what should i carry
 

Hey i have a .357 Ruger i pack with me when i'm elk hunting in bear/cougar country but am wondering what size of bullet i should carry. I usually have 150 gr. but i see there are some 200 even 220 gr bullets for the .357. does this even make a difference and should i just go with the 180 or should i step up to 200/220? I just want to pack enough punch in case of a run in with a coug/bear.

RE: what should i carry
 

Federal 180 Castcore are about as good as it gets for .357.625 ft.-lbs. of muzzle energy and great penetration if the need arises that youmustkeep a critter off of you.

RE: what should i carry
 

personally I'd go heavier than lighter....if its for protection, the shots will be close so trajectory isn't a worry.

RE: what should i carry
 

assume you are talking Griz country....if so, bigger is better no matter what...personally, I prefer more lead in the air than less....have sightings every year, have had camp destroyed several times, and those griz are NOTHIN to screw with!!!!

RE: what should i carry
 

I'd use a heavier hardcast bullet. Buffalo Bore has a 180 gr LFN-GC listed at 1400fps and 783 ft-lb.

RE: what should i carry
 

Another vote for more lead.

RE: what should i carry
 

Won't matter. Anyone who has been there will tell you that you're not going to have time to get it out no matter how much lead it has in it. The biggest weight savings I have when packing in is to leave my .44 in camp, especially if you already have a rifle.

RE: what should i carry
 

I keep 158 grain oregon trail laser cast silver bullets in my smith and wesson 686. I pack it more for the fact that wolves have been getting thicker and braver, and as a backup to whatever rifle I am packing. It is a seven shot so on occassion I put a round or two of bird shot in the last couple of chambers for having the utility of dispatching wounded birds and small game, or the occassional rattler(in self defense of course). While I wouldn't bet on stopping a charging grizz, the .357 is lighter to pack, and so it gets packed, than bigger magnums. I also find my .357 easier to shoot accuratly and quickly, than the bigger magnums. With a 1400 ft per second velocity, and the hardness of these loads I feel confident a couple of these rounds would penetrate far enough to lights out a Cougar or Black bear, or at least persuade them to change course. At close range these loads are hitting with the same force as a 30-06 at 350 yards, or a 300 win at 450, with comparable weight bullets. The .357 was first devised for police to have something to penetrate heavy sheet metal and engine blocks on cars, and it does both. Also if you do some research you'll see what animals were hunted and taken with the .357 by men such as Elmer Keith back in the day, and if it killed in the 30's, it will still kill today.