.357 Mag for Deer?
I just picked up a Winchester 94AE in .357 mag. I have a small 12 year old who will be deer hunting next fall for the first time. The gun is light and dead on accurate at 50 yards using 158g JSP or 180 grain Nosler partition. Shots will be from a tree stand in heavy cover at a max range of about 50 yards. Anyone have any experience with a .357 mag on deer at close range. The gun is light with very little recoil but I want something that is reasonable for deer (whitetail). Any thoughts will be appreciated.
0
-
I have killed 7 deer with .44 magnum(four with handgun and 3 with rifle) All were one shot kills. The only one I shot with a .357 from about 15 yards ran off and I lost it in heavy cover. I will never shoot a deer with .357 again. I was using a heavy handload with a 140 gr HP and hit it behind the shoulder in heart/lung area. It jumped straight up as if heart shot and bolted. Buzzards located it a few days later. IMHO the .357 is too light for deer.
KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY
Bob0 -
That's exactly the reason that the .357 mag is illegal to use on deer in many states. Even if it's legal in yours, it's just not humane.
A couple of the major US ammo makers have recently come out with several new hi-power cartridge loads intended for deer marked "low recoil"; they are ideal for youngsters. You might want to check this out.
Neal0 -
The .357 has taken deer and with a good shot will do it very well. I like the 41mag many others will say the 44mag. You will learn with your son and thats a good thing. [8D]
Greg
Former Marine
A N G L I C O0 -
the 357mag out of a rifle will do just fine , use 158 gr or heavier bullets ,,
my S&W 686 with a 6" barrel has drop 3 deer so far in its live , the winchester will be a nice rifle for your kid0 -
Assuming that it is legal where you will be hunting, well placed shot will get the job done. However, if it is heavy cover you'll probably get one, at most 2 shots and then you may have a devil of a time finding the animal. But if you decide to go ahead get or handload some proper ammo ... light hollow point loads are not the answer. 160-180 soft or flat point will give good penetration, but they still will not handle bone as well as the larger calibers.
My suggestion would be a youth stocked 30-30 ... Lord only knows how many "million" boys learned to deer hunt with one, and while most were probably standard length stock I think a shorter pull will let him better handle the rifle.
Another option would be a 16 or 20 ga. with slugs. With today's ammo choices ... out to 50 yards won't be a problem.
If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!0 -
The hits were good - I have plugged two mule deer in the boiler room with 158 gr HP's. One at 10yds, the other at about 40. Neither one even paused - just ran like hell and were never recovered. NEVER again with a 357. I am going back to my flintlock 54. 0 -
I know you just bought the Winchester, but you might want to look at the Handi-Rifle's. Nice little shooters for app. $200. Can be had in almost any caliber imaginable. Great guns for beginners, and good for others, too. [:D] They do make a youth stocked 243, and I believe a youth stocked 308. 0 -
I have taken Muleys down here at over 75yds. with my 94AE Carbine using handloaded 180gr. JSPs, and several Antelope with 145STHPs in .357 Mag.; I am, however, a trained and well-seasoned hunter with a very good understanding of animal anatomy, and place my shots accordingly.
I wouldn't advise taking him out without lots of range time, shooting at pictures of deer from magazines at the expected 50yds. When his accuracy is such that YOU are confident he can place his first shot well within the kill zone, I'd consider it.
One other thing; when a hunter makes the decision to use a handgun for game, he owes it to his prey to take only a shot within the hunters' capability, to take the game as cleanly as possible (bowhunters are excepted for some reason I don't fully understand), and to pass on the tradition of taking game humanely, and for one's own use or enjoyment. A wounded animal stumbling into the road is not the image hunters want to portray.
"Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit" --OVID0 -
I was scouting with one of my buddies a few years ago and a nice 8 point wandered out in a clear cut about 70 yards away.My buddy shot it with a 6 inch barreled 357.The deer dropped in its tracks.The bullet entered the white patch on its throat and was under the skin on the back of its neck. 0 -
Have personally killed 5 deer with the 357. Works fine, make sure of your shot placement. Did loose 1 because of a bad shot, my bad. It is important to place your shot well and using a cannon will not make up for poor shooting or bad shot placement. 0 -
Density for 35cal rifles, like the Whelen, start at 180g and go to 250g. The 357mag hasn't the case capacity of the 06, but what you have to have are bullets that will penatrate so we are now talking mass. If I was to go this route I'd try to find some 200g hard cast slugs and have them loaded to the max. Next I'd pray, to whatever divinity who'd listen, to get them to try to keep the kid from being tramatized by what could be a really horible, for the deer, experience. 0 -
.357mag for deer? hmmmm.....well, it will probably be more effective than my .22hornet. And it works pretty good. Haven't had one run off yet. Just make sure the kid can place the bullet within the animals vitals. It sounds like you have a fun little rifle, but I'd probably look into getting the boy something a little more versitile, that say he can use on a wider range of game and hunts. Maybe something like a Remington Model 7 in a .243win. or if he can handle the slightly added recoil a .270win. The .270 will greatly increase the range and game he will be able to hunt. 0 -
Go right ahead and let your son use the 357 Mag, but make sure you DO NOT use ligher than 158 grain bullets. Good shot placement and heavy bullets will get the job done in short order, with in a reasonable distance.
A 140 gr HP will not penetrate enough to make a clean kill, again you need a good heavy weight bullet.
A 158 grain flat point Hornady XTP will make the little guy smile when he walks up to his first deer on the ground...
Gun control is hitting what your aiming at.0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
13 comments