Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .357 Mag. carbine load for big game

This could go in the handgun section, but as it's a load for rifles and big game, I decided to post it here.

My brother got a Henry .357 for his birthday. Being the family hand loader, I researched options and loaded him hunting loads for his rifle. The load consisted of Starline brass, Hornady 158gr. XTP-FP, WSPM primers and 15.0gr. H110.

A couple of weeks ago he took a nice deer and forwarded me pictures of the recovered bullet. The deer was hit in the left flank, exited the right shoulder and re-entered the right front leg where it stopped. He told me he was amazed at the exit wound. Shot distance was about 75 yards and the deer dropped less than 20 yards from where it was hit.

I use the same load except 16gr. & plain XTP. I load this as our go to load for all our .357 rifles and pistols.

Scott

Nice pics. By coincedence, that is my preferred load in my two pistols and a Rossi 92 carbine. I do oad xtp hps and fps depending on my use.

I use the XTP hp and the max load of 16.7 of H110.

I loaded the 15.0gr. load for him because I didn't have access to his rifle, thus the starting load. It's scary accurate, no way would he want to change it.

I bought a Ruger/Marlin .357 and have upped the load to 16.0gr. for mine.

Known good loads are just that good.

I have a short carbine and it shoots the same loads as the longer rifles do.

They can kill.

That's why I have always preferred the 158gr XTP-FP for carbine and rifle loads. It performs time and time again. Hornady hit a home run with that bullet.

Dinny, you ever shoot that bullet in a max or BH in your testing?

So far only in the Maximum rifles. I bet in my 1:18" ROT 360 BH it would shoot well. Now I have to load and shoot some!