Squirrel with 357

[ChuckJaxFL]

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Here’s something I’ve not done before.
I used a single 000 buck pellet (Lee mold), run through a 358 sizer to create an equator ring. Two were good forehead shots.
The third I missed the head, but still a quick shot to the neck.



2.5gr of Trailboss.

[Texas by God]

Way to go! I love to eat squirrels and hunting with round ball loads. I've used .44 Special, 44-40, .45 Auto Rim, and 30-30. I have some in 38-55 waiting for cooler weather.

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[Thumbcocker]

Got one or 2 with a 358495 out of a Blackhawk and another with a Ruger No. 3 in .30-40 using a single 0 buckshot rolled in alox over 3.0 of red dot.

[Butzbach]

No "brains and eggs" with those shots. Brunswick stew though!

[Butzbach]

ChuckJaxFL, any chance you could post a photo of one of your loaded rounds?

[358429]

That's pretty cool. Do they feed from the tube magazine? I like the way your rifle is set up.

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[Winger Ed.]

Heck of a shot. It even took his socks & shirt off too!:bigsmyl2:

[ChuckJaxFL]

ChuckJaxFL, any chance you could post a photo of one of your loaded rounds?

I will, yes.

Here you go:
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[ChuckJaxFL]

That's pretty cool. Do they feed from the tube magazine? I like the way your rifle is set up.

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They do. They load and cycle and feed unremarkably.

[cwtebay]

That's some fine shooting!!!
Appreciate you sharing your information

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[GregLaROCHE]

I’ve been thinking about a lever action 357 for a while now. Now I want one even more.

[trapper9260]

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Here’s something I’ve not done before.
I used a single 000 buck pellet (Lee mold), run through a 358 sizer to create an equator ring. Two were good forehead shots.
The third I missed the head, but still a quick shot to the neck.



2.5gr of Trailboss.

Is there any other powder you can use beside Trailboss for this ? I have Bullseye Unique , Red Dot , 2400 . This is one of cartridge that I have not load buck shot in yet and no seeing your post make it easy for me to look into doing sometime .

[trapper9260]

Also have anyone done this with 38 Spl. with a round ball?

[centershot]

This is a perfect example of how versatile the .357 Magnum carbine is! Mouse fart round ball loads, .38 wadcutters, 200 gr. stompers, it'll handle them all! And, in a slim, lightweight, quick handling 6 lb. carbine! Love my 1894c! Nice job on your squirrel hunt Chuck, you've got some good eatin' ahead!

[ChuckJaxFL]

Is there any other powder you can use beside Trailboss for this ? I have Bullseye Unique , Red Dot , 2400 . This is one of cartridge that I have not load buck shot in yet and no seeing your post make it easy for me to look into doing sometime .

I wouldn’t hesitate to try with bullseye or red dot.

I’m without actual knowledge, but my prediction for unique & 2400 is that you’d have a really high SD until you got enough pressure to strip the tiny ring of actual bearing surface, at which point you’d have lousy accuracy.

That’s an uninformed guess, though. Give it a shot!

[ChuckJaxFL]

This is a perfect example of how versatile the .357 Magnum carbine is! Mouse fart round ball loads, .38 wadcutters, 200 gr. stompers, it'll handle them all! And, in a slim, lightweight, quick handling 6 lb. carbine! Love my 1894c! Nice job on your squirrel hunt Chuck, you've got some good eatin' ahead!

Thanks, and I couldn’t agree more with your sentiment.
Here is my best full power load:
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It’s nice to enjoy this kind of performance at both ends of the spectrum.

[high standard 40]

I wish I could try that, or something similar. But in Louisiana it is illegal to hunt squirrels with a centerfire.

[gunseller]

Nice shooting. Fun and food. Round balls are fun but I shot myself in the chest with one out of a 45 Colt. I was playing around getting smaller and smaller amounts of Red Dot. I was pushing the ball slow enough that I could watch it fly. I wandered how far it would go into a willow tree. Not even a good dent in the tree but the ball hit me in the chest. Didn't break the skin but it hurt bad. Only did that once. Becareful how small of a charge of Red Dot you use.
Steve

[ChuckJaxFL]

Nice shooting. Fun and food. Round balls are fun but I shot myself in the chest with one out of a 45 Colt. I was playing around getting smaller and smaller amounts of Red Dot. I was pushing the ball slow enough that I could watch it fly. I wandered how far it would go into a willow tree. Not even a good dent in the tree but the ball hit me in the chest. Didn't break the skin but it hurt bad. Only did that once. Becareful how small of a charge of Red Dot you use.
Steve

Any chance you happened to chrony those? How slow were they going that they failed to penetrate wood?

[too many things]

i use a 17in 265R works very good tenderized too. got 3 last week.

[trapper9260]

I wouldn’t hesitate to try with bullseye or red dot.

I’m without actual knowledge, but my prediction for unique & 2400 is that you’d have a really high SD until you got enough pressure to strip the tiny ring of actual bearing surface, at which point you’d have lousy accuracy.

That’s an uninformed guess, though. Give it a shot!

Thank you for give me a place to start , I work on going from there then . I was thinking maybe bullseye would work but was not sure.
Also with this buck shoot you do not mess up much of the meat . Good shooting .

[ohen cepel]

Nice shooting and a great set up!

Plus, learned that the 000 buck was an option for such use. Didn't think about that before.

[cwtebay]

I wish I could try that, or something similar. But in Louisiana it is illegal to hunt squirrels with a centerfire.Isn't that crazy? Presumably it's to limit distance a stray bullet will travel, but wouldn't the OP's load be preferable to a 17 rimfire from a safety standpoint?

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[gunseller]

Any chance you happened to chrony those? How slow were they going that they failed to penetrate wood?

I didn't chrony them. If you throw a round ball that is about how fast they were going out of a 5 1/2 inch barreled revolver. I don't remember the load. I think it was around 4 grains of Red Dot with a felt lube was between the ball and powder.
Steve

[ChuckJaxFL]

Isn't that crazy? Presumably it's to limit distance a stray bullet will travel, but wouldn't the OP's load be preferable to a 17 rimfire from a safety standpoint?

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Sure. But can you imagine trying to write the law that would govern the use of 357 magnum, but if and only if you use a mouse fart load?

[ChuckJaxFL]

I didn't chrony them. If you throw a round ball that is about how fast they were going out of a 5 1/2 inch barreled revolver. I don't remember the load. I think it was around 4 grains of Red Dot with a felt lube was between the ball and powder.
Steve

Gotcha, thanks.

That’s kind of what I was going for. I wanted a super accurate slingshot with a 4x scope.

[cwtebay]

Sure. But can you imagine trying to write the law that would govern the use of 357 magnum, but if and only if you use a mouse fart load?You're of course correct.

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[gunseller]

Gotcha, thanks.

That’s kind of what I was going for. I wanted a super accurate slingshot with a 4x scope.

I would be 5 to 6 grains of Red Dot if I was doing it again. I always put a felt lube wad between the ball and powder. The kind used in cap & ball revolvers. Been playing with a lite bullet in my 44 mag. The bullet is for a 44 Bulldog. It weights in at 150 grains. The mold has got to be around 150 years old. A round ball and it are the same height. It has a lube grove so no need for a wad. 6 grains of Red Dot. Fast enough I can not see it when shooting.
Steve

[high standard 40]

Sure. But can you imagine trying to write the law that would govern the use of 357 magnum, but if and only if you use a mouse fart load?

As I understand it, the issue here for not allowing squirrel hunting with a centerfire is not safety concerns. We are allowed to hunt squirrels with a muzzle loader up to 36 caliber, which is similar in performance to the 357 mentioned by the OP. The reason for excluding centerfire arms for squirrels is to prevent the temptation to take a shot at a deer while squirrel hunting. Kinda dumb law in my opinion. People will do unscrupulous things while hunting and laws won't stop that.

[ChuckJaxFL]

As I understand it, the issue here for not allowing squirrel hunting with a centerfire is not safety concerns. We are allowed to hunt squirrels with a muzzle loader up to 36 caliber, which is similar in performance to the 357 mentioned by the OP. The reason for excluding centerfire arms for squirrels is to prevent the temptation to take a shot at a deer while squirrel hunting. Kinda dumb law in my opinion. People will do unscrupulous things while hunting and laws won't stop that.

That IS funny. One of the reasons I felt this would be useful is that, when deer hunting, I’m often plagued with herds of nuisance gray squirrels.

I felt this might be a way to quietly dispatch them with the same gun I already have with me.

[richhodg66]

Somewhere around here I have a mold for a wadcutter which weighs about 60 grains. I would think that would do better than a round ball, I haven't cast with it in years. I just picked up a neat little rifle chambered in .357, I need to give these squirrel loads a try.

[Texas by God]

The .358 Winchester with a rb works, although the placement was a bit off here.....https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210927/aa96a957d68ecd91763708a8198acc71.jpg

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[ChuckJaxFL]

Somewhere around here I have a mold for a wadcutter which weighs about 60 grains. I would think that would do better than a round ball, I haven't cast with it in years. I just picked up a neat little rifle chambered in .357, I need to give these squirrel loads a try.

Like this? https://noebulletmolds.com/site/product-category/358/360-73-wc-v1/

I was about to buy that when I remembered I have a 000 mold.

[ChuckJaxFL]

The .358 Winchester with a rb works, although the placement was a bit off here.....https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210927/aa96a957d68ecd91763708a8198acc71.jpg

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Not so shabby. That’s still a dinner for you!

[Schreck5]

Texas- Now that is one good-looken rifle. Ain't nothing sexier than blued steel on gorgeous walnut!

[richhodg66]

Like this? https://noebulletmolds.com/site/product-category/358/360-73-wc-v1/

I was about to buy that when I remembered I have a 000 mold.

It looks a lot like that, but it's a Lyman mold, seems like it was a four cavity too. Dad gave it to me many years ago, I was planning on trying to load two in a .357 case. I may even still have a few, I remember I cast a pot of them and don't remember shooting many.

Yesterday at a gun show I had almost determined was a waste of time, I spied a little rifle in .357 built on a Martini cadet. Long story short, Bubba had gotten hold of it pretty bad and there are some things I need to do but the action and barrel are very sound and the trigger pull seems good. I need a light wadcutter load for it and the fox squirrels around the place are gonna be in real trouble.

[ChuckJaxFL]

…a little rifle in .357 built on a Martini cadet. Long story short, Bubba had gotten hold of it pretty bad and there are some things I need to do but the action and barrel are very sound and the trigger pull seems good. I need a light wadcutter load for it and the fox squirrels around the place are gonna be in real trouble.

I demand pics!

There was a low wall in 357 on gunbroker not too long ago. I wanted it badly, but choked on the $2,600 opening bid.

[richhodg66]

Yeah, I need to get some.

Something else I thought os, a few years ago, I set up to load for .380 (waste of effort, but OK) along those lines, got a Lee mold of their 90 grain RFN tumble lube bullet. I'm gonna measure a few, if at least .358, it should make a good squirrel load.

["Spoon"]

Yeah, I need to get some.

Something else I thought os, a few years ago, I set up to load for .380 (waste of effort, but OK) along those lines, got a Lee mold of their 90 grain RFN tumble lube bullet. I'm gonna measure a few, if at least .358, it should make a good squirrel load.

I’ve had good luck with the Lee .358 105 swc. Worked good on squirrel, opossum, armadillo and raccoons.


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[Bigbore5]

Maybe I now have an idea what to do with the 215gr wadcutter 475 mold I picked up.

[358429]

Yeah, I need to get some.

Something else I thought os, a few years ago, I set up to load for .380 (waste of effort, but OK) along those lines, got a Lee mold of their 90 grain RFN tumble lube bullet. I'm gonna measure a few, if at least .358, it should make a good squirrel load.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211002/ff202e5ee1455f5cbae1b65e898fd6f3.jpg3 grains red dot crimped in the top tumble groove.

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[BJK]

When I was a child I read a book, Small Game Hunting by Francis Sell, who hunted small game with big bore guns. Heads shots all. It's really the book that started me on small game hunting. Yes, a .357 is a fine small game cartridge, used correctly. So is a .45/70 and many others, used correctly. If folks remember, the pioneers of this land used their flintlocks to "bark" squirrels. They'd aim under them into the tree/branch and the bark flying up would do the squirrels in. There are many ways to hunt small game.

[Ole Joe Clarke]

How much does the pellet weigh in grains?

Have a blessed day,

Leon

[ChuckJaxFL]

How much does the pellet weigh in grains?

Have a blessed day,

Leon

Are you referring my rounds? Or someone else’s. If mine, they are 70ish grains.