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Thread: Deer hunting with a 357mag and 44mag rifle

  1. #21
    Boolit Master
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    Good to read the positive reports on the use of the .357, especially in rifles.

    Not that I have or am going to get a .357 rifle, my tastes running more to the .44, but my son has a 77/357 RUGER for which I am casting bullets. Good to hear positive deer hunting reports. I'll pass on the positive reports to Him.

    I do own .357, but only in shorter arms.

    Now, sure hope to take a deer with my 77/44 this Fall. The 275gr Wide Flat Nose cast is highly to cause double sided leakage!

    Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Crusty Deary Ol'Coot View Post
    The 275gr Wide Flat Nose cast is highly to cause double sided leakage!

    Crusty Deary Ol'Coot
    I have both, .357 and .44, make no mistake...the .357 will cause both side leakage with any bullet that I have tried, too.

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Crusty Deary Ol'Coot View Post
    ?? -- LASC -- ????
    Crusty Deary Ol'Coot
    He meant LAST....typo

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by dragon813gt View Post
    I've used a a MP 359-640 out of a Marlin 1894C to great success. It weighs in at 170 grains w/ my alloy pushed by a full charge of H110. Shot placement is key but this is always the case. I'd be hesitant to try the real heavyweight bullets. You're going to have a limited OAL if you want it to feed. Combine that w/ taking up more case capacity and you may not get the velocity you want. Revolvers allow for loading them long to keep the velocity up. I don't have any of the 200+ grain bullets so I'm just thinking out loud.
    Some revolvers will not let you load heavy for caliber bullets in a 357 case. My S&W 27 in 357, is a great gun. But to shoot the 173-175 Keith style SWC cast I have to use a 38 Spl case. The same can be done for rifles. The is some 180 grain and 200 grain cast for the 357. My Ruger BH handles the 180 gr in a 357 case. The S&W does not lose much velocity at all.

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by dragon813gt View Post
    I've used a a MP 359-640 out of a Marlin 1894C to great success. It weighs in at 170 grains w/ my alloy pushed by a full charge of H110. Shot placement is key but this is always the case. I'd be hesitant to try the real heavyweight bullets. You're going to have a limited OAL if you want it to feed. Combine that w/ taking up more case capacity and you may not get the velocity you want. Revolvers allow for loading them long to keep the velocity up. I don't have any of the 200+ grain bullets so I'm just thinking out loud.
    Your thinking is spot on. Heavier bullets like the 200 grainers simply lose too much velocity and it becomes diminishing returns. Heavier isn't always as good as people might think when losing velocity. The 357mag easily demonstrates this when two bullets of the same weight are tested at different distances where the bullet is known to be slower. I have two bullets fired at the same deer and hitting almost in the same spot. One was at about 35yds and the other at about ninety yards. The difference in expansion is amazing (I've posted pics on this before). Each bullet hit one rib going in and both were found under the hide on the off side.

  6. #26
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    Hey Crusty Deary Ol' Coot & NSB. I meant LASC (La. Shooting Club). Google lasc.fryxel for several articles by Glenn Fryxel. A guy worth reading. For the OP he has an article titled "A Bullet For All Seasons" which may suit his needs. I cast that boolit and it is a wonder! Killed all sorts of critters with it. YMMV
    Best Regards, 725

  7. #27
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    It's "The Los Angeles Silhouette Club", not shooting club. Here is a link to that article: http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Lyman_358627.pdf

  8. #28
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    I'll be different, use a 41 mag lever gun.

    I like the 357 lever gun and the NOE 360-180 works well for me.

  9. #29
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    In the .357 you will do well to stay with heavy Boolits. Light jacketed personal defense bullets are poor in the penetration dept.

  10. #30
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    dragon813qt -- I was close

  11. #31
    Boolit Master trapper9260's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 725 View Post
    Hey Crusty Deary Ol' Coot & NSB. I meant LASC (La. Shooting Club). Google lasc.fryxel for several articles by Glenn Fryxel. A guy worth reading. For the OP he has an article titled "A Bullet For All Seasons" which may suit his needs. I cast that boolit and it is a wonder! Killed all sorts of critters with it. YMMV
    Best Regards, 725
    Thank you found it .
    Life Member of NRA,NTA,DAV ,ITA. Also member of FTA,CBA

  12. #32
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    Google is your friend.



    http://www.lasc.us/



    Quote Originally Posted by Crusty Deary Ol'Coot View Post
    ?? -- LASC -- ????
    Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

  13. #33
    Boolit Master trapper9260's Avatar
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    I have read the write up that 725 stated and it help alot like he said would. Thank you
    Life Member of NRA,NTA,DAV ,ITA. Also member of FTA,CBA

  14. #34
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    The problem with the .357 was always the bullets. Most made for people, fast opening, etc. Off the shelf ammo is no good for deer in most cases. But we cast yet you still need to get it right. I don't want any bullet/boolit to stop in a deer. Either should do maximum damage inside before leaving for parts unknown.
    A guy at work had a SRH so deadly accurate it was crazy but it scared him so he hunted with his .357. He lost many, many deer. I don't know if it was bad hits but he shot the gun very well. He always said there was no blood trail. Bullets stayed inside.
    Now in a rifle with the extra speed, boolits are more important. Even the .44 has to be looked at for boolits. The .44 rifle can reach out if twist is right but not if wrong so you can't shoot too far.
    Then some like the Ruger have a short magazine and the Marlin will only take some boolits. We killed deer with the .44 Marlin but over 50 yards was a stretch when I killed deer to 120+ yards with the revolver. Accuracy from the Marlin plain sucked. My friend has a Marlin .444 with the 1 in 38" rate and over a year of work, it will not come in. It has power but is still a close range gun. At 100 or more you don't know if a miss or a gut shot.
    Will a .357 kill? Sure but you have your work cut out for you. I can't help.

  15. #35
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    I've shot and killed almost sixty deer with the 357mag. Most were killed with a handgun. I've never lost even one deer with the 357mag...NOT ONE. I did lose a deer with the 44mag and it was because of a bad hit. No deer shot in the vitals with either caliber will get away if it's SHOT IN THE VITALS. Anyone who says they shot several deer with the 357mag and didn't recover them either missed the animal or got a bad hit. There are way too many shooters/hunters out there who get buck fever or simply aren't the shot they think they are. Shooting off a bench at paper is a lot different than standing on your two feet and shooting at a deer. Even with a rest shooting a deer is a lot different than shooting at a target. I shot competition handgun for years and I've seen a lot of guys go squirrley just shooting at steel plates at a match when the adrenaline kicks in.....lots of them. Probably isn't a lot different when shooting at a deer. Most of those guys were pretty decent shots when it didn't count for anything. Add a bit of adrenaline and it all goes south in a hurry. Giving them a bigger gun isn't going to help.

  16. #36
    Boolit Master trapper9260's Avatar
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    I know it have alot about shot placement, beside of what you use for bullet.
    Life Member of NRA,NTA,DAV ,ITA. Also member of FTA,CBA

  17. #37
    Boolit Master reloader28's Avatar
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    I know for a fact that the Lee 158 RF in 357 does awesome.
    In 44 Ive used an RCBS 240 SWC for a couple and it performed perfect too.

  18. #38
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    "I know for a fact that the Lee 158 RF in 357 does awesome."

    No doubt.

    There is at least one member here that would pee his pants if he knew that other members were were using the Ranch Dog 135 Grain RF 9mm to kill hogs and deer. That is right kill, not injure. Shoots through and through and as a practicle matter DRT. Magic Meplat works like magic. I know it is a miracle. Only the 500s or 475s can kill deer. The Caliber Dictator would have their heads for using a 9mm if he only knew who they were.

  19. #39
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    Now I want to know who the "Caliber Dictator" is. That's a lofty title

  20. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by dragon813gt View Post
    Now I want to know who the "Caliber Dictator" is. That's a lofty title
    Can't say due to Forum Decorum. I am the Caliber Anarchist, not so lofty a title.

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BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
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GC Gas Check