What load???

[mattaylor81]

What load would you recomend for deer hunting out of either a 357 Mag or 41 Rem Mag?  Both Revolvers.

[MountainWalk]

Ive killed a few whitetail does with the 41 mag black hawk. I used HSM hard cast bullets. Very good results and quick kills.

[spike]

41 hands down

[jdb]

federal has a 180 grain hardcast that should do fine. JB

[CP]

In the 357 I like a 158gr jacketed soft point.  I load my own but PMC makes a good round.  Cor-Bon makes a very good 180gr bonded core SP.  Hardcast bullets don’t expand well in my experience and JHP won’t make it through bone. 

Can’t help you with the .41, never shot one.   

[Bscman]

.357 is plenty if you're a good shot and keep distances reasonable.
I know a lot of people in the eastern part of the country and use 'em for deer.

I'd opt for the 158gr SP's as well.

Perhaps a little undergunned, but my .357 is on my hip when I'm calling bear as well...better than nothing, I suppose.

[MountainWalk]

With hard cast bullets, you really dont have to worry about expansion. Because it is already "expanded. .41 cal makes a heck of a bit hole.

[Bofire]

Hard cast, I have strong doubts about expansion of handgun bullets anyway.
I saw a guy trying to kill a bear, that was already wounded badly, he had a Ruger BH, 6 inch, 44 mag, 240 grain soft points, winchester brand. He missed the head and hit the neck twice, from about 3 feet, I cut the bullets out. Neither expanded at all, neither penetrated more than 3 inches, nor did they kill the bear.
On the other hand my brother killed a wounded bear at about 3 feet or less with a 9mm glock. and I killed one, wounded, with a 357, 158 grain softpoints, shot it twice in the face at about 12 inches, in the dark, tracking with flash lights, yup that was fun!!!
Carl

[JoshT]

Neither expanded at all, neither penetrated more than 3 inches, nor did they kill the bear.

What?

How could they not expand... and not penetrate? Seems like one or the other to me... over-expansion and minimal penetration... or no expansion and excellent penetration. From 3 feet I'd bet dollars to donuts that a non-expanding 240 grain bullet out of a .44 Mag would completely penetrate pert near any  black bear on the planet. Not calling you a liar... just wouldn't draw much of a conclusion from that experience. Obviously something was missing from those loads... like powder.

[GoldTip]

Back to the original topic, 357 vs 41mag on deer?  I've used both (as I owned a 41 and Dad owned a 357) on whitey does and both seemed to work fine, but if I had the coice or was buying a gun specifically for hunting deer, I'd get the 41mag.

[MountainWalk]

Back to the original topic, 357 vs 41mag on deer?  I've used both (as I owned a 41 and Dad owned a 357) on whitey does and both seemed to work fine, but if I had the coice or was buying a gun specifically for hunting deer, I'd get the 41mag.

 
 load up with good hard cast bullets and your good to go. Make sure your cannon has adjustable sights.

[Intruder]

I've never hunted w/ my 41 but a buddy of mine has killed 2 deer w/ his.  He uses the Win Platinum tips.... I believe they are 240s or 230s don't remember.  He swears by em.  I bought the same thing for grizz protection.

[DeKuma]

I use hardcast in both my .357 and my .44 for everything except targets.
300gr hardcast for my .44 is legal in WA for elk hunting, but I found most 240gr did not meet the energy requirement.