Thinking about using this load in my Ruger GP100 357 Mag 6" pistol for Whitetails. My shots will be limited to 25 to 50 yards. Anybody have any experience with this load on Deer?

Yup. Run it hard at least above 1400fps and it kills well. May work slower too but ive never used it slower.

I made a high shoulder shot using that load in my GP100 three years ago on a mature doe at 28 yards. It dropped her in her tracks. I did have to finisher her when I walked up to her.

I just picked up a 6" GP100 and am looking at the 140 gn Barnes bullet. The Barnes loaded round you mention has a stated velocity of 1260 FPS. The Buffalo Bore version is listed at 1500+fps. I would hunt with the faster load if I could find it, but it sounds like the slower load works well too.

These are very accurate in my 9" MGM 357 barrel. Didn't get to use it this year but will next year.

The slower round works if u are perfect but the faster round gives u a little more leeway if ur slightly quartering to or from

Frosty - that load should perform at your specified ranges without problem...I've run the Federal loading and handloads much further out of the wheelguns.

Good luck!

Thanks for the intell guys!!

Update, I used the Barnes factory 140 grain loads and put 3 shots in the kill zone of an average 110 lb Alabama doe at 30 yards. That deer soaked up that 357 Mag like I was shooting her with a 22 short!! My deer lease is a parcel of 100 acres carved out of 7 year old cut-over timber, I tracked her for about 65 yards before loosing the blood trail. All indicators showed a text book Lung Hit. I searched for 5 hrs conversing the cut-over but to no avail. Still very upset about loosing that deer it would have been my first Big Game harvest with a handgun. I sold that GP100 to a buddy and should have a Ruger Super Redhawk in 454 arriving this Friday.

That was a real heartbreaker Frosty.... especially since it would have been your first big game with a handgun.......

James,
I'm hooked on this handgun hunting, if I would have been hunting open forest yesterday I would have definitely recovered that deer. I'm not going to let that get me down though, just going to use the proper equipment to get it done next time!!!

That's a bummer that you couldn't find here. Glad to hear you haven't given up hand gun hunting.

karl,
I'm definitely going to stay after it. Can't keep a good man down!

Sorry to hear about your hunt. I too hate to have one get away when you know you made a good shot. I do agree with you that your thick cover hunting spot requires a quick DRT kill. A larger caliber, expanding bullet will increase your odds of a quick kill. Good luck with the Super Redhawk 454. I would also suggest a center to high shoulder shot if you want to anchor game on the spot. When I was in Africa the PHs all insisted on the center shoulder shot regardless of the size of the animal.

By now the buzzards should find the deer for you. See if you can determine where the shots entered the carcass. Maybe get lucky and find a bullet. I have many a deer kill with .357 at extended ranges as well as up close. I have had deer run without a blood trail when shot with .300 Winchester rifle. Every animal is different. Don't underestimate the .357 mag. Every situation is different.

THE WOODS ARE LITTERED WITH DEAD UNFOUND DEER, SHOOT 'EM BROADSIDE THRU THE SHOULDERS IF YOU CAN.

45MAN,
That's my aiming point with my Weatherby rifle and where I aimed on this deer in question. I love that "Falling Plywood Effect" with the high shoulder hit. Instantly anchored!