Great site ya' got ...lots of knowledge here!

I shoot/eat woodchuck, rabbit, tree-rats, and turkeys and for these I use a .22 lr.

Here in Indiana we can use handgun cartridges in rifles for deer now, so here is the question.

I want to use .357mag. RIFLE for deer, and for yotes in the off season to keep my shooting edge.

Which bullet molds should I be looking for, and what loads, as I am getting back into casting/reloading my own.

Is there any new weights/styles for rifle/carbine introduced for varmint style shooting with the .357, or is it the same old...same old load to Ruger single action max bullet/pressure?.

I used to cast/load 10mm, and .38 special for freehand NRA target shooting but that has been awhile ago.

I don't know anything about the .357 for hunting, so I can't comment on that. I have to assume that the .357 isn't really a good long range round though. How far out are you planning on shooting?

Welcome to the site!!

Cody

I am doing out to 50 yards only for deer, and I figured about 75 max for yotes.

Using a 200gr. flat point bullet over 6gr. of unique that I had loaded for a contender outfit that I sold years ago.

I am using mostly factory JHP ammo on the yotes, till I can start casting/reloading.

I haven't played with .357s for years, but one thing you have to bear in mind is that regardless of whether your loads are for rifle or pistol, SAAMI pressures still apply. The .357 is of modern enough design that pushing pressures past published pressure limits just isn't safe.

Be safe and good luck with your search.

When shooting handgun silhouette, some years ago, I cast and shot a lyman 214 gr bullet in a S&W 586. Worked OK. Don't remember group sizes but, it knocked the ram silhouette over at 200 meters with regularity. There was a problem getting enough WW-680 (no longer available) in the case.

Noticed a new Hornady 357 offering the other day.

Hornady Lever Revolution

I hope they will make those bullets available for the reloader in the near future.

I've shot 357 for years and cast for it also.I have found that
i've never needed any more than the 158 grain'kieth 'type semi wadcutter for any game.I use 2400 powder because it is slow burning and is forgiving in the pressure department,and also seems to be cooler burning in the bore and does'nt seem to melt the base of the bullet on the way down the barrel-I don't find any barrel leading in my guns.I have five different revolvers,and a marlin lever gun and these loads work well in all.I have loaded near max with this combo -but that is not neccesary,however @ a max load the impact results are truly amazing-use caution!For anything within 100 yds deer size and smaller-a well placed shot will take care of business.I have used the heavier bullets on games-metallic rams out to 200 yds but would not guarantee the results as the velocities drop considerably for use in hunting.They make 180-200 grain jacket bullets for .35 remington that can be loaded in 357mag-but you will need to "dig around" for the loading data.

Liljohn,
The secret to loading a 357 Marlin is OAL. If you have a revolver, load to clear the cylinder and the round will function through the action. My favorite load is 14.5 gr of H-110 under the 200 Remington RN bullet. The load is highly compressed and the crimp is strong to keep the bullet from backing out. The load is very accurate and is outstanding for deer. I use a 162 RCBS hard cast SWC GC over 15.6 gr of H-110. I also use the 200 RCBS FPGC hard cast bullet with the 14.5 load at 1.538 OAL

Just keep in mind that the Marlin is not a revolver and should be loaded as a rifle. Look to the Silhouette loadings in a manual and adjust the OAL to work. I have not found any pressure problems yet working with three 94C guns. My avitar is one of my 357 SM guns that I built on a cadet action. The photo can be found in my alblum. I load for several different chambered 357-358 guns.
Ed

Thanks for the answers, that was what I was looking for...favorite rifle loads.

I will get all the manuals/powder makers loadbooks...etc. when I get to that point.

Right now I am checking into what molds to get.
Looks like there are some new deep hollow point molds, but they are light weight for handguns.

GREAT MARTINIS you built there swampfox!
Cost to build one???

JUST KIDDING, can't afford beutiful..have to go with rough-n-ready!

I will probably go with a NEF/H&R, or a ROSSI single shot = I'M CHEAP!

if you need to buy a gun go with the 500 mag that is what i used for deer hunting this year

I was thinking of a single shot Martini, (if I can scrounge up the parts and...find a gunsmith!) or maybe just a NEF handi-rifle.

And then reaming out to .357Max so I could shoot .38s, .357, dw460, and .357Max.
This is why I was looking for a good heavy bullit mold style.

I see a few slightly used 500 mags in the paper with four or five rounds shot thru them.
Must be a stout kicker!

The heavy bullets are fine for deer, but if you want to kill a coyote and recover it I would say you should use 125 gr Hornady XTP. They can be loaded to 2000 fps in a carbine and will give a coyote about as much SMACK as a 357 is going to get.

well the 500 will kick a bit more than a 357 but a 357 for deer, not saying that it wont get the job done with a well placed shot, just one of the guys that i hunted with this year used a 44 mag that went through the heart and lungs of the deer we spent a long time looking for the deer, where the 500 folded the deer with a lot of force and i didnt need a second shot

I shoot 158gr XTP's over 17.5gr of lil'gun and seat the bullet to 1.58" with a heavy crimp. Nice, accurate load but has a bit of a kick to it. With your gun you might want to work up to that load. I started at 16gr.

I have shot two med. size deer with 158 XTP's with 17.0 gr. of WW296 and both went down at the shot. Both were tight behind the shoulders and both nicked the heart and trashed the lungs. I might add that both went all the way through as well. I have found that 125 XTP's blow up better on coyote's though and will anchor them with a solid hit.

Looks like the XTP rule here.

I was told a devastator hollow point works well, but can't find any around here yet, ....or who makes them and in what grains.

Thanks for all the replies!