Hunt & Live Team
Updated October 27, 2026
4 min read
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Every month we pick one gun from our own loadout and tell you why we keep carrying it. This month it’s a handgun, and an easy choice: the Focoso .357, the revolver that comes with the base game.
It isn’t the gun we hunt wolves with. It’s the gun we draw when the wolves come for us. And once you start carrying it, you’ll find plenty of other jobs for it too.
.357 MagCalibre
2–6Animal classes
64Legal species
~50 mEffective range
Base gameNo DLC needed
Why It’s Our Handgun of the Month
- It’s our favourite self-defence gun. When you call in a pack or walk into a feeding zone, wolves don’t always run. Sometimes they come straight at you. The Focoso comes out fast and fires fast, and its ammo is rated up to class 6, so it can stop a charging wolf. Read how we use it in our wolf hunting guide.
- It covers more than you’d think. Classes 2 to 6 means coyotes, foxes and jackals at the bottom, deer in the middle, and wolves, red deer and wildebeest at the top.
- It’s light and quick. In thick timber, where shots are short and sudden, a revolver beats a long rifle.
- It’s free. It comes with the base game, so every hunter has one.
Gray wolf, Yukon Valley: the reason the .357 rides in our sidearm slot
A pack coming in through the mist
Wolves crossing the snow, Askiy Ridge
Coyote at sunset, Rancho del Arroyo: class 2, in range
Whitetail buck in the marsh: class 4, in range up close5 official images from the game's store page. Tap any image to enlarge.
Ammo: Which .357 Load?
| Load | Class range | Classes | When we use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| .357 Jacketed Hollow-Point | 2-6 | Our default. Broadside shots, and anything charging you: it expands and stops animals faster. | |
| .357 Flat Nose Hard-Cast | 2-6 | Quartering or head-on shots where you need extra penetration to reach the vitals. |
We leave ours without a scope. It can take one, but an open revolver is quicker to bring up when something is running at you.
What It Can Take
All 64 species inside the .357’s class range. Keep shots short, about 50 m or less, and wait for a clean broadside.
| Class | Species |
|---|---|
| 6 | Barasingha, Blue Wildebeest, Gemsbok, Grant Caribou, Gray Wolf, Iberian Wolf, Jaguar, Mountain Reindeer, Nilgai, Red Deer, South American Tapir, Spectacled Bear, Woodland Caribou |
| 5 | Desert Bighorn Sheep, Feral Pig, Javan Rusa, Mountain Lion, Mule Deer, Puma, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Wild Boar |
| 4 | Beceite Ibex, Blacktail Deer, Blue Sheep, Capybara, Eastern Gray Kangaroo, Fallow Deer, Gredos Ibex, Iberian Mouflon, Lesser Kudu, Mountain Goat, Ronda Ibex, Sika Deer, Snow Leopard, Southeastern Spanish Ibex, Tahr, Warthog, Whitetail Deer |
| 3 | Axis Deer, Blackbuck, Chamois, Collared Peccary, Eurasian Lynx, Feral Goat, Hog Deer, Pronghorn, Roe Deer, Springbok, Taruca, Vicuña |
| 2 | Bobcat, Common Raccoon, Coyote, Gray Fox, Mexican Bobcat, North American Beaver, Northern Red Muntjac, Ocelot, Raccoon Dog, Red Fox, Siberian Musk Deer, Side-Striped Jackal, Tibetan Fox, Wild Haggis |
How We Carry It
- Rifle in hand, .357 in the sidearm slot. Hunt with a proper rifle; the revolver is there for when things go wrong.
- Hollow-points loaded. If you have to draw it, it’s usually because something is coming at you.
- Practise the switch. Learn the key or button for your sidearm so drawing it is instant.
- Use it on purpose too. Small predators and deer in thick cover at short range are fair game, and it’s a fun challenge.
- Respect its limits. Past about 50 m, or on anything above class 6 (elk, moose, bears, bison), switch back to the rifle.
How It Compares
| Handgun | From | Classes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focoso 357 | Base game | 2–6 | Our pick |
| .44 Panther Magnum | Base game | 3–8 | More power, heavier recoil |
| Rhino 454 | Base game | 4–9 | Big-game revolver |
| 10mm Davani | Assorted Sidearms Pack | 2–6 | Same classes, DLC |
| Maijo .44-40 Special | Old West Weapon Pack | 2–5 | Old-West style |
If you want more power for bears and elk, the .44 Panther Magnum (classes 3–8) and Rhino 454 (4–9) are the step up. But for a light, fast self-defence gun that still covers wolves, the Focoso is hard to beat. All of them are on our weapons page.
Picked by Hunt & Live from our own hunts. Class ranges from our weapons database; they can change with patches. Next month: a new pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can the Focoso .357 kill in Call of the Wild?
Both .357 loads are rated for classes 2 to 6, which covers 64 species, from foxes, coyotes and jackals up to class 6 animals like gray wolves, red deer and wildebeest.
Is the Focoso .357 good?
For what it is built for, yes. It is a fast, light base-game revolver that covers classes 2 to 6 at close range (about 50 m). We carry it as our self-defence sidearm, especially around wolves, and it is a fun stalking gun in thick cover.
Which .357 ammo should I use?
Jacketed hollow-point for broadside shots and anything charging you, because it expands and stops animals faster. Flat-nose hard-cast for quartering or head-on shots where you need more penetration.
Can you put a scope on the Focoso .357?
Yes, it takes a scope. We leave ours open so it stays quick to bring up when something comes at us.
Do I need DLC for the Focoso .357?
No. It is in the base game.
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