I'm getting myself a Rossi R92 in 357 and was wondering which round is best for Whitetail here in Michigan?

Mostly heavy northern woods, so range is short.

I never knew anyone that used 357, just 30.30 & .06 for the most part.

Thanks!

I used Buffalo Bore's 180gr. Outdoorsman hard cast. 30y shot, last September's doe cull, knocked a big doe right down on the ground, never got back up.
One datapoint. Resight if you're using 158gr. or lighter currently.

I’d look to 180 grain flat points.

I use a 158 grain XTP pushed by a full charge of Lil Gun (.08 over Hodgdon max)  It drops them like Thor's Hammer.   The load works perfect on Black Bear too.

Honestly any you can hit the deer with. I once put a 147 Black Talon 9mm from a Colt 16” carbine through both lungs and the bullet failed to expand because I found it stuck in the hide. It’s all about shot placement.

Thanks!

I'll look into the rounds you mentioned.

In for info.  I've been saving 10 rounds of 180 gr .357 mag Black Talon from my LE days just for such a levergun and purpose

I used to be heavily into Marlin levers, and spent a whole lotta time bumming the woods with a lever gun....    I did a TON of research, tested loads, and came to a conclusion.....  

The 357 can really be a very suitable deer rifle.  It has two shortcomings.  Range and ammo.

Range.  Even with the best loads, the 357 in a 18-20" carbine very much likely is a 135 yard rifle.  The short, blunt, chubby little bullets start at modest velocities, and loose speed fast.  Somewhere out at about 135 yards, the equations seem to change.  Even if you get good solid hits on target, the remaining impact speeds are starting to become low enough that bullet performance is going to be poorer than anticipated.  If you can keep your shots under that 135 yards, you'll cleanly harvest deer...

Bullets.   Overwhelmingly the vast majority of ammo on the market in 357 is designed, made and marketed for handguns.  And its put together with the intention that it be fired from 3, 4, 6" barrels, giving it a certain expected muzzle velocity, and an anticipated impact speed.  When fired out of a 18-20 inch barrel, muzzle velocities are 300, 400, 500 fps faster than expected.  And the usual hollow point bullet simply over expands, creates a very wide but unexpectedly shallow wound channel.  The bullets are simply going too damned fast.  Avoid ANYTHING with a 125 grain bullet, and avoid anything that is a reliable expander out of shorter 3 and 4" handgun barrels....  A 158 grain or 180 JHP will offer okay performance, but you're going to have to remember you're at the designed operating limit for the bullet:  If that 8 point steps out at 11 yards in the brush, I'd be purposely avoiding hitting a large bone, and trying for the "softer" behind the shoulder double lung shot.  At 80, 90, 100 yards, with reduced impact speeds, its not an issue....

What to use?  IF you hand loaded, and could find them, I'd recommend Remington's 158 grain jacketed SOFT point over a max charge of LilGun.  You'd get speeds at around 1900-1950 fps, and both expansion and complete penetration, with exit, on shoulder shots on deer out to that 135 yards.  At 1900 fps, this 158 grain load is virtually identical to the loading that Winchester first put into its .30 W.C.F (a 160 at 1900) that would later become the .30-30 Win....  Failing that, I would look for a 158 grain SOFT point load.  Federal makes one.  As does Selier and Bellot, Aguila, and a few others....

Hornady also specifically makes a 140 Flex Tip Expanding load, specifically intended for tube magazines...  I haven't tested it. and cannot truthfully offer an opinion on the load. However, Hornady has some pretty good engineers and do a good job tailoring loads to tasks.... Since Hornady is pushing this as LEVERevolution ammo, for use in tube magazines, its likely safe to say its dialed in for carbine length barrels....  Note:  We are talking specifically the LEVERevolution 140 FTX loading here, not all Hornday flex tips.  Certainly NOT critical duty, critical defense....

Load er up with 158 jacketed SOFT points or Hornady's LEVERevolution and have at it...

I hunted a few seasons with a lever action 357 and had tremendous results with Remington golden sabers. I’m not even sure if the current Remington ammo company makes them but I had no complaints at all. All the deer I killed with them were under 65 yards and all DRT.


ETA: I certainly can’t claim these are the best, just that I had good results with them.

158gr, 180gr XTP or 125gr, 158gr, or 180gr WFN Cast bullet.

I shot a yearling my first year hunting with a handgun. Used Leverevolution and it tore the lungs to pieces.

But I'll second the comment that anything that hits the deer in the right place will do the job.

Hard cast I prefer 158 gr or heavier.

.308

I spent a lot of time working up a load for a 357 Maxim but i never did get to hunt with it. But everything I read said the same issues. Most of the bullets I wanted to use were designed for handgun velocity  and i was going to push the 2200 fps. There was one 180 gr jhp that worked but it was very hard to get. I think it was a Hornady XTP 180gr jhp? I ended up using those and a 180gr jsp. But I think the jsp would be moving to slow from a 357 mag. I was getting 1950 -2100 fps from them.

158gr Sierra softpoint loaded just below max data.   I've been killing things with that combination for around 40 years now. A thru and thru is pretty much the norm.

Was this from a pistol or rifle? It would be nice to know another round that holds up to rifle velocities.

Shoot.me a pm, I just did some testing on that very subject.

I test the 140 xtp, 158 xtp, 160 hard cast and 180 hard cast.   As well as a factory load from Underwood of the Nosler.158 jsp

Id say loaded moderatley hot with plated cast lead boolits, or just plain cast lead.

In a carbine you're going to have plenty of velocity no matter what bullet weight your using so go with a heavier tougher bullet to ensure good pentation.  With all that extra velocity due to the longer carbine barrel a light for caliber bullet might not be tough enough to hold together at the higher impact velocities robbing you of penetration.  I would go with a 158 gr minimum preferably heavier assuming your particular gun will shoots them accurately and feeds them reliably.  A good 180gr JSP or tough JHP would be my choice.