357 mag for deer?

[Hunter John]

Looking at a new Winchester 1873 case hardened with an octagonal barrel of 24inches in357 /38 special and not primarily going to be used for hunting it would be appealing if I could use it. I would set a limit of 40 yards max and coming out of a rifle barrel the ballistics say it feasible but would like to know if any one has experience with it on deer sized game.

Thanks gang

[Woodsman]

At those distances & with the properly constructed bullet it should be no problem.
I have a Ruger 96/44 which with 44 mags definitely has no problems out to 100 meters.

[Sfransky]

A family that hunts with me (father and 2 sons) hunt deer exclusively with .38 special


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[dutchhunter]

I would have no issues using one from a tree stand for deer. Or thick bush hunting

[Fox]

A family that hunts with me (father and 2 sons) hunt deer exclusively with .38 special


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Makes my 410 testing not seem so crazy eh.

Location, location, location

[overtheir]

looking at the ballistic of the 357 using 158gr bullet and a reasonable distance 100yrd should be no problem I have a henry big boy in that cal. and I reload my best group is 2 inches at 100 yrd I have yet to corno them but I feel they will do the job

[Kilo Charlie]

Should be okay up close. I just looked in a hand loading manual and velocity of a 170-grain .357 Mag in a Marlin rifle averages 1500 fps. About what you'd get from a 170-grain .30-30 at 100-plus yards. So it ought to kill deer at 50-odd yards. As a "challenge hunt" it would rank up there with vertical bowhunting or traditional muzzleloading.

[shieldwalker12]

I have used 2 different 357 mag rifles for deer over the past 7 years. A Marlin 1894 and Rossi 92. Both with receiver sights. Have cleanly harvested 4 buck deer (125-180 lbs) at 42-82 m. One shot each. I load my own ammo, 158gr Speer sp with around 19 gr of lil gun powder. My chrono velocities are 1895 fps. I have found my 357 lever guns to be the most fun I have ever had with a rifle.

[Big Jack]

Interesting idea

HJ- if you do get this gun and want to Chrono it let me know as you are welcome to use my Labradar. That will give you speed of projectile to 100 yards.

[Hunter John]

Thanks for the feedback gang and thank you for the offer Big Jack to use the Labradar. Not sure how much deer hunting it will do but good to know that it is an option. Gonna stop in at Epps on the way to the cottage and will most likely pick it up and a few boxes of ammo to play with on the weekend.