.357 mag hunting load; Marlin 1894 C; PA whitetail deer

[kmrcstintn]

I have purchased a Marlin 1894 C in .357 mag originally as a recreational gun; now I am contemplating letting my dad use it for whitetail hunting this year; he is up in age and became unhappy with the recoil from his Remington 760 Gamemaster in .30-06; he allowed me to take it for my primary whitetail/bear rifle; now I want to return the favor; here's the scenario:

Marlin 1894 C in .357 mag; optimal shots taken within 50 yards; sighting system is dependent on him if he wants to change it out from the 'iron sight' setup (a Skinner peep sight on the receiver); Pennsylvaina whitetail; wooded area;

I am polling to get a 'feel' what would be a great whitetail load based upon my knowledge base (or lack thereof depending upon the responses I get);

please read poll, answer question, and post any feedback you have

thanks

 

[rdaines]

I don't deer hunt but I do have a Winchester 1895 chambered in .357. It is a hoot to shoot with iron sights but 50-75 yards is about for that cartridge. Others may do better with younger eyes. I wouldn't go too heavy on the bullets as your foot pounds of energy drops below 1000 at 170 grains (Sierra book).

 

[steveno]

first of all would it be legal? in Nebraska it wouldn't be legal because a rifle would have to have 900 fl-lb of energy at 100 yards. however a 357 mag in a handgun is legal because in a handgun it would only have to have 400 ft-lb of energy at 50 yards although it doesn't make it by much

 

[Eightball]

I would stick something decently heavy (bullet-wise) over some 2400, see what the rifle can handle pressure-wise; load 'er up and let it rip.

 

[kmrcstintn]

clarifications

to clarify some concerns raised...

1) yes, using .357 mag is LEGAL in PA

2) we do NOT reload and do not have equipment for it

thanks

 

[R.W.Dale]

My vote would be "all of the above". You've lined up some excellent ammo choices and probably wouldn't go wrong with any of them.

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

If I where to use factory load I would use the 180 Partition.
I use a 180 XTP over a dose of H-110.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Oh comeon! Buffalo Bore is the ONLY solution. 158gr JSP at over 2100 fps from a Marlin 1894. Simple as that.

http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunition/default.htm#357

5. 18.5 inch Marlin 1894

a. Item 19A/20-180gr. Hard Cast = 1851 fps
b. Item 19B/20-170gr. JHC = 1860 fps
c. Item 19C/20-158gr. Speer Uni Core = 2153 fps---- Can you believe this?!!!
d. Item 19D/20-125gr. Speer Uni Core = 2298 fps---- Or this?!!!

 

[3 gun]

From a rifle, within fifty yards, every load you list will work fine. Pick the one that shoots best with the least recoil and let him have a great season.

 

[hoghunting]

I would suggest checking the rifling of the bore before selecting bullets. If the barrel has the Micro-groove rifling, it probably won't be very accurate with lead bullets - mine sure isn't. If it has Ballard rifling, use what is the most accurate with 158 grs minimum.

 

[aspade]

Hardcast bullets behave exactly like FMJs for deep penetration through bone. Not ideal for Bambi.

 

[B.D. Turner]

The 1894 C's are not micro grooved and handle lead very well. This makes it very popular with the cowboy action shooters. All of the above bullets will do the job.

 

[R.W.Dale]

Hardcast bullets behave exactly like FMJs

You mean hardcast bullets tumble yaw and fragment apoun entering flesh. That's news to me. The day I run across a deer where a .35 caliber hole through it's innards is ineffective is the day I take up golfing.

 

[aspade]

You mean hardcast bullets tumble yaw and fragment apoun entering flesh.

.223s are about the only FMJs to do that. Perhaps I should have been more specific.

 

[kmrcstintn]

AFAIK...my Marlin 1894 C is NOT MicroGroove rifled...looks a bit shallower than Ballard, but not 12 lands & grooves...more like 5 or 6

thanks so far with all the ideas; Buffalo Bore sounds interesting, but I might have a problem obtaining without special ordering thru a shop who would upcharge to cover shipping or directly over the internet and again pay shipping

 

[TimboKhan]

I would suck it up and pay the shipping for the Buffalo Bore. It's your best choice, and it's not like the shipping is going to break you. I know people need to watch where the money goes, but shipping is a reasonable expense in order to have the best available cartridge for your hunt. Besides that, shipping can't be all that much on a box or two....\

EDIT: I actually just looked at Buffalo Bores website, and a box (whatever round you want, the choices are all the same price) of cartridges are $21.99 apiece. If you order one box, (20 cartridges) the shipping will cost you $8.00. If you order two boxes, the shipping will cost you $12.00. Essentially, 2 boxes will run you $56.00. Thats pricey ammo, but it's also really good ammo.

 

[fireflyfather]

.223s are about the only FMJs to do that. Perhaps I should have been more specific.

.303 British does a great job of that too. I seem to hear reports of LOTS of other rifle FMJ rounds doing that.

 

[KaceCoyote]

dude Winchester black box is amazing. in 9mm and .223 both its simply jaw dropping against Coyotes at range, talk about soft tissue damage!

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Since you don't reload Buffalo Bore 180 gr Hard Cast are a good hunting round IMO. http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunition/default.htm#357

DoubleTap has a good selection of .357 ammo too and at a lower price than Buffalo Bore. Their 200 gr and 180 gr ammo is hard hitting and accurate. http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_27&products_id=152 http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_27&products_id=151

I have been loading for my Marlin 1894C and I load Winchester 158 gr SJSP bullets and Hornady 180 gr HP/XTP bullets. (and I load them hot!!)