357 Mag RAAP finally goes after deer

I knew I wanted to take at least one revolver with me when I went down to Zee’s place.
I hoped to fill three MLD tags.
This is a high fence ranch.
I was not hunting.
Maybe better words would be killing or culling deer.
The venison already had homes for it.
The 357 Magnum is an instant grab for me for deer, but I considered a couple of 44 Magnum‘s for a while. They didn’t make the cut. Of course they would have worked great, but I just wanted to use a 357 Magnum.
If, you would’ve asked me 10 years ago, if the 357 magnum be my favorite deer revolver cartridge, my response would’ve been, “No.”
I was planning on bringing a five shot BFR revolver down.
When I went out to Mac's Gunworks, to get it zeroed and shoot steel at various distances, I simply did not like that small Bisley grip.
For hunting, I have fallen in love with Hogue’s Big Butt grips.
I have a customized (RAAP) Smith & Wesson 357 Magnum revolver, it is a N frame, with the above mentioned Hogue grips.
BCG did the build, and it has a 10” custom barrel and a real nice trigger for hunting.
I grabbed one of my Leupold pistol scopes that had adjustable turrets, and I was off to the races to get a quick 50 yard zero on one of my new steel coyote targets, before I headed south.

I decided to go to the easy route, and use some factory Hornady 158 XTP HP’s, which have worked so good for me in the past.
This revolver shoots good from the bench or from a field rest.
The revolver was first up, and I simply made a bad shot that should have been easy.
My assumption is that I anticipated recoil and flinched downward, that is the only reasonable explanation I have.
At first, I thought I had hit her and I kept waiting for her to falter and go down but she didn’t, she’s kept going away from us.
After spending a good bit of time looking for blood and searching for her, we both came to the conclusion that I simply missed.
The following day, things were better. We spent some time at 50 yards on steel and the revolver was shooting just fine for both of us.
Later that afternoon another doe fell (under 50 yard shot).

I was using a pillow bag underneath my hands.
She went down about 60 yards from the shot, if I remember correctly.
Next two pics are of the exit side:

I love the .357 Mag as a deer cartridge.


I did not LOVE this platform. Not a fan.

Good shooting; I just picked up a 10” Contender in 357 mag, I’m going to shoot the 180 grain XTP,s through it, congratulations again

Interesting. I carried some of my .357s this year but never shot. I am planning on killing at least one with a .357 this year.

I have never used the 180's to date.
Thanks!

Definitely let us know when you get your first 357 Mag Kill!

I‘be used the 158s out of .357 Mag GP-100s and my .35 Rem Pachmayer Dominator.
I run the 180s in my Contender Pistol .35 Rem.