Why do guys buy a 357 mag, and shoot only 38 caliber in it

gotboostvr said:

I use to (and god willing shall again) own a Jeep Wrangler, and as a point always had it partially covered in fresh mud. I've always thought there was something inherently off with a 10yr old "fresh and clean" Jeep.

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This was my wife’s retirement gift to herself two years ago. She hasn’t gotten it muddy yet.

But just to keep this gun related, my wife’s Jeep Wrangler cost several (8 or 10) times as much as my own retirement gift to myself – my custom built .308 Norma Magnum. And I have gotten mud on my retirement gift a time or two.

How about this scenario. You only have money for one gun and you want to train your wife to shoot it. Your wife can't handle heavy loads and you don't reload. This is where you could easily use 38s in a 357.

afraid of recoil??

Howdy

Well, I'll tell you. Back in 1975 when I bought my Model 19-3 brand-spanky new, it did not cost $1000. It cost $125. It was the first centerfire revolver I owned. Why did I buy a 357 Mag as my first centerfire revolver? Because that's what I wanted. Still have it too. And yup, I mostly only shoot 38 Specials through it.

Just because I can.





Have a few more now, and yes, I generally only shoot 38 Specials out of them too.

Just because I can.

Because with a .357 you can always shoot a more powerful cartridge if necessary, like for hunting, but more people spend more time shooting targets which don't require Magnum loads.

Because some Magnums like the S&W Models 19 & 66 aren't designed for a steady diet of Magnums.

Because some Magnum revolvers experience top strap cutting from high velocity .357 Magnum loads.

Because if you want to keep your gun forever you won't wear out a .357 by feeding it Specials.

Kleanbore said:

Second, th cumulative and irreversible damage effects on nerves, joints, and tendons.

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Exactly!
And I'll say it again - some 357 Magnum revolvers that I like simply are not available in 38 Special only. Not that I'd buy one even if they were.

I not only don't, but WON'T own a .38 special revolver. I shoot mainly .38 Special, think +P .38's are a nice balance of power, utility and recoil and the old even hotter .38/44 loads are even better. I'll never own a .38 and take the chance one of those hot loads might find it's way into an unsuitable gun. My .357 LCR is as light as I want it to be shooting warm .38+p's , so no benefit to carrying a lighter .38 only.

Because we can.

stchman said:

I've often wondered the same thing. While .38SPL ammo costs less than .357 Magnum, .357 Magnum is more satisfying to shoot. .38SPL feels too wimpy out of my 6" GP100 and 6" Taurus Model 66. With this being said, I will buy .38SPL if I can get it real cheap.

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Just because it's more fun out of a 6" GP100 doesn't mean it's more fun out of a 2" SP101.

Manny said:

I'll never own a .38 and take the chance one of those hot loads might find it's way into an unsuitable gun. My .357 LCR is as light as I want it to be shooting warm .38+p's , so no benefit to carrying a lighter .38 only.

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Howdy Again

Suit yourself. I have lots of 38s. Here are a few of them. You just have to pay attention to what you put into the cylinder.

P.S., yeah, there are a few 357s in this pile too.





Disclaimer: No firearms were damaged in the making of this photograph.

Manny said:

I'll never own a .38 and take the chance one of those hot loads might find it's way into an unsuitable gun.

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I applied almost that same reasoning several years ago when I decided to buy a genuine, Colt SAA. The gunshop had three of them - two 45 Colts, and one 44-40. Now I'm as fond of the grand, old 45 Colt as anyone, but I bought the 44-40. My reasoning was that for years I'd carried a Ruger 45 Colt, loaded with "Ruger Only" loads on backpacking trips. I did not want to take the chance of one of my "Ruger Only" 45 Colt backpacking loads wandering into my beautiful Colt SAA.
However, as I said before, I handle the 38 Special/357 Magnum conundrum differently. My everyday carry gun is a 38 snubby. It will handle factory +P loads, and that's what I carry in it. But when it comes to my own 38 +P and +P+ handloads, I use 357 cases anyway. And I never use 38 Special cases, neither handloads or factory, in my 357s because I don't like dealing with the gunk rings in the cylinders.

A lot of ways to make sure "Hot" loads don't wind up in the wrong gun. Use of a specific brand of brass or particular bullet in the "Hot" loads. In my case, I have many .357 Magnums and 1 lonely .38 Special: a pre-Model 14 Target Masterpiece revolver, and it only gets fed wadcutter loads.

Don

Why do I shoot only .38 Spl + P & +P+ in my .357s? Because I'm a partially broken down has-been, whose hands/wrists hurt too much to shoot maggies anymore....HAHAHAHA!!

I have two .357 revolvers (one DA and one SA). I also have a .357 rifle. I shoot only near max load magnums in the rifle. I sometimes shoot these same loads in the revolvers but prefer mid-range magnum loads for them. I also enjoy shooting .38 special DEWC in the revolvers for the annual gun club pistol competition and for just fun plinking. I really like the holes DEWC punch in a paper target.

I like the .357 magnum. You can shoot it hot or shoot mild loads - helps my wife and grandkids shoot and gain confidence with little recoil.

I bought my first 357 magnum (2.25 inch sp101) specifically to shoot 38 special. I wanted the additional weight to soak up 38 +p recoil as I was not yet accustomed to handling an alloy j frame. Comparatively, the Ruger was a joy to shoot, and I didn't leave the range feeling like someone smashed my hand with a hammer.

As time went by I became more capable of controlling the recoil and started testing various magnum loads through it. I never got to the point that I enjoyed anything in 158 grain. A cylinder or two was more than enough. But I found the 125 grain Golden Sabers in 357 magnum to be doable. At any rate, spending time with the heavier sp101 eventually made shooting the lighter j frames much easier.

When I finally scraped together the money for my first centerfire handgun, I chose a Ruger Blackhawk 357. I was making maybe $8.00/hr and reloading so I could afford to shoot. 38 Spl cases stretched way less than .357 brass so they didn't require much trimming, and I didn't need as much powder to push the bullet down the barrel. Even those "affordable" reloads were precious to me and I was burning through scads of them as I was learning to hit where I was looking. I don't know if I would have gotten as much trigger time with a .44 or .45, due to the higher price of components. I guess I've fired fifty .38 Specials through it for every .357 I've sent downrange.

Well, if y'all would start tossin' those precious .357 brass to the curb at the range, maybe us reloaders would have some brass capable to push our Magnums! Seems only the 38s are one-time-use! While us reloaders know better, it behooves us to buy more magnums when the junior cartridge is ripe for the picking! LOL!

I have shot bullseye for many years and I find that a K-38 will shoot a variety of wadcutters
and semi-wadcutters better than most people can get their .357 magnums to shoot .38 specials.
I'm not saying it can't be done, but a good K-38 will shoot just about anything you put into it.

Zeke

First of all, while I do shoot .38 Special from a .357 Mag, and shoot a lot of it, I don't shoot ONLY .38 Special.

I shoot .38 Special because:

1. It's a bit cheaper to load. The .357 doesn't really like cast bullets, for example.
2. I have accumulated literally thousands of rounds of range pickup .38 Special brass over the years, but rarely find .357 brass.
3. There isn't that ear-splitting muzzleblast -- and I've lost all the hearing I can afford to lose.
4. The .38 Special is a fine small game round.

.308 Norma said:

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This was my wife’s retirement gift to herself two years ago. She hasn’t gotten it muddy yet.

But just to keep this gun related, my wife’s Jeep Wrangler cost several (8 or 10) times as much as my own retirement gift to myself – my custom built .308 Norma Magnum. And I have gotten mud on my retirement gift a time or two.

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So what your saying is we know who the real Boss is ....Or your just really good at spoiling your girl.......and she shoots a bigger gun too ? Daaaannnngggg I mean baaannnnnnggg.........He He He

strangelittleman said:

Why do I shoot only .38 Spl + P & +P+ in my .357s? Because I'm a partially broken down has-been, whose hands/wrists hurt too much to shoot maggies anymore....HAHAHAHA!!

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.Good Post.....

I have three 357's. An S&W model 27, a Ruger Blackhawk, and an S&W model 65. I rarely shoot 357 from the model 65, though I carry it in the woods loaded with 357. The only one I shoot with mostly 357 is the Blackhawk. It's a three screw and built like a tank. Occasionally I shoot 357 from the model 27 as well.

Love my 686 4". Yes, I primarily shoot 38 spl. when target shooting or match shooting. As a woods or defense carry, I opt for 357 mag. I reload extensively and cast my own bullets. There is a world of possibilities here for different loads. Not to mention bird shot loads as well. Good choice for a one gun, do it all solution, but why stop there? Enjoy.