357 load for small game?

[mattri]

Looking for an accurate, mild load for taking rabbits and squirrels with a NM Blackhawk in .357 Mag. 

Interested in cast and factory bullets.  Have Unique, BlueDot, IMR4227 and 2400 on hand. 

Any info or tips appreciated. 

[TERRY MURBACH]

The only propellent you've noted that meets your desires is UNIQUE, and that not exactly perfectly well. WHAT you really want are 38SPL wadcutter loads or WC loads in your 357 brass but using a correct propellent like bullseye etc etc.

[Deleted]

You can also minimize meat damage by using roundnose bullets. I keep a Lyman 358311 around for such a need. It also makes identifying light loads really easy, and would the wadcutter bullet mentioned earlier. I'd expect about 5 gr of Unique to start with in either magnum or special cases. You can work up or down from there until you get exactly what you want. Since I have it on hand, I'd prefer Red Dot or Bullseye, but there's nothing wrong with using Unique. I do see that few loading manuals show much for wadcutter level loads for the 357 mag. Most of them really want it to live up to the "magnum" title.

[rgp]

Any load you want, hard cast bullet, shoot them in the head.

[dougader]

We used to run into rabbits out hunting for chukar. If the shotgun wasn't handy, the 357 was loaded with HBWC's and 3.0 grains 231.

[bradshaw]

Mattri.... small game, rabbits, etc., is a form of bullseye shooting, for which the wadcutter is well suited. Problem, as first responders noted, is inferred absence from your shelf of fast powders such as Bullseye, 231/HP-38, Red Dot, etc. Nothing wrong with firing .38 Special brass in Ruger or S&W chambers. To continue with the earlier fingers pointing at Unique on your shelf, you may, once the endearing puff of blue smoke clears, realize the accuracy you seek.

Notable accuracy may be obtained from 158 JHP's seated over 2400 in .357 Mag brass. A mild .357 load.
David Bradshaw

[oldschool]

Mar 17, 2014 17:58:26 GMT -5 mattri said:

Looking for an accurate, mild load for taking rabbits and squirrels with a NM Blackhawk in .357 Mag. 

Interested in cast and factory bullets.  Have Unique, BlueDot, IMR4227 and 2400 on hand. 

Any info or tips appreciated. 

As others have mentioned, those are not ideal powders for light target loads. My personal favorite is Bullseye in .38 Spl. One thing to keep in mind is the point of impact difference between those light loads and .357 loads. The first time I took a squirrel with my .357 loaded with light .38 Spl wadcutter loads, he was vertical on a tree trunk. I tried for a head shot and it took out most of his upper body. Turns out that at 20 yds, the gun shot about 2" lower with the .38 Spl target loads! Best put it on paper before taking it to the game field...