Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 357 Mag on Whitetails

I have only shot one deer with my .357. I didn't have magnum powder and the load I used was probably too slow. The bulley hit a rib on one side and angled back through the paunch and ut just ahead of the read hind quarter. Whatever you use make sure it's a fast load. If you can put one through the front shoulder going in at a proper angle, I have found that to be a good shot placement with my .44 mag.

I'm thinking a 180 cast with a healthy dose of 296 clocking in around 1400-1450 fps would pass through a deer like hot air. Now if I could just find some dang powder...

I second the vote for the Nosler 158's for deer. In a few cals, I've seen them open readily on broadside deer, and from a lever gun, pass through 16" or so of deer and a few inches of frozen ground, so they hold together well. I think the Nosler handgun bullets have been something of a sleeper in the hunting community, and needlessly so. They work very well in my experience.

I've seen one whitetail doe shot with a 158gr XTP. It was a starting load, but out of a rifle. It was a head on shot at 30yds. Deer didn't show a lot of reaction at the shot and the blood trail was sparse for about 20', then was very easy to follow. The shot centered the sternum and was found while skinning out the hind quarter. Deer went about 30yds with a big hole in the heart.

Years ago a buddy of mine used nothing but 180 gr. XTP's and a 6" Python to take many deer. Don't recall what powder he was using but it was a fairly hot load. Never lost a deer with that setup but they were all done at bowhunting range. Come gun season he hunted the same spots he bowhunted from earlier that fall and he was very picky about his shots, which is why no deer that he ever hit with that gun ever went very far. Never dropped one on the spot but they never went much past 100 yds. or so and usually left a decent blood trail. That's what convinced me that a 357 handgun can take deer easily as long as you don't stretch the shot distance too far and can put the bullet where it needs to go.

Ran 158 RP JSP in a Marlin for DRT deer. Lil Gun = 2,000 MV

I have shot 3 deer with the .357 Magnum; 1 with a 4" S&W 19 and 1 with a 5" S&W 27, and 1 with a 4" S&W 66. All were shot with some ancient Super-Vel 158 grain JHPs. All were shot at short range, less than 50'. All were shot through the lungs. All died promptly, none going more than 50' from the point of bullet impact. All were whitetails weighing under 150 lbs.

Shot a nice buck in FL with my 6" 686 at 30 yards with 158 grain Hydroshock. The bullet exited both shoulders and the buck ran about 40 yards. Not much blood trail but obviously worked. It wasn't ideal but under the circumstances, it was handled the job.

After a few adjustments shot a decent group at 25 yards off hand, it's a nice shooter.

Ronc; is that the cast 180 with 296 you were thinking of? That's a real nice 25 yd. group. Punch a whitetail through the lungs with that at 25 yds. and you've got venison. I was thinking of trying that with my 4 & 5/8" Blackhawk at 25 yds. or less. Starting to experiment with some cast 180 gr. gas checked WFN's. Haven't decided what powder to try first.

No, it's factory PPU 158gr8 JHP, clocking in around 1340 fps. I have some Cast Performance 180s WFNGC on the way and will work up some loads, accuracy should be better.

Those are the same 180's I have; I was wondering about using H-110 with them 'cause I've already got plenty of it here. It's tough to get load data for that.

I haven't shot anything besides badger and porcupines with them yet, but my 586 and Marlin 1894c both love the 180 gr rem sjhp and the Cast Performance 180s. I load 13 gr and 13.5 grains of H110 behind them respectively.

Do you know the velocity on the 686 load ? Any signs of pressure ?

I believe over 1000 fps but under 1100 out of my 4" barrel. I'll have to check my records later for sure. No pressure at all. For the Sjhp rem bullets I trimmed the cases back a little short of book so they'd cycle through the marlin. But with the cast performances it's all book. Gentle recoil, less muzzle blast, penetrates like a mofo and accurate to boot. I'm a big big fan. But not out of a jframe. That was less than fun.

What y'all think about these loads out of a Smith 686 or are these RUGER loads only ?

10" test barrel.

H110 powder 125gr/bullet - 21.0grs - 1881 vel - 38,400 cup
H110 " 158gr/bullet - 15.0grs - 1418 vel - 28,600 cup
H110 " 180gr/bullet - 13.0grs - 1352 vel - 36,800 cup

With the .357 it is all about penetration. You will NOT be impressed with the knock-down or "power" of this round, but they will eventually bleed out if hit in the right spot.

Personally, I have found the .32-20 (out of a revolver) to be just as effective as the .357 on deer size game....and neither is anything to brag about.

With this in mind, I would choose a hard-cast bullet of at least 165 grains (180 is very good) over any type of jacketed expanding bullet. The .357 just doesn't have enough velocity to be reliable with any expanding bullet and more weight generally means better penetration with any type of solid (hard-cast) bullet design.