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hunting with a handgun....357, 38 special

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IHFarmer07 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote IHFarmer07 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: hunting with a handgun....357, 38 special
    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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 3_tens Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/28/2013 at 13:59
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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IHFarmer07 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote IHFarmer07 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/28/2013 at 14:38
Ok thank you
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B W M View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote B W M Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/30/2013 at 06:02
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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IHFarmer07 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote IHFarmer07 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/30/2013 at 12:15
Originally posted by B W M B W M wrote:

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.

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 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alan Robertson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/30/2013 at 18:59
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hatton mann Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/01/2013 at 15:33
What ever happened to;  use enough gun ?
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IHFarmer07 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote IHFarmer07 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/02/2013 at 15:11
Originally posted by Alan Robertson Alan Robertson wrote:


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.

Yeah I was going to start reloading but with the bs that is going on I would have more trouble finding stuff to reload than to find actual factory rounds so I will be using factory ammo. Thanks for the info.
What you need to get is a TC pistol in like a 308 or something like that, that's what I should of done probably but I got a 357 instead and in MO in the the muzzle loading portion you can use a centerfire pistol so I'm going to try it out!
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BeltFed View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BeltFed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/03/2013 at 10:18
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/03/2013 at 12:04
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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