I think any serious hand gun owner, hunter needs at least one 357 in his collection. It is quite versatile, and in a Blackhawk more so than most platforms it can be had in!
Like Dick I know it will take deer cleanly and effectively when shots are true, and the right load is used. I also prefer my own cast bullets for hunting, but not just 1/3" hole thru the lungs from a solid, ya it will die but when. I would trust my load more when using cast, and my gun, but I know I have much better options, plus the fact I love the old 45 Colt to drop em where they stand most shots, I just don't use the 357 for deer, just a confidence thing. But to be honest, I couldn't dream of a better choice for the job, gun or load if I was to use a 357!
*****
wildcatter.... good photo and writeup. Yet I see t
wo things missing: powder charge and distance to target. We know by velocity the load is stiff. If any cartridge equals the .45 Colt in specifying “Ruger only” loads, or “large frame 5-shot only” loads, it is the .357 Mag. Consider the astronomical strength span between a
Model 19 S&W and
Freedom Arms M-353 (M-83). If you want to tag a disclaimer on your loads, have at it. Singleactions is not a playground for peanut brains; it is a mature forum for persons who think. I, for one, appreciate information, yours included. The more information, the better.
David Bradshaw
Thank you David for your comments! For everyone here heed Davids comments, as he said many know the difference, my hesitation to relay such details comes from the many times I myself have witnessed others refer to some very fine revolvers being it's equal just because it has the caliber designation, and it is from a proven company with a bigger price tag!
I myself some 45 years ago learned the hard way, never having parts totally fail, but I have stretched some very fine revolvers that Model 19 being one, never pushed it this hard, and new it probably would have created a tragic failure if I had, but found even a steady diet of 158 grain jackets at listed Maximum loads was enough to ruin a fine revolver that started out shooting great with these loads and displayed no signs of excessive pressure for a short period of time. It never did display high pressure, in fact the reverse, by the time I figured it out, I had lost my faith in that sweet little shooter. Their are many variables in reloading, sadly the most relevant aren't taught in a book!
Today we see many who think old men think old school and don't understand the modern capabilities of components or hardware, as you know, or go against some things we read in books or hear from others. Nothing could be further from the truth, but their are many that this can't be relayed to! This is why I always hesitate to openly display my details, I seldom load anything on the anemic side.
That is only 25 yards with factory sights, but fer these old eyes about as good as I can do these days and am sure it can do better than I can at any yardage. As with reloading, "a man has to know his limitations". The older I get the more that need to understand personal limitation comes into account.
The load is using 17.5 grains of H-110, using a CCI Mag primer for ignition of the stubborn flattened ball powder, Change the primer, the load goes away! The bullets are Mihec's 180 carbine bullet weighing in at 173 grains, GC'd and sized to .358" using WLL 2500 bullet lube,In nickel Starline Brass I worked this load up very slowly, and removed every cartridge by removing the cylinder and tapping it to have the cartridges fall free without any help from extraction by pushing or pulling them from the chambers, and paying attention to primer pockets and the case head before and after. I only own one 357 firearm, and would never shoot this load in any other without working up to it in that particular gun.
The Bullet a 70/30 WW/pb alloy with a bit of pure tin bullion to toughen it adding some elasticity to keep it from fragmenting in tough situations at these speeds. I still have not used it on deer, I just have to much faith in the 45 Colt, like I said, maybe someday!
As David said, this load is not for Peanut heads, and should never be used in any firearm without proper, load development, and the knowledge to understand just what that is.
Not just my eyes, but pretty obvious this stock revolver even after chamber reaming and honing has one chamber that just don't like to play with the other 5. But it still will ring an 8" plate at 100 yards with all 6 shots,,,,, most of the time. The times it doesn't it's the shooter, not the load in this revolver.
