Agreed .357 really the least you want to use for a quicker ethical harvest.
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Catching deers with a 38, nobody needs 38 specials to catch a deeera.
It's all yours, raxar. I never broached possibilities.
Done.
So, anyway, I was asked this question in a local restaurant by a couple of NY'ers(38 special for deers) and thought I'd post it here to see what answers I got. Let me tell ya what I said too. After chuckling to myself I told theses guys, we don't catch deers in Pa. we shoot and kill em with guns. And if you got within 5 yards you might be able to kill a deer with a 38 special but don't even think to try that unless you're an experienced hunter. I don't hunt with a revolver but if I did I wouldn't use anything less than a 44 Mag. for deer.
Deer have been killed with much less. Everything is relative to the useful range of the cartridge.
Phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range.......or a flamethrower.
I have had a successful archery season and have one doe tag left for the 2nd week of the rifle season. I am planning on using either an 8" .357 mag loaded with a 180 grain swift A-Frame bullet, a 10" 357 Maximum same bullet or an 8" .41 Mag with a Swift A-Frame 210 grain bullet. I will be keeping the ranges I am willing to shoot to under 50 yards and plan to handgun hunt much like I archery hunt and have been anticipating this type of hunting for years and have been working up loads and practicing with each gun so I gain the confidence and know my range limit. I am certain all of these cartridges will work. I would not consider using in .38 special.
No I would not use a .38. I carried a .357 hunting in the past, but never shot an animal with it. As others have said, it will kill a deer under the best circumstances but it is far far far from an ethical choice.
In ny they hoof 'em with 38s, makes them ez to catch. Fith round in the sack really slows them down so they chase them with J frames. Ny is catch and release I think. :D
A .38 to the back of the deer's head might be good for a coup-de-gras on one downed but not out by an arrow or other non-kill shot.