# .357 what ammo for deer?



## case (Dec 11, 2009)

Just got a s&w 686 with 6inch barrel .What ammo should i try for deer?


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## hayseed_theology (Dec 12, 2009)

Check out Buffalo Bore's 180 gr rounds.


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## Razor Blade (Dec 12, 2009)

I would stay around at least 158 gr bullets and heavier


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## Big Mike (Dec 12, 2009)

I consider the .357 the minimum handgun cartridge for deer so I'd go with the fastest, heaviest bullet you can find.


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## tv_racin_fan (Dec 12, 2009)

I bought a couple boxes of the Buffalo Bore but haven't seen a deer to try em out on...

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=946487

Double Tap has a loading that ought to do the job quite well also.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=996812


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## Parker Phoenix (Dec 12, 2009)

Not enough gun.


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## KLR650 (Dec 12, 2009)

Plenty enugh gun, know your limitations. 
You can shoot a deer with 50S&W but if you hit it in the gut it will run a long way and you may not recover, shot placement is more important than any other factor. Limit your distance to what you can empty the cylinder into a 4"paper plate and you are GTG(6 out of 6)

Any wide flat point in the 158-190gr range on the warm load side will work well, I would recommend a SJSP or cast like BB. I roll my own and shoot a cast 190tl moving at 1850fps from a 16" Marlin and 1420fps from a 7 1/2" Blackhawk.


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## wallacem (Dec 12, 2009)

357 is fine for deer, I have beenusing it for 25 years.  I use a speer 140 gr hp. I like having a little more speed.  Wallacem


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## Larry Rooks (Dec 13, 2009)

I use  a cast 180 gr Silh bullet that has worked great for me.  I have also killed em with a158 gr Jacket but like the 180 cast better


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## ejs1980 (Dec 13, 2009)

Buffalo Bore, Federal makes a hunting round for deer, or Hornandy makes it in pointed load for the lever guns that should work. PLENTY OF GUN IN THE RIGHT HANDS. The only problem with the 357 is there isn't much margin for error. The kill zone doesn't get much bigger no matter how big a gun you shoot until you get up to a rpg.


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## case (Dec 13, 2009)

*Thanks*

THANKS GUYS I APPRECIATE THE INFO,ILL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT TURNS OUT. HOPEFULLY THIS WEEKEND


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## redlevel (Dec 14, 2009)

Parker Phoenix said:


> Not enough gun.





KLR650 said:


> Plenty enugh gun, know your limitations.





wallacem said:


> 357 is fine for deer





ejs1980 said:


> PLENTY OF GUN IN THE RIGHT HANDS.





Probably "enough" gun, but not nearly "as enough" as a .45 Long Colt 250 gr. wadcutter over 10 grains of Unique in a 7.5 inch Blackhawk.

If I were going to use a .357 for deer, I would want a minimum six inch barrel, preferably 7.5 inches, with a hardcast 158 grain semi-wadcutter over the most 2400 powder a reliable loading manual recommends. 

I am an old guy, and those are old-school loads.


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## KLR650 (Dec 14, 2009)

Everyone is entitled to there opinion. Right, wrong or otherwise two simple facts hold true:
1) You will shoot a gun better if you are comfortable with it.
2) An animal only need so much killing.

I guarentee that the deer I punched thru and thru with a .357 and ran 12yrds then dropped dead did not know or care that I was not use some 300gr hypervelociety supermagnum Trex slaying whatchamacallit.

.22lr will make deer DRT with proper shot placement.
Choose your tool and be good with it.


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## T30 (Dec 14, 2009)

158 grain soft point with 17 grains of H110 crammed into the case kills em deader than a door nail if you do you're part.  Through and through wounds.   You may need to do a bit of blood trailing on occasion but that happens with almost all slow moving bullets.

BTW check out the 4.5 lb foldable Keltec 223 rifle for pig hunting with a dirt bike. Cool set up.


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## Junior_357 (Dec 15, 2009)

158gr SJHP loaded to max safe load will do the job if the shot placement is correct.  Last one I took with that round dropped like a stone right where he stood.

That was out of an 8-3/8" barrel...so it had a bit more velocity & energy than any shorter barrel could produce.

As noted, .357 Mag + deer = crucial shot placement.


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## Southeast Offroad (Dec 30, 2009)

9mm


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## jdrawdy (Dec 30, 2009)

Just a question for redlevel.  why the .45colt.  not to knock that gun b/c i have had one for several years, but ballistically the .357 mag out performs the .45 colt by a good margin.  from double tap 180 grain 357 6inch barrel 1420  fps and 676 ft. lbs muzzle energy.  45 colt 7 inch barrel 975 fps and 538 ft lbs, in a 255 grain bullet.  357 looks like the better choice to me.  jmo  
just want to know b/c i was considering getting a 357 to hunt instead of my 45colt.


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## redlevel (Jan 2, 2010)

I am going to preface my answer to jdrawdy with this:  I know that .357 magnum is an effective whitetail round for hunting in Georgia.  Especially in the hands of a good shot.   The thread is about loads for deer in .357.  I stated in an earlier post that I would probably go with a hardcast 158 grain swc with a lot of 2400 powder.  

I didn't want to further hijack the thread, so I waited a few days before answering jdrawdy.




jdrawdy said:


> Just a question for redlevel.  why the .45colt.  not to knock that gun b/c i have had one for several years, but ballistically the .357 mag out performs the .45 colt by a good margin.  from double tap 180 grain 357 6inch barrel 1420  fps and 676 ft. lbs muzzle energy.



Naw Suh.  

From Buffalo Bore--325 grain lead long flatnose @ 1325 fps = 1267 ft. lb. at the muzzle.

260 grain jhp @ 1450 fps = 1214 ft. lb. 

Even a 255 grain lead swc at 1000 fps gives 566 ft lb and is much, much more pleasant to shoot than your stated .357 load.  All the loads I have mentioned are safe in Rugers and TC handguns.   In recent years, the comparison has been between .44 Magnum and .45 Colt, not .357.

Here is what Linebaugh says about the .45
http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/dissolving_the_myth.htm
_POWER

Many may think we are in a power race. This is not my intent. I simply like the big bore revolvers because they are a BIGGER HAMMER. They can deliver a bigger slug with less pressure than the next smaller round can. This means less breech pressure, less felt recoil, less wear and erosion on the sixgun itself, less noise and blast and more enjoyable shooting. After comparing our ballistics maybe you will figure so little is to be gained over the .44 magnum with a .45 Colt why should I bother to go to the bigger caliber. Hardly a day goes by here at the shop that we don't receive a call or letter from a handgun hunter who asks why does the old reliable .45 Colt hit a harder blow than lesser caliber sixguns, even with moderate velocity loads. The answer is caliber and bullet weight. These are the only CONSTANTS we have in external ballistics. Velocity is a constantly diminishing variable. Velocity and foot pounds of energy look good on paper. We feel a much more reliable formula that tells the true results on game is John Taylor's Knock Out Formula

Caliber x Bullet weight x velocity divided by 7000

.430 x 240 gr x 1400 fps = 20.6 KO
.452 x 260 gr x 1400 fps = 23.5 KO

I have personally taken about 10 antelope and 1 mule deer with a .45 Colt. My wife has taken around 6 antelope and 5 mule deer with her .45 Colt. She uses a 4 3/4" Seville and the handload is a 260 Keith cast at 900 fps. This load will shoot lengthwise of antelope and mule deer at 100 yards. In my estimation it kills as well as the .270, 30-06 class rifles if the shots are placed properly. If I were hunting heavier game I'd step up the velocity to 1200 fps and in extreme circumstances, (elk, hogs, bear) go to the 310 gr cast slug. This load, 310 at 1200 will go through elk like so much air._
__________________

I have been shooting and loading for the .45 since 1973.  That was when the loading manuals started including  "Ruger and Contender ONLY" sections for the .45.  People were using mostly 2400 for longer barrel, higher velocity loads then.  I tried some of the jacketed bullet loads up to 1200fps, but I soon settled on a 10 grain Unique/250-255 grain bullet load. The manuals say that gives about 1000fps.  It is very pleasant to shoot, nothing like a .357 or .44 Magnum round, and just knocks a 150 lb. whitetail off its feet at 30 yards.  I admit to never shooting a deer with a .357, but I firmly believe Linebaugh's "BIGGER HAMMER" statement.  In the last year or two, I have dropped back to about 9 grains of Unique.  Just that much more pleasant to shoot, and still effective.


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## jdrawdy (Jan 3, 2010)

Not downing the 45 colt b/c i really liked mine but since i do not reload ammo was very hard to find in my area.  These reports matched up with my personal experience, and made me sceptical.  Was not sure how it was gonna work on deer.  I had heard that it was great, but the charts i saw made me regret not going with the 357.  guess if i had found a round like you are shooting i would have never sold my 45.  Thanks for the info.


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## Big7 (May 6, 2010)

*Handgun Cartridge Power Chart - Condensed Version*

By Chuck Hawks

Take note: The AIT (goats at Strasbourg) test data.
Goats are about the same size/lung/heart, etc...as deer, Right?

The .357 has more stopping power than any other 
cartridge.. Even the .44 mag and other "monsters"


You will have to open the link.
It won't copy and paste good.

GO HERE:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_power_chart.htm


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## mgrclicket (May 6, 2010)

I believe the Speer ?CCI lawman 140 grain red dot on primer got changed to the gold dot series. check with a gun shop or email Speer /CCI for the now correct 140 grain. it was 363 ft lbs at 100 yds with the lawman series. It is all you need.......


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## gordylew (May 7, 2010)

I'm not a big fan of .357 for deer due to have killing one with one years ago.  back then the only loads that were considered legal were CCI Lawman 140gr and Sampson's loads.  I could never find Sampson's so I used the CCIs. I shot a doe through the ribs at 30 yards. The deer didn't even flinch. she walked off about 50 yards and laid down.  the bullet had poked a whole through both sides.  I recently got some Remington 180gr HP. they grouped great at 25 yards but at 50 I was not impressed.  I picked up a box of Hornady Leverevolution 140s  I'll see how well they group.


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## Junior_357 (May 7, 2010)

gordylew said:


> I'm not a big fan of .357 for deer due to have killing one with one years ago.  back then the only loads that were considered legal were CCI Lawman 140gr and Sampson's loads.  I could never find Sampson's so I used the CCIs. I shot a doe through the ribs at 30 yards. The deer didn't even flinch. she walked off about 50 yards and laid down.  the bullet had poked a whole through both sides.  I recently got some Remington 180gr HP. they grouped great at 25 yards but at 50 I was not impressed.  I picked up a box of Hornady Leverevolution 140s  I'll see how well they group.



I shot my last buck (150lb. 4-pointer) through the ribs with a Master Cartridge 158 grain 'Deer Stopper', and the beast didn't take another step.  Pop and drop.  If the bullet went through...then it didn't mushroom properly.



Big7 said:


> By Chuck Hawks
> 
> Take note: The AIT (goats at Strasbourg) test data.
> Goats are about the same size/lung/heart, etc...as deer, Right?
> ...



That's a little skewed...and often proven to be incorrect.  One of the major advantages of the .357 is that is has a lot of velocity in combination with mid-range energy.  The problem with the .44 is that it tends to overpentrate and blow a barn door out the back side of your target because it has so much energy to dissipate.  That's with humans at least...deer maybe not so much.

My real problem with the .44 is bullet drop at medium-long distances.  It's like lobbing a bowling ball at a deer.


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## hayseed_theology (May 9, 2010)

Parker Phoenix said:


> Not enough gun.



I've read that when they introduced the .357 mag back in the 30's, as part of their advertising campaign, they sent guys out with S&W revolvers.  I read they took antelope, elk, moose, and grizzly bears with it.  I'd bet it'll do okay for little GA whitetails.


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## seaweaver (May 9, 2010)

Razor Blade said:


> I would stay around at least 158 gr bullets and heavier




yep


cw


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## wallacem (May 9, 2010)

I have been hunting deer with my 10" 357 Contender since 1984, and like the Speer 140 gr hp bullet the best.  It gives the best combination of speed and bullet weight. Has been great on kills also, could not ask for better performance. Wallacem in Ga


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## tbrown913 (May 9, 2010)

i have used a federal hydroshok on a deer with my gp100 and it dropped in its tracks.  it was about 15 yards away and i was in a stand.  the shot went in high, and came out low.  turned the sweet spot of the deer into a nasty puree!


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## Rhinomax (May 13, 2010)

so is the 44 mag a better choice for deer hunting???? or do i want to buy a 357


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## Craig Knight (May 13, 2010)

Rhinomax said:


> so is the 44 mag a better choice for deer hunting???? or do i want to buy a 357



yep its a better choice , but then a 460 or 454 is a better choice than a 44. It doesnt matter what the better choice is, its what you get used to shooting and how comfortable you are with your ability to make good shots and the range of the gun your shooting. The 357 is fine for shots on deer but me personally wouldnt shoot much farther than 50-60 yards unless it was a have to situation


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## JWarren (May 15, 2010)

redlevel said:


> I am going to preface my answer to jdrawdy with this:  I know that .357 magnum is an effective whitetail round for hunting in Georgia.  Especially in the hands of a good shot.   The thread is about loads for deer in .357.  I stated in an earlier post that I would probably go with a hardcast 158 grain swc with a lot of 2400 powder.
> 
> I didn't want to further hijack the thread, so I waited a few days before answering jdrawdy.
> 
> ...



While I am not trying to hijack this thread either, and I do agree with  redlevel  on the .45lc issue, I do have a problem with something that Linebaugh says. He states that he thinks the TKO measure is a more accurate measure of the cartridges than most other means of measure. If that is the case, the .45acp is nearly on par with the .45lc according to the TKO system. Using the TKO on Linebaugh's load for his wife's hunting handgun and comparing it to the .45acp shows only a 12% advantage for the the .45lc......I have never shot a .45acp load that I felt would, with an additional 12% of power, completely penetrate an antelope or mule deer lengthwise at 100yds. But then,  I have never shot either at any angle with any caliber and also, who I am to question John Linebaugh on anything relating to hunting handgun cartridges.....but it does make me second guess the system.

.45acp TKO     .452 x 230gr x 900fps  divided by 7000 = 13.36 TKO

.45lc TKO         .452 x 260gr x 900fps  divided by 7000 =15.10 TKO


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## Darrell H (May 15, 2010)

wallacem said:


> I have been hunting deer with my 10" 357 Contender since 1984, and like the Speer 140 gr hp bullet the best.  It gives the best combination of speed and bullet weight. Has been great on kills also, could not ask for better performance. Wallacem in Ga



wallacem,

It sounds like you have a lot of experience with the .357 magnum in a Contender setup.  I have a 7.5" .357 Magnum Contender barrel that I would like to hunt with this Fall:






It sounds like you are very satisfied with the performance that you have gotten from your setup.  In my 7.5" barrel, I'm shooting 158 Remington JSP's at 1700 fps.  I don't have any worries about deer, but here in North Georgia I might encounter a bear or hog while hunting that might need shooting.  Would you feel comfortable taking a shot on a 200 -300 lb. hog or bear with my gun and load?  Or would you pack another gun for the bigger stuff?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

Darrell


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## thurmongene (May 21, 2010)

Hay guys, I have both .357 and.44 magnum revolvers. I have heard both openions but now I ask you guys with experience. Which is better for whitetail, hollow point or soft solid point? 
 As for the .45 colt, I send them through a .410 shotgun, it' s fun.


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## chuckdog (Jun 13, 2010)

I keep seeing all these references to a 45 long colt? It somehow grates my *** to hear this term used for this fine old cartridge. Sorry to seem so anal, but there's no such cartridge I'm aware of. It's a .45 Colt. As for deer, I'd rather have a bigger heavier bullet at normal handgun ranges. Shot placement is the key with either. A 255 grain cast swc from a .45, or something similar in a .44 mag would be my choice. It would be a harder choice on bullet type in a .357. Probably something in the 158gr. jacketed soft point.


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## Wetumpka (Jun 23, 2010)

To answer your question about what ammo to .357 mag use,try hornady's new leverloution ammo and some of the other 180gr. hunting loads on the market.  For deer you'll want to stay away from the lighter 125gr loads.


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