38/357 rifle for varmints

[Ken]

Just wondering about using a 38/357 for ground squirrel shooting. My wife wants something more powerful than a 22 LR for drivebys on her quad. I think the Ricocchet factor would be kinda bad an a lead bullet. I'm looking for something cheap to shoot that I can load. 17 HMRs amd 22 Mags are always an option.
Any advice/experience? Guess I could set her up with a 30 carbine???

[beagle]

I use a 357 Mag Marlin out here on the farm loaded with hot .38 Special HPs. The ricochet factor isn't so bad but it's still there. It's a good rifle for things like that, even with irons up to about 100 yards.

Then, there's the .25/20 which is even better with the 257420HP and the ricochet factor goes down some.

The best, although not handy to carry, is a .222 Rem with HP'd 22-55-SPs at about 2,000 FPS.

The .32-20 in a Marlin lever should be a great little varmint cartridge.

So, get a light .357 bullet, have Buckshot HP it and your .357 Mag carbine should be a great little varmint gun./beagle

[Glen]

The .357 levergun loaded with cast HPs (in particular the Lyman 358439) is an excellent combo for ground squirrels! I load them in .38 Special cases with 8.5 grains of HS-7 for about 1250 fps.

[Marlin Junky]

What about HP'ing the RCBS 35-180-SILH and shooting it as fast as it will go from the .357 Marlin?

MJ

[Scrounger]

What about buying one of the .358/130 Lee molds we have a group buy going on it. I been telling you guys for two years you really need one of those. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=29525

[405]

Just wondering about using a 38/357 for ground squirrel shooting. My wife wants something more powerful than a 22 LR for drivebys on her quad. I think the Ricocchet factor would be kinda bad an a lead bullet. I'm looking for something cheap to shoot that I can load. 17 HMRs amd 22 Mags are always an option.
Any advice/experience? Guess I could set her up with a 30 carbine???

Is longer range/trajectory the problem? Is knockdown power the problem? Are there people downrange that make ricochet a problem? You think a 22lr isn't enough gun for a ground squirrel? Oh, forgot about the attacking variety. The ricochet potential is there with all of them- greatly lessened as you go way up in velocity and down in caliber. One of the 17s may be better but no guarantees.

[runfiverun]

little 125 rnfp is awesome on yotes,marmots,and them grey things in the trees