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Thread: 357 mag worship

  1. #21
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Beerd View Post
    and because no one posted this yet, a Skeeter classic;

    http://www.darkcanyon.net/MyFriend_The357.htm
    ..
    Beerd, thank you for this. I have had this many years ago and lost track. Printed it off and will put it with my collection of Handloader Mags where it wont get lost. Brings back memories of those old time six gunners I read about before I could afford their guns.

    Thanks again

  2. #22
    Boolit Master
    Petander's Avatar
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    Count me in as a re-born 357:er.


  3. #23
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    Ooooo...izzat the "new" 66 2 3/4" barrel? AND...the 586! BOTH handsome guns!
    IT IS A FINE AND PLEASANT MADNESS !

  4. #24
    Boolit Master
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    The 66 is a -94, 2 1/2".

    I bought it in -96, sold it in -15 and just got it back.

  5. #25
    Boolit Grand Master
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    IMO there's nothing a 357 can do that a 44 mag can't do better
    I have had a bunch of handguns over the years most have
    gone down the road for one reason or another,however I still own
    and shoot a 44 mag
    just what I like is all sorry for the drift
    Hit em'hard
    hit em'often

  6. #26
    Boolit Master

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    Let the boy shoot his first full power (10gr bluedot/158gr) today in a Sp101. I won't say he didn't flinch, but I do think he will take to it nicely!

  7. #27
    Boolit Buddy bluelund79's Avatar
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    I love the 357mag, and just as described above, it can/will do almost anything. However, if I’m in an area hunting that has grizzly’s, the 357 stays home and I bring a little larger caliber that I still shoot accurately. And yes, some of us have shot under stress, so limitations are known.

  8. #28
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    I'm a huge .357 fan as well, and in fact my first handgun I bought as soon as I turned 21 was a 4" model 28 which I still have and actively shoot today. I do have to agree with the comments about the unique crack of full power .357 mag loads. 158 gr. cast SWCs over 15 gr. 2400 tend to get the attention of those nearby me on the firing line. Mostly these days I shoot a 158gr SWC over 7 grains of Unique or 8 grains of Power Pistol. Even with full power loads, recoil with the .357 isn't nearly as much as .44 mag or heavy .45 Colt.

    I tend not to carry the .357 in the field though simply due to the likelihood of running into brown bear or angry moose. I'll usually carry a .44 mag or heavy .45 Colt in those cases.

  9. #29
    Boolit Master

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    i dont own one, but the 357 checks a lot of boxes for a lot of people.

  10. #30
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    Covers a wide range of uses. You know what it can do, and can count on it to do what it does well. Can't ask for more than that from any cartridge. None are perfect, and too often the ones that are "do it all" tend to do only one, or limited things really well (*cough* Unique *cough*). The rest it does "ok". Not so the 357 mag. With the proper load as the OP pointed out from punching paper, scaring cans, personal defense or putting game in the freezer it can do all of these things very well.

    Is the 44 mag a better choice for bear country? Certainly that specific use case the 44 mag would be superior. That doesn't make the 357 mag totally unacceptable, just not preferable. I would simply use the hottest load that was safe and accurate then count on penetration and really loud noise to work in my favor. Large fireball can't hurt either.

    Can share speed loaders of .38's for my wife's snub nose in a 357 mag. As a matter of fact all the speed loaders are 38 special. The loaded chambers may have 357 mag but want no confusion with which speed loader works for which pistol in a pressure situation so all are .38 special.
    Scrap.... because all the really pithy and emphatic four letter words were taken and we had to describe this source of casting material somehow so we added an "S" to what non casters and wives call what we collect.

    Kind of hard to claim to love America while one is hating half the Americans that disagree with you. One nation indivisible requires work.

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  11. #31
    Boolit Master smkummer's Avatar
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    The best feature of 357 is its use of 38 special. I have 4 bulk loadings of 4 different flavors of 38 special and one bulk loading reduced 357 lead loads.

  12. #32
    Boolit Grand Master Tatume's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by smkummer View Post
    The best feature of 357 is its use of 38 special.
    While I'm not sure about "best," there is some merit to this statement. As a target shooter, I use lots of 38 Special ammo loaded with small charges of Bullseye. I'm a very careful loader, but stuff happens. A double charge might be noticed when fired in a 357 Magnum revolver, but probably won't damage the gun. I'm not so confident about my 38 Special revolvers. So, it is comforting to have the additional margin of safety.

  13. #33
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    I have 3 357 mag revolvers and probably the favorite by a margin is my GP100. 4 inch and a tank. Great action and very controllable. Also have a Uberti 75 Remington that has been very neglected but fun shooter as well. Have Dads old Smith but have a hard time taking it out because of the pain of losing him still pretty harsh.

    All in all tho, I like loading and shooting my 357 mags in ALL the power grades. Light loads are the fun target, tin can, rocks and small game load that seems to find their way into my guns the most.

    Love my 45 Colts ... 44's ... of coarse the auto's ... but for all round use and economy ... overall usefullness ... and ease of shooting ... give me the old trusty 357 revolver.

    Thanks for all the reply's. Good to be in great company. Prolly more exotic ... better job oriented rounds and guns ... but nuttin takes away from the ol standby.

  14. #34
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    I own a 686 357 S&W magnum. I also own a S&W 629 44 magnum and a 25-5 S&W 45LC. I enjoy them all. If I were to hunt it would be the 45LC or the 44 mag over the 357 but then that's just my preference because I'm a believer in bigger is probably better. If I were to shoot a bear then it would be a 44mag or 45LC. A mountain lion the same. Any of these calibers can be loaded in order to provide enjoyment in simple target shooting or massive recoil with mega damage with full blown loads. In other words if you enjoy recoil and punishment any of the three can provide that. I've made my hands sting many a time with a max 357 load.

  15. #35
    Boolit Master 35 Whelen's Avatar
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    I have four revolvers and a lever action carbine, all in .357. I shoot this caliber probably the least of all my revolver calibers, but if I were forced to choose just one caliber, it would definitely be the .357 and I'd keep one revolver and the carbine. Given the ability to shoot everything from light .38 loads to heavy .357's, firearms so chambered are among the most versatile on earth, in my opinion.

    35W
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    There are people who, for all the evidence presented to them, do not have the ability to understand.

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  16. #36
    Boolit Master
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    Hi...
    I own a fair number of handguns in a pretty fair cross section of calibers and shoot them all regularly.
    I have six revolvers chambered in .357Mag and my son owns one, so we shoot seven different revolvers almost every week.
    None of them has ever seen a .38Spl cartridge...ever.
    I have other revolvers to shoot.38Spl cartridges.
    We load our .357Mag revolvers from mid range 158gr LSWC and JHP, to top end 125gr JHP and 180gr JHP.
    I don't know that the .357 would qualify as our favorite handgun cartridge although we shoot hundreds of rounds through them each range trip. We do the same with .41Mag, .44Spl, .44Mag, .45Colt as well as hundreds of rounds through9mm, 10mm and .45ACP handguns.

    I guess what I'm saying is that we probably don't have a favorite handgun caliber. We shoot them all and enjoy each for it's unique characteristics. Vive la difference!

  17. #37
    Banned bigted's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 6bg6ga View Post
    I own a 686 357 S&W magnum. I also own a S&W 629 44 magnum and a 25-5 S&W 45LC. I enjoy them all. If I were to hunt it would be the 45LC or the 44 mag over the 357 but then that's just my preference because I'm a believer in bigger is probably better. If I were to shoot a bear then it would be a 44mag or 45LC. A mountain lion the same. Any of these calibers can be loaded in order to provide enjoyment in simple target shooting or massive recoil with mega damage with full blown loads. In other words if you enjoy recoil and punishment any of the three can provide that. I've made my hands sting many a time with a max 357 load.
    I do not disagree with your sentiment in the least. Spent 15 years in the interior of Alaska where the grizz always have a bad temperament and hungry always. The wolves are mule deer size and run in packs of 20+ animals at times ... NEVER EVET did I pack a 357 when out in the brush up there for this exact reason. 200 pound wolves ... 800 to 1100 pound grizz and onery bull moose that can go 80 inch antler spread with a 1200 pound animal attached seem to make the 500 S&W a reasonable choice.

    However ... after moving back to the lower 48 ... I see nothing that I would be afraid of to defend against nor hunt with a well loaded 180+ grain boolit runnin 1200 or so FPS. These thin n skinny animals down here are simply not tough enough to withstand a solid hit with such.

    Again ... just my opinion.

  18. #38
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by bigted View Post
    I do not disagree with your sentiment in the least. Spent 15 years in the interior of Alaska where the grizz always have a bad temperament and hungry always. The wolves are mule deer size and run in packs of 20+ animals at times ... NEVER EVET did I pack a 357 when out in the brush up there for this exact reason. 200 pound wolves ... 800 to 1100 pound grizz and onery bull moose that can go 80 inch antler spread with a 1200 pound animal attached seem to make the 500 S&W a reasonable choice.

    However ... after moving back to the lower 48 ... I see nothing that I would be afraid of to defend against nor hunt with a well loaded 180+ grain boolit runnin 1200 or so FPS. These thin n skinny animals down here are simply not tough enough to withstand a solid hit with such.

    Again ... just my opinion.
    Hi...
    Can't really argue with that sentiment.
    I sometimes carry one of my .357s when hiking in southern Pennsylvania but when I hike in northern Pennsylvania I generally carry one of my .41, .44 or .45s. Some of the black bears in Pennsylvania top the scales over 800lbs and I prefer to err on the side of caution. I really do not know if a hard cast LSWC 158gr bullet will penetrate deep enough on a black bear of that size to save my decrepit old hide so I carry revolvers with heavier hard cast LSWC in somewhat larger diameters.
    They would be just as effective on our growing coyote population and feral humans as my .357s would be

  19. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by bigted View Post
    I do not disagree with your sentiment in the least. Spent 15 years in the interior of Alaska where the grizz always have a bad temperament and hungry always. The wolves are mule deer size and run in packs of 20+ animals at times ... NEVER EVET did I pack a 357 when out in the brush up there for this exact reason. 200 pound wolves ... 800 to 1100 pound grizz and onery bull moose that can go 80 inch antler spread with a 1200 pound animal attached seem to make the 500 S&W a reasonable choice.

    However ... after moving back to the lower 48 ... I see nothing that I would be afraid of to defend against nor hunt with a well loaded 180+ grain boolit runnin 1200 or so FPS. These thin n skinny animals down here are simply not tough enough to withstand a solid hit with such.

    Again ... just my opinion.
    Point well taken. Smaller animals thus a smaller caliber. I'm one that shoots rattlesnakes with a 44 magnum you simply have to watch the pieces flying back when the snake breaks up upon impact.

  20. #40
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    I like them all... It' s good to have options... but 357 is just so nice in size,too.

    This pic is sort of missing a S&W 22LR Kit Gun which I don't have but will get before I turn 60!


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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check