Roe deer load in .357 mag?

[Mgr2]

Hi all.

I intend to do some handloads for roe deer hunting with my Henry BBS .357 mag. Here the requirements for the smallest Norwegian deer spieces (Capreolus capreolus) are that the bullet should be of the expanding type, and that the energy at 100 meters (109 yds) should be at least 980 joule (722 ft/lbs). That would be in the upper register of .357 magnum loads, even from a 20" barrel.

I have a box of Hornady .357 XTP bullets I would like to try out. Could someone be so kind to point out a documented good (and safe) load?

Regards,
Michael

[DWD445]

Hi all.

I intend to do some handloads for roe deer hunting with my Henry BBS .357 mag. Here the requirements for the smallest Norwegian deer spieces (Capreolus capreolus) are that the bullet should be of the expanding type, and that the energy at 100 meters (109 yds) should be at least 980 joule (722 ft/lbs). That would be in the upper register of .357 magnum loads, even from a 20" barrel.

I have a box of Hornady .357 XTP bullets I would like to try out. Could someone be so kind to point out a documented good (and safe) load?

Regards,
Michael

This is my "go to" loading data site. All depends on weight of bullet and type of powder. In 357 Mag and XTP HP,
I've made some 125g w/H110 powder that sounded like 44 Mags. 158g w/H110 15.5g were also pretty awesome.
Very clean burning powder also ! The chart is for a 10' barrel, so will be higher.
http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/pistol

[clovishound]

Hogdgon has data for .357 magnum using an 18.5 barrel in the rifle section. This should be very close to what you are using. The highest velocity load is a max load of H110 which lists a muzzle velocity of 1757 fps.http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle This is using a 158 grain XTP bullet. You did not list the weight of the XTP bullets you have. Anyway, using a ballistic coefficient of .206 from their website. https://www.hornady.com/store/357-Mag-158-gr-XTP/, and plugging into a ballistic calculator http://www.hornady.com/ballistics-resou ... calculator I end up with 730 foot pounds at 100 yards.

The issue you may have with this load is case capacity with a max load. I loaded some XTPs with IMR4227 and ran out of capacity about halfway to max powder loads. If you can get American Eagle 158 grain soft points, these chronographed at 1800 fps from my 20" barrel Henry.

[JEBar]

for well over 20 years our preferred hunting load has been 14.8 grains of Winchester 296 pushing a Nosler 158 gr JHP .... if W296 isn't available we go with 15.9 grains of H110 .... using that load our sons have taken several deer at several whitetail deer with their Ruger GP100's at ranges of 50+ yards .... it is the hunting load we will be using in our Henry 357

[clovishound]

I got to wondering, and plugged in the numbers for a 125 grain XTP. Ballistic coefficient is at .152. MV listed for H110 max load is 2276. Ballistic calculator shows 868 foot pounds at 100 yds. That would give you some wiggle room if case capacity became an issue with max load.

[DWD445]

You could also "split the difference" w/a 130g or 140g bullet
I had no problem w/case capacity w/H110 15.5g and 158g, PLENTY of room !!
I think I loaded 125g at 21g H110

[clovishound]

I dug out my Lee manual and it lists volume for start loads. I see that H110 is more compact than 4227, so volume may not be a problem using H110. Looking further, the volume for the 158 grain XTP with 4227 load I used is slightly higher than the max H110 load listed. Sounds like you may be good to go with that load. Assuming you have access to H110. Looks like anything that will get you to 1750 fps with a 158 grain should be good to go. The lighter bullets seem to have even more energy. One issue is that if you must rely on published information, Hogdgon is the only one I know of that lists data using rifle length barrels.

[CT_Shooter]

One issue is that if you must rely on published information, Hogdgon is the only one I know of that lists data using rifle length barrels.

Hornady's 9th Edition also separates rifle and pistol data for pistol calibers.

[Mgr2]

Thanks for the response all . I appreciate the info. Both Hodgdon and Hornady sites are very useful, also the calculator.

H110 and W296 are common powders here, so I will give them a try. Think I will start with H110.

The bullets I intend to use are 158 grain Hornady XTPs, and 15 grain of H110 seems a good starting load then. With Small Pistol Magnum primers.

As I have no chrony, I can not assess the velocity or calculate the energy. However the law here does not require any proof of that the loads meet the requirements, only that the hunter is confident that he is within the limits. Also I will not be risking any shots beyond 100 meters. Lot of brush here, with small open patches, so a distance between 50-75 meters is likely. That should give me a good margin.

[CT_Shooter]

The bullets I intend to use are 158 grain Hornady XTPs, and 15 grain of H110 seems a good starting load then. With Small Pistol Magnum primers.

I've used that load, too. Hornady's 9th Edition lists it as close to the maximum charge (15.5 is max), having a speed of about 1650 FPS out of a 16" barrel.