357 Magnum Deer Load for my Henry Big Boy Silver 

Looks like two people from Ohio disliked your vid lol. Keep up the great work!

He is right about Ohio drivers. Sincerely. An Ohio resident.

Be careful going back to West Virginia after hunting in Ohio! Recently an old man in a pick up truck gave a ride to an Ohioan and a West Virginian headed across the bridge at Middleport. The two guys thanked the old man and hopped into the back of his truck bed, but about half way across the bridge the old man swerved and went over the side where the truck sank. The old man and the Ohioan surfaced and swam to the shore. The old man asked where the guys West Virginian friend was and the Ohioan recounted that he must have drowned because he couldn't get the tail gate open!

The toothbrush was invented in West Virginia If it had been invented in Ohio it would be called a teethbrush

I know you have been away for awhile but as someone recently into the rabbit hole. Your videos are great and your knowledge is invaluable

I've owned .357 rifles and pistols for many years. I used to carry a Rossi 92 as a truck gun on the ranch. I have loaded and fired enough ammo that I wore that rifle out. I have harvested many mule deer with a .357 and three elk. I learned to use the slower burning powders because I load for both pistol and rifle so I didn't want to explode a handgun with a rifle weight load. I love the 145 grain bullets with Blue Dot powder or 2400.

Mind your back stop. This thing is no joke. Shot clean through 1/2” plywood. Mounted the scope and used my laser bore sight to get it close. Shooting off of a rest at 25’, after about 10 shots with adjustments, I was dead center with 3 shot groups you can cover with your finger tip. Very pleased because there’s a squirrel eating the trim on my house and tomorrow his chewing days end.

When I was younger, recoil never bothered me. Now I'm a little older and a little arthritic. My "go to" gun has become my marlin 1894c in .357. The videos you do are great and really show what a .357 can do from a long barrel. Thank you. You'll have to give us a video telling us about the deer you take, when you get back from your hunt.

I'm just getting into reloading and love your videos sad to hear that you're stopping, thanks for the knowledge

I'm 82 now and quit hunting five years ago. While I don't particularly miss it I was a reloaded off and on for well over 40 years. I started in the 60s with a $15.95 Lee one piece handloader and a powder scale so I could use different loads in my Rem ADL in 270. Surplus IMR 4831 was $4.00 for a 2 lb tin so shooting was inexpensive. The max load of 4831 was 59grs with a 130 grain bullet. But like your groups with the bigger bullet I got what appeared to be flyers with higher loads and swollen primers with the 59 grains. Through experimentation I found my most accurate load was 56 1/2 grains with the 130 gr old Winchester Silver Tip bullet. Though meant for bigger game, the Silver Tip did not shatter when striking deer bone at close yardage yet worked great on a Pronghorn I shot at about 400 yards. Later I bought a full press and reloaded for a 3006 and a Rem 260. So it's really the reloading and range shooting I miss the most because it required total concentration and provided great diversion from the rigours 30:05 of everyday life. I love your simplified explanations because reloading isn't rocket science as some make it out to be. But it is technical and requires attention to detail. Cheers

As someone not native but has lived in Ohio for the better part of two decades, you’re not wrong. The driving is atrocious but some pretty great folks all around

The correct explanation of parallax. Most teach as a yardage focus. In the 70s, bench rest, we used to make little cardboard discs that fit into the rear tube with a tiny center hole so our eye would be in the same location every time.

Great video! I worked up this same load in my Rossi 92 with the 158gr XTP flat point and also found W296 at coal 1.580" to be the most accurate. Great hunting load, took a small 90lb doe with it last year.

The first few minutes of this video had me rolling! I know it's old, but the rant about Ohio is hilarious.

Johnny, more .357 videos. Thank you!

I think the 140 gr with the 19.0 load looked like a winner to me. I'm just sayin'......

Fun project, great content. Thanks so much for these videos!

If you do this exact thing with a 44 magnum Marlin 1894, you would be my hero. I'd even donate! Great video.

stoked to see another vid on the .357 ! have a fun safe season over the state line

As a Michigan resident, I agree 100% with everything you said about Ohio.

,357 magnum is such a kick ass round!

Lol love your Ohio story. Iowa was the same and have recently allowed straight walled pistol cartridges. Shotgun season is crazy. It's amazing more people aren't shot each year. It's like the wild West on those deer drives. I have since moved and have enjoyed the high power rifle season the past couple years.

Did u ever get a deer with ur 357 Henry

Ohio here. You are correct about the drivers. Absolutely terrible!

I'm from Illinois. 2nd year centerfire season. Got the henry big boy 357 for hunting deer!

If you want really good loads in the .357 rifle use 2400 or Blue Dot powder. 2400 may call for magnum primers depending on the manual you use. Check brass for length before you flare it.

This was a wonderful video to know exactly the loads to go with on .357 lever gun. Great technical dive and answering a lot questions I have about a .357 for hunting. I just want to have one cartridge for my .357 pistol and a rifle.

I'm in Georgia myself where we can hunt deer with just about anything. I have spoken to the game warden up in Ohio last year for some clarification about what I could and couldn't hunt with while up there. It was the straight walled pistol cartridges and shotguns if you use slugs and only have 2 rounds. Thats Ohio logic for you. Rifled slugs are OK, but you can't shoot bucks with buckshot. The 2 rounds may be a new rule due to what you described about every emptying their guns trying to hit the deer. That henry is a nice shooter for sure. 2" groups at 100yd with a pistol round.

Johnny, I Love your site and gather so much information! Very impressive!

I have a 1911 coonan in 357 mag, it's a fun range gun, I wanted to develope a load that made a loud bang with a light show, so I loaded some Blue Dot at a max load, and instead of loading a 357 bullet I loaded a 38 super 356 bullet so it would come out of the barrel quicker without a big pressure spike , the Blue Dot burns a little slower so half the powder burnt in the barrel and the other half burnt out beyond the barrel...loud bang and BIG fire ball. It was great, about one foot on each side of the gun, that would be great to see in slow motion.

Thank you for this. I just bought a Henry 357. Love it!

I totally get it lol. I'm from Maine and we have the same rivalry with Massachusetts 😂👍. Anyways, great video man. 😎

Another awesome video, thanks 👊🏻

I subscribed just because of your contempt for Ohio. I have never met a pleasant individual from Ohio.

Great presentation with just the facts. Really enjoyed how you laid out the varying charges on the poster.

Beckley boy here. I agree with all the Ohio jokes. Great video!

Thanks for another inspiring video. I have a couple 357s. I might get a rifle. But may go to 350 Legend. Im about 7 hours in on your videos. I have a 1954 Russian SKS, a 7.62x39mm CZ, and an AR pistol in the same. Then I found the CZ in 6.5 Grendel. I cant wait to get started reloading. Im from and in WV. I drive the WV a lot. Ohio drivers are the worst. They have no concept about a passing lane vs a driving lane.

We may not be able to drive, but at least we have all of our teeth!

I liked your video on using the .357 Mag for deer hunting. I shot a small buck in California on the Blacktail deer in '03 and it worked great. I was using a Marlin 1894 in that caliber. I had some older reloading books because I started loading in 1990 before the the SAAMI pressure limits were reduced to 35,000 PSI in the early 2000s.( 357 Magnum used to be rated at 42,000 CUP which is even more in PSI.) I know you are using the Hornady 158 grain HP which is a very good bullet. When I started reloading the 357 Mag I kept one of the velocity charts that used to come in those boxes in the late 90s and still have it. The 158 grain HP is rated for impact velocities between 700-1400 FPS. There is also a 158 grain Flat Point ( a tiny hollow point with jacket over part of the HP.) I took note that It is rated for impact velocities between 1175-1800 FPS. (Hornady stock #35780 )This I concluded was designed for lever action rifle velocities and I tested both in various mediums. I got a beautiful mushroom from the Flat Point in water jugs shot at 100 yards out of my Marlin. I am concerned that the hollow point will over expand if you get a shot under 50 yards. I'm sure it will be destructive to vitals but I had full penetration at a close 25 yards with the F.P. when I got the buck. If it had ran a short distance I would have had a great blood trail. The exit wound was 2 1/2 inches in diameter! My load consisted of the 158 XTP FP / Win 296 / 17.0 grains / CCI 550 / and Rem or Win brass, cant remember which. The H.P. will still most likely do a fine job so if you have already used it on a deer of several your results will be the best judge of what works.

as a Hoosier next to ohio agree on all points except its the BMV we have the Bureau to. very nice info thank you

good info- I like to use Hornady 180 gr 35 Cal bullets with a max load of h110 and it's an accurate round out to 200 yards. doesn't drop like a pistol bullet.

Freakin loving your content lately! Keep it up! Looking forward to your hunting season!

"their women folk.... Not the least bit attractive" 🤣🤣🤣 I freakin' love this channel.

I know I'm late to the game but, shining on your best group at over 1800 fps without investigating further there are people taking 140-grain hollow points a lot higher than you are. The last group you shot looks like the place to look for the best load. It is the best group you shot all day.

Don't worry Ohio. As long long as Gary Indana is around you are not the bottom of the barrel.

Hearing you talk about Ohio is funny .

If you want to go open sights, I recommend Skinner. They work well. I put a Skinner on my Marlin 1894CB. Best decision for me.

great video and informative on reloading the 357 mag cheers

JRB looks your lovely Henry repeater likes the 140 XTP with the W296, that load is a keeper ! Said the guy born and raised in OHIO , Go Bucks

Have you tested those bullets for expansion? I'm using Imr 4227 in my marlin 357 and magnus 158gr bullets they expand good and don't blow up at around the same fps your getting. With max load of 4227 I was getting 1950 fps. I haven't tested the magnus bullets at the max load.

I do find it interesting at the range how nearly all of the first round impacts started out dead on and seemed to string downwards

I have loaded for the .357 now for many years both handgun and rifle. I found when I first started that I needed to be very careful to keep my handgun and rifle ammo separate as to not explode my handguns. Since then I have learned to use a slower burning powder for all and now don't need to separate that ammo. Now I just use a colored marker to color the head of each case in order to keep them together. I have found the 140 grain bullet to be a good middle of the road bullet for weight and velocity. I have harvested many mule deer with my rifles and three elk. I of course do not take body shots at elk with a .357 because any elk within 100 yards or so is a head shot. If I hit it the animal falls on that spot. If I miss the animal walks away unharmed. I have never had one walk away. Since I like the .357 rifle so much I tried a .44 mag. in the same rifle but found it to be a pumpkin thrower. The point blank range was to limited.

hell ya West by God Virginia! lol You just made me like this channel more. WV will always be home no matter were you go to live. I have been all over the US in the Marines but when it was time to hang up the combat boots i had to return home to the hills. A lot of guy at work that live in KY keep showing me pic of dead deer do to blue tongue hope the part of KY your in is't bad.

I have the Henry big boy steel in .357 , 20" barrel with a Burris 2-7 x35. I use Buffalo Bore heavy load with 158 grain XTP bullets & I get 1925 fps average.I haven't tried at long range , but at 25 yards it will shoot ragged one hole groups.I've taken 4 deer so far with this combo , including an 8pt about 210lbs that dropped in his tracks at 12 yards.

Its April, 2022 and there is no ammo or reloading material available unless you pay a ton for them. CCI sp primers sold on GunBroker for $230 for 1000 brick. Powder is 4 times normal prices. Bullets are in limited supply. 2021 was awful for the new gun buyers.

My hunting load is a 158 xtp flat point on 16.5 of h110 (same as 296) and its around 1750fps from my marlin 1894c. Shoots about 2.5 inch groups at 100 using a 1-6 strike eagle. Great little bush gun and I can use the 3rd hashmark down on the scope and consistently hit a 10" plate at 200 yards

thank you love it . one of the best 357 videos and i am from ohio

You don't want to use hollow points in a carbine for hunting deer. Those are designed for pistol velocities and people. Use a flat soft point jacketed. JSP from American Eagle works nice. You need penetration and expansion. Hollow points expand too quickly at 1800 fps. 1300 fps is their intended penetration velocity.

Win 296 data in older books used to go up to 17.5gr with 158 gr hp. I have had very good success @ 17gr w/ small mag primers in my 6” GP100 and 5” 627 SW. I have also shot this load out of my 3” SP101. BTW Win 296 and H110 are exact same powder

This video is old but thanks for doing these with all the comprehensive detail. Just considering reloading and you have a great collection of info in your vids.

You need more flare on those cases. You are starting that base in crooked. I can see from the video. A very firm crimp is essential in lever guns and for good performance with the dense ball powders like 296/300MP. At the ranges you encounter deer in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio you don't need to worry about external ballistics. A bullet going 1900 FPS (achievable with 300MP with 158s) will essentially be flat to 125 yards.

What about the Hard Cast Semi Wadcutter bullets? My loads for the 125 & 158, 21.5 gn 4227 & 20 gn of 4227. Shooting at 22", break action, single shot rifle. 3x9x40 scope. Two groups each 3 shots each all bullet holes touching. I'm going for accuracy over full blown raw power.

I take exception to your knocking shotgun hunting sir! I hunt souteast minnesota and we are shotgun only and hilly. My mossberg 500 with 3" accutip sabots is a one shot machine! Kills deer out to 200 reliably. No not rifle distances but a damn site better than foster slugs! Come on up we can shotgun hunt in style! Great vid as usual!

I bear hunt with 357 mag in a Henry Steel big boy using a Trijicon RMR. I use a max load of Lil Gun behind a Nosler JSP. In my rifle its trucking at just over 2000fps.

Whoah!! The ole Henry!! Good choice!!!

The 158gr xtp is so awesome and consistent

Have tried the same test nearly except when we used mp300 alliant website showed using regular primers then. The 125 xtp chronoed 2000 and the impact and accuracy was extremely great with their only online data then.never tested in gell.also mp300 cases came out cool. Powder is not as hot burning as 110 hodgon.

Let's see some 180 grain Keith cast bullets in that .357 Magnum I used a Marlin leaver Action with a 180 gas check bullet and it's outstanding on Deer , Wild Boar , Coyotes , I like the accuracy of the 180 grain Cast bullet and I shot a few powder coated cast bullets no need for the copper gas check the powder coat on the bottom of the bullets does the same job the gas check does. I use 12.8 grains of 296 and its accurate out to 200 yards on 8" steel gong .

I could not imagine hunting back east where you guys are I’m in Colorado where we are shooting elk at 600 yards.

‘About a two inch average, I’m ok with that’. Wish my first 3 wives agreed.

Funny, I'm convinced the drivers in Columbus grew up playing Mario cart, I'm up west of Cleveland on the lake. The deer population has been a problem, last year a doe face planted on my work van's hood while I was doing 60 mph

Sooooo...140gr xtp had the best group, highest velocity, and second lowest deviation... And you didn't go with that load? Hmmm.

Not sure why not follow the data, the 140 with 19 gr. was the best of the day.

Iam in southeastern Ohio and yes I still use a shotgun ol 20ga wingmaster and I can drive some and yes the women folk ain't to purdy but they do the job lol 😂 good vid man

Well, Ohio has 10x the population and number of deer hunters that WV has...Unfortunately most flood the SE part of the State. It's a miracle we are even allowed to use straight-wall caliber rifles now. Let me ask you a basic question...Would you trust an Akronite or Cantonite in the woods with a high-powered rifle? How about 50,000 of them? I remember back in the 1990s Gun Week felt like the Battle of the Bulge. (Gunfire). I wouldn't complain about the BMV too much..Most of us in OH don't have mandatory vehicle Inspections to get plates...

I have a Vortex HS and was having the same issue along with adjustment issues. I spoke with Vortex and I had over torqued the rings. Granted it was only 7 inch LB's but when I re-torqued the rings to 18 in. lb's everything worked perfectly. Parallax and adjustments were spot on. Granted that says something of the tube strength of the Vortex but I still like mine. Think I'd go with the 140, velocity will help with the expansion at range.

I am working on a similar load. I'm using the 158 xtp fp instead of the hp. 300 mp and Lil gun powders both chronograph over 1900 fps with max loads! A 357 rifle potent. Thanks for the video!

I literally fall asleep to your videos every night..haha

Great video, and the intro was priceless.

Great Video again sir!!!. Working on same loads for grandsons Henry 20".. So what do you think on a henry 20" model.I know I'll get another 100 fps. But whats your Recomendations? Powder charge?. 140- 158s- 180s? .ECT...

Ok....for nothing else, and this is a Michigan boy talking...the comments about Ohio are priceless.

JOHNNY LIVED IN OHIO!!! balls in your court

Great video always good information

I have shot quite a few deer with the .357, all handgun. I have always used the same load, RCBS 162 swc with a g/c and 14.5 grains of 2400 and a WSPP. I never used a J bullet, but the Hornady bullet is as good as they get for hunting. I always used a S&W 66, and remember my longest shot to be about 25 yards. No deer ever ran over 35 yards so none was ever lost, either buck or doe. Over the years my longest shot on a deer was 125 yards with a .243. Your rifle should be plenty good for that range. I wish you good luck, your loads sound good as long as you don`t over load them, deer aren`t that tough but do require an accurate shot.

Appreciate the content. Working up loads for my BB Steel in .357 and this was helpful. Gonna steal your target idea, love how clean it came out. Happy shooting

Watching in 2022. Year 2 of the great SPM primer shortage....

We use high powered rifles where I hunt, .30-06 or .308 are the most popular with 7mm mag bringing up the rear. But we're taking +300 yard shots out here.

Love your vids. A question though. Obviously the video of you shooting and the down range camera are not running realtime (shot to shot). It all has to be edited out for multiple reasons. My question is, do you let your barrel cool off between shots to obtain the most accuracy. All too often, i see people with pistols and ARs (especially them) running those guns clip after clip. Seems no one considers a hot barrel and its causes on accuracy (not you). Great stuff!

LoL! OMG that is so true, ppl in Ohio really couldn't drive. I live in KY too, but you probably live in northeastern KY. Would be nice to meet & hang out 1 day but I stay in western KY for the most part. Love your videos man, keep doing what you're doing.

John, this would be an excellent opportunity to try/test a 158-200 grain hardcast, powdercoated SWC bullet for a huntingload.

Thanks

I am still waiting for my Henry ho12mx 357. Don't know why lever 357 are so hard to find now. Can't find the short Winchesters or marlin. I did find a Rossi r92 357 I have on order. Make a nice tractor gun . I like short barrel carbines of any type .

Great video! I'm considering using my 1-4 scope or a red dot. Lots of good info here, thank you. Hope to here more about the hunting season.

I got the 357 all weather with side loader but no scope. You did not take the scope off like you said you wee going too. Does that mean you like it on al the time? Was it easy to sight in?

Very informative video. I recently got hold of a Henry .357 steel and I’m going to be working on some loads and I want to try some 170-180 bullets. Have you tried any .357s that big?

Very detailed. Excellent as always.

JRB - Nice looking ammo.... Good hunting' to ya, FC Steve

Yeah, if Buffalo Bore can achieve 2,153 fps with 158gr from a 18.5" Marlin, I don't think you'll have pressure problems around those loads.

this was fascinating for me as someone who is looking into reloading 357.Id like your thoughts though, why wouldn't you go with the 140 XTP with the 19 grains of W296. That has 71 ft/lbs more energy than the load you said you would go with and a much better standard deviation.

I think the DNR law for barrel length is from the firing pin to the muzzle. So in a revolver you get well over 5” if the barrel alone is 4.2”