which breaks bone better in .357 mag?

[medxam]

From a practical standpoint, after having examined several hundred wounds to HUMAN bones produced by .357 mag projectiles, it is so variable that it is a "crap shoot". It depends on which bone you hit and what part of which bone. Parts of the skull are only millimeters thick while others are as much as a half to 3/4 inch thick The femoral head in the hip may be 2 or more inches thick.

Shot placement has always been the key. The front of the chest is only protected by relatively thin ribs. The sides of the head are also relatively thin. Stomach shoyts that get the aorta encounter almost no resistance.

As for bears, I have never autopsied one.

 

[sixshot]

Either will work just fine, no deer is going to live on the difference.

Dick

 

[MTKTM]

I live in NW Montana, right in the heart of griz country. I've lived here most of my life (I'm 60) and have spent a lot of time in the woods/mountains, but am happy to say that I've only had one close encounter with a griz, and that was back in the late '60s when my college roommate and I were hunting and encountered one on an old overgrown logging road on the west side of the Swan Range. It stood up, about 20 yards away, sniffed at us, turned and disappeared into the brush. We never heard a thing, it was so silent that not even a twig snapped. Unreal. Needless to say, we departed the area forthwith. We were both armed with high-power hunting rifles, he a 30 '06 and me a 44Magnum rifle, so reasonably well equipped for such an encounter, but that rifle felt very small and wimpy in my hands at the moment that I was looking at that bear up on its hindquarters.

When I go hiking or huckleberry picking in the backcountry nowadays I carry a 4" 500S&WMagnum as a sidearm. I have carried a 357 in the past, and like the Cast Performance 180 grainer that was mentioned earlier. I load it with a stiff charge of H110/W296 (same stuff, different can).

 

[Marshall 357]

I do not have to worry about large harry animals where I live. Just deer or fox mostly.But how do you put a price on your live and safty? I love .357 magnums but it is not a round for BIG LARGE and HUNGRY BEARS I would just get a 44 Mag or bigger and have the right tool for the job.Its better to be safe than sorry and its a reason to get another gun!!

 

[David Sinko]

With proper shot placement and a good bullet, a .357 Magnum will get the job done. It's not the first choice, but it isn't the worst either. I have used the Beartooth 180 gr. WFN and found that it would not chamber in my M66 when using the longer Magnum brass. Keep in mind that these wide-for-caliber bullets may cause chambering problems and make sure you evaluate their reliability thoroughly before using them in the field.

Dave Sinko