Thinking of giving my SBH a try next whitetail season what 158gr swc load

[slimpickins]

If I do try it I will be using a 158 gr swc or i have a mold for 142 148 156 gr full wadcutters. What would be your choice on a whitetail from 10 to 100 yds open sights in a new model bh 6 1/2 bbl ? I for no special reason have never taken a deer and figure since I never have if im going to its gonna have to be a real challenge to me or im not going to do it so I figure a bow a flintlock or a pistol. I have a recurve and a dozen arrows a CVA fiberglass flintlock a bunch of stick on ww round balls and a 357 BH with this question how to load for it. I have a some factory jhp bullets but I would rather make my own boolit load my own boolit and shoot MY OWN BOOLIT to kill my only FIST DEER. So help me out please.

[slimpickins]

I could use my sbh 44 but dont have as much confidence in shooting it as in my 357. I am just not sure of the amount of power i should put behing the bullet in a 357 to be an effective hunting load. I have only been putting a small charge of bullseye in some 38spl for plinking loads and havent made much attempts at 357 loads as I havent really needed to push anything fast to kill the paper. I dont have a chrony and am just looking for some ideas on what range of loads have been effective for others.

[Larry Gibson]

Your BH with 6 1/2" barrel in .357 is adequate for deer out to 100 yards. My choicle of such a hunting load for my Ruger SS with 6 1/2" barrel is a 358156 cast of 1-16 tin/lead alloy or WW/lead at 50/50. I size them at .360, use a Hornady GC and lube with Javelina. I HP the bullets (after loading) with a Forster 1/8" HP tool to a depth of 2/3s the nose length. I load them with old data using H110. These Rugers are stout enough for such loads. The load I use pushes that bullet at 1420 fps with excellent accuracy. Penetration and expansion are excellent and entirely adequate for deer.

I have always used iron sights on hunting handguns in the past and mostly limited myself to 50 yards or so. However my eyes aren't what they once were so I'm using optics more and more. I've a Burris FastFire mounted on my .41 that I really like. I probably will put a small weaver base on the Ruger SS and use it there also. With that sight I'd have confidence to shoot deer to 100 yards with that .357 load if conditions were right.

Larry Gibson

[runfiverun]

from the choices you have there the heaviest boolit is the choice i would make.
try some 2400 powder and shoot for distance.
you will soon figure out how far YOU can take an animal.
the 44 would be a better choice in my opinion, just in case of the chancy shot.
for that a 240 gr boolit and 2400 is hard to beat also,think about it like this ,you can look for the one you think would make the better hunting boolit for your 44. and work up some loads for it ,at the same time getting comfortable shooting it.
you don't need to shoot the 44 at 1800 fps to kill a deer. 1200 and accuracy with a 240 to 300gr boolit will do the job just fine.

[slimpickins]

I may just do that its been down awhile as the cyl pin crosspin fell out and I just havent ordered the new parts for it. The new one will be loctited in just so it doesnt shoot loose and fall out too.

[leadman]

If you have to buy powder for hunting loads for your 357 I would recommend LiL' Gun. High velocity and excellent accuracy can be obtained with this powder at lower pressure than 110 or 296.

[MT Gianni]

A gallon milk jug is very close to the heart-lung area of a whitetail. If you can regularly bust one at a known distance it is your distance for shooting a whitetail.

[redneckdan]

I've has good results with a 150gr KT and 16.0gr of 296

[Flash]

A gallon milk jug is very close to the heart-lung area of a whitetail. If you can regularly bust one at a known distance it is your distance for shooting a whitetail.
A good example here. I would use a minumum of 150 grain SWC and load it to around 1,300 fps. Then I would practice all summer with the milk jugs until I could hit it every time. Your load might need tailoring for accuracy but you'll have all year. If you are hunting from a stand, practice from a stand too. Get every fair advantage that you can and you'l harvest your first deer with your own cast bullet. I don't post load data on the net for safety reasons but there are plenty of books out there with good load data and the powder manufacturer sites have some also.

[TCLouis]

no matter what you use for a target, get to where your shots are grouped in the center of the target.

The old adage aim small hit small is true in practice and especially when there is an area target to aim at, and a small area within it to kill it.

[Bret4207]

A 9" paper plate approximates the sizes of a deers vitals. The max range you can shoot at is the max range you can reliably put a cylinder full of hunting loads within that plate. Better yet, paint the plates brown and put them on a deer photo type target against a hunting type background. It'll make you think I'll tell you that.

This is my personal rule and applies to any and all weapons for hunting.

As for the 357, I've killed probably 100 deer with a 357 and 158 jacketed out of a 4" revolver. I would be okay with a 160 SWC at 13-1400 fps, but would prefer a 180 at 1200. Chances are you'll get broadside penetration regardless, unless you have some large deer in the 225lbs+++ class. On the typical 125-150 lbs deer the 180's might be overkill.

[GSSP]

I like all the above advice. Heavier bullet, milk jugs, 8-9" paper plates from different field positions.

Last couple Mulies I took with a 357 mag was shot with my own cast 356156, 158 gr, with GC in 38 special cases, crimped in the lower crimp groove, using 2400; cant remember the charge. I believe it was Skeeter Skelton's favorite load.

[Screwbolts]

I like all the above advice. Heavier bullet, milk jugs, 8-9" paper plates from different field positions.

Last couple Mulies I took with a 357 mag was shot with my own cast 356156, 158 gr, with GC in 38 special cases, crimped in the lower crimp groove, using 2400; cant remember the charge. I believe it was Skeeter Skelton's favorite load.

I to like all the advice also.

I have taken 5 deer in the last 2 yrs with the 357 mag. I have used 3 different boolitz and two different loads.

I am shooting the 357 out of a 17.5" single shot rook rifle I made. :drinks: But I load it to revolver velocity. nice and quiet.

The first two deer were both harvested with a mild load of 4 gr. of Bullseye. 1080 FPS. First large doe was shot at 27 yards from a tree stand, the boolit was a 170 gr untreated wheel weight alloy SWC from a Ohaus mold. the boolet entered high right shoulder making a 1.5" hole going into the lung cavity traveled the length of the rib cage making nice hole in both lungs, broke a rib on the aft side and was recovered in the skin. It mushed out to .446 and still weighted 161gr. Deer went 70 yards and tipped over. This slow bullet penetrated 26" in deer medium.:Fire:

2nd. deer same powder charge but a Lyman/ideal 358316 RNFP 150+ gr. same alloy same basic Velocity. 92 yard shot at 9 pt buck broadside. Deer was Limping from a arrow wound from that earlier season, deer was also trying to trot. Hit center of ribs, buck ran 30 yards stopped and was looking around not knowing what just happened, reloaded and shot second shot threw center of shoulders. deer dropped at the shot. both shots were complete penetration. second shot was not needed, but if the lead taint flying the deer taint dyen:mrgreen:, and it was still standing. That was 2 yrs ago. as you can see modest velocity and very quiet load.

This yr:
Loaded with 6.5 Gr of 800X 1275 FPS. first deer was shot at 70 yrds. broadside, angle slightly away, it was standing and feeding, bullet was a 180 gr. RCBS SIL no gas check, alloy was WW. The deer took the hit threw the back of the scapula, the bullet hole to the scapula threw hide and muscle was just a pin prick, the bullet must have mushroomed going threw the bone and made a 1.25 hole going in threw the rib cage left a 1" hole going out the far side taking another rib and out threw the front of off side shoulder, bullet was not recovered. Deer stood there for a fraction of a second, then panic set in and it ran 30 yards closer to me and tipped over. decided bad choice of boolit, even sold the mold.

2nd deer, same powder, 6.5 of 800X 1275 FPS ( Crony) Boolit is same WW Ohaus 170 gr, SWC mold is labeled 158 SWC. Another big Doe feeding 105 yards slightly up hill guartering away, shot 1/3rd up behind the shoulder Nice 1.25" hole in rib cage and threw top of heart, out he front of the other shoulder. the hit made a Smack like it hit a hollow tree:mrgreen:. This deer just frooze for a second and then tried to run down hill, didn't make 12 yards.

The other large Doe with the above deer made the mistake of not leaving the area. she actually ran to 60 yards of me and looked back to see why she was alone. another Ohaus took her behind the ear while she was looking away and that was that. DRT,

This is my favorite load to date in the little rifle. If I can figure out how to get the photos off my phone camera to Photobucket I will post photos.

( 2 DMUs and a DMAP for those that want to know) :castmine:


Ken
CNY

[hpdrifter]

I may just do that its been down awhile as the cyl pin crosspin fell out and I just havent ordered the new parts for it. The new one will be loctited in just so it doesnt shoot loose and fall out too.

slim, if you'll take that cylinder pin out and chuck it up in a drill and with a small round needle file, deepen the groove until the cross pin lock will slide deeper across the cylinder pin, your troubles with it backing out will be cured.

Good huntin.

EDIT/...Ooops, sorry I skimmed over it and missed that it was the cross pin itself. Nevermind

[slimpickins]

Boy I really appreciate the input I havent been checkig for a few days. I believe my practice loads were 3.6 or 3.8 of bullseye in a 38spl and 4.3 for a little more kick in the 38 just not in my snubnose. they seem to group ok on a leagal size piece of paper at about 25-30 yds about a 6 inch group and thats only a few cyls to try them out. I have been shooting mostly fmjs for the past few years in it till now. Ill have to try the reactive jugs from a stand to really get an idea of my ability and to get me really excited about it thanks for the idea I think ill utilize an old archery taget to hold them up in a more "natural posistion" too.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
The 357 with a good expanding boolit (soft) will get the job done. Personally I would be very cautias with shots beyond 50 yards. If you can hit that Paper plate center area at 80 yards OK. But I still think the 357 as a minimal cartridge for larger critters. I still like the ol Michigan hunters advice... Be sure your boolit in grains equals the critters weight in pounds. I know several fellers in Illinois & Indiana that used to use the 357... did well most the time when the range was under 50 yards and through the ribs . But most are now using something that starts with a 4 and very carful with their shots. ... especially past 50 yards or so.
Last deer I popped was with a Dan wesson 375 supermag. Lyman 375248 (soft) launched at 1360 fps to duplicate a 35-55 load. Smacked that deer through both lungs and tore a golfball hole on the off side. Range was about 35 yards. Deer walked a good 60 yards to its bed and bled out. Would a 357 do the same ? Possibly ... But I still think the 357 is minimum and will stick to something that has more horsepower available. Happy Hunting !
Mik in Peru HE is Risen!

[SCIBUL]

Hello
I've got a RUGER BH 6,5" too and I load it with KEITH boolits (Lyman 358429) or RCBS 38.150.KT. I size them to .359 and lube with 2500+. The Lyman boolit is pushed with 14grs of Vihtavuori N110 and the second by 16grs of the same powder. Primers are CCI 500 small pistil standard. Accuracy and power are very good.
Hope this helps.