Remington UMC 38 Spl +P Deer and Hog?

[38SPL HV]

Bought box of Remington UMC Value Pack 38 Special +P 125 gr SJHP and the box lists uses which include “Hogs” and “Deer.”

Sounds odd that they would recommend this round for this game, perhaps for coyotes, bobcats and small game but even in a rifle one would be underguned with this round for hogs and deer (not to mention game laws probably prohibit use of 38 Spl on deer, unless you had a 38-44 type loading as Buffalo Bore Outdoorsman).

Opinions?

 

[misswired]

In my opinion 38 +p will do fine for deer and hogs...walk up point blank and put it behind the ear. It's all in the shot placement. Ya Know?

 

[38SPL HV]

True, could do the same with 22lr but I’m surprised that Remington would list it as deer medicine. If hit in their vitals they’ll go down eventually but be prepared to do some tracking unless CNS is hit. 357 Magnum 158 gr would be my lowest recommended loading.

 

[atx357]

Probably a marketing blunder. Though to really give them the benefit out of the doubt, you could say maybe out of a carbine. I've killed tons of hogs with a 17hmr, so guessing out of a carbine, a 38sp +p 125gr would be just fine if you hit them in the neck.

 

[alwslate]

They probably meant Guinea pigs and Deer mice

 

[stansdds]

38 Special +P 125 gr SJHP for hogs and deer? Here is my take on that.


1. 38 Special +P does not have sufficient power to quickly take down a hog or deer unless you have the muzzle of the revolver no more than 2 feet from the back of the animal's head.



2. 125 gr SJHP is a horrible bullet for deer or hog hunting, even in 357 Magnum. A body shot will result in the rapid expansion and it will not penetrate to a sufficient depth so as to cause fatal internal organ damage.


3. This is either a marketing blunder or outright bad advice, doing a disservice to hunters and game.

 

[loc n load]

Over the years I have shot quite a few deer and hogs with handguns. IMO the 38 special is not an option for either. In my state it is not legal for deer. We haven’t been overrun with hogs yet, I do my hog hunting in Texas. There are way too many better choices for taking deer or hogs.
I agree with stansdds on all counts.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Maybe a "Forked tong" statement .................?

Hard to believe a company would state that a 38 special load was
enough to take down Hogs, in a sporting and humane way.

Maybe their tester was very good at sneaking up on those Pigs!!!

They were not pets, were they?

 

[shouldazagged]

Absolutely not. In a handgun I wouldn't want anything less than a hot .45 Colt load. But that's moot, because if I could still hunt I would only hunt deer or hogs with a rifle (minimum .243 for deer or.30-30 for hogs) or a shotgun with slugs or sabot loads.

 

[Truckin]

I have seen a deer killed with a 22lr, don’t recommend it but it can kill a deer. I have killed a deer with 38spc and two with 357 all from a 686 with the 8 3/8” barrel. I hunt with semi jacketed soft points, don’t recall the weight on these. They all collapsed within 50 yards. Don’t underestimate the 38spc.

 

[vipermd]

I have shot six deer @ a ranged 33 yards broadside with a 44 mag from one blind and with good shots expected them to drop or run a few feet. Ammo was 240 gr JHP and soft points from Fed, Win, Rem,PMC, IMI, 5 of them ran with next to no blood trail, the farthest going 95 yards. 3 shots had top of heart and lungs, one was double lung only, the last was torn pericardium, and both lungs. Gun is a 4" 629, the shots were as listed. I did not believe that I should have to track good shots at 33 yd with a 44 Mag. I was speaking to a friend, he suggested that I try his 240 gr XTP, I did, the last four deer took no more than 2 steps. I have read it takes " X " amount of energy to kill a deer, elk, etc., apparently not all the animals have read the book. As stated above any caliber will kill with correct shot placement, certain calibers and loads do it more efficiently. The 38 special in my pack is for vermin at close range. Be Safe,

 

[phonejack]

Keep in mind that 38 and 9mm are practically the same diameter. 125 and 124 bullet weights same, same. 9mm can be bought with higher velocities than 38 +. I wouldn't purposely hunt deer or hogs with either cartridge.

 

[gwpercle]

I've watched my grandfather kill many feral hogs with a single shot 22 LR.
He would take a stand wait for them to get close and put that little 22 LR bullet through the ear hole and into the brain...he never shot twice .
But that doesn't make the 22LR a hog hunting round.
You can kill a deer and a hog with a 38 Special but it's not what I would use if I had a choice .
Remington's Ad Men probably have never ever hunted with that load and it's just pie in the sky advertisment hype.
False Marketing...don't be deceived .
Gary

 

[kscharlie]

I totally agree that the cartridge under discussion is a very poor choice for a deer cartridge. Having said that, Remington is no dumber than the group of Commissioners who make up the Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission.

Several years ago, they proposed to change the legal requirements for firearms used for deer hunting. Here is what they proposed and what they passed:
"FIREARMS
Centerfire rifles and handguns that are not fully automatic, using only hard-cast solid lead, soft point, hollow point, or other expanding bullets; any gauge shotgun using only slugs."

I contacted every single commissioner stating my opposition to their proposal, which makes it perfectly legal to use a .25acp (among other woefully inadequate choices) to hunt/shoot deer. Few bothered to reply, and those that did said they would assume no Kansas sportsman would use such a poor weapon. Well, I would hope so too, but I'm not stupid enough to think that some idiots out there won't do exactly that.

 

[Watchdog]

Remington UMC 38 Spl +P Deer and Hog? Opinions?

No way. A real hunter's goal is to make a clean, humane, one-shot kill. Don't think you're gonna do that with .38s in any configuration.

It's supposedly advertised on the box that it's good for "thin skinned deer and boar" in addition to target and self defense. I personally have not seen this ammo or the box it comes in.

If Remington's touting this as a legitimate deer and boar load, I'll have to change my opinion of them. Not that it'll matter to them. I don't think any .38 Special ammo is suitable for that size game, especially boar. I even consider .357 as marginal for boar. Again, I'm talking about one-shot kills here, not emptying the gun into the game.

To be clear: Self defense, yes. Deer and boar, no.

 

[nicky4968]

Brenneke recommends their 2 3/4" 16 gauge rifled slug for deer.
The do not, repeat not, recommend their 2 1/2" 16 gauge rifled slug for anything larger than coyotes.
If that 2 1/2" 16 gauge slug isn't adequate, neither is a 125 grain hollowpoint out of a .38 Special.

 

[woodsltc]

No way. A real hunter's goal is to make a clean, humane, one-shot kill. Don't think you're gonna do that with .38s in any configuration.

I agree, .38 Special (+P, ++P, or anything else) is not a deer or hog round. Personally I have too much respect for the animals I hunt to use a marginal round....& to me .38 Special is less than marginal for deer/hogs. This is just my opinion, and I know there are lot's of examples of someone using a .38 Spl on deer, etc.. but, just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Don

 

[sniper]

Back in the day, California law stated that you could use a handgun for hunting hogs, but it had to have 560 ft/lb energy. Somebody loaded rounds that met that specification. But, they were in 357 Magnum.