Speed six rugar

[dombra]

Dear All,
Was wondering what is the max load/ boo lit combo I could use for hunting in a 38spl, speed six rugar - 2'3/4 in barrel
Hope to use it on roe deer if poss,
Many Thanx

[44man]

Dear All,
Was wondering what is the max load/ boo lit combo I could use for hunting in a 38spl, speed six rugar - 2'3/4 in barrel
Hope to use it on roe deer if poss,
Many Thanx
You are treading where you shouldn't. Get a .41 or .44.

[jrayborn]

You're Speed-Six will handle any .38 special load, the issue is that it is only a .38 special. Have to agree that unfortunately, to be responsible as a hunter, you need more caliber.

[jh45gun]

If it is a hot loaded 38 why not? How many here would use a 357? I know from personal experience of killing deer with a Ruger Single Six 22 mag and they were all one shot kills and never lost one either. Biggest thing is I would keep the shots close and if you cannot place your shots precisely with that gun then I would forget about it.

[Larry Gibson]

I'd use the +P loads also with that handgun. However, my concern is the 2 /34" barrel. Are you actually Hunting the roe deer or "dispatching" them? What ranges are you talking about?

PM sent.

Larry Gibson

[jh45gun]

Which is why I said keep it close and make sure you can place your shots. If not forget it.

[Bret4207]

Assuming it's in good shape and you can shoot it well, get a 358156 Lyman and seat it ahead of 12.0 gr 2400 in the lower crimp groove. You can work up towards 13.5 grs but that's a really hot load. We used to use that back in the day. The other alternative is to go with a heavier boolit like the 358429 and load it with a stiff charge of Unique. I believe 6.5 grs was about max, but you might want to do some research on that in older loading books. Been a while since I played with that type of stuff.

You can make the 38 Special a 357 in a decent platform.

[MtGun44]

I agree with Bret. The gun is fully capable of handling .357 mag loads. I'd use a HP 358429 (~165 gr)
and a max load of Unique in that short barrel. Several friends have cleanly taken whitetails
with broadside shots with 158 gr JHP/JSPs, usually passing through. They used them at
under 40 yds. Is this the ideal hunting caliber? No. Will it work if used carefully and thoughtfully?
Yes.

The biggest error would be to use a light, self defense type of JHP. These will usually not penetrate
very well and you would likely risk losing the deer. 158 or heavier should be used.

Bill

[dombra]

Dear All,
Many Thanx for the info
I only plan to use it on 20yrd shots and only on good conditions
Sadly it's all I ve got

[feets]

Jump on the deer's back and screw the 38 into it's ear. That should do the trick. :kidding:


I bought a box of Winchester 38 Spl +P and it advertised target shooting and hunting thin skinned game.

[williamwaco]

If it is a hot loaded 38 why not? How many here would use a 357? I know from personal experience of killing deer with a Ruger Single Six 22 mag and they were all one shot kills and never lost one either. Biggest thing is I would keep the shots close and if you cannot place your shots precisely with that gun then I would forget about it.



Yes and some of the pioneers killed deer with a .22 short. If you are hungry, you use what you have.

But, just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should do it.


.

[jh45gun]

Yes and some of the pioneers killed deer with a .22 short. If you are hungry, you use what you have.

But, just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should do it.


.

A 22 mag will kill a deer and DRT if your place the bullet where it should go and speaking of 22 shorts I know a guy who has a 22 short chambered carbine contender barrel he uses for Pigs that are the young ones for eating and he never has had an issue harvesting them. Like I said its all about bullet placement. When I was young I either missed deer because I took bad shots or because I did not wait for good shots.After I learned to place my bullets and take my time I have not lost a deer either with guns or bows/crossbows. And I have been hunting for over 47 years. A 22 mag really does kill big for its size. Do I recommend it for general hunting no but if I wanted a survival rifle it would be my first choice which is why I have a Henry lever gun in 22 mag that I seldom shoot but I will never get rid of it either. In a survival use or SHTF I would feel comfortable using it for what ever I needed it for.

[bowfin]

You guys saw that the original poster said "roe deer", didnt you? A large roe deer might go 60 pounds, with 50 being closer to average. Not quite up there with a whitetail.

I believe a .38 Special would be more than adequate if you can place your bullet accurately with the sights on a Speed-Six. For a cast boolit, I think a Keith semiwadcutter would do well, and if you are going to use a jacketed bullet, then I would personally try a 125 grain jacketed hollowpoint.

Good luck, and let us know how you fare.

[NickSS]

Years ago I killed a white tail doe in New Hampshire with a model 36 38 spl revolver. I shot it twice in the chest at about 15 yards when it popped out of the underbrush while I was starting the campfire for cooking dinner (it was my turn). I happened to have the revolver on my belt for signaling and grouse popping if the occasion arose. I had put my rifle away when the doe popped into view. I made a fast draw and fired twice DA and she ran off. A bit of tracking and i found her laying down very sick about 75 yards away so I shot her in the head to finish her off. My gun was loaded with 150 gr semi wad cutters cast in my lyman mold over 3.5 gr of Red Dot. It can be done but I would not recommend it for a planed hunt.

[bowfin]

Again, I wouldn't hunt a whitetail deer with a short barreled .38 special, but we are talking an animal that will be one third to one fourth the size of "our" deer here in the states. Here is a nice sized roe deer:

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g184/artsmom/roe_deer_hunting_01a.jpg

[MtGun44]

Excellent point. I missed the "roe deer". The heavy HP .358429 will do a fine job on these
with a hot .38 Spl or near .357 mag load as long as it is placed reasonably. Actually, for
most eastern whitetails it will still be fine for the short ranges he is talking about.

The key thing is to avoid the 110gr or 125 gr JHP type ammo which won't penetrate well
and may fail.

Bill