Testing the R92 357 Mag & 190-Grain Bullet

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Ranch Dog
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Testing the R92 357 Mag & 190-Grain Bullet

Post by Ranch Dog »

Picking up from 357 Mag on the road to redemption as a hog rifle![hr]
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Well, the damage from the previous night is from interlopers across the highway. It is obvious this is one large sounder as I have a lot of country tore up. If you wonder what my "control boars" are doing, this is not on them, as they reside on the opposite end of the ranch. This area is usually hog free unless something moves in from across the highway.

I had just finished sighting in my R92 with the 190-grain TLC359-190-RF bullets, thank goodness, because dark was soon upon us. My wife and I spent our typical evening and I decided I would start looking for trouble about an hour after moonrise. It was pitch black out there but with the moon up I figured I would not need a light. At 10:00, I walked outside and stood in the dark with my dog but she saw a fox on the other sided of the picket fence and barked. I was looking down the road to the highway, a white gravel road, and at her bark I saw at least a half dozen hogs run across the road about 100 yards out, high tailing it to safer ground. Not a problem.

I have the ability to wake myself up at set intervals so I set the internal clock to a 2 hours check. I looked at midnight and at 2:00 am but there was nothing. At 4:00 am, I almost didn't go out the door as there was a beautiful barn out on the gate post. I slipped out and he didn't move so I just glassed out across my lower food plot and immediately saw a group of hogs on it.

Not wanting to disturb the owl who was still checking me out, I slipped around house and walked straight away from the hogs. It is pretty open and it was so brilliant outside, I thought the hogs would see me. I walked straight back to the brush line and then started to follow it all the way around the house, not a short distance, to get back in front of the house near them. Some thirty minutes later, I was getting close so I stopped and checked things out with the peepers (binoculars), there were all kinds of hogs around me! There were four large hogs still on the food plot but I would not be able to get to them as there was about 18 between them & I in the remnants of a pecan orchard. I continued to slowly move forward.

As I closed the distance, I sat down to see if I could shoot over the younger hogs but it was just too flat so I decide I needed to get closer. As I continued to move in I noticed to my left a group of about six hogs was going to soon flank me and probably see me. I didn't like the shot angle on them so quietly positioned for an offhand shot, looked back ahead at the hogs scooping up pecans, picked the lead hog, let the Weaver's crosshairs overlay the his heart, and touched the trigger. Boom!

The sound of that bullet hitting the hog in still night air was awesome!

The next post is has some graphic pictures of the the bullets performance so if that stuff bothers you, go no further.
Michael
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Re: Testing the R92 357 Mag & 190-Grain Bullet

Post by Ranch Dog »

The shot ended up being 67 yards, standing offhand, on a 67# pig. The bullet struck the hog exactly where I was aiming, through the bottom of both lungs where they overlap the top of the heart, severing the aorta. It wasn't a large hog by any stretch of the imagination but the actual chest cavity area and thickness of a hog this size is near a Texas whitetail. The meplat cut a 1" hole through the hog. This is a confidence builder for the 357 Mag as the last two shots at hogs have not worked well. The accuracy is were it should be and seeing how hard the bullet rolled this hog I'm now after a large hog..

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Entry side which is always slightly larger than the exit side with a hardcast bullet.

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Exit side.

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Chest cavity with the bottom of the lungs and top of the heart destroyed. The chest cavity was completely filled with blood. With the large entry and exit hole had the hog took off, it would have left a blood trail.

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The vitals removed. Greater that a 1" hole right through the center of them.
Michael
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Re: Testing the R92 357 Mag & 190-Grain Bullet

Post by akuser47 »

Nice glad to hear. Looks promising
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Re: Testing the R92 357 Mag & 190-Grain Bullet

Post by rman »

Well that bullet sure did its job RD. I'm sure glad hogs aren't a problem here - yet. I visited a friend in E. Central Oklahoma 2 years ago. I'd never seen the damage they can do. It's unbelievable!
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Re: Testing the R92 357 Mag & 190-Grain Bullet

Post by klr »

Nice work, RD. Can't wait to see how it works on a big hog.

Now I'm going to have to buy another mold...
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Re: Testing the R92 357 Mag & 190-Grain Bullet

Post by NavyDoc76-80 »

Thanks for sharng, ive never considered (or did not know it was proper) loading 38 brass to 357 mag velocities, always learning, thanks
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Re: Testing the R92 357 Mag & 190-Grain Bullet

Post by SaltH2Odeprived »

I've been thinking about getting a 38/357 since I already have reloading dies.
Was thinking it will be cheaper target shooting than my 45 colt.
That looks like an awesome hunting load!
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Re: Testing the R92 357 Mag & 190-Grain Bullet

Post by Jaybm »

A friend lives further out in the "country" and had hogs going thru his
property last year. He's a hunter and I've tagged him as a "collector"
with the number of long guns he has.
I'll have to check if the hogs are a problem this year. I know he doesn't
have a .357 BUT I do and reload sooo maybe ??? He had dispatched some.

Looks like you're good to go RD !

Jim
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Re: Testing the R92 357 Mag & 190-Grain Bullet

Post by Missionary »

Greetings
Bully for you Mr. Ranchdog ! Have another brand 357 lever flipper and figured a long time ago the 180's were the lightest I was ever going to use on something bigger than a 50 pound dog.
The 200's in 38 brass are not bad. Don,t like shooting 38 brass in 357's to much. That 190 has a lot going for it. May just have to get another 358 mold.
Thank you for the super photos and info you always give us !
Mike in Peru
Way down south in Arequipa, Peru till June 2020.
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Re: Testing the R92 357 Mag & 190-Grain Bullet

Post by Mrlucky353 »

Great hunting story!
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