I have written at length of the versatility of the .357 Magnum handgun. The fact that it is the most popular revolver cartridge is basically unrivaled, and the added bonus of being able to use .38 Special ammunition for practice and plinking is very endearing. If handguns aren’t your thing, you can get a .357 Magnum carbine and enjoy the same advantages fired from your shoulder.

Many experts tend to draw the line regarding the .357 when the conversation comes to big game. Oh, most will begrudgingly concede that it would work fine for deer or hogs, but obviously nothing larger. The .357 Magnum has been used to kill many species of large and even dangerous game when properly loaded.

Now, lest I be misunderstood, I do not give handguns a separate set of rules where killing power on big game is concerned. Nearly any and every rifle is a much superior choice for bears from a hunting standpoint due to their superior power and penetration. But if you can’t or won’t carry a long gun, a handgun is still a viable choice.

The .357 loaded with a quality 180-grain jacketed or hard-cast lead bullet leaving the muzzle at 1,250 feet per second is quite formidable. Is it a .44 Magnum? No, but it is hardly a pea-shooter thusly loaded.

The ballistically similar 10mm Auto is ballyhooed for its bully, bear-stopping merits, consisting of a 180-grain bullet at 1,250 feet per second. The same bullet weight, traveling at the same velocity, should inflict the same damage. There will be more about the 10mm in a subsequent column; I mention it only to say that one cannot extol the virtues of the 10mm while decrying the .357 when speaking ballistically.

The HSM factory-loaded, 180-grain, cast-lead .357 Magnum ammunition has impressed me. It is accurate, hard-hitting and consistent. For whatever reason the felt recoil is no greater than that of high-velocity 158-grain factory ammunition. My Ruger GP-100 shoots it very well, and there have been no sticky cases when ejecting the spent brass as is sometimes seen with other “bear loads.” Hunting Shack Munitions (HSM) uses quality components in their products, which really is the foundation upon which all good ammunition rests.

Starline brass is some of the best out there — so good, in fact, that they are no longer a handgun calibers-only proposition. Nope, they’re making rifle brass, too. Again, another article for another time.

Should you find yourself in a situation where you will need to protect yourself with a handgun, be sure that you’re loaded with the best ammunition available for self-preservation. Nothing but quality, reliable ammunition should be counted upon.

There can be no substitute for familiarity. Practice, practice, practice with the ammunition you will carry in the field. Learn what your bullet’s trajectory will be at 10, 25, 50 and 75 yards. Practice firing both single-action and double-action. Practice offhand with one hand, both hands and your non-dominant hand.

Put in the time and you will become proficient. A .357 Magnum loaded for bear will cover any danger that may present itself in this part of the world!

What are your “bear loads”? Write to us at shootingthebreezebme@gmail.com and check us out on Facebook!