JS>Well, Since I have no plans to work up a middle of the road type of load
  >for the .357, I guess I need some magnum primers.  :-)  I've got some
  >nice soft swaged 148gr HBWC I plan on loading up to rediculously low
  >velocities for target & whatnot.  Then I've got my VV N110 for the
  >maximum loads.  So far I've got 110 and 158gr Hornady XTP JHP bullets.  I
  >want to get something a bit more penetrating, like a 158gr flat point or
  >a 180gr JHP.  I'm wondering if a 180gr solid would be too penetrating for
  >something like a backwoods backup.  Something for wild pig, bear, elk.
  >What do you think?  158gr JHP sounds a bit light in .357...
John,
I shot a deer with Speer 180 gr FPs in a Ruger No. 1 .357 magnum rifle
and the bullet didn't expand. That bullet is too stiff for that velocity
range as it is intended for the .35 Remington. I recovered the bullet
from maple tree that went through the deer. The only deformation was to
the lead tip, the jacket was not deformed at all--even after hitting a
maple tree in November!
I shot a deer this past season with the .357 magnum rifle using 158 gr
XTP flat points. The bullet again passed completely through the deer
(not recovered this time). Examination of internal damage showed a
lethal wound through the liver (I hit a sapling on the way to the deer
and hit further back than planned...) but a very unspectacular reaction
from the deer. The deer walked about 10 feet and stood there for 2-3
minutes. It started looking wobbly and then laid down. Another couple
minutes went by with the deer holding its head up and looking around...
I shot it in the head to finish it off at that point. I have retired
that gun from deer service and took the Zeiss 4X off it and put it on
my Ruger .44 carbine to use as my new brush gun (though I have a .45-70
trapdoor now that needs some field use ). .
Notice that this is performance out of a .357 magnum rifle. I would
expect even poorer performance bullet performance at handgun velocities.
If I were to use the .357 rifle again I think I'd try the 158 gr XTP
HPs.
John
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