Best 357 Magnum cartridge for Deer?

bigtrucker

New member
i have decided to hunt this year with my handgun! I have a Ruger GP100 six inch stainless, 357 Magnum. This is what I have and what I am going to use. My question is what is the best factory ammo in this Caliber for deer? I am not interested in any other calibers, because this is what I have!
 
I used a factory 158 jhp by winchester last year out of a rifle. Medium sized doe and she went about 50 yards. No trouble puttin her down
 
The .357mag is really a 50-75yrd MAXIMUM deer cartridge - not a step further. There are lots of bullets that will do the job, nothing special required. As much disdain as I have for the 357mag as a deer hunting cartridge, I've killed a bunch with it (hence how I developed my opinion on the matter), and there are plenty of bullets that will do the job at that range. I can't recall whether it was a 125grn Critical Defense or if it was a 140grn Leverevolution, but my wife killed a meat doe over 40yrds a few years ago with a 2.25" Ruger SP101 snub-nose. I killed a few with handloaded Gold Dot Bonded Hunting bullets (Now called "Deep Curl") in the early 2000's, did very well. Hit a few with 158grn semi-wadcutters and LRN's... Killed a bunch of deer with Winchester White Box 158grn semi-jacketed soft points too...

Most of the 357mag bullets out there are designed with deer hunting in mind, so it's not unexpected when so many bullets will do the job at the ranges that the .357mag is effective.
 
I've killed several deer (all inside 50 yards) with the .357. Everything I have used has worked real well. Even the 125gr gold dot & Hydroshock has been great. If I were specifically wanting something just to deer hunt, I'd look in the 158gr hp category. I too killed several with the old 158gr Gold dot & it was as good as it gets in the 357. No need for the 180 hard cast stuff in my experience. Hit them in the shoulders with a HP & they fall down. Hit them behind the shoulders with a hp & they are 50 yards away...
 
I like the 180 grn jsp remington but it is hard to find sometimes. Xphunter is right. A 158 xtp will do the trick. 75 yards and in should be reasonable.
 
The few I have taken with the 357 were with magtech 158 softpoints all with in 30 yards. None went out of sight before falling.
 
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