If any of you are handgun hunters who use a .357...

[AZMark]

...please give me some insight on loads and tactics for deer and wild hogs if I can find them. I have a 6" GP 100 and cannot buy another gun.

[rintinglen]

In my pre-44 days, I used a 6 inch .357 for hunting. I loaded Speer 158 grain SP bullets as hot as the manual would let me run 'em. Today I'd use a 358=156 over 15.7 grains of H-110. Tactics wise, you need to plan on getting close, and you need to limit your shots to the range that you can garantee your bullet will hit within three inches of your point of aim. Where I was hunting this year, a pistol was seldom a handicap; trees and underbrush limited line of sight to 50 yards or less most of the time. I still hunt, two or three steps then stop, listen look, then go on again.

[Matthew 25]

In my little world...
Generally speaking, there are two categories of terminal bullet performance: expansion and penetration.
The perfect expanding bullet penetrates well then releases LOTS of energy into soft tissue, disrupting blood flow (and often causing shock damage). I believe most good expanders are jacketed hollow point or soft point bullets going pretty darn fast. Yes you can make soft lead or lead hp bullets, too.
The perfect penetrating bullet goes in and just keeps going, effectively putting holes in soft tissues or bone (less shock disturbance). I believe the best penetrating bullets (for hunting) are non-expanding lead bullets with a wide meplat, generally heavy for caliber with moderate speed is good.

In a way, you need to decide if you want to achieve a fast expander load or a slower penetrating load. I surely lean toward the slower penetrator. The trade-off between the two terminal performance comes down to shot placement. A fast expanding bullet does best with lung/liver hits but it may fail on a large heavy shoulder or thick-skinned critter. A slower heavy bullet does best with a shoulder/vertebrae hit but may be less of a performer with an all lung hit. These difference probably don't make a bit of difference for a rifle round with modern expanders, but I think they're relevant with the border-line .357.
I think that a 180 -200 g hard lead that shoots accurately will be a fine performer for either hogs or deer, especially if hits are made through the shoulders. I killed my first deer with a Colt Python..80 yards offhand got lucky through the spine (just about missed).

[Charlie, AKA The Deacon]

Used to use a 357 Maximum years ago. used J-boolits at the time but took deer at over 100 yards with it. no problem

it was a TC Contender

[Charlie, AKA The Deacon]

All so that was hunting from a ladder stand at the time.

[Larry in MT]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?172038-357-bullet-and-load-for-Black-Bear-country

[bob208]

get and read skeeter skelton's books. he did alot with the .38 spl and .357.

[bearcove]

Shot deer with 150gr sierra HC. Did fine about 75 yds. one found against far side skin one pass through.

[GP100man]

The most meat I ever lost was shooting a 140#ish deer at 11yds with a 6" GP100 with max load of #9 & a 140 gr.HP gameking bullet.

Switched to a 160gr or heavier lead SWC & alot less meat damage & kills just as fast & just as dead.

NO , I feel they`re deader dieing from a boolit I made with my own hands !!
Well maybe not deader ,but more satisfying.

[stubshaft]

Shot a number of hog with my 4" mdl 66 and the lyman 358429 boolit ahead of 2400. Hit them right and you'll never have a problem.

[Lefty SRH]

I don't hunt with my GP but I do carry it as a side arm while hunting. I use a 187gr WFN Cast Performance boolit over 15.0gr H110, If this helps you any.

[shorty500M]

i rarely hunt with my magnums or maximums but the S&Ws, Ruger Max and T/C barrels all get a 190grain gas checked truncated cone i pour in an old NEI mold. H4227 powder. And always aim to take out a shoulder

[David LaPell]

I really have been doing a lot of prep work for deer hunting with a handgun ever since I got hurt two years ago and have been limited to hunting pretty much with one hand. I am recovering from surgery right now so I didn't get the opportunity but I can tell you what I have learned. First off you need to determine what you want to do, drill a hole right through the deer with penetration in which case the 170 grain Lyman #358429 is right up your alley on top of say 13.0 grains of 2400 or if you want a bullet to expand and give up some of that penetration, in which case the #358156 Hollowpoint is the way to go. I spent the spring and summer casting bullets, testing bullets, loading etc and seeing what did what. I found that wheelweights and tin did a nice job of giving me expansion and about a foot of penetration in wet newsprint on top of 12.5 grains of 2400 (I am shooting a .38-44 Outdoorsman, not a true .357 so they might perform even better in your gun. I will also tell you to practice, a lot. I shot several hundred rounds over the summer all from shooting sticks or where I would be in a blind because I only have the use of one hand and arm. I was able to keep my shots out to around 65 yards on a piece of paper smaller than a deer's vitals. Maybe next year.

Some #358156 HP's ready to lube and size.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss57/Smith29-2/picture2970.jpg

After testing

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss57/Smith29-2/picture2726.jpg