357 Hunting Load

[Bob Malone]

Any one use the 180 357 Nosler for big game. Looks like they would work well on deer,boar, and black bear.

 

[JD338]

The 357 Mag is on the light side as a big game round so you will need to keep your shots under 50 yds.
I would go with a 44 Mag 250 gr PT or a 454 Casull 260 gr PT.

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

I would question thw 180's ability to expand at 357 speeds.

 

[steel]

I have a 357mag S&W performance center 327 tactical with aimpoint dot sight mounted on it and have been killing wild hogs like crazy the last month over a dozen so far and going out this evening to try again. I am using reloaded ammo with nolser 180gr HG bullets and 180gr XTP bullets at around 1100 FPS. It is destroying them and blowing out both sides of hogs weighing over 200+lbs and even exited one huge boar almost 300lbs with nice big cutters after taking ribs out on both sides with a 40 yard shot. I can't see how such a load would not be considered OK for deer. Around here a mature 5.5 year old buck weighs under 200lbs live weight. The hogs I have been shooting weight more and also have much thicker hide and bigger bones which would be a much harder test than a thin skinned deer. If you have ever skinned a wild hog you know how thick the hide is a deer's hide is nothing even close in thickness plus wild hogs are often coated with dryed mud in their hair. I feel a 357 with 180gr load and a well placed shot should kill any deer walking within normal shooting ranges. I would not try to crush a shoulder just go for a good heart/lung shot and all should be good.

 

[Alaska]

The Federal 180 gr Cast Core is a excellent load in the 357 Mag......I use the same bullet in my handloads.....very tough bullet!

Also use the Sierra 180 FPJ.

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