I used a .357 Max on my Encore frame for deer hunting in Iowa when I lived there. It was a great option to avoid using a shotgun and have great accuracy and cheap practice. I used very few jacketed bullets in mine, as I love to cast boolits and picked up a couple of ideal molds - a Lyman 358627 215 gr. checked and lubed, and Ranch Dog's 359-190-RF Both hammered deer with authority and I could run them at 1600-1800 fps, depending on the load, from a 15" barrel w/brake. I used RL7, 4227, and 1680 for powders. I've still got the Ranch Dog mold, sold the Lyman. If you get the barrel and want to try some cast boolits, send me a PM and I can hook you up. 100 yd MOA groups were the norm from a bench, scoped, of course.
