.357 Hunting Load

[308sc]

I am planning to go hog hunting with my dads .357 Magnum. What would be a good load to use? The gun is a Ruger GP100 4'', Also what is the largest game that can be taken with a .357 Mag? These shots would be 75 yards or under ! Please list bullet and powder/grains.

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm not sure the .357 Magnum will be up to a hog hunt but that will depend upon how big the hogs are. Also, a 4" barrel double action revolver isn't usually the best handgun to use either. I would rather use a 6.5" or 7.5" single action revolver in a slightly larger caliber. This newer Ruger Super Blackhawk which has the Bisley grip frame, hammer and trigger in .44 Magnum would be a great choice IMO.

A very good hunting load for the .357 Magnum is a Cast Performance 180gr WFNGC bullet which has a very wide meplat and a gas checked base. If you were using a Carbine I would suggest going up to a 200gr bullet but it's my opinion 180gr is the heaviest bullet you should use in a revolver.

As for powders many will tell you to use AA#9, 2400, H4227 or W296/H110. Those are all good powders but I have been using Hodgdon's Lil'Gun for bullets heavier than 158gr in the .357 Magnum. According to the Hodgdon Load Data site you can achieve higher velocities with much less pressure with those heavier bullets than with W296/H110. I still use W296 with lighter bullets but have gotten good results with Lil'Gin when loading a Hornady 180gr XTP bullet or that Hard Cast bullet from Cast Performance.

I am using a charge of 15.0gr Lil'Gun under a Hornady XTP bullet. I won't give you the charge of Lil'Gun I'm using under the Hard Cast bullet because it's not listed in any of the current manuals and I can't be sure it's over the current SAAMI specs. I'm sure you can figure out what charge to start with if you look as the data from other weight bullets and extrapolate the data.

I hope this helps and good luck on the hog hunt.

 

[huntershooter]

.357 would not be my first choice for hog hunting. I'm a fan of calibers beginning with .4X.
Penetration is the name of the game with hogs.
In a .357 I would use a 180 gr, WFNGC (Wide Flat Nose Gas check), pushed to reasonably high velocities (1100-1250 fps) with H110/AA9/2400.

 

[Win75]

I use the Nosler 180 gr. partition bullets with 15 gr's of LilGun. You might back off a little on that charge because it is max in my 686.

 

[ReloaderFred]

+3 on 180 grain bullets and Lil'Gun. I haven't really shot it much in my handguns, but in my Marlin Carbines, it's the cat's meow. I cast my own and they come out of the mold at either 180 grains or 185 grains, depending on the alloy. With pure linotype, they come out closer to 175 grains, but that's a little hard for hunting.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm glad to see the next 3 posts after mine all agree a 180gr bullet is best.

Fred,
I see you agree Lil'Gun is a good powder for the heavier bullet too. I have found it to be very accurate and clean when shot from my Marlin 1894C.

 

[ReloaderFred]

ArchAngelCD,

When I get a chance to do some real experimenting with Lil'Gun, I expect it will replace Winchester 296 in both my .41 Magnum and .44 Magnum loads. I'm impressed with it so far.

With the 180 grain bullet and Lil'Gun, my .357 Marlin is getting right up there with 150 grain loads from the .30-30 in energy. I didn't draw a deer tag this year, so I won't be able to test it on deer, and for the elk tag I drew, I'm going to use my 1895 Marlin in .45-70, which did a fantastic job on my moose this last fall.

Fred

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Lil'Gun does seem to be a good powder for heavy bullets in Magnum applications. I haven't had a chance to pass any of the rounds over a chrono but I will get that done soon. I agree it will probably replace W296/H110 in a few applications.

 

[machinisttx]

If I were going out specifically for hogs with a .357, I'd load a 180 grain hard cast SWC style bullet just as hot as I possibly could within safe limits. I'm fairly certain that a hot 158 grain hard cast would do the job, but it might be lacking in penetration on a big boar.

 

[tomh1426]

How big is the average hog in your area ?

 

[.38 Special]

Another vote for the 180. I personally avoid jacketed bullets for hunting revolvers, as I find penetration is quite critical and the cast bullets generally do that better.

As a slight aside, I'd strongly encourage you to practice realistically and thoroughly before embarking on a hunt. Four inch revolvers are not the easiest things in the world to manage, and it takes a better than average shot to hit a game animal's vital area -- about 8" in diameter -- at 75 yards from field positions.

 

[308sc]

75 would be max! actually I think ?I will just shoot them with a .308, are and 8mm mauser....it will heighten my chances of humanely killing it.

 

[.38 Special]

I shoot master level scores and prefer to get within 50 yards when handgunning for big game. There are lots of folks who are better than me, of course, but I'll just throw that out there for your consideration.

Have fun!

 

[Jeff F]

I'm not sure the .357 Magnum will be up to a hog hunt but that will depend upon how big the hogs are.

A .357 will do the job and do it well. Back when I was doing a lot of hog hunting I have killed at least 25 pigs with a .357. All were shot at 25 yards or closer. All were shot with either Remington, Federal, or Winchester .357 magnum 158 grain lead semi wad-cutters.
That was about the heaviest load the hardware store where we got our ammo had. Largest hog I took with the .357 dressed out and skinned hanging on a meat hook on the scale was 347 lbs. He was a good sized one for the area I hunted.

Cant help with any hunting load info for the .357 but these days I have been using the Buffalo Bore hard cast GC 180's and the have done a number on a couple of mule deer and think they would make a super hog load.

 

[Quoheleth]

The hogs I've seen around here, I wouldn't feel under-gunned with my 158 SWCs over 8.2grns of AA#5 (at least, that's what my memory says...my notes are in the garage. I use just a shade more than the recommended start load in Lee's manual, if that helps). Now, if I saw a big ol' hog I might pass, but the average ones I've seen (150 lbs or so), I think that's plenty. I like small & tender, not monster tough & funky smelling.

Q

 

[ArchAngelCD]

308sc,
If you have a .357 Magnum Carbine that would be a good choice IMO. You could carry both the lever gun and the revolver with a common caliber. The added velocity from the longer barrel will ensure adequate penetration from a 180gr Hard Cast bullet.

 

[charby]

I'm in the process of creating a .357 Magnum load for deer hunting.

Tonight I am testing out the first batch

bullet: Hornady 180 GR HP/XTP

powder: Hodgdon H110 12.9g

primer: Winchester Small Pistol

I'm using a Ruger GP-100 w/4" barrel

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm really not a big fan of using a 4" DA revolver for hunting game as large as Deer. A 6"+ barrel would probably be a much better choice. Hey, to each his own...

 

[charby]

I'm really not a big fan of using a 4" DA revolver for hunting game as large as Deer. A 6"+ barrel would probably be a much better choice. Hey, to each his own...

I concur also but a longer barreled .357 isn't in the gun budget for a while.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

I took 2 wild/feral hogs with BP revolvers (.44's) one a '58 Rem Pietta took a smallish but might tasty at 110 field dressed, and another larger dry sow at 230 field dressed with 2 shots from a ROA useing Lee mold conicals and max powder charges. shooting from a ground blind at around 20-25 yards both of 'em.
the big one was moveing and I missed the heart/lung junction too far back so had a long tracking job but found it near dead piled up in thicket where a neck/base of skull shot ended it. the first shot had passed thru both lungs down low.
the .357 will do the job at close range IMO.
BTW my nephew was along with me toteing a H&R 20 ga 3" mag with #4 buck.

 

[buck460XVR]

Tonight I am testing out the first batch

bullet: Hornady 180 GR HP/XTP

powder: Hodgdon H110 12.9g

primer: Winchester Small Pistol

I'm using a Ruger GP-100 w/4" barrel

that is a nice load outta my 686, but I used magnum primers. Lil' Gun pushes the 180s nicely too.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

charby,
I totally understand you need to use what you have especially since my pockets are a bit empty right now too. I'm sure the rising price of everything from Gasoline to Milk is hurting us all. May I suggest having someone with a rifle along just to prevent a wounded Deer shot with that revolver from suffering?

As for your hunting load, I would suggest using a bit more H110. Hodgdon recommends a starting charge of 13.0gr H110 under a 180gr bullet. H110 doesn't react well to an under-charge, even as small as .1gr. Also, like said above, you really should use a Magnum primer because H110 is a very hard powder to ignite. They cost no more than standard primers and really are necessary with that powder.

When I load a 180gr Hornady XTP bullet I charge either 15.0gr Lil'Gun or 13.4gr W296. (W296 is the same exact powder as H110) I use a Winchester SPMP primer with both powders but have had equal success with CCI-550 primers too.

 

[charby]

ArchAngel

I carry my revolver deer hunting with me for the hope of being able to shoot a deer with a handgun. I have a slug gun or my muzzleloader with me, I have carried my revolver for the last 3 years and haven't had the opportunity to shoot a deer with it except for a dispatch shot last winter.

This year I decided to get serious about creating a hunting round instead of just using off the shelf stuff.

I used small pistol primers because that is all I had on hand at home and the closest place to buy primers from me is 30 miles away. I'm going to pick up some magnum primers next time I am in Des Moines.

I did shoot the test rounds last night and they worked well. I went with 12.9g of H110 because the Hornady book showed max at 13.1g with that bullet.

I do have a plans to purchase a larger caliber revolver next year as a hunting pistol, just need to figure out which caliber.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I did shoot the test rounds last night and they worked well. I went with 12.9g of H110 because the Hornady book showed max at 13.1g with that bullet.

The Hodgdon Load Data site lists the Min charge at 13.0gr and the Max charge as 13.5gr H110 under a 180gr Jacketed bullet.

I was just trying to relay the information so you wouldn't have a problem with that load. You can do as you please, I was only trying to help.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Check out Lyman #358429! Using WW, it casts out to 170g and shoots straight. I load it over (WARNING - WORK UP TO THIS - CONSULT YOUR LOADING MANUAL) 15.5g H110 and it's a sweet round.