[cmb0415]

With the current challenges finding any available ammo I came across some Hornady Hunter 357 Magnum HPu. The ballistics aren't terribly hot and seem fairly average for 357 Magnum. 130gr/1450fps/451ftlbs. I bought as many as I could but my question is would you use these for self-defense??? I don't see why not but I am Looking for opinions from more experienced folks here. Click link for more info...

https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/handgun/357-mag-130-gr-monoflex-handgun-hunter#!/

 

[shooterPaul]

Do they shoot well in your gun for you? By that I mean; Do they shoot to your point of aim? Are they accurate in your gun shooting small groups? Are they controllable so you can get follow up shots off quickly and on target?
Can you get enough ammo to practice with it?
The above are questions you have to ask and answer for yourself. You need to practice with what you will use and be familiar enough with it to build confidence in yourself, your ammo and your gun.

 

[shooter444]

Great answer ShooterPaul,... not so great question, OP.

Any, and, all ammo, is self defense ammo,... imo.

 

[cmb0415]

My bad. Agree there is better questions to post. But appreciate the obvious answers. Last time I post after a few cocktails with dinner.

 

[shooter444]

No biggy guy,... your question reminds me of all the chatter about solid vs hollow points.

I have never heard a complaint from a dead deer about either one!

 

[cmb0415]

Well this 357mag ammo should feed cycle just fine thru my S&W R8 revolver. 😁 No worries there. I just need to do my job.

 

[shooterPaul]

CMB,
Without knowing your background I did use the "canned" and predictable answers. They are the best answers applicable under the circumstances. When I originally started loading for hunting and self defense (don't anyone go into the "dangers" of using reloads in SD) I tested my loads in a Fackler Box to see what the bullets behaved like compared to other bullets. A Fackler Box is just a STRONG frame that holds one gallon freezer bags full of water on two inch centers. You fire your bullet into the water bags and then you can measure expansion and penetration depth. Then you can compare those results with other bullets you have tested. It provides a repeatable test of how bullets perform related to other bullets in the same medium. Armed with this information I was able to choose a bullet that had a good chance of performing as needed.

Note: While there is a correlation between the results in a Fackler box and the results in ballistic gel neither are good predictors of performance on live targets.

 

[bsn]

For self defense just about any load in a .357 will work, self defense means up close and personal, you don't have to worry about accuracy and a .357 bullet at 1400+ fps will get anybody's attention.

 

[shooter444]

Sorry Shooterpaul, but, there are no dangers using reloads for self defense,... unless one wishes to run their lives according to internet scuttlebutt. I have used my reloads for self defense for almost 18 years now.

Using reloads for self defense, sadly, falls into the same category of internet rumor about solids and hollow points for self defense.

With all the net chatter over the decades, I have never heard of one legal case verifying any of the published paranoia,... not one.

Sometimes I think the firearm manufacturing industries create these hypotheticals to promote sales of their latest and greatest,... which is generally, the same ole', same-ole',...ie, a bullet leaving a barrel and hitting a target !!!

 

[JonP]

You can certainly use it for personal defense but it is not designed for that so might not expand correctly or over penetrate at personal defense range.
As for reloads being used in self defense and the lawsuits. Been on the internet for years and like all rumors has never been used in a case I can find. Massod Ayoob should have never brought it up decades ago.

 

[shooter444]

I use solid LEAD, I want maximum penetration, to the point of creating an entry and an exit wound. I want an assailant trying to kill me to bleed out from two holes, not one,... lowering an attackers's blood pressure, as fast as possible, can possibly mean the difference between me facing returning fire, before I can get to cover, or not. Bleeding out to the point of unconsciousness can take minutes,.... the longer the attack occurs, the greater the possibility of my attacker getting a bullet in me.

Hollow point shallow penetration is not for me!

You like them, you use them, all fine and dandy, enjoy!

But, for me,... NO THANK YOU!

 

[MikeG]

Figure anything that burns powder, beats throwing rocks. Having had to throw a rock at a cow last week while dove hunting..... reinforces the point even more. I can't throw rocks worth a crap

 

[Jdcujo]

If it's ammo designed for hunting deer I mean why not ? Take into consideration ranges, expansion velocities and barriers which you wouldnt encounter hunting.

 

[stevelyn]

Placement is everything. A chunk of lead flying downrange, regardless of intended marketing of said chunk, is going to mess up the medical records of whomever it hits. Also when it's time to shoot, shoot and keep shooting until the ensuing d-baggery that's forced you to shoot stops.

 

[TMan]

. 130gr/1450fps/451ftlbs. I bought as many as I could but my question is would you use these for self-defense???

Looking at the Hornady description, I can't see any reason not to use 'em, especially in view of the reality that ".357 anything" is pretty scarce these days. I'd want to know if I had family or friends down range with any .357 load, but it's likely better than the 130gr FMJ stuff.

 

[shooterPaul]

The question, "Would you use 'X' for self defense?" is an obvious 'YES' if it was all I had. Even a 22LR is better than my cane or pocket knife.

 

[Pudfark]

So many variables here. What's comfortable in an 'N' frame, ain't so comfortable in a 'J' frame handgun. Out of a 'K' frame or 'N' frame handgun, my favorite handload was a Speer 140gr hollow point over a max load of Win 296. Devastatingly deadly on West Texas whitetails and Southwest Texas javelina's. Both in handguns and a Rossi levergun.

If you're confined to using a revolver and recoil is an issue and assuming it's a mid size caliber? Penetration is the most important issue. If it can't get it (bullet) as deep as it needs to, let your imagination wander. I have twice in life, lightweight JHP and heavy weight JHP. Many folks here, several other Texans as well, have experience hunting with .357 rounds on 100 pound deer. What they recommend for that is worthy of your consideration. It seems like folks are now getting bigger and some shorter. That'd be me.

 

[shooterPaul]

at the great look-back machine you will find the biblical words, "bullet placement is key".
A gut that shoots head and neck shots needs a different bullet and load than the guy who routinely busts shoulders.
The effective range changes between the two shooters too. From a pistol a 357 can have a decent velocity that will put a point blank range of 100 yards with a light to medium weight bullet whereas a heavy bullet leaves the muzzle at a velocity that drops the point blank range to nearly half that distance.
From a carbine the range is extended so it evens the performance of a light bullet in the pistol with a moderately heavy bullet in the carbine.
There is no magic bullet, energy, or load that makes up for shot placement in the target area. Know your limits.