357 Magnum and 10mm Hunting

Both the 10mm Auto and the .357 Magnum have been around for quite some time and have served every purpose from law enforcement to competition to the hunting field and beyond. The 10mm was developed in 1983 while the .357 Magnum has been around since 1935.

While I occasionally enjoy hunting with handguns, my interest in these two cartridges leans more to pistol caliber carbines in the lever action or semi auto platforms. The 10mm being a semi auto cartridge with the .357 Magnum and its rimmed case being a revolver/lever gun cartridge.

Because of its 90-year existence the .357 Magnum, developed by Elmer Kieth, has a longer track record in the hunting realm over the 10mm. However, the 10mm, developed by Colonel Jeff Cooper has earned its place in the handgun/carbine cartridge world having been around now for 43 years.

Hunting with 357 Magnum

The .357 Mag is a viable choice for small to medium sized game and is certainly capable of taking deer at a reasonable range. Suitable loads are required of course, and appropriate shot placement is a must as with any cartridge. The .357 Magnum has a higher velocity at 100 yards than its parent case, the .38 Special has at the muzzle. While the .357 Magnum has less energy than the larger magnum revolver cartridges such as the .44 Magnum, its smaller diameter coupled with high velocity allows for excellent penetration performance.

Current offerings on the market for .357 Magnum ammo range from 125 grain to 200 grain.

Hunting with 10mm

The 10mm likewise is a flat-shooting cartridge. On average with a zero at 25-yards, it drops only 0.2 inch at 50 yards and just 4.2 inches at 100 yards, where it still provides about 450 ft-lbs (+ -) of energy. That’s more energy than any .45 ACP load has at the muzzle. When you shoot the 10mm out of a carbine length platform the numbers are even better. Its recoil almost nonexistent out of any semi auto carbine platform.

 Current offerings on the market for 10mm Auto ammo range from 135gr to 200gr.

10mm ammo tested

About a year ago I decided to of all things, to hunt Javelina in West Texas with the Hi-Point 10mm carbine (barrel length of 17.5 inches). I tested several variations of 10mm ammunition. That ammo included: Sellier & Bellot 180gr FMJ, Winchester 180gr FMJ, Aguila 180gr FMJ, Hornady Handgun Hunter 135gr MONOFLEX HP, and Hornady 180 XTP HP. All of these ran fine in the Hi-Point with no problems.

Since my goal was for hunting purposes however, I elected to stick with a cartridge designed for hunting. The best group overall from a 25-yard supported rest was achieved via the Hornady 135gr MONOFLEX HP. I was able to place five shots all touching in a group of no more than one inch via peep sights on the Hi-Point. The 10mm, 135gr Handgun Hunter round from Hornady proved to be a perfect round for the little desert Javelina.

.357 Magnum ammo tested

I put two different hunting loads to the test via the Henry Big Boy Steel Carbine in .357 Magnum (barrel length of 16.5 inches). First, Hornady’s .357 Mag, 140gr FTX Lever Revolution, designed specifically for lever action rifles. And second, Federal Fusion .357 Mag, 158gr Bonded Soft Point, also an ideal cartridge for hunting. This year my intent was to put the cartridge and rifle to the task once again on Javelina, but this time in the desert of Southern New Mexico.

Both of these cartridges provided more than adequate groupings from the 25-yard bench. However, the Hornady 140r FTX provided the most consistent groups with three shots touching via the open iron sights on the Henry lever carbine.

Basic Ballistic Comparisons of the 10mm and .357 Cartridges used for my hunts:

Field Results Texas – Hi-Point Semi Auto 10mm Carbine

Javelina are not hard to put down with proper bullet placement. What can be quite the challenge however is finding these little desert animals that are unique to New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and Mexico. Walking canyons and brushy draws that are near a water and food source while glassing along the way is a prime tactic for hunting.

On my West Texas Javelina hunt last year, this method proved to be right on point. Myself and a couple of buddies started out early by driving to and looking for Javelina sign at several water sources found on the ranch. The first two stops at water did show sign, but only minimally. On the third stop, we found what we were looking for. Lots of fresh Javelina tracks, droppings and rooting activity near and around a water source.

Additionally, an arroyo with thick brush and cover was very close at hand. The tracks were made only that morning and within 10 minutes of walking the area we spotted Javelina. With no less than a dozen or so animals in the group it now became a matter of getting into range for a clear shot. While Javelina do not have the best eye sight, their hearing and sense of smell are excellent. Keeping the wind in your face is a must.

After some maneuvering, I was able to get in a sitting position and make a well-placed shot on a mature Javelina that stopped at 40 yards for just a bit too long. The Hornady 10mm, 135gr Monoflex bullet struck the right shoulder and the Javelina was down for good.

My hunt ended in success and proved the Hi-Point Carbine and 10mm cartridge can in fact be used in the hunting field with positive results. It only requires some planning and time spent on the range prior to your hunt. (If you want to read more about this specific hunt, I go into great detail in this previous report.)

Field Results New Mexico – Henry Lever Action Carbine .357 Magnum

As I previously stated, Javelina are not a guaranteed success when it comes to hunting. They occupy some of the most cactus ridden, thorniest (cat claw brush), and rocky terrain to be found anywhere.

Just because you know where these little animals live, does not always mean you can find them. This year in New Mexico I hunted no less than 10 days in prime country before I ever laid eyes on a Javelina. And interestingly it was a method that I had not tried in many years that put the Javelina in my sights.

Many years ago, I had called Javelina in using a varmint call incidental to hunting for coyotes but had never tried to intentionally target these desert dwellers via a predator call. Seeing how I was struggling to lay eyes on a Collared Peccary as Javelina are also known, I decided to give the varmint call a try.

My location was prime. A watering area for cattle next to a brushy arroyo with lots of ledges, overhangs, and prickly pear cactus. The biggest plus; fresh sign all around the water. My guess was the animals would be in the canyon close to the water and in the thick brush.

Taking a position on a bluff above the canyon I sat down to make a stand, and began blowing on a call I had used for varmints over many years. Within 30 seconds a single Javelina appeared out of the brushy bottom and was coming my way. At 60 or 70 yards I would have liked for the critter to be a bit closer but I realized he would soon disappear below the bluff I was on.

Taking a fine bead on the shoulder via the Henry open sights I fired. The Javelina was down instantly and the brush beyond exploded with the rest of the herd numbering eight or so. The Hornady .357 Mag, 140gr FTX ammo, like the 10mm Auto a year previous, had done its job well.

Final Thoughts

Both the 10mm Auto and the .357 Magnum make for excellent hunting cartridges within their limitations of course. They certainly add an element of challenge and fun to the overall hunting experience and I would certainly not hesitate to use either on deer sized game.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, Javelina make excellent summer and breakfast sausage!