| Posted: Sun Mar 6th, 2005 10:46 PM |
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bea175
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I love shooting the 357 mag and think it is perfect for whitetail at 50 yards and under. The load i use the most is the Speer 145gr 3/4 jacketed HP with Win 296. This load is very accurate out of my Smith 66 and Ruger GP100 and is a real killer on small to medium game. 
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| Posted: Mon Mar 7th, 2005 01:30 AM |
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LAH
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The largest game for me with the 357 is a large dog. Unlike some I have nothing against the 357 for deer size animals. My only dislike is the sound.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 7th, 2005 01:44 AM |
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bea175
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You can cut down on muzzle blast by using Unique or IMR4227.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 7th, 2005 01:27 PM |
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saddlesore
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BEA, educate me on using 4227 ( I have 4 lbs of it). I load both .357 ,and 44mag. Currently using H110 in the 44 mag I use 2400 in the .357. For plinking I use W231 , or Universal Clays in both with cast bullets.
I have a Rossi .357 model 92, and a marlin 44 mag , model 94. One 44 mag handgun, and 4 .357 handguns.
I see no reason why the .357 can't be used on deer. It is marginally legal here in CO.
I have taken seveal whitetail with 32-20 rifle, my father had killed a heck of a lot with an old marlin 38-40
Last edited on Mon Mar 7th, 2005 01:28 PM by saddlesore
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| Posted: Mon Mar 7th, 2005 02:25 PM |
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Timberghozt
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Bea.I used to carry my Model 66 , 6 inch barrel in a shoulder harness when I was hunting feral hogs.It was not my primary weapon, but I used it in case I had to crawl in thick cover after a wounded porker.Luckily I never had to use it after the 300 or 270 did its deed,but a cylinder full of 158gr SJHP`s made me feel a little better if I had to go in a thick cedar break after a wounded hog.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 7th, 2005 02:58 PM |
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Gunrunner
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The only time I've used a 357 to kill something was on a rattler. I wasn't hunting it, it just showed up near my feet. I'd like to get the Marlin 1894 in 357. The cartridge is definitely capable of taking game up to deer size at close range.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 7th, 2005 03:59 PM |
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bea175
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I have used 4227 in the 44 mag and it worked very well without the real bad muzzle blast. I like Unique in the 357 mag with bullets under 140 gr. You will still get your highest vel with heavy bullets with the slow burners like 296, 2400, H110. I have been loading my 44 mags with AA #9 and it work really good without the loud muzzle blast, but haven't tried it in the 357 mag . When i do , i will post and let you know how it does.
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| Posted: Wed Mar 9th, 2005 01:44 AM |
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drinks
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Saddlesore;
I use 4227 in .44-40, very similar to .44mag. case has a little more capacity than .44mag,
I get very good results with 4227 in 180-240gr bullet loads, 250 to 310gr , I get better results with H110.
Recently, I loaded a 230gr swc and a 310gr rfn with H110, 19gr., the 310 gave 1350fps, the 230 gave 1200fps.
I then shot the 230gr swc with 23 gr 4227 and got 1650fps, no, I did not try 23gr 4227 with the 310gr, 1350 fps had the little 92' carbine starting to bite my second finger with the lever.
I am working mostly from a '66 Lyman manual that was written before everything was "Lawyered" to death.
It has 205gr loads up to 2080fps in the .44-40.
Don
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28th, 2005 03:00 AM |
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CB900F
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Fella's;
I've been reloading the .357 for awhile now. I've gone away from 4227 because it's an extremely dirty powder. And I hate cleaning guns. For most loads I've found Blue Dot does the job just as well, and makes life easier after I'm home from shooting.
Just a coupla thoughts on some of the previous posts. I've got a hunch that the bullet being referred to earlier as the Speer 145 gr 3/4 jacket HP, is actually the catalogue #4205 146 gr HP semi-wadcutter. That, at first blush, may seem to be a very minor point. However, the newer Speer manuals don't break out specific loads for the 146, they throw it in with the 140 jacketed HP & say REDUCE THE MAX CHARGE BY ONE GRAIN.
The Smith 66, being a K-frame gun, isn't the sturdiest little bugger in the world either. So, while I doubt that making a 1 grain overcharge would blow up the gun in a catastrophic fashion, it most certainly will cause an early demise. So, with 296, I hope you're using 17 grains or less for your hunting load.
Drinks; Using a 1966 era manual? I'll bet dollars to dead rats that the powder lots that that manual was worked up with are no longer current. And energy levels per grain most certainly can & do change between lots. That's why the lot numbering system was incorporated I suspect. I too was very suspicious of some of the radical changes in charge weights in my favorite manuals. But, after digging around some, I found out why the changes were made.
For instance: A 1970's manual I used to use listed 11 grains of SR4756 as a max load for the Speer 146 gr I've mentioned above. That powder is no longer listed as suitable for that bullet in the modern Speer manuals. And I'm DAMN glad that I was shooting it out of a Ruger Blackhawk when I tried it. Even with repeated full length resizing, those old Speer-DWM .357 mag cases won't even come close to passing the case guage. Those cases are bulged about .005 just ahead of the rim. I don't know what pressure those things generated, but I'm sure it was considerably over the 35,000 psi listed as max for the .357. So why was it listed to begin with? Because the powder lot the manual was predicated upon contained a LOT less energy than the new lot that came out not too far into that manual's life. If you check enough Speer number 8 manuals, you'll find some with that load printed & then blacked out.
900F
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28th, 2005 03:31 AM |
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bea175
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The old manual used the same pressure checks most people used, they just look at the case and primers. Now they can measure the pressures and that is the biggest reason for dropping max loads. The load i used the most for all my 357 mag for the last 40 years has been The 140 gr Speer HP and 19 gr of H110. I now use the 146 gr 3/4 jacket or SWC Speer HP. with Win 296. H110 load is still one of the best but hard on the ears without protection, but most 357 loads are. The Model 19 is much stronger than it appears. I still have one in SS 2.5 inch or i should say Mod 66 . The 357 i shoot the most now is the SS GP-100 with heavy 6 inch barrel . I have to say this is one of the most accurate 357 mag i have owned and i have had a bunch over the years. I traded for my first 357 mag when i was 12 years old , Mod 19 with 4 inch barrel and have owned over 50 different 357's since that day. I love shooting the 357 mag. It is a classic.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28th, 2005 03:33 AM |
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drinks
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cb;
I do not take anything for granted, all loads are chronographed , all empties are placed back in the baggies with the slip of paper with the powder and load written on it, back at the shop, all brass is miked for case body and head expansion, the primer and rim/extractor groove is closely checked and I note in my 3 ring hard drive all observations about recoil, blast and accuracy while at the field.
The maximum case body / head expansion I have measured was .0003.
Don ;D
Last edited on Mon Mar 28th, 2005 03:39 AM by drinks
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BigBill
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For the non 357 users and lovers here its a fact the 357mag and 44mag has taken every north american game at one time or another thanks to Elmer Keith of course. (i'm sure they had rifle back up on polar and grizzly bears too.)"Kidding" With shooting my colt python 6" barreled 357mag over the years when i had it I found out of all the bullets weights I tried the most accuarte bullet weight for it was the Speer 140gr JHP. The gun would hit small rocks on the berm at 100yds no problem. I would carry the 125 JHP's for personal protection for the shocking speed but i would hunt for sure with the 140 JHP's because of their awesome pinpoint accuracy. Of course each revolver is different too and it may not work for your gun but you may want to play with the powder charge with the 140gr JHP too it seems to be a flat shooting round. BigBill
My load for the 6" barreled 357mag revolver was;
Speer 140gr JHP Bullet, 15.0grs 2400, cci-550 primer It should be around 1,300fps.
Last edited on Thu May 5th, 2005 02:05 PM by BigBill
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bea175
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Bill i have used the 140 gr Speer in my 357 mags since the 70's. I load 19 gr of H110 for this bullet from the beginning and it has proved to be very accurate in every 357 i have tried it in . This is a max load and very loud on the ears but kills very well. I have lately been using the 146 gr since it is a semi-wadcutter it work well even at ranges it doesn't open.
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BigBill
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I have reloaded the speer 146gr SJHP's(semi jacketed hollow points) is that the one you mean? The jacket only covers the bullet inside the case when its seated. BigBill
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bea175
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That is the one and my 357's love them. This is the bullet i carry in my conceal carry weapon. Loaded with Hod HS-6. For hunting H110 OR Win 296
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Fiftydriver
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I think the 357 is a great deer round as long as it is loaded with a quality hunting bullet. I prefer a 160 to 180 gr heat treated WFNGC LBT design.
For hog hunting or for protection in bear country for someone a bit recoil sensitive, a 200 gr WFNGC loaded to 1100 fps is a very potent penetrator on any critter in the lower 48 at ranges under 50 yards.
Kirby Allen(50)
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| Posted: Sun May 29th, 2005 05:27 AM |
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caz223
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I'd use .357 on whitetail, but only in a rifle.
I like .41 mag for deer, just enough without being too much.
But I'm SURE you could work up .357 loads in an old skool ruger blackhawk that would do the job.
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Ursus
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When the 357 was introduced, the rag writers touted it as a powerful big game shell. I bought an early Ruger Blackhawk 357. Used it for deer and killed some whitetail bucks with it. With open sight range was self limiting, and it killed everything I hit with it. Since then I've hunted deer wtih a 44 mag and a 41 mag. And 375 and 30 Herrett in T/C. Sort of like the 41 mag best.
But I'd not think twice about grabbing the 357 Blackhawk for a deer today.
Someone said when rifle hunting, they carry a shoulder holster with a 357 as a backup hunter. I remember those days (long ago). Then I got weight concerned and carried an alloy frame smith 38 as a "finisher" (long ago). Now I carry a 5# 10 oz rifle and 4 shells. Actually seem to kill more deer. Also got my backpack weight down pretty low when hunting, thinking of putting a few helium balloons in the extra pack space
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stefan49
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I load 38 Spec. and 357 Mag. Anything from 125 grains and up.However,for 357 mag."working load" I use 140 Grain Speer over 18.5-19 grain of H110. Couple of years ago I had a six point whitetail standing about 25 yards in front of me, I had no other choice but pull my S&W Mod 27 with 6 inch barrel, and so said "go for it"
Well, that 140 grain reload landed behind the dear's shoulder and it virtualy dropped him right where he was standing! Is .357 mag. good choice for hunting Whitetails? Not necessary the most ideal caliber, but it could be done!
Last edited on Sun Aug 2nd, 2009 10:10 PM by stefan49
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sako06
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I don't hunt with my 357 mag I guess I could but I have other handguns to choose from:454casull,30-06,45colt,38spec,45acp,22lr,22mag.
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