I have a single shot H&R chambered in 357 Mag. I hav'nt shot anything but paper with it yet but I was playing with an external ballistics calculator, checking out the potential of using this combo as a deer hunting rifle. Using Optimum Game Weight in excess of 100 # as the lower limit of acceptiability, I examined the following three commercial loads. Hornady Leverevolution 140 gr Flex Tip : barely a 100 yard load. Buffalo Bore Hot 125 gr JHP load: Again a 100 gr load.(This would make a good coyote load out to 200 yd.) Buffalo Bore Heavy 158 gr JHP load: A 125/150 yard load. Shooting these three loads in a rifle greatly increases their velocity and suitability as a possible deer cartridge. I have no intention of hunting deer with this gun but would use it as a "loaner" or a survival rifle.

a friend of mine has the same rifle,he has killed at least 6 deer with it all pass throughs with 158 gr hps.folks have killed alot bigger game with a 357 handgun.you wont have any problem with deer, range,and shot placement are key

I'd be tempted to have it bored out to 357 Maximum.

I agree with making it a max. you can rent a reamer and do it yourself also. I have done over a dozen and it is very easy

I did not know you could ream a chamber by hand. Does it take special tools?

With cartridges that only lengthen or slightly change an existing chamber you can easily do by hand. ..like .357mag to .357max, or .44mag to .445super mag, or .45-70 to .45-90/100/110/120.

All you need is a T handle and some cutting oil.

Rechambering something that is drastically different by hand isn't recommended because you need to be uniform and concentric. With lengthening an existing chamber, the existing chamber acts as a pilot.

I like the Max, if you handload you can get to 35 rem. levels.

Boy do I wish I never sold my Contender in .357 Maximum! Actually had that and 3 other barrels for it when I got rid of it. Hurts just thinking about it. That round is an excellent deer cartridge.

The Maximum is only suitable for the handloader. When you could get factory ammo all they offered were 158 grains and they created shallow wounds and had trouble putting deer down.

I think the worst thing was just trying to find bullets with lead that wasn't so hard it wouldn't expand. I shot my very first deer ever with the pistol with a .357 S&W and it took 5 WELL PLACED shots from aprox. 60 yards to a few feet (last one was in the ear hole) to finish her. All the other rounds were placed tight just behind the front shoulder within a space about the size of a 5" and not a single one of them expanded more than 15-20%. These were HOT 158 gr. semi-jacketed HP hand loads. Back then they we just didn't have the quality and variety of bullets like we do today. I honestly think I would have done better with HP wad cutters then. In my Maximum, those same bullets performed much better and I don't remember ever taking more than one shot with it on deer. Now? I wouldn't hesitate to load about any quality bullet in a .357 let alone a "Max".