Description
The new 2023 model takes our Big Bore Bulldog .357 air rifle and adds more power—up to 300 foot-pounds of energy compared to the original’s 180-200 fpe. The first Benjamin Bulldog PCP air rifle put Benjamin Big Bore air rifles on the map. Now, we’re super-charging that concept. This next-generation Bulldog comes loaded with all of the innovative, high-performance features that made the original a modern classic, with added takedown power that lets you hunt even the largest African plains game with confidence. Compact, powerful, and stealthy, the M357 Bulldog is a devastating carry that goes far beyond traditional air gun territories.
Features:
- An updated version of the Bulldog .357 PCP air rifle
- More power and energy: up to 300 fpe compared to the original .357 Bulldog’s 180-200 fpe
- Compact 36-inch bullpup configuration
- Rugged synthetic construction
- Launches pellets up to 1135 fps
- Five-shot magazine is quick and easy to load
- Up to 5 shots per fill
- 26-inch Picatinny rail
- Baffle-less SoundTrap™ shroud delivers exceptionally quiet performance
- 3000 psi pressure gauge
Own a Piece of History
For well over a century, Benjamin Airguns has remained a legacy brand rooted in history and steeped in excellence. Our distinctive air guns are designed to be personalized to your exact specifications, grow to fit your hands, and be passed down from generation to generation. Our first Bulldog .357 PCP air rifle set the standard. The 2023 model improves upon that while still retaining everything that made the original Benjamin Bulldog PCP air rifle such a powerhouse. Customize yours with top-quality air gun parts, and don’t forget to pick up the air rifle ammo you need for all of your adventures. Get a Benjamin, and make it yours.
WARNING
This product can expose you to chemicals including lead, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov
Michael Benninger –
This was coming and now it is here. This is outstanding for quiet and performance.
Dave –
I am a hunter. I’ve owned this air rifle for about 6 months. I own a few other .357 Bulldogs as well and have owned them for a few years. The M357 is a welcomed upgrade to the .357 Bulldog. It needs no further modification, and little more than for you to unbox, read the manual, inspect you rifle, clean the barrel, air it up, mount a decent scope, spend some time testing ammunition, and learning the rifle. Once you find the ammunition that suits your needs and you have verified precise grouping, she’ll be ready to hunt. For .357 Bulldog owners, you will notice that the reservoir is longer on the M357 and it is a heavier gun than its predecessor. You will notice that the short pica tinny rail beneath the forestock that was on the .357 Bulldog is not on the M357. That area is occupied by the longer air reservoir. The M357 is also noticeably more powerful than the .357 Bulldog – as advertised. I chronographed shot strings from various projectiles. Shooting .35 JSB 81 grain diabolo pellets, my Benjamin Bulldog M357 produced velocities from 1085 fps – 1106 fps. At 40 yards shooting 5 shots, they grouped within 1" – your mileage may vary. The new Benjamin Bulldog M357 produced enough energy out of the box shooting light slugs for me to legally take a young Texas whitetail spike this year with one shot from the M357. In order to accomplish this I shot a 110 grain Neilson Specialty Ammo hollow point slug producing 229 – 235 fpe on the 1st shot. The shot was taken from approximately 50 – 60 yards at ground level. It hit one of the deer’s ribs breaking it, completely passing through, and exiting the other side of the animal. I did not recover the slug. My M357 also loves swaged Griffin Airugun Ammo slugs. I have shot slugs up to 185 grains from my M357. Keep in mind that Griffin slugs (and likely many others) over 145 grains are too long for the Bulldog magazine to cycle and must be loaded by hand. As for shooting distances, I have not shot this rifle out beyond 65 yards, but I am confident that it can make some longer shots 75+ yards with repeatable accuracy. I recommend that owners experiment with various ammunition weights to see which best suits your needs.
The Bulldog M357 is not backyard friendly. This air rifle’s report is loud. A moderator like a Donny FL Emperor can help tame it, but it noticeably increases the gun’s length and is not convenient to carry with a moderator affixed. You may accomplish even lower sound levels with an Emperor and an extension, but this makes the gun ridiculously long in my opinion. You will probably notice that there is also an obviously stiffer hammer spring, so the cocking force needed is more than what owners of the stock .357 Bulldog are used to. It appears to have a more robust cocking lever that won’t bend or break easily. I am of the opinion that you can get five good shots (1 magazine) from a 3000 psi fill, depending upon your ammo and state laws. You can get four good and legal shots (if we’re talking Texas whitetail hunting regulations as of 2023-2024 season) per fill shooting slugs 140 grain – 185 grain. This is an unregulated air rifle so I strongly suggest that users familiarize themselves with bullet drop at various distances and reservoir pressure levels before attempting to hunt with this rifle. It is a good idea to write down the bullet drop and your holdovers at various distances and internal reservoir pressure levels and memorize them or take them with you to hunt in order to take the best shots for the humane harvest of animals. Always be mindful to check your state regulations to ensure that you can legally harvest your target animal with airguns and that the M357 meets or exceeds state regulations before hunting with this gun. Shoot straight and happy hunting.
Caveat – I ordered my M357 from another vendor.
Bob B. –
I own a bunch of air guns and up to the last year or two I would have never thought about hunting with one. I mean as kids we shot lizards in the desert and a bird or two, but nothing you could call game. I never thought I would spend a thousand dollars on an air gun either lol. I really thought I would have had buyers remorse buying this rifle, I have had absolutely no regrets in this purchase whatsoever. I actually shoot better with this rifle than any firearm I have ever owned. Oh and David I really like your review you did on 1-06-2024 about this rifle, best information ever.