Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 357 mag for deer and elk?

Does anyone have any experience with the 357 on big game with a rifle? Looking at a marlin carbine for new hunter to be used as a deer and black bear and maybe elk one day to distances of about 100-150 yards

A 243 would be a better tool in my opinion. A 357 would have a trajectory like a rainbow.

At the muzzle, a 180gr 357 bullet has energy about like a 35 Remington at 150 yards. Will this kill a deer or elk or black bear...yes, definitely with good shot placement. The issue will be that even bonded .357 carbine bullets don't always exit whitetails. On even a medium sized black bear or cow elk you'll probably be in for a long tracking job without much of a blood trail. Probably not a good choice for a new hunter for anything but whitetail at timber ranges.

30-30 can be used in a similar platform and shoots a lot flatter and is still pretty mild and will have both more range and more killing power and with 170gr bullets you have a much higher chance of an exit and more blood to follow.

It wouldn’t be my choice.

I should have mentioned that this new hunter is cartridge restricted due to state law. They have a Marlin 39 Mountie so i thought the little marlin carbine would be a good transition and a friend has the 357 for sale...

What about hard cast bullets?

If they lived up by me...id say 7-08 or perhaps a 260

I developed a load for my Marlin 1894 .357 carbine using the Hornady 180 gr XTP with 14.8 of Hodgon's Lil'gun. Kilt a big Doe one deer with the load at 25 yards...she tried to regain her feet for about 10 yards and fell over.

....................Just go with the good 'ol 30-30 if you can in that state.

Was with a buddy when he shot a doe at about 20 yards with a 125 JHP in a six inch smith. Passed through and she went maybe 20 yards. Case of one. Seems a bad idea for elk. And not a good idea for 100 yard shots. Lots of better stuff out there

I shot a nice Iowa buck (estimated at 220 to 230 lbs) with a 6" revolver at about 20 yards with a 160 grain soft point. The bullet cut the aorta out of the top of his heart and he went 110 yards and was DRT. The bullet went in .357 and the came out the other side .357 as well. Next time I will use a 125 JHP. I would put a .357 at 50 to 75 yards max for a clean killing shot.

kwg

I've killed a bunch of deer with my .357 carbines and at woods ranges it is very effective. Don't listen to the armchair quarterbacks that haven't used it,. 158 gr. JSP's always exited on broadside shots for me and no deer went more than 50 yards after taking one through the lungs. A .357 carbine is a lot more gun than a .357 revolver. I've never shot an elk so can't give any advice there. Personally I'd want more than a .357 for anything bigger than deer.

Deer, yes.

Elk, no.

Why, when you could shoot a tube feed carbine in 30-30 or 35 Rem for deer and elk. Out of a revolver a 44 Mag is a 75 yard deer and elk round with 300 gr bullets. Out of a 44 Mag carbine it is good to 125 yards. Out of a 444 Marlin carbine it is a 200 yard gun with .430 bullets weighing 300 gr. A 357 Mag with 180 gr bullet doesn't even scratch the surface of a 44 Mag with 300 gr. load let alone a 444 Marlin load. Can't see using a 357 Mag at 100-150 yards on big game, but that's just me.

State cartridge restrictions

Elk, no.

Deer, yes, 50 yards max.

Consider a 44 mag and shoot 44 specials out of it when young ones use it.

I used to have a 92 Rossi, killed a few bucks with it. Worked great under 100 yards, Remington 125 jhp

For 357 mag and big Game , I’d feel real comfortable at 50 yards , but 80-90 yards is probably alright .
Shot placement
Shot placement
Shot placement

Having an inexperienced hunter go after elk with a .367 sounds like a recipe for lost animals. .357 on deer is okay at short ranges and with food shot placement. Inexperienced hunters can’t be counted on for superior shot placement, so IMHO go with a bigger straight wall cartridge that will allow for only okay shot placement.

Minimal cartridges are popular today for game hunting, but there are better choices.

.243 or 7mm-08 better. I have killed three deer with a .357 . I don't know anyone recommend it for elk.