What good is the .357 Magnum rifle for whitetail deer hunting?

Started by periscope_depth, February 24, 2005, 06:02:23 AM

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periscope_depth

Not sure if the .357 Magnum is even legal to take Whitetail deer in the state of Missouri as I think the minimum is 1,000 foot lbs of energy is delivered to the target be that 25 yards or 250 yards.
 
Not sure if even the hottest 357 magnum load gets there at the muzzle.
 
So, does the .357 magnum rifle belong?
 
I am big believer in the .35 caliber as its a relatively big hole.  I am a big believer in Hornady's XTP rounds for large caliber bullets.  I am a huge believer in my ability to make an accurate shot and would pass up any shot at or beyond 100 yards.
 
But the question still exists?  Is this enough gun?  
 
How many people use the .357 Magnum as one of their primary deer rifles?

mossie

I have been taking deer with a 6 1/2" 357mag revolver for 20 years now--one shot each--never lost a deer--longest shot a little over 100yds. Use open sights too! Use 180gr/ hollowpoints.

motor (deceased)

A 357 magnum rifle is too much for whitetail deer.. in my opinion a 270 is the rifle to use...i hunt with a 44 magnum handgun at times and it is deadly, if you hit them.to be honest i have missed with the hand gun..
Just an ole sinner saved by grace

RatherBHuntin

A friend told em a story of a hunt of his from many years back.  He was going up a tree stand, had already tied his rifle to a rope and pulled it up and tied it off. He was in the process of climbing up and a deer walked up on him but didn't see him.  He said he had a .357 on his hip so he pulled it, wrapped his legs around the tree and one arm, then took aim and shot the deer at about 20 yards at a severe downward angle from one shoulder to the other.  He said all four legs went out from under it and he didn't even twitch, DOI.  357 worked for him.
Glenn

"Politics is supposed to be the world\'s second oldest profession.  I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first."
Ronald Reagan

Jay Edward (deceased)

Well...not trying to get 'off topic' but I had a similar experience.  I had unloaded my flintlock and was headed home.  Yup!   A nice buck presents himself.  I drew my 1860 Army (loaded with roundball) and took the buck.  
 
Now...my point.  The cap & ball pistol I was using was certainly not the equal of the .357 Mag...but it did the job.  However...I regard the handgun shot I took as making use of available equipment on a target of opportunity.  While I have purposely hunted deer with a .45 Colt handgun I do not believe that I would purposely hunt with a .357 Magnum rifle.  This is personal opinion and does not mean that hunting with such a cartridge is wrong (from my point of view) just that there are more reasonable cartridges available which would not require the maximum limits imposed by the .357 cartridge.

periscope_depth

Motor:
 
I would guess you meant to say that the .357Magnum isn't enough gun for a smallish whitetail deer as we have in East Central and South Central Missouri.
 
My goodness.....if you are being serious when you say that a .270 is more gun that a .357magnum then I'd like you to make your point a bit more obvious.
 
In any case.......I guess it is almost like the 22LR theory.  Even an Elephant will go down if hit in the right spot with the lowly 22.  
 
Can you kill a deer with a .357Magnum?  Sure...
 
You can also kill one with a slingshot or a sharp stick.
 
Just wanted to know what you all thought about the .357Magnum in a lever action rifle for a reliable caliber for hunting whitetail deer up to (but not beyond) 100 yards.

Brad Jerman

Call me a traditionalist, but I think .357 is a great pistol round. If you want a rifle, buy one chambered in a rifle round. 30-30 comes to mind as something comparable. If you want to shoot a short rifle with a handgun round, I would opt for the .44, but again... I wouldn't. If you are allowed to shoot a rifle in your state take advantage of that, and shoot a rifle cartridge. For a "bush gun" a slug shot gun is the better choice.
 
.270 is a great whitetail round. I think all-time best.  .30-06 is great too and more versatle.
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Brad
 

TommyTsunami

Tisk, tisk. It's so funny how often people choose to argue about the power of different cartridges and bullets. You have those who want to use "cannons" for whitetail or .223 for elk. However, it seems like most feel you have to shoot the biggest thing possible or the hardest kicking gun you can handle to kill big game. Here in Oregon, anything under a .300 mag is considered lightweight for most guys I talk to.
 
I'm into Cowboy Action Shooting so I own a Uberti .357 Cattleman single action revolver and a Winchester Legacy 94 in .357 (lever action, 24" barrel). I have killed blacktail (yes, I know they are small) and mulies with the rifle. I've killed blacktails with the revolver as well. All these deer were as dead as those killed with .300 and 7mm mags. The last I heard, dead is dead. The mulie I killed was at 95 yards with one lung shot with a 180 grain cast bullet.  He jumped and stumbled about 10 yards and dropped. The blacktails have been dropped like bricks with 125 and 158 grainers.
 
I will continue to hunt and harvest deer with my "puny" .357 and will do it like I do every time, with ONE shot. I even plan on getting an elk this season with that same combo that got me an eastern Oregon mule deer.
 
If you want to try a great "old west" type gun for hunting, don't overlook the .357!  Just know how to shoot!  By the way, I recommend that skill even for those who choose to hunt with the big magnums!:D

Brad Jerman

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Brad
 

periscope_depth

I have heard people having very good luck with the .357Magnum in other threads.
 
One guy is convinced that it will be his primary elk rifle and load when the season comes up this year.  Amazing.......spending the time and money to hunt elk....the cost of the tags, the week or ten days in the field and expense of all of the other equipment.  That magical moment occurs and your elk...that big bull or the nice cow with 1,000 pounds of delicious meat for the freezer.
 
And the shot you'll ask your .357 magnum to deliver is a 220 yard broadside shot.
 
An "easy" shot with a 30-06 or a 7mm Mag.  220 yards is perfect range for the 7mm-08 or the 7mm Mauser.  Heck, I'd even take the shot with a premium grade .260 Rem bullet.  No way do I risk it with a .357 Magnum.
 
Or for that matter....a 100 yard shot but the shot is quartering away.  
 
You only have ONE angle and one distance with the .357 Mag.  Within 50 yards broadside.
 
OUCH.
 
I have no idea what we would discuss if we couldnt talk cartridges and rifles/pistols.  Isnt this a great country?

Violator22

.357 is nowhere near enough for elk, fine for deer at 100 Yards, I use no less than 300 Savage on Elk, but I am going to use my 303 savage this year, should be fine for out to 200 yards.  .357 is a good brush gun for deer, but not for a distance shooting, same as any one of the pistol rounds.  I agree with Tommy dead is dead, but the clean kill is what you want, I can't stand seeing a critter suffer because of a bad shot. Just my .02.  Les
Fortune sides with he who dares!

periscope_depth

I am not totally familiar with the really heavier weight bullets for the .22 caliber centerfire rifles.
 
I do know that there are one or two manufactures that make heavier jacketed bullets.
 
If driven to a high enough velocity with the range being no further than 100 yards...does a heavy jacketed .223 bullet suitable for a smallish whitetail?
 
Just asking.

Violator22

Yes, you can drop a deer with a high velocity 223, heck, back in 1912 up to late 1930.  Savages 22HP was considered a premiere deer round.  High velocity 22 caliber bullets tend to turn their impact point into jello, as long as you don't hit any major bones.  22 HP was used in Africa in the Early 1900's for all sorts of Deer and Elk sized game.
Fortune sides with he who dares!

147 Grain

Plan on taking a 357 Magnum Ruger Security Six as a backup gun for deer hunting and will stock it with Winchester Supreme 180-gr. Partitions.
* Shot Placement
* Bullet Construction / Weight Matched to Game
* Choice of Caliber


Nosler AccuBond

periscope_depth

Yeah, a revolver as a back-up arm for deer hunting.  Makes sense but truly...if you need to "finish" a deer....a deer rifle can do it as surely as a revolver or even a .22 long rifle.  No need to take a seperate arm to finish a deer.
 
My question was more to the point.  As you can purchase a .357 Magnum in a lever action rifle....how many (if any) would actually BUY this rifle in this  cartridge and USE it as a primary hunting arm?  How many would take this to the woods and sit on your deer stand KNOWING that any shot past 50 yards would be marginal at best?
 
How many would take this rifle to the woods on the last day of deer season knowing that success or failure could come down to passing up (or taking) a questionable shot?
 
Just wondering.

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