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hunting with a handgun....357, 38 special |
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IHFarmer07
Optics GrassHopper Joined: January/01/2013 Location: MO Status: Offline Points: 36 |
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Posted: September/28/2013 at 13:45 |
Ok I'm going to be white tail hunting with a handgun this year and I was wanting opinions on what would you all recomend using .357's or .38 specials and would you use hollow points, jacketed soft points etc.? Max range 75yds.
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3_tens
Optics Jedi Master Joined: January/08/2007 Location: Oklahoma Status: Offline Points: 7853 |
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In most states the 38 is not legal. I am not sure of MO. There have been a lot of changes in the rules of late. 357mag 158 gr soft point or HP, out of a 6"barrel is my preference. I have taken more deer with it than with all my rifles. Good placement is the key.
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Folks ain't got a sense of humor no more. They don't laugh they just get sore.
Need to follow the rules. Just hard to determine which set of rules to follow Now the rules have changed again. |
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IHFarmer07
Optics GrassHopper Joined: January/01/2013 Location: MO Status: Offline Points: 36 |
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Ok thank you
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B W M
Optics GrassHopper Joined: October/25/2010 Location: Princeton IN. Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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A 357 is a good round as long as you stay in the 158 weight bullets. A SWC will do a good job the HP some times does not do as good as SWC. Good Luck on your hunt.
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X navy love long & short big & little Guns
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IHFarmer07
Optics GrassHopper Joined: January/01/2013 Location: MO Status: Offline Points: 36 |
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Thanks man...lol I could use all the info for this as I don't want to mess up and not make a CLEAN kill! |
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Alan Robertson
Optics Master Joined: October/31/2009 Location: Oklahoma Status: Offline Points: 1763 |
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Howdy IHFarmer07,
You didn't say if you are hand loading, or not... The SWC suggested works fine because of energy transfer and cutting a wound channel. You might try to find plated SWC, or a jacketed truncated cone bullet (about the same thing,) as they will cut a clean hole with penetration. I'd stay away from hard cast as the chamber pressure needed to reach hunting velocity will probably get you a leaded barrel with that caliber. 158 gr. is a good weight and if you decide you want hollow points, Hornady XTR bullets are very tough hollow points and would work well loaded to over 1500 fps with WW296, but Sierra also makes a 170 gr JHC which you can also load to over 1500 fps with Lil'Gun powder... that'd probably be a bit better choice. If you are buying factory ammo, get enough boxes to practice using the hot ammo which you will buy for hunting. In the long run, it probably won't matter as anything genuinely .357 mag should work within 75 yards... my idea of an ideal pistol caliber is something that will cut a clean hole through a deer at 100 yards from end- to- end, which is about all you can do. Edited by Alan Robertson - September/30/2013 at 19:04 |
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"Garg'n uair dhuisgear"
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hatton mann
Optics Apprentice Joined: March/02/2011 Location: ne Status: Offline Points: 179 |
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What ever happened to; use enough gun ?
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IHFarmer07
Optics GrassHopper Joined: January/01/2013 Location: MO Status: Offline Points: 36 |
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BeltFed
Optics Retard Joined: February/12/2008 Location: Ky Status: Offline Points: 22287 |
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I've had good luck using a Speer 140gr JHP using WW296 (can't remember the charge). However I don't believe Speer makes that bullet any longer. I don't think you need a heavy bullet in .357 to kill deer. They are not thick skinned animals, and the No.1 man stopper is a 125gr JHP .357 Magnum. Not saying you shouldn't use a heavy bullet (158gr or above), just saying you don't NEED a heavy bullet as long as your driving it fast. JMHO.
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Life's concerns should be about the 120lb pack your trying to get to the top of the mountain, and not the rock in your boot.
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supertool73
Optics God Superstool Joined: January/03/2008 Status: Offline Points: 11814 |
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I would try Hornady Lever evolution. I have been using them in 45-70, 45 colt, .44 mag and .357. Been very very happy with them. I have not killed a deer with the .357, but rabbits, yotes, rock chucks and other small game it really tears them up. I have shot an elk and deer with the .45-70 hornady lever evolution bullets, it puts a nice big hole in them.
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