.357 rabbit load

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I have a very pleasant and accurate .357 load for my '92 using a .358-125-rf. The Rossi spits 'em out at 1300 fps.

Too much for cottontails? I have a Lee TL.356-95-rf that I have been experimenting with. But if a 125 doesn't seem like overkill I might just quit the 95-grain endeavor.

[trapper9260]

Try it with the 95 and see how it works for you and let us know how it gose. You do not try you will not know . Just follow the data on it.

[gpidaho]

BJJ: I would think that the power level would be a more important factor than the difference between 95 and 125gr. bullet. I'd just work on which bullet would shoot more accurately with a minimum powder charge. Gp

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I have been trying the 95 gr bullet. Unfortunately it has been giving me grief with being so short it needs a little extra to get it to seat straight. I have some good ideas for fixing the seating problem. On the other hand I found that 6.6 gr of CFE-Pistol under the 125 gr bullet will produce just under 1-inch groups at 25 yds. Maybe just stick with that?

I thought maybe some here may have experience shooting bunnies with something like this.

[KCSO]

360 round ball and 2 1/2 grains of trail boss. Just like a 22 mag I seat a wonder wad under the ball and just press the ball into the case.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

360 round ball and 2 1/2 grains of trail boss. Just like a 22 mag I seat a wonder wad under the ball and just press the ball into the case.

I have tried the rb. It is accurate enough. But I found I have to load them into the chamber by hand, rendering the lever action a clumsey single shot.

[KCcactus]

I would expect the 358-125 rf to make a mess of a cottontail unless you stick with head shots. I used it with 4.8 gr of Unique in 38 spl to put down 14 pigs in my trap last year. It did a surprising amount of damage.

[dverna]

I would try the 125 and use a hard alloy. If it was too much, changing the bullet to a round nose with a smaller meplat would be my option if I had to use a .357. But the .22LR seems like a better fit.

[northmn]

As long as you use a hard bullet weight don't make any difference in meat damage. You want to head shoot anyway. I shot some small game with the 38 special and it worked well. Wad cutters would really put them down. I use a 125 grain hard cast in my 357 and like it. Another load to consider for small game are the FMJ 130 grain cheap military copies in 38 special. They sell very cheap and I like them for that use, plinking out of my pistols and even leading removal.

DEP

[Texas by God]

This is a good application for the old 158 LRN at .38 Special velocity. Minimal meat damage.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[gundownunder]

You want a 158 gr hollow point doing at least 1800 fps.
That way your shots on rabbits will be humane, and all the skinning, gutting, and meat tenderizing will be done for you.
I'd guess that even a 38 spl load will bruise a lot of rabbit unless you can get a head shot.

[Hamish]

I have a very pleasant and accurate .357 load for my '92 using a .358-125-rf. The Rossi spits 'em out at 1300 fps.

Too much for cottontails? I have a Lee TL.356-95-rf that I have been experimenting with. But if a 125 doesn't seem like overkill I might just quit the 95-grain endeavor.

Shoots well, feeds well, is accurate. Let the results on the rabbit dictate wether you harden the alloy or slow it down.

Go shoot some rabbits.

[Good Cheer]

A non-expanding bullet at high velocity blows up meat because of the explosive effect of the rate of displacement.
In a Rossi '92 I used the RCBS 38-162 SWC and just enough Reddot or AL-5 to get very tight groups.
Worked well on jackrabbits out to about a hundred yards where the trajectory gets too challenging.

[Good Cheer]

By the way, hunting rabbits with the 4" Security Six, I used wadcutters with the classic light load of Bullseye. Would find them by working to the south and seeing the light shining through their ears before they flushed.