Colt Lawman 357 mag

I recently picked up a Colt Lawman off an older gentlemen who said it recoiled too much for him. Ive always wanted a Colt of some flavor and now that Ive got it I have the itch to shoot a deer with it.

Any pointers about what ammo to use I have heard that deer hunting with a 357 ammo is very critical. I was thinking a 180gr xtp or 180-200gr hardcast. Ill probably limit myself to 25 or 30 yards.

matt52

Tell us a bit about your gun, what barrel length, I believe that is a fixed sight gun, is that correct?

Yes its a 4 inch fixed sight gun

matt52

You are a bit limited in that you need to find a load that shots to point of aim. Once you find that load then that is the one you need to use.

Here is a link to a post by one of the other members, hope it helps. http://www.handgunhunt.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/122266/page/2#Post122266

Ive shot it a couple times so far but I plan on putting in some practice before I attempt to shoot a deer. Its on the money left to right now it will just be a matter of determining how much front sight I need for the elevation.

If I can hit a paper plate a 30 yards every shot then Ill feel comfortable using it in the woods. My hope is one day to get my hands on a Colt Python (fingers crossed) with an adjustable sight.

Just going from a 158 to a 180, or reverse, will make a significant adjustment. You should be able to find a load that will get you there.

i have taken deer with 158gr. jacketed soft points and 180gr. hardcast. both factory and handloads. i use open sights and that pretty much keeps me in range of the caliber. its by far my all time favorite caliber and it does a great job on deer inside of 50yrds! find a good 158gr. jsp and go hunting!

Matt, there is a colt python at the local shop here in town. Ya want pictures of it? I can probably get a pretty good deal for ya if your interested in it.

Matt

Adjustable sights are a very nice feature, but once you get a load that works in your gun you don't need to do any adjustment. I would guess that your gun is regulated for 158 gr. bullets, that has been the standard in that caliber.

You have a good quality gun, learn all you can about shooting it, find "your" load and then go hunting.

I wish that will have to be something down the road for me. Thanks for lookin out though.

A 180 grain is pretty heavy for the .38 caliber. I would guess that a 158 grain would be more likely to shoot point of aim. A 158 grain xtp did the trick with one shot on my first handgun deer. I worked up to Lyman's stated max of 2400. I will say that the deer was close and small.