Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting OK you .357 handgun deer hunters...which bullet?

I will start a new thread.

It went great.

Here's a 158gr Hornady XTP Hollowpoint fired from a 16 1/4" Marlin. Deer was maybe 20 feet away. Dropped at the shot.

Blood you see is the entrance.

Oh yea, about 15.5grs of H110 was used. Same/same if you use 296

I have a great little T/C Contender with a 10" barrel which I set up for deer hunting. I like 180 grain Hornady XTPs and 187 grain Cast Performance LBT heat-treated solids. The chamber is so long that a 180 Hornady, loaded to max length barely enters the case mouth, far from the rear cannelure.

My point is, if your chamber is as long as mine, there is plenty of room for a heavy bullet and lots of slow-burning powder; just right for a long barrel.

That said, about any loads mentioned above should work fine, 'specially for starter loads. I've even killed deer with commercial loads; 158-grain silvertips.

Good luck,
Bill

I load the Lyman 358156 flat point for my .357. It drops out of the mold @ 160 grains and has worked well for me over Unique or H110. Sorry I cannot remember the grains, I do not want to guess. It has shot well out of all three of my revolvers and has gone right through three deer..... just like Skeeter said it would.
If jacketed, 158 XTP's or Gold Dots would do on broadside shots and keep the recoil down. You could always load down the 180 partition as well.

I took my first deer at age 7, and with a single barrel Stevens 20 ga. I can't belive a .357 could kick any worse.

At 8, your son should be able to handle the recoil of a .357 Max. I'd use the 180 grain LSWC myself.