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Thread: .357 Success

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    .357 Success

    This year the opportunity to shoot a deer with my GP-100 worked out but not as expected. I was hunting last week on private land with my brother and I started to see deer about eight o'clock. First two deer was a small spike chasing a doe. The doe didn't offer a shot and the buck was too small to burn a buck tag on. A few minutes later I missed a chip shot on another doe with my Contender pistol, still not sure how I did that. About thirty minutes after the miss, two does came trotting through the thick brush but wouldn't slow down enough to get the scoped Contender in action. I figured they weren't stopping so I eased the hammer down. As I lowered the pistol, the lead doe locked up like a bird dog on point and there I sat with a gun that I had to open/close to re-cock. I had my GP-100 laying next to where I was sitting but figured she would blast off like a rocket as soon as I reached for it. With nothing to lose, I eased my hand down and picked it up. The lead doe kept doing the head bob maneuver and she actually took a couple steps to try and get a better look. The few steps she took put her in a gap between some of the trees where I could see her shoulder better. I thumbed the hammer back on the .357, lined it up and squeezed off a shot at about 45 yards. Bullet hit her on near side shoulder and punched all the way through to just under the skin on the off side shoulder breaking her down in the front. She stumbled about 50 yards and crashed near the property boundary. I hustled down to were she crashed and shot her in the neck since it looked like she might get back up. During field dressing, I figured out it was a wasted shot since the first shot took out both lungs when it went through the shoulders. Load was a MP 359-640 cast with large hollow point (160gr) moving at a little over 1200fps. Bullet alloy was 50/50 alloy with a little tin to help fill out. Recovered bullet pieces weighed 84 grains. Pictures below are the inside of the near side shoulder where the bullet entered the ribs and where the bullet was recovered from the off side. Doe weighed 90lbs hog dressed and will make a lot of good meals. Overall very pleased with my first .357 deer.


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  2. #2
    Boolit Master


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    Great job!
    I can’t hunt deer with a handgun or rifle in this state but I sure as heck like to dream about it and buy moulds and work up loads as if I could.
    That 359-640 is my favorite mould and I’m waiting for the HP version group buy to work through.

    Your results solidify my thoughts on how it would perform. Even down at 1200 it did the trick. I’m wondering if next time you might want to try the small HP or the cup pin if you have it.

    Not that you can argue with the results of your load/pin/alloy at all!

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master


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    The bullet even, arguably, failed in the respect that it broke apart. Yet it fully penetrated the deer, and left a hole in its wake twice the size what any 45 caliber solid would do.

    Sure you could ask for a pass through, but when a deer dies within eyesight, who cares? Try that bullet with a more malleable alloy like 20:1, and you just might get that result. A load like that doesn't recoil hardly at all either, making practicing enjoyable.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master RU shooter's Avatar
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    Good job !
    If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

  5. #5
    Boolit Master




    EMC45's Avatar
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    Well done
    You can miss fast & you can miss a lot, but only hits count.

  6. #6
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    I agree with megasupermagnum, even though the bullet lost weight by breaking apart, it still performed well.

    And you cannot evaluate the performance of a cartridge based on one shot on one deer. That survey size is ONE.
    But even with that extremely small pool of data, I would be happy with the results. I agree that a more malleable alloy might be all it takes to retain the bullet's mass.

    200 years ago people were harvesting deer with 36 caliber lead round balls and black powder velocities. Deer are not bullet proof.

    A 150-170 grain slug moving at over 1100 fps has more than enough energy to cleanly kill a deer. And that bullet performed well despite breaking apart. (and that separation may have been a fluke).

    GOOD JOB !

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy
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    That will be some good eating.

  8. #8
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    I have for years advocated a RF style boolit, cast in 50/50+2% for hunting. HP is not needed, and the RF cuts a decent wound channel without coming apart even if it hits bone.

    Congratulations on the kill, will make some very fine eating!
    Got a .22 .30 .32 .357 .38 .40 .41 .44 .45 .480 or .500 S&W cylinder that needs throats honed? 9mm, 10mm/40S&W, 45 ACP pistol barrel that won't "plunk" your handloads? 480 Ruger or 475 Linebaugh cylinder that needs the "step" reamed to 6° 30min chamfer? Click here to send me a PM You can also find me on Facebook Click Here.

  9. #9
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    A HP probably would have reduced penetration a lot. It should have made the lungs but what you have worked. I would have wanted an exit hole but this did what you asked it to.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by MT Gianni View Post
    A HP probably would have reduced penetration a lot. It should have made the lungs but what you have worked. I would have wanted an exit hole but this did what you asked it to.
    That is a hollow point.

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy Iwsbull's Avatar
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    Good job, congrats and I like that boolit.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master
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    good job
    it's a great thing when a plan comes together
    Hit em'hard
    hit em'often

  13. #13
    Boolit Master 444ttd's Avatar
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    great job!!!!!!!!
    Ad Reipublicae his Civitatum Foederatarum Americae, ego sum fortis et libero. Ego autem non exieris ad impios communistarum socialismi. Ora imagines in vestri demented mentem, quod vos mos have misericordia, quia non.

    To the Republic of these United States of America, I am strong and free. I will never surrender to godless communist socialism. Pray to images in your demented mind, that you will have mercy, because i will not.

    MOLON LABE

  14. #14
    Boolit Bub
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    Nice, I just bought that mold and am waiting for it to come in.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master

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    Fake news. Everyone knows 357s bounce off of deer...




    Nice shooting!

  16. #16
    Boolit Master fastdadio's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael J. Spangler View Post
    Great job!
    I can’t hunt deer with a handgun or rifle in this state but I sure as heck like to dream about it and buy moulds and work up loads as if I could.
    Just curious here, what state do you live in?
    Deplorable infidel

  17. #17
    Boolit Master



    skeettx's Avatar
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    Well done
    Thank you for sharing
    Mike
    NRA Benefactor 2004 USAF RET 1971-95

  18. #18
    Boolit Buddy
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    Thanks for the comments.....After seeing what that deer's shoulder looked like, it's no wonder the .357 could shut down the bad guys. I think if I would have missed the shoulder and only hit ribs instead it would have punched through. Might try the penta HP pin next time.
    Last edited by nannyhammer; 12-01-2020 at 06:54 PM.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by fastdadio View Post
    Just curious here, what state do you live in?
    Massachusetts.

    We can hunt coyotes with any rifle we want.
    Deer is shotgun/bow/muzzy only

    Coons can be shot with no larger than 22 L.R. rifle and 38 special pistol after dark.
    Squirrels are shotgun and Bow only (muzzy shotgun too)

    Both sets are in similar hunting conditions and size animals. Go forbid I miss a squirrel in a tree with a 22 I could kill millions of people. I can take the same 22 and shoot in the dark at a raccoon up in a tree and all is well.

    Makes no sense.

    I wish they would have a straight walled cartridge season.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master




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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael J. Spangler View Post
    Massachusetts.

    We can hunt coyotes with any rifle we want.
    Deer is shotgun/bow/muzzy only

    Coons can be shot with no larger than 22 L.R. rifle and 38 special pistol after dark.
    Squirrels are shotgun and Bow only (muzzy shotgun too)

    Both sets are in similar hunting conditions and size animals. Go forbid I miss a squirrel in a tree with a 22 I could kill millions of people. I can take the same 22 and shoot in the dark at a raccoon up in a tree and all is well.

    Makes no sense.

    I wish they would have a straight walled cartridge season.
    I thought you resided in TN.....
    You can miss fast & you can miss a lot, but only hits count.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check