357mag for deer hunting
- Thread starter barbarossa
- Start date
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Some provinces have a minimum empty case length for hunting. Just something to keep in mind.
Correct. That is no longer a provision of the Alberta Hunter Regulations.
Minimum caliber restriction (.230" + up) for "big game".
If you haven't already bought the gun I would think perhaps a good old 30 30 would be a far better choice for a light rifle to pack around for deer. It has a fair bit more power and not too bad on the shoulder. Personally I would not use that round for deer if I had the option of using something else.
Guns in .357Magnum hold more rounds, possibly lighter weight and ammo is much cheaper...plus you have .38Special for even cheaper shooting for use in small game hunting or plinking. A .357Mag will kill a deer with proper shot placement better then a deer shot with a .30-30 with poor placement.
At my local store a box of the cheapest .30-30Win is give or take is $20 for 20 rounds... .357Mag is $25-$30 for 50 rounds and .38Special is $20-25 for 50 rounds...the pistol ammo both get much cheaper when bought in bulk as well.
With the pistol cartridge restrictions in many NE US states, there are hundreds of thousands of hunters using .357 and .44 Mags for deer... keep your range under 100 yards and put one in the boiler room and you will be fine... we prefer the .44 RM personally and use it in tight cover for deer. Lots of guys are reaming their .357's to Maxi, .44 RM to .445 SM and their .45 LC's to .454 Casull... personally, if I need more than the .44 RM in a brush gun, I'll just go with .45/70.
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How many rounds do you normally need to kill a deer? And the .30-30 is hardly a mankiller for recoil, so why would your shot placement be any worse than with a .357?
poacher's don't have a heart, well maybe a black one......
EDIT: most poacher's, but not all.
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It was said for all the people that say a .30-30Win is better...well no #### it is...but a .600 Nitro is better then a .30-30Win. When does it stop? There is ALWAYS something better, a .357Mag is legal, it works well as long as you stay within its effective range and place your shot. Besides you can kill a deer with a big rock if you drop it on its head...its just not an easy task
People should be insuring you are able too shoot well enough OFF HAND to make the shot more so then picking a bigger caliber and having cheaper and more affordable ammo aids in this.
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Not all who poach do it for money, trophies or fun...some did it for survival. Think of how many old timers you know you took deer with what ever guns they had during harsh times when food was needed? Which was commonly a .22LR...cheap and simple guns and the ammo was cheap.
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2 seasons ago I shot a deer with my .357 mag out of my armi jäger revolving carbine. Shot was about 40 yard. Frontal chest shot. I was using 158gr federal factory jacketed flat point. When I shot the deer dropped so fast that I thought I missed it. Once I recovered the deer, the bullet had entered the neck hit the bone then travilled down the top of the ribs against the spine for a total of 21" of penetration. It broke just about every bone it touched, which is why it dropped so fast. The bullet mushroomed perfecty and only lost 12grs. I still have the bullet. Mbogo, who posted earlier was the one who helped me not only sight in the rifle but also cut it up where we found the bullet. I would use the round again any day.
