Topic: The Best .357 Ammo for Hunting, Target Practice, and Self Defense (Read 65 times)
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Topic: The Best .357 Ammo for Hunting, Target Practice, and Self Defense (Read 65 times)
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Hornady’s LEVERevolution ammo was a game changer. Designed specifically for use in lever-action rifles, it allowed shooters to use pointed, ballistically efficient FTX bullets which have a flexible elastomer tip that can safely rest against the primer of another bullet stacked in a tubular magazine. The bullet’s design results in a flatter trajectory and extended range over traditional .357 Mag. ammo thanks to its relatively high ballistic coefficient and use of a slower-burning powder to maximize velocity out of lever-action barrels.
Read Next: Best Lever Action Rifles
Barnes Ammunition is famous for its monolithic, all-copper bullets, but the firm went a bit old-school with its Pioneer .357 Mag. load. This load uses a heavy-for-caliber, jacketed lead core Barnes Original JHP Bullet. Designed to cycle smoothly in lever-action guns, the round has plenty of power to take deer and hogs cleanly within reasonable ranges. If you prefer an all-copper bullet, Barnes also loads a .357 Mag. Pioneer load with a 140-grain XPB bullet.
My number one pick for backcountry defense is Buffalo Bore’s Heavy .357 Mag. load, which employs a hard cast lead bullet that has proven effective on the biggest North American animals like moose and grizzlies. Effective defense against large, hairy critters that are trying to kill you is all about penetration (and shot placement). This load delivers unparalleled straight-line penetration with its flat nose, hard cast lead bullet. Sure, there are more potent options for bear country than the .357 Mag, like the .44 Mag. And nowadays, many experienced backcountry hunters say a 10mm semi-auto is a better choice for bear defense because of their ability to put more rounds down range, faster.
Read Next: Best Bear Defense Handguns
But ultimately, choosing how much gun you want to pack for bear defense co*es down to personal preference. If you doubt the effectiveness of Buffalo Bore’s hard cast bullets, consider the experience of long-time Alaska guide Phil Shoemaker. He stopped and killed a brown bear in 2016 when it charged his fishing clients. He did so using Buffalo Bore hard cast bullets in a 9 mm semi-auto, which is not at the top of anyone’s list of effective bear stoppers.
Doubletap’s 200-grain Hardcast Solid delivers very good penetration with a hard cast bullet at an affordable price. Priced affordably co*pared to other cartridges in this category, the Doubletap 200-grain Hardcast Solid penetrated more than 33 inches in gelatin testing. The bullet has a wide, 80 percent meplat, or flat nose, for maximum tissue disruption, and has proven effective on elk and black bears weighing up to 500 pounds.
Launching a heavy Swift A-Frame bullet, this load delivers balanced performance with good expansion, penetration and weight retention. Federal’s 180-grain Swift A-Frame load places about 80 percent of its weight behind a partition while the front section of the bullet uses soft lead bonded to a copper jacket that’s thinned and skived at the nose. This allows the wide hollow point of the bullet to expand at a range of velocities while retaining much of its weight, and the mass of the rear portion of the bullet ensures good penetration. If you’re in areas where black bears are at the top of the food chain and you don’t need the maximum penetration of hard cast bullets, this load is a good choice.
Speer Gold Dot ammunition is my top choice in the self-defense category because it has a proven track record and qualities that have long made Gold Dot a gold standard in law enforcement. Revolvers haven’t been the duty gun of choice since high-capacity semi-auto pistols took over in the 1980s, but this Gold Dot .357 Mag. load remains a stellar performer.
More than 3,000 law enforcement agencies worldwide rely on Gold Dot ammunition. In co*mon law enforcement cartridges, it meets or exceeds the FBI test protocol in terms of barrier penetration with uniform expansion, good penetration, and excellent retained weight for reliable terminal performance. Reliability is ensured with the use of sealed primers.
Read Next: Best Revolvers for Hunters and Personal Protection
Federal Premium Personal Defense HST ammunition is also co*monly used by law enforcement. It shines in the FBI test protocol, and has a proven record of delivering optimal performance when it counts. HST ammunition features a jacketed hollow point design that will expand reliably and not plug when passing through barriers or clothing. The round delivers great penetration and holds together well with a high retained weight. The heavier weight of this load makes it a good choice for hunting as well as self-defense.
The Hornady Critical Duty line of ammunition meets FBI protocols and is also popular with law enforcement. The Critical Duty 135-grain FlexLock load was designed specifically to meet law enforcement needs with tough bullets that deliver good barrier penetration, expansion, and penetration. Critical Duty ammo does not use traditional jacketed hollow point bullets. Rather, it employs Hornady’s elastomer Flex Tip nose to eliminate clogging and help initiate expansion. A large jacket-to-core InterLock band ensures the bullet will hold together for good weight retention.
Federal American Eagle ammunition is produced to the same stringent requirements as Federal Premium ammunition, but at a much more affordable price. Federal’s American Eagle line is specifically made for practice and target shooting. It’s not the cheapest practice ammo out there, but it provides similar ballistics and feel as same-weight bullets in hunting or defense loads. This is a straightforward handgun load with jacketed soft point bullet, basic truncated cone, brass case, and Federal primer.
Priced in the practice ammunition category, the Hornady American Gunner 125-grain XTP cartridge is also capable for self-defense and hunting medium-sized game. Hornady’s American Gunner 125-grain XTP .357 Mag. load is a more affordable alternative to pricier top-of-the-line options and is more versatile than many other .357 Mag. loads co*monly used for practice. The varying thickness of the drawn metal gilding jacket of the eXtreme Terminal Performance bullet results in uniform, controlled expansion. Jacket serrations help initiate expansion.
