.357 hunting load

If you hunt with a .357 rifle , what load do you use ? Also, let me know your rifle if you don’t mind.

Thanks

i have owned a few and the one I have now is my favorite Marlin 1894LTDSS 16 inch barreled stainless, JM Stamped/


I have hunted with several loads, my favorite is no longer available 180gr Partition. I have also used Hornady Leverevolution loads and they work just do not get exits very often like is always the case with the 180gr Partitions. Next I will load up some 180gr swift A-Frames. A lot of people like the 158gr soft points.

What he said, from experience. Partitions

So no votes for a JHP load ?

Most of those are built for use in a shorter barreled handgun.
I use JFP Sierras or Speers or Keith cast lead.
They'll take rifle velocity and not shred

Marlin 1894 and an H&R Handi that got Max'd recently
Taken deer with both as regular magnums.
50 on out to 85+ yards is no problem with plenty of
soup left
357 and 44 mag out of a rifle is a way different story
than either out of a peestolla.
You can't judge the performance of either one comparing
rifle to pistol

I got very creative with a load for my Rossi 92. I had three cast bullets of my design, I didn't want to buy anything else, so I tried all three; all at max pressure loads.



The bottom line was as the weight came up, the accuracy was outstanding (Rossi has a 1:30 rate of twist). My 190-grain bullet was designed for the 35 Rem and the 357 Mag; it took a bit of fine fitting to get it into the chamber. The longer bullet being seated deep in the case to meet the magazine feed requirements caused the case to swell at the bullet base, which deterred chambering. Staring at the dummy cartridges, I figured it out. Use a 38 Spl case. It all worked out great; OAL to crimp groove. I loaded the ammo to 357 Mag max pressure and killed a bunch of hogs with the rifle.

Good stuff fellas thanks

180 grain HSM Bear loads for hogs

I have 3 357 rifles. Rossi single shot break open. Rossi m92 lever action. Ruger 77/357 bolt. My favorite hunting load is a Hornady 158 gr xtp/fp over 18.3 gr of 300mp. Getting right at 1800 fps. The xtp/fp isnt a flat point, but has a much smaller hollow point and is rated for much higher velocity. I've also been playing with some gas checked 200 grain boolits, but just subsonic so far.

Several years ago, my BIL bought a Marlin Lever in .357 for his son to hunt with. He killed a nice deer in Arkansas with it at 120 yards or so with 125 grain HP Remington ammo. When his 2nd son was old enough, he got a Marlin .357 too. He killed a couple of nice deer from 100-120 yards with it. All using a 125 grain HP from Remington. No exit wound on any of them. Found the bullets on the opposite side shoulder. 2-3 more killed with that load. All were DRT or ran less than 50 yards. When I was looking for my son's first rifle, I liked the idea of a light kicking rifle, so I got him a Ruger 77/357 off this site. I decided on 125 grain JSP (Remington and Fiocchi). He shot a spike at 70 yards. Hit him a little high, but it ran about 50-60 yards and dropped. Had a quarter sized exit hole. I have no issue with it and I liked it so much I got a 77/357 for me and my BIL got at 77/357. We've killed several deer and coyotes with the 125 grain loads. I really like the JSP in the 125 grain load. If I went up, I would go to 158 grain, but here, that's enough. I carry that rifle as much as any other. Don't get many opportunities over 100 yards and I'm good with the 125 grain JSP to 100 yards.

My 180s might be a little over kill on some things but dang they sure work and on around 200lb hogs I have busted both shoulders and broke the back at over 100 yards a 150si lb sow drt at 125 according to DNS weight measurement with both shoulders and the back broken and a golfball size exit. Inside 125 yards I am as comfortable with the 357 for hunting as any rifle I own. It just works. Favorite single action to hunt with is a Ruger 357 Max which pretty much turns the 357 caliber handgun into what you can get from th 357mag in a carbine. Wish I had bought a couple single shots I have seen in the past a Little Sharps and a Ruger #3. The Leverevolution loads work ok but if you want an exit good luck, haven't seen one of those on anything but smaller hogs and yotes.

I owned a ported Marlin 1895 with a 16 inch barrel for a while but with lead bullets lead shaved off at the ports not good Marlin. Went from that to an octagon barrel cowboy action Marlin then to the Stainless. The wife now hunts with that one.

I like 125 JHPs in pistols, but have settled on 158 JSPs for long guns.

Here are the terminal ballistic differences of my three bullets; 135, and 175, and 190-grains. All were at 35K PSI, I have pressure trace equipment.

I prefer heavy for caliber cast bullets. I am using 247gr cast .358s. Do a nice job on hogs.

Keith style cast bullets, sized correctly, the biggest ones you can find a mold for. Like glocker17 said ^.

Great data thanks

If going cast bullets and casting my own I would be using RanchDog molds for the bullets. Great designs and data to go along with them. Ranch Dog does his work and knows how to get the top performance from his bullets and loads.

Ranchdog, what powder are you using to push the 190 gr to 1600 fps? And what measurements if you would share. I'm currently loading some 200 gr gas check bullets with unique (subsonic) but have wondered what they would do full power.

180 grain soft point in my H&R Handi single shot I reamed a few years back to .357 Maximum.
Ammo is out there but you have to look on line. If you reload it's not a problem, just stock up on the brass when available.
It's been my go to deer rifle and walk around gun for the last few years.
I've used the Buffalo Bore .357 magnums as well.

Thanks for your kind words, Sir. I'm just a guy that likes fiddling with reloading!


15.0-grains of Lil'Gun, my favorite powder for short cartridge rifles. Remember that bullets of similar weight might not share the same length; that changes the pressure generated. I'm using my TLC357-190-RF. Other bullets, even cast, can be longer or shorter, which will affect the pressure. Also, notice my alloy mix of 60% linotype & 40% WW delivers a lighter bullet. With a water quench after the drop, the bullets are tough (29 BHN). Here are the specifics of the cartridge.



So, I look at the barrel of my 454 Casull and the values that the cartridge is loaded to. The Model 92 is a strong action. The 454's steel isn't any different than any of the other Rossi's and the barrel stock does have a bit more meat to it in that it only has a .355" hole drilled through it. I know that the alloy is good to 44K PSI, so I slowly worked it up to that pressure. Holy Moly... 1785 FPM! It is also a lesson as to just how volatile short cartridge rifle/handgun powders can be. .5-grains (point five) raised the pressure 9K PSI! I'm offering this as a warning, not as a recommendation.

Thanks Ranchdog. I'm loading cast performance 200 grain bullets with a length of .847. COL of 1.608. I'm not having bulging brass issues that you are having with 357 brass. Before I go buy a new powder, I will work with what I have on hand first. That's Unique, or 300MP.

Good stuff thanks again fellas

300-MP is a magnum pistol powder and I'd use it or 57 other powders for a magnum load before I used Unique. My NOE 360180 sized to .358 and gas checked loaded to 1.615" just barely feeds in my R92 and just barely chambers in my Blackhawk using .357 brass.