good luck with a 357mag in a 357max

[part_timer]

We are working on getting my daughters conterner carbine ready for the Indiana youth deer season. (12 days away) The 357 Maximum is just a bit much for her right now as she is only 12 years old. I found a good load for a 357 mag so we started with it. We are running 14.5 gr of H110 under a 180gr hp.

We started out low and worked up to the 14.5gr and we are holding 3 shot groups that are running about 1.75" at 50 yards. I believe that this could be brought down some but she is using a red dot and I'm ver happy with the 1.75.

We finished up by shooting a couple of the hp's into a box full of wet sawdust to see how the hp worked. The box is 4.5x4.5x12, the boolit passed all the way through it with the shank of the slug embeded in a 1.5" thick piece of sycamore. The wound canal in the sawdust opened up to about the size of a golfball half way through the box. The boolit shed it's HP into about 3 pieces that traveled all the way through the box as well.

I'm going to try to get some 50/50 ww and soft lead made before season but I'm happy enough with the performance we are getting. I believe that she will be able to make a clean killing shot inside of 50 yards.

Do any of you have any experiance with this type of a load on game animals?

[leftiye]

Search for threads about .357s being used for deer. I'd say good to go inside of 100yds..

[AJ Peacock]

I've had good luck with the 140gr Hornady XTP hollow point. It's a bit lighter and would give a little less recoil. Your 180gr load should work great. I've taken deer out to just beyond 100yds with the 140gr hp. I'll likely go to the 180gr loads once I'm out of 140gr bullets.

Good luck and it's nice to see youngin's getting into it early. Congrats,
AJ

[lathesmith]

I have used 158gr JHP's on Missouri whitetails at 357mag/max velocities, though nothing at long range. So far, we have had 3 or 4 DRT shots, and plenty of penetration, despite some of the hot air you see in some gun rags that claim these bullets won't penetrate a deer very well. I woundn't hesitate for a second to use this load on any Missouri whitetail at any distance under 100 yards, which would be a long shot where we hunt anyway. Good luck!
lathesmith

[357Mag]

Part Time -

Howdy !

Give 14.5gr WW296 and SWCs od 158 - 172gr a try.
Have shot this load in various .357Mags for 35yr, and cannot find a more accurate/consistent load. I shoot PB bullets.

I DK whether H110 is " re-canistered " WW296 ? Both are ball powders.

I also use SP Mag primers.

Next fav load is 158 -172gr SWC over 8 gr I4756.


Best of luck in your endeavors.

Regards,
.357Mag

[part_timer]

Thanks guys, Taylor(my daughter) is getting pretty excited. We are going to go out and make a blind out of some blowdown stuff after work this week.

I shot a few of her loads out of my 10" contender pistol and it worked well at 50 yards. I was able to get about 3/4" group with the first 3 boolits. To be honest I stopped there. No reason to screw up instant success.