Hard cast: I have hunted for years with my Freedom Arms 353 (.357mag) with 180 grain bullets for deer in thick laurel cover we have here in CT. Most of my shots were in the 30-40 yard range, and many at almost point blank range. The deer went down within 20 yards, and some dropped in place. A handgun is great for hunting in the real thick stuff. Many times I have had to take my shots prone in order to get to the vitals of the deer in the thick laurels. Nowadays, I hunt almost exclusively with a muzzle loader. A .54 caliber round ball does a heck of a job on deer out to reasonable ranges.