Bullet of choice for 357 mag

[Stomper]

I love showing it off because it is perhaps the one major indulgement I've allowed myself in this lifetime.

Your (current) wife being younger than you by 5,000 years that you kept bragging about, being another…. Yeah?

 

[dangerranger60]

At 357 Magnum pressures 125 gr bullets are one of the few handgun rounds that have enough speed to cause hydraulic shock in living flesh. and the Half Jacket HP bullets have proven to hold together well enough to break bones and keep going! These have been my go to since the 1970's.
Hornaday's XTP has been another good bullet in the same weight. My whole point of having a lever gun in the same caliber as my handgun is sharing ammo. So I shoot the same in each.
If I were using these for hunting I might choose another load. The 125 gr HPs going at near 1800 fps [ or a little more], are destructive to the meat! In that case 158 gr SWC bullets at a little slower make more sense! Still devastating, but don't ruin as much meat!

 

[osprey]

When I carry a 357 revolver it is usually as a sidearm when hunting in areas without grizz. My load of choice is a 158 xtp handload. Plenty good medicine for cats, black bear or any other threat. I get 1250 fps through a 4" and from published ballistic gel testing with 4 layers of heavy clothing it will get 24" of penetration with great expansion. I am not a huge fan of xtp's in many cases but they shine in this application:

 

[Spitpatch]

At 357 Magnum pressures 125 gr bullets are one of the few handgun rounds that have enough speed to cause hydraulic shock in living flesh. and the Half Jacket HP bullets have proven to hold together well enough to break bones and keep going! These have been my go to since the 1970's.
Hornaday's XTP has been another good bullet in the same weight. My whole point of having a lever gun in the same caliber as my handgun is sharing ammo. So I shoot the same in each.
If I were using these for hunting I might choose another load. The 125 gr HPs going at near 1800 fps [ or a little more], are destructive to the meat! In that case 158 gr SWC bullets at a little slower make more sense! Still devastating, but don't ruin as much meat!

The 125 XTP at a max revolver load (for a strong pistol) in the Marlin carbine will blow (has blown) Rockchucks in half to 100yds plus.

 

[orygun]

My only experience with a cartridge in a revolver and a carbine is with a 41 Mag. In that cartridge I chose the XTP. Opens up very large and stays together. I have 125 and 158gr XTPs on hand for use in the 357.