placement. I like the hardcast heavyweights for hogsas their shoulders are solid. I like the 158gr jsp for deer but the heavier lead cast will work also. It is very important for good shot placement, especially if using a lighter jsp over a hardcast lead. If you are using a 158gr jsp you want perfect double lung without hitting the shoulder. If you have a heavy hardcast then it will go through the shoulder and the animal will not go as far. I said i prefer the 44mag only because the bullet selection can get you into a 200-300gr hardcast and these are excellent along with the knockdown power of the round. I have heard great things about the Hornady leverevolution rounds for hunting but i have only tested the rifle versions so far.