357 magnum for deer

tbrwlf

tbrwlf

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I am thinking of taking my 357 mag pump gun for deer this year. we hunt in an area were 100 yards is a very long shoot. Too much brush.

Would people who have hunted with a 357 rifle please let me know their results.

I am an ethical hunter and don't want to take too little gun into the field.
 
There has been several threads on this topic before. You will get those who say no way however you will get many that will say it's fine. Personally I'd have no problem using a carbine in 357 for deer. Just practice and know your limits. Place several 4L water jugs sxsxs at a 100 yards and fire into them. I'd bet the bullet ends up in the 3rd jug. Meaning 10-12" of penetration. That's enough for broadside deer for me
 
Wait for it, someone will be along with "my grampa used to hunt deer with 22 shorts and no problems" any second now
 
Use a quality bullet, know where your rifle puts it, and you'll do fine.

The 357 mag (especially hand loaded) in a rifle isn't that far behind factory 38-55 ammo.

If you don't handload some decent factory hunting ammo would be:
-Hornady 158gr XTP
-Federal 158gr Fusion
-Federal 180gr JHP

I've found these loads actually shoot about 500fps faster than the mfg spec in my 18.5" barreled rifle.
 
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I wouldn't hesitate to use a 357 in my neck of the woods where shots are rarely 50 yards. 100 would be the absolute maximum I would use a pistol cartridge for deer.
 
Shot placement is the key.

Lots of good ammo available including Buffalo Bore and Federal using swift bullets. Some good articles on the web about hunting with .357 from Frank Paco Kelly and others.
 
Hunted Maine with a 6'' Python and shot does twice at less than 50 yards. Federal 180's did the job quite well. I see no reason for it not to work at 100 yards or less in a rifle.
 
During the run up to the deer season in Eastern Ontario we often sell out of Hornady's Lever Revolution 357 despite bringing in an extra case each successive season.

So a "few" think it's a viable caliber.

Just like the Lottery commercial - "know you limits and stay within it" - not more complicated than that...
 
Never tried 357 but if I did it would be barnes bullet and probably 70-80yards or less.

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Deer aren't too difficult to kill, but I am highly skeptical that you would ever get a bang flop at 100 yds with a .357 barring a head shot. More likely you would either spend a long time tracking it or you have a wounded animal running around. I hunted most of my life and grew up on the farm and I've never understood the mentality of taking the absolute lightest caliber you can get away with. When you go light, even good shot placement doesn't necessarily translate into a clean kill, or a kill at all for that matter. That's just my 2 cents, but I'm from a different generation
 
Jabotinsky said:
Shot placement is the key.

Lots of good ammo available including Buffalo Bore and Federal using swift bullets. Some good articles on the web about hunting with .357 from Frank Paco Kelly and others.
Click to expand...

That's the ticket "shot placement", the 357 will do a good job on deer within a hundred yards with the right load, but only if you make good kill shots, and are a competent marksman.
Don't expect it to cut a lot of brush and kill, but if you have a clean shot and within range, you shouldn't have any problem. I've seen deer run for miles when hit in the non vitals with a high power rifle.
 
tbrwlf said:
I am thinking of taking my 357 mag pump gun for deer this year. we hunt in an area were 100 yards is a very long shoot. Too much brush.

Would people who have hunted with a 357 rifle please let me know their results.

I am an ethical hunter and don't want to take too little gun into the field.
Click to expand...

What else you got to hunt deer with?
 
j_06 said:
A shot in the boiler room with a 357 beats a gut shot 300wm any day. Pretty popular handgun hunting round stateside it seems.
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Popular, sure. But maybe they like to spend time in the bush shooting stuff. Over and over again.
 
I have hunted and killed deer with my .357 Magnum rifle. Why, because a Model 92 is light and easy to carry in the bush. I used a cast SWC, and the last deer was about 75 yards away. It might have run about 25 yards. I don't expect a 'bang flop', but I don't expect that with any of my rifles and cartridges.
Use a good bullet and place it right, and there is no problems. No guessing and conjectures, experience.
 
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