Where my friend and I woods walk is somewhere in Lolo National Forest. She has a phobia about bears. The likelihood of a bear contact or confrontation approaches zero, Nevertheless, extreme west-central Montana has a lot of bears (when compared with anywhere else in CONUS). I have two Freedom Arms Model 97s in 45 Colt for which I have 44 Magnum [equivalent] ammunition and have offered her the one of her choice for our woods walks. She owns an S&W 640-1 in 357 Magnum that she shoots quite well with 38 Special +P LSWC-HP "FBI" ammunition. She doesn't want to use a single action revolver, especially one that is significantly more powerful at both ends.
So I bought an older S&W Model 28 Highway Patrolman 357 Magnum with 4-inch barrel. I want to acquire perhaps 150 rounds of 357 Magnum ammunition that will be reasonably prophylactic for that near-zero possibility of her becoming more intimate with a bear than she would prefer. I am considering 180- and 200-grain 357 Magnum ammunition. Cast bullet full power loads of factory 357 I anticipate will punch a .358-inch hole with through-and-through penetration. I have no experience with 180- and 200- grain jacketed bullets used in factory ammunition. I suspect one of them might include nose expansion while penetrating nearly as well as the cast bullet ammunition.
Anyone who has used a slightly expanding factory loaded 357 Magnum ammunition using bullets between 180 and 200 grains, please let me know. I strongly prefer replies from people who have used the ammunition on larger game animals or penetration testing of the ammunition. And please keep in mind that the 4-inch barrel will cost velocity.
