Bullets for hunting with the 357 magnum

[jdgabbard]

To those who asked what I'll be shooting these in... I presently have a Rossi 92chambered in 357mag that will be shooting these bullets through but hope to add a 4" double action revolver before long. I'm torn between and older Ruger Security Six or a new Ruger GP 100.
I've tried both and owned both and really wanted to like the SA more but find that I shoot the DA better(in single action.) I'm hoping to find one load that will shoot well in both the carbine and revolver but realize that getting there can be somewhat difficult sometimes. The stands that I will typically hunt with the 357 will allow a maximum range shot of less than 100 yds. Some of them quite less.
I still don't know which camp I fall into. Do I shoot heavy for caliber boolits at moderate velocity and let bullet shape, large meplate, do the work? Or, should I shoot normal to slightly heavy expanding cast boolits to take game? This is a question that I don't yet have enough experience to answer. Therefore , I need to hear your experiences. Please help me understand the killing power of both. Almost all the places I hunt are very close to a pine sapling thickets that are choked with briars and thorny vines that can be nearly impenetrable. If deer or hogs head into this stuff they better be leaving a blood trail that a blind man can follow and it better be short. In those areas I generally shoot for the shoulders in an effort to break down the running gear. I'd much rather have a deer on the ground in a right of way and give up a little shoulder meat than shoot "behind the shoulders" and have the game run seventy five yards in a death run. Seventy five yards in a thicket is a tough find and I'm like to come out bleeding!
So share your thoughts with me...

When you get ready to buy, I can give a high review of the GP100. I just purchased one with a 6" barrel, and couldn't be happier. Check out my post in this thread, you can see the groups I shot at 25yds without even trying too hard...

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-you-run/page2

[quilbilly]

I agree with Bigslug who suggested looking at the NOE 185 gr WFN. I hunt with a rifle using it with no leading at an MV of 1400. That is one serious hunting boolit out to 75+ yards even on medium black bear.

[Bigslug]

Since the OP is considering both rifle and handgun. . .

The nice thing about a heavy-for-caliber solid is that it behaves very consistently on impact regardless of how fast it's going - - it's going to penetrate a lot.

You can warp your brain out of shape trying to figure out at what range a given bullet design and alloy combo will expand reliably for two very different barrel lengths and launch speeds, or you can plan around a straight line of damage through something important and blood-bearing on the way to breaking the shoulder on the far side of the animal out of either gun.

The heavier NOE WFN's with the solid/deep HP/shallow HP options allow you to play the expansion game (if you want to) while still having the mass to carry through decently. They do not let you properly swim in the high-speed impact pool, but that's not really the forte of the straight-wall pistol round anyway - deliver a 2,000+ fps rifle impact for those shenanigans.

[mnewcomb59]

The only thing about the heavy solid is they make the smallest wound out of any bullet option. He wants them down in under 75 yards. If he misses bone or only takes out the offside leg, that deer can go hundreds of yards before the little pin hole in its lungs bleeds enough.

A mushrooming bullet that penetrates enough to break bones would drop them a lot quicker than a bullet that doesn't mushroom. A lightweight fast bullet that doesn't mushroom would make a lot bigger hole than a heavy slow bullet that doesn't mushroom. I am being completely honest that a hard 180 makes the smallest possible wound in this caliber. It is already a low powered cartridge, so why pick a bullet that can penetrate 3 broadside deer in a row? All you are doing is taking the low powered cartridge and deciding "I am only going to use 1/3 of this power on a deer and let 2/3 of the wounding potential hit the dirt on the other side." At least with a lighter hard cast you might use half or 2/3 of the energy and make a hole twice as wide.

If you check some of Veral Smith's charts about meplat size and impact speed vs wound diameter you can see just how much more wound you can get with a faster, lighter flat nose.

[jdgabbard]

mnewcomb59 does bring up a good point. Even thinking back to some of my readings on Keith, who was obsessed with heavies, was primarily hunting heavy game. You'd have a better chance finding him hunting Mulies than White Tails. Under those circumstances, yeah, a heavy would be more desirable. That said, I do think the 158gr has remained the standard for the 357mag for a reason. It's heavy enough, and still delivers a lot of energy to the target. But you also have to wonder if there really is much to be said about the difference of 158gr @ 1300fps vs 170gr @ 1200fps on white tail....

Edit: I should probably add, from memory most of my readings on keith that I can remember would suggest he typically preferred the 44Spl for hunting instead of the 357mag. I could be wrong though...

[nannyhammer]

Here's a link to one I killed with a .357 GP-100 a few years ago. Also one using a 10MM Model 610. In my opinion they both killed with about the same efficiency.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...71-357-Success

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...hic-photo-quot

[jdgabbard]

Here's a link to one I killed with a .357 GP-100 a few years ago. Also one using a 10MM Model 610. In my opinion they both killed with about the same efficiency.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...71-357-Success

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...hic-photo-quot

There you go. 160gr at 1200fps to the rescue... That's not a full house load from the sounds of it. And it was enough to do the job.