Smith And Wesson -- Deer Hunting?

Question

How would you feel using a S&W 686 .357 Magnyum with a 6" barrel on deer? What would be the effective range on deer and what accuracy can I expect? Also, what would be a cheap, yet effective pistol scope to put on this?

Answer 1

I've managed to get 6 Deer in the last 9 years or so with my 686 -6" Smith & Wesson. I shoot 158 grain Jacketed Soft Point and the farthest any one of these Deer went after being hit was about 30 yards..3 Dropped on the spot folding up like cheap lawn chairs...lol. The only thing you need to do is get your 686 with a White Outline Rear Sight and a Red Ramp Front Sight. This will make a REAL difference in your ability to see your sights and shoot in low light or on overcast days. I would also suggest you pass on the pistol scope for now and limit your shots with open sights to about 35 yards max. Starting out Hunting Deer with a Scoped Pistol for the first time makes it much harder to shoot well till you get used to the recoil. A Scope mounted gun might seem like an advantage but at this stage of the game, it will make sighting on a Deer more difficult and only increase your chances of missing or making a mistake....

Answer 2

While the .357 magnum can kill a deer, it cannot do so reliably. The .357 is not a proper caliber for hunting deer. I do not know what state you live in but you need to check the laws pertaining to handgun hunting. Many states specifically exclude handguns of certain calibers and that usually includes the .357 magnum. In most states, the smallest caliber handgun you can hunt deer with is a .41 magnum. I wouldn't even consider hunting deer with anything less than a .44 magnum. In fact, my deer hunting handgun is a Taurus Raging Bull chambered for .454 Casul.

Cheap pistol scope? Can you say "junk"? A pistol puts stresses on a scope far greatere than does a rifle. For this reason, a pistol scope has to be capable of withstanding greater recoil than a rifle scope. You can't get that in a cheap scope. Believe me, I tried it once. I mounted a cheap scope on a T/C Contender that was chambered for .44 magnum. The fisr thing that happened was that the scope would not hold to a point of aim. Next a lens came loose and I lost all of the nitrogen in the scope. Lastly, the cheap mount failed and the piece of crap went sailing over my head and was destroyed when it hit a post and the ground. I tossed it into the trash can and went and bought a well made scope. I had just wasted the price of the scope and mounts. I bought a Leupold M8 2 power LEER scope and mounted it with ConeTrol mounts. Problem solved! It is folly to waste money on cheap optics. Especially the unknown imported Chinese crap. You will always regret it. Get the good stuff in the beginning..... it's what you will end up getting eventually.
anyway.

So, for deer hunting, get at least a .44 magnum and mount a Leupold M8 2 power (or possibly a 3 or 4 power) with ConeTrol mounts and you will be in the tall cotton.

Hmmmmm. I just read JD's answer and I think this is the first time I have disagreed with him. I still don't think a .357 is a proper deer caliber. I know he has taken several deer with one but he is a very experienced hunter and can probably do things that the rest of would not be able to match. I still say use nothing less than a .44 magnum. I do agree with him on his recommendation for sights. The man is a fount of knowlege and worthy of our attention.

Answer 3

My honest opinion is, Hand gunner's should know their own limitations. If you can only effectively shoot a .44 cal @ 30 yds. without throwing flyers , Then that should be the distance you hunt at. A .357 cal with a 180 grain HP XTP placed properly at the vital area of a whitetail from 0 to 60 yards, will get the job done PERIOD! I own both a .44 Mag & .357 Mag and I would'nt hesitate to use either gun to hunt whitetail with. I don't have a preference because I limit my handgun hunting to 50 - 60 yards, although I can hit a gallon Milk Jug 3 out of 5 times with either gun @ 100 yards.
Not everyone is capable of shooting large magnum handguns consistently. When you take the recoil of a .44 mag @ 22.5 lbs and are reduced to 8 or 9 lbs. of a .357 Mag your groups will be better. So , if you can keep a 5" group @ 50 yrds with your 357, I wouldn't hesistate to use it with the heaviest bullet you can purchase. Good Luck!!
Forget the scope ,unless your eyes are bothering you . You should be able to hit a 8x11 taget @ 50 yrds. with open sights or just use a rifle or shotgun.

Answer 4

I'd limit my shots to a maximum of 50 yards, with 35 yards or under being preferred.

If you don't handload, try some CorBon 180 gr. LFN loads.

As for the scope part of the question, I will tell you the same thing Lee Jurras, the Father of Modern High Velocity Handgun Ammunition, and Outstanding American Handgunner Award winner would tell you: SDNBOSG'S (Scopes Do Not Belong On Sixguns)!!!

If you can't put a pistol bullet into the kill zone of a deer at 50 yards or less using iron sights, use a rifle.

Doc

Answer 5

My buddy used a similar gun, accept I think it was a Ruger instead of a Smith. But it was a 6" barrel type chambered in .357. At about 60 yards, he shot the deer and the deer looked as if it had been hit by a high powered rifle. There was a lot of bloodshot meat and it passed through both shoulders with no problems. So, the Smith would do just fine and you would could kill a deer at 60 yards from what I seen with optimal penetration. .44 Mag would be too big for a deer, it would be way overkill.

Answer 6

I agree with many posters here in that a .41 or .44 magnum would be better choices although if legal in your state a.357 is most likely capable of doing the job, I think it important to be sure. Not all of us are probably as good of shots as JD so the larger caliber and more power might assist in a clean kill.

I do have to agree with JD though about iron sights vs. a scope. If you want to hunt with a scope use a rifle. It is about the challenge if you are hunting with a handgun. So why would you put a scope on the pistol? You are going to have to be within 60-75 yards to accurately place your kill shot so a scope would be extraneous.

Answer 7

The .357 Revolver with a 6" barrel can effective bag game at distances of about 100-150 feet away.

Answer 8

A really good shot might get by with 357, but for me 41 magnum is my minimum for deer. I haven't scoped any of my revolvers, so I keep my shots under 50 yards or carry a rifle. It just makes more sense to me to use the right tool for the job instead of stretching and modifying one to do the job of another, when they're all easily at hand.

Answer 9

.357 Magnum is ok for deer as long as you can get close. S&W used to make a 686 with a 8-3/8" barrel for hunting, but 6" is ok. .44 Magnum was invented for game like deer and anyone who says it is overkill needs to brush up on their gun history.

Answer 10

I have a six inch mdl 28, .357 mag. I wouldn't use it for hunting deer. But that's because I also have a .41 mag and .44 mag. handguns to use instead. I tend to think of the .357 mag. as a law enforcement weapon instead of a hunting gun. I suppose you could use it. I'd use a heavy soft nose round with as much velocity as the gun could safely handle.

I have always found Simmons handgun scopes to be pretty decent for the money. I think Midway sells a 4 power scope for under a $100.