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41 Magnum vs 357 magnum

8K views 42 replies 13 participants last post by  JimRau 
#1 ·
I was looking at getting a lever action for white tail deer and I wasn’t sure if anyone could tell me the difference in recoil between these 2 rounds. I need something that won’t kick too much but enough to bring down a deer at 100 yards and under. Thanks
 
#2 · (Edited)
Brown Grey Trigger Beige Air gun
The .357 really comes into its own, out of a carbine barrel. That said, my all time favorite pistol round is the .41 mag. I have no qualms about taking a deer or hog out to 100. I use the 210 gr XTP, that is supplied by GS Custom Ammo out of Largo, FL. Ammo availability may be a deciding factor for you. Or not. Go with a .41 mag Big Boy from Henry.
 
#11 ·
44 mag bolt or lever gun should be able to run .44 special if wanting mild.
You can shoot reg .44 mag and reduce recoil on the range by adding some pad between you and the gun (PAST recoil shield, or just a soft pistol case).

You aint gonna feel it when shooting the deer.

And you should acclimate to a bit of bump, with some practice.
240gr will kill deer and not bruise the shoulder.

Unless you are freakishly built or have a medical condition........get a .44 mag.
If you do have some health issue, then .357.

I shot all sorts of stuff as a small boney kid and never got a flinch. So am not getting this "recoil" thing. My buddy has a bad neck, degenerative disc thing.......so he runs a .357 mag rifle and keeps his shots under 100 yards and takes no movers. 12 for 12 he is.

IIRC he shoots 180 gr JHP in a hot reload.
 
#14 ·
My state went "Pistol Cartridge Rifle" a few yrs ago, but did not have a straight wall case mandate. So...........a slight trimming of .35 Remington cases made that round legal.
Lever and pump guns that used to gather dust on dealer shelves...........vanished. Prices on GB and other went up.

Now that "regular HP rifle" is legal on private land there's no need to trim (unless hunting public land).

I'd take a .35 Remington over .44 magnum.
Either works fine.

Wish I had a Rem 7600 Grice carbine.........too much $ for what it is IMHO (plus I'm a tightwad).
 
#15 ·
IIRC Winchester makes a .44 Special hunting load.
Some younger folks had success using it under 50 yards in rifle.

I'd just use .44 mag brass and a reduced load to make it "special".
But not everybody reloads.

Even if one doesn't, there may be a commercial reloader nearby that could do the job at a cost savings.
 
#16 ·
You can't go wrong with either, but from the availability of ammo the 357 wins hands down.:) I have owned both and for your expressed use, deer, I would take the 357 with 180's.
 
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#18 ·
Marlin is producing the 357 1894C again. Not very much recoil with 357. Ruger has the 77-357 bolt action with detachable magazine. I have an older 1894C and was not happy with the accuracy until I put on a red dot. My eyes just dont do well with iron sights anymore.
 
#20 ·
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#21 ·
You know the only .357 Remington Maximum rifles Id seen were New England Firearms (NEF) Pardner-rifles.
So one will find plenty of single shots in the .357 Rem Maximum.
And revolvers.

The only lever rifles that exist were modified by tbe owners by rebarreling and tweaking the feed on Marlin 336's in .35 Rem.
 

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#23 · (Edited)
how about a 45 LONG colt?
I have one that is like new as I was going to get into cowboy action shooting. a Marlin if I remember correctly.
I bought it NEW. It has maybe 250 rounds of cowboy action ammo through it. I could count the brass and tell you exactly.
I never got into cowboy action shooting.
I'd be willing to sell it reasonable. Have original box, etc.

this is what it is!
Cowboy Gun. Marlin Lever Action in .45 Long Colt. Model 1894 Cowboy Limited

Serial Number 982 xxx xx I bought new at the gun stop in 2003 for $529
 
#24 ·
Want .35 cal but maybe past 100 yards with confidence?
Well that says .35 remington.
If you are playing the PCR game and law mandates straight wall cases........then .357 Maximum.
That pretty much says TC Contender/Encore or the reaming of some other single shot (like H&R).
 
#25 · (Edited)
Ruger did a CHP commemorative #1 in .357 magnum years ago. Most had the logo on the side of the receiver. They did a batch without the logo too (lesser number).

One of those, reamed to .357 max...........would be the ticket.

They did a run of #1 in .460 S&W too, supposedly one could run .45 Colt or.454 Casull in those as well.

I can't find the old web article, where a guy reamed his #1 to max. My buddy that hunts with .357 Marlin, had a G2 Contender in Max. Groups tightened up when he pushed the V to top end.

But he said whitetails don't need that kind of power, if shooting under 100 yards........so went back to reg .357 mag.

Indiana does not mandate straight wall cases............so trimmed .35 rem is the way I went.
Only shot two deer with mine, clipped front shoulder going in on both. Neither fell at the shot, one went 50 yards, the other 75. It worked fine IMHP. Our regs further changed and allow reg HP rifle on private land.........so the Ruger #1 I snagged in .243 win did not get rebarreled to .35 rem (still might happen). THat was the plan anyway, but it shot so good, and the regs changed.........I left it alone.

They never made the #1 in .35 rem..........so I'd like to have one built. Rebarrel job is $600. Add in the cost of a used #1...........it's getting up there. I can snag an old Rem 760 pump in .35 rem for $500.
 
#28 ·
Why do you want to hunt deer with a pistol caliber?
 
#30 · (Edited)
Not all states are HP rifle for deer. IN was shotgun and MZ forever, then allowed handguns. Then came pistol caliber rifles (idea was similar range as shotguns- of course with our cartridge specs..........one could make a hotrod........like .358 WSSM). Reg change to a little bit longer.........made.35 rem trimmed to 1.8" popular.

Indiana allows HP rifle now, but for private land only.
Want to rifle hunt on public? PCR is the only way.

PCR spec here is 1.8 max, 1.16 min, .35 cal or larger. No straight wall mandate.

Now...........all that aside.............if the whole friggin' state was open to HP rifle.........private and public.................why would one hunt with a PCR?

Generally, less recoil. Also............different platforms.
When PCR first became legal..........I used a Ruger .44 magnum auto, minty fingergroove model.

Cool rig.

Proly put a 2-7X on it down the road and pop a deer now and then with it. Is my dad's gun, but I'm the only one that's shot it since the 80's LOL.
 
#34 · (Edited)
Dunno what .357 rifle I'd get outside of a #1 CHP (non roll marked) or Contender.

We hunt a small thicket near home, 75 yards about the longest in the creekbottom. Get out to the field and can go 200 yds though. That where the old property line was (took trees out so no marker now........but I know where it is LOL).
 
#39 ·
Marlin stopped making the .357 model for several years after the move to Remington in Ilion, NY. IIRC, .44 Mag and .45 Long Colt continued to be available. Marlin claims it is reintroducing the .357 1894C but I've yet to see a post anywhere from anyone who says they actually found and bought a new one. Meanwhile, pre-Remington (JM stamped) models are getting harder to find at a decent price. Also, Rossi seems to have stopped making their .357 lever action so, right now, the only US manufacturer of new .357 lever actions at a reasonable price is Henry.
 
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