Is a .357 magnum lever action enough gun for Pigs?

[Seamus]

Hello,

My next purchase will be a lever action. I’m looking at getting a rifle chambered in .357 magnum which will allow me to shoot .38 special for plinking which would be cheaper than .44 magnum.

I am wondering if the .357 magnum will be enough to handle feral pigs.

I will eventually end up doing my own hand loads with 158 through to 180 gr pills. Any advice would be appreciated, especially any recipes for hand loads.

Cheers,

Seamus

[bigpete]

I have mates who hunt pigs way more than me swear by them

[LawrenceA]

Small to medium at close range then no problem.
Not sure on a big bastard though.
If you are handloading then the 44mag is not much dearer and definitely more gruntier (no pun intended).

[bladeracer]

Small to medium at close range then no problem.
Not sure on a big bastard though.
If you are handloading then the 44mag is not much dearer and definitely more gruntier (no pun intended).

.357 is not really lacking at close range, even better from a 24" barrel, but the .44 is _so_ much more, even from a carbine, and you can always load it down to .357 levels when you want to play around.

[boingk]

What those guys said. 357 won't be an issue on most pigs, but a very large one may need a follow-up if shot placement isn't ideal.

The 44 is a brilliant cartridge in a lever, loving my little 16" barrel Citadel at the moment. I've got a mate who's taken everything from bunnies to Buffalo with a Chiappa takedown levergun in 44 mag using nothing but Magtech factory softpoints, and you can handload a fair bit over that power level, too.

If you want a 357 I wouldn't hold back, just be aware that if you're after larger critters it may be lacking. Projectile selection becomes a bit more critical and I would have dedicated hunting and plinking loads figured out ahead of a trip

FWIW, I'm in much the same boat and am thinking if getting a 357 to compliment my 44.

[Blr243]

I used one for a while with open sights never was it lacking at close range. Never had one run off wounded .. it was a long time ago. I think I shot at least sixty pigs. Sierras and xtps

[Bill]

the 357 Mag will be fine for 90% of the pigs you'll encounter inside 100m, just dont expect it to stop a decent boar past that unless broadside

[Bugman]

the 357 Mag will be fine for 90% of the pigs you'll encounter inside 100m, just dont expect it to stop a decent boar past that unless broadside

Yes . Agreed. BUT I learnt my lesson a while back while hunting pig. The 357 was ok but I ended up buying a 30/30. At close range it did a better job in my opinion.

[CRF]

I tossed up the same, in the end logic took over and I bought a 30-30.

[Communism_Is_Cancer]

I don't know if a 357 would suffice in all scenarios. Check out this video, some of these pigs against a 12gauge taking multiple rounds at close range. I personally like to use a 45/70.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZHZM9f ... e=youtu.be

[wrenchman]

a 357 lever gun makes the round perform well just make sure you use good rounds most are made for pistols and will pick up much
more speed from a rifle go with good hunting round if you hand load you can do a lot

[yoshie]

357 will penetrate well with good quality bullets, (think punching through matted hair and mud), the 44 doesn't penetrate as well but hits with more than enough to make up for it and then some. Once you're reloading the cost difference in ammo cost isn't that different.

[KellyM]

Carried a 357 Marlin in the NT for years and countless pigs were taken no problems.

[Biscuits]

If it is eventually doing home loads, then I assume you are using factory ammo to start with. 357 factory ammo is cheaper than 44 ammo. I chrono'd some 357 semi jacket soft point ammo, 158 grain, out of a 16 inch lever carbine and it was coming out the end at over 500m/s.

[JimTom]

I am in the process of developing a pig load for mine, anyone have any recommendations for a suitable projectile? I was going to try the Hornady 140gn FTX and the 158gn FP XTP.

[Blr243]

Yonks ago before flextips were invented I used sierras and Xtp

[JimTom]

Yonks ago before flextips were invented I used sierras and Xtp

Thanks for the reply mate, appreciate it.
I was a little worried that the XTP may expand a bit too quickly on pigs. I will try both and see hoe they go.

[Blr243]

I def had no surface blow ups at all with Xtps despite the fact they are designed to fold back at pistol velocities

[Pendous]

As others above, yes the 357 Magnum it is an acceptable cartridge for pigs and other game for that matter.
I have used one with no problems on the receiving end.
I have a Rossi which is light weight and points well.
Trajectory is not your friend here but that's not the point of using 357 Magnum in a lever.
Commercial loads will primarily be self defence offerings but should do ok on game.
My current loading is Speer GDHP's. The 125g are listed as self defence. The 158g are noted for hunting.
Speer doesn’t list any velocity recommendations.

ADI data.

ADI web data

Screenshot 2022-02-20 at 08-26-23 Data - Rifle.png (29.79 KiB) Viewed 9150 times

ADI web data

Screenshot 2022-02-20 at 08-27-12 Data - Rifle.png (28.92 KiB) Viewed 9150 times

The fun value of 38 Special from a rifle is pretty satisfying.
My take here is the 357 Mag/38 Sp is an upscale 22LR.

[mickb]

357 in a Rossi 1892 is all I use for them. I prefer 158gn bullets, and you can do a lot better than ADI velocities too. In fact I'd be suprised if any factory ammo with 158 gn bullets would chrono as low as the data above. The issue of course now for reloads, as hashed out on other threads is no dedicated pistol powders left in Australia. My choice for available ammo remaining would be the cheap 158 Geco flatpoint factory ammo. Havent tried it but its full powered and a flatpoint so assume it holds together okay.

[jh458]

my first deer rifle was a win 92 in 357 (16" bbl). i took it black bear hunting as well, but i was never able to get a bear. i wouldn't hesitate to use it on pigs ESPECIALLY with the new bullet tech. i now only carry lehigh xtreme penetrators or xtreme hunting (stupid name, i know but they work on a whole other level) as woods loads. underwood loads them if you wanted to try them. i recently came across a black bear that had been hit by a car and was almost dead, but not quite. the only gun i had on me was a glock 43, (9mm short barrel) the 115 gr (NOT the +p) went clean through the skull. the 357 load, out of a 16" bbl is going to be so much more. bullet tech has allowed many calibers to gain new life and jobs. my daughters hunt deer and pigs with their 556, a caliber i never would have allowed in the not to distant past. but with controlled chaos or raptor projectiles, this caliber is now well suited for game on the west coast.

the xtreme lines produce wound cavities 2-3x what a HP does and penetrates like hard cast. i have a rossi 92 in 44 i cycle into hunting everything with, and am on a wait list for a rossi 92 in 357 for my daughters and will absolutely use it on deer, pigs and black bear. really incredible stuff in the industry now.

[animalpest]

The biggest problem is that many people use ammo that is designed as self defence on humans. Opens too quickly for hunting tougher animals. This includes most 158gr loads.

Go for ammo designed for hunting and you won't have a problem on pigs.

[Wrangler]

If you use 158gr bullets and avoid hollow points as well, the 357 will do well on pigs under 80 yards or so

[bigpete]

I do love it when Americans comment on an Australian forum like we can get half the stuff they can

[wrenchman]

bigpete lots of the hunting here is based on tradition and the stuff that you guys hunt with is very much in the camps when hunting here and you would fit in well on opening day of deer

[bladeracer]

bigpete lots of the hunting here is based on tradition and the stuff that you guys hunt with is very much in the camps when hunting here and you would fit in well on opening day of deer

He might be referring to the LeHigh Defence bullets, I've never seen them here.
But it'd be pretty easy to turn some bullets out of brass or copper for those larger calibres.

[bigpete]

bigpete lots of the hunting here is based on tradition and the stuff that you guys hunt with is very much in the camps when hunting here and you would fit in well on opening day of deer

He might be referring to the LeHigh Defence bullets, I've never seen them here.
But it'd be pretty easy to turn some bullets out of brass or copper for those larger calibres.

That, and the chaos and raptor bullets. f***,we can barely get normal bullets over here at times

[wrenchman]

I understand can you guys get blue dot it's used for reloading shot gun shells.
I have got some good groups with it and 158 speer.
I have found that you can really make the 357 shine from reloading

[bladeracer]

I understand can you guys get blue dot it's used for reloading shot gun shells.
I have got some good groups with it and 158 speer.
I have found that you can really make the 357 shine from reloading

It's around but rare. Any powders suited to shotshells or pistols are very hard to find, what was around has been grabbed up by pistol shooters so they can do their required shoots. People are buying bulk shotshells and scavenging the powder to load pistol ammo.

[wrenchman]

powder is around now primers are still a little hard to find ammo can be found to but prices are high for all of it.
I hope some makes it makes it to you guys