357 Mag Hog Hunting?

[c0wb0y84]

Thinking about taking the 6 1/2" Blackhawk to the woods to shoot at some hogs from a stand. Distance is about 25-30 yds and I have a 158gr SWC mould that I was thinking of using. I need to get some more powder but I have some win 231 and titegroup if anyone has load recommendations. I found some load information but don't know if the application is suitable for my purpose. Any thoughts?

[Texas by God]

Unique, 2400, or H110/W296 will give you more snort with that boolit. Good luck and kill them all!

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[Wheelguns 1961]

5.0gn of w231 with the same bullet gives me approx 1,100fps. No hogs in my area, but I’m with texas by god, with the slower magnum powders. 5.0gn of w231 is a max pressure load according to hodgdon.

[Walks]

I killed lots of pigs in the mid 70's - early 80's using a NM Blackhawk 6 1/2" bbl.
Not legal to hunt in CA back then unless Jacketed Expanding BULLETS.
I used a LYMAN #358156 (154gr) cast of LINOTYPE, lubed 50/50. It went completely through every pig I shot, breaking whatever bones it hit. Never recovered a bullet or a piece of one.
The other bullet I tried was a LYMAN #358439, a 170gr plain based Hollow Point cast of 50/50, WW/#2. They expanded, but the petals would break off & the Bullet remains didn't always punch clear thru. Maybe should have tried 20/1 alloy.

I always carried a couple of expanded Jacketed HP with me, dipped in the pigs blood when I dressed them out.

Back then pigs were considered pests, so no tags. But you could get checked by a Fish & Game Officer. I never was, but I was ready. Limit was one pig a day, one in possession. Kill one Sat. Grind up for sausage, take another one the next week.

Used max load of 2400, need that Velocity to punch thru that gristle plate that CA pigs have.

2400, 4227, 296. Ya need MAGNUM Powder for Max Velocity.

[P Flados]

With Titegroup, there will be plenty of air gap above the powder so bullet substitution / OAL is a lot less likely to cause problems.

Your gun is also not one of the wimps of the 357 world.

As such, J Word "book max" sounds fine for your cast boolits.

From Hodgdon for a J Word over Titegroup: 6.1 gr, 1229 fps, 41,900 CUP.

Not quite the 1591 fps they show for 16.7 gr of H110. Then again, it takes ~37% of a charge to get 77% of the speed.

If you are expecting average specimens at shorter distances, Titegroup will not be a terrible choice.

FYI, I really like Titegroup at book max under ASBB HF Red PC coated 120 TCs.

For a while, it was my high volume "target load with bang" in 357.

If you are going for the bigger ones, a 180 RNFP or possibly a 200 RCBS/LEE at full tilt with H110, 2400, Lil Gun, etc. might be more appropriate.

[marlin39a]

I'm in with the Lyman 358156, gas checked, carnauba red, over 13-14 guns of 2400.

[shortlegs]

I have used 6 gr 231 under 158 gr swc no gc. My 6.5 in blackhawk shoots that load at 1119 fps average. Additionally my marlin with 18 in bbl chronoed 1329 avg. with same load. That should work fine from your stand. Good luck with your hunt! "Organic" pork is very good eating. Smoking some now to feed siblings and their kids tomorrow.

[popper]

My normal load for 40sw is 4.5 231 for 165gr cast. Works fine on Tx pigs @ 25 yds. You shouldn't have a problem with the bigger case and 231. H110 will give hotter loads.

[c0wb0y84]

Well I've been looking for 2400 local to no avail. Not sure if its in short supply or the local stores just don't carry it. I guess I'll keep looking and maybe do some experimenting with what I've got in the mean time. These pigs should taste great since they're free range, organic, gluten free, hormone free, non gmo. Plus they're being fed really well from the deer feeder.

[Walks]

If no 2400 is available, then try 4227.

WW296/H110 is good too, but I always got a bit of Leading when pushing plain-based bullets at MAX.

I heard way back, that WW296/H110 burned exceptionally hot, and that caused the Leading with plain-based bullets.

I don't know if I believe that. But my 2400 Loads always gave me such great ACCURACY with the #358156 & #358439/#358429 that I never needed another powder.

Those loads are still as accurate as ever, but unfortunately I ain't.

And I only shoot them in a NM Blackhawk or S&W 27.
But those loads are a bit snappish in the 5" M27 & NM Blackhawk in 4 5/8" bbl's.
Stick to the 6 1/2" bbl'd Revolvers.

[Texas by God]

LilGun was good in my old .357s with j-words but I have not used it with lead. It may burn too hot, too.

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[c0wb0y84]

Well, I was able to find some win296. Either someone is buying all the magnum pistol powders up here or the isn't a real demand. I hope to do some loading tomorrow and test a few out. Apparently I don't have the mag primers I thought I did so gonna have to make do with standard primers. Oh well, we'll see how it goes.

[Texas by God]

I've never used magnum pistol primers at all but I live in a warm climate. You'll like 296.

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[c0wb0y84]

So doing some more reading about the 296 everything that I see is pretty insistent upon the mag primers with an explanation being for handling the increased pressures since they have a thicker cup. So I'm looking at possibly using small rifle primers instead. LGS is out of the mag primers.

[popper]

Standard primers with 110/296 in BO pushes my 145gr PB to 2100, no problem. Lilgun burns hotter, not 110.