I know that we over at Marlin talk beat the 357 on deer to death. My question is has anyone here hunted with their 1894C and cast bullets for deer? I started casting, and found a RCBS 158gr. semi-wadcutter that has fantastic accuracy with Lil-Gun. If I cast it fairly soft for some expansion, is it out of line to consider this for hunting? I am going to try to experiment to see what kind of expansion I can get as well as penetration. Thanks in advance for any help!

Won't get much grief here (at lest I hope not). A lot depends on the size of the deer...down here, they just don't grow all that large.

The hard part is NOT shooting...got to be a lot better at not shooting when you are out with a .357 than you are at shooting. Got to be ready to let a great buck walk away becasue he's out of your range limit or becasue he's end on. Shots you could have taken with confidence with a larger gun, you've got to have the will to not take.

For most of use that's very hard to do. We don't get 10 or 20 days in the deer woods, some of use can only get out there 3 or 4 days a year...and that makes it harder to say "no...not this time" becasue we can't be sure of another, better, shot. Got to be able to stick to the limits, and not streach them...if it's 50yards and broad side only, have to keep to that decision.

If partnered up with others using more powerful rifles, it increases the temptation to shoot a little too far...or take the shot that isn't suited to a .357...peer pressure I'd guess. If you nly measure your hunting by the game killed and not by the time in the field, you may need to reconsider the .357.

IF can't stand to have the only empty meat cooler and listen to the 25-06 and 45-70 hunters "rag" on you, don't put yourself in the position of having to pass.

Dr. A

You'll find my posts scattered throughout these forums, and my comments regarding using the .357 carbine with cast bullets for deer. I did quite a lot of agricultural depredation work in years gone by, and the .357 carbine was my tool of choice for Oregon blacktail deer. The load:

185gFNGC/16.0g H110/WSPP/Rem or Starline Brass

This load clocks right on 1800 fps give or take a few fps depending upon which carbine I use and the ambient temp. However, I harvested between 40-90 deer per year, for a number of years in the orchards of southern Oregon with this load and gun combination. I've used it extensively during the standard firearms deer seasons as well with perfect satisfaction, and true enough the sage advice that ribbonstone has offered in his previous post here is absolutely applicable, and wise counsel.

Bullet selection, shot angle, range and bullet placement are essential when using the .357 as a primary weapon of choice for deer hunting. However, I like it!

Do some looking at previous posts here, and you'll find some really helpful threads on this topic.

Looking forward to hearing your field reports.

God Bless,

Thanks, Marshall,

I am a bow hunter for the most part of hunting season, but enjoy stretching the limit on my rifle hunting as well. Amounts of land huntable are limited here, so most of us tend to sit in tree's rather than spot and stalk. I have several guns much more appropriate including 30-30's 45-70, 270, 30-06, and 7mag. The latter 3 really take out the fun for me. I will choose my shots, but was still more interested if the TYPE of bullet I am shooting is or is not appropriate. The semi-wadcutter seems to be used mainly for plinking. Is this correct? Mine does have a fairly large metplat, but not as big as others on the beartooth design. I am enjoying making my own bullets, or I would just order some of yours, Marshall. I have done soft-point 158's for this round. I want to try something different.

Dr. A,

Rather than minimize the limited penetration potential of your bullets by making them soft, or soft-nosed, I think I would instead concentrate on getting the largest meplat bullet possible, of 158 grains or preferrably over, and casting them hard, opting for deep/complete penetration and the wounding capacity of the wide meplat. While the soft bullet's performance on coyotes, javalina and similar sized critters will be stunning out of your carbine, that expanding bullet will compromise the penetration capacity of the bullet, and if you encounter shoulders, or a hard angle, especially if a follow-up shot should be necessary, you might regret the softer bullet on deer.

Just my very biased and opinionated obersavtions of course! :) :D

God Bless,

Dr. A,

Haven't done this with a rifle but have killed a few whitetails with Marshall's load in a Blackhawk.

You'd be surprised at the wound channel you can get from a non-expanding bullet.

Figure 300-400 or so FPS increase in the muzzle velocity of the rifle, and basically that is how you'd figure the additional range, to the the point it drops off to the same velocity the handgun has the the muzzle, and maybe then 25-50 yards more.

Naturally, you'd have to hit them well no matter what the range.

Didn't get a chance to try JHPs on the deer this year, so as yet my one experience is still with cast.

Good luck.