Thinking of Ditching the 357 Magnum

Heck no, I'm just getting started and getting older. Love me some .357mag and .44mag weekly at the range...

I don’t shoot 357 for fun or hunting. I shoot 22 for fun and 44/45 for hunting.

Both of those are leaps and bounds more appropriate for their intended task.

However, 357 remains popular for many reasons that I either don’t know about or disagree with.

Just getting into .357, mostly because I want to reload an easy cartridge and shoot it in a carbine, but eventually I'll probably pick up a revolver or two chambered in it as well. Just to have some redudancy of things that shoot .357, but I just want a common cartridge to reload for. I might have gone for 350 Legend, but - I like the classics.

If I could get my hands on some small pistol primers, I'd happily keep shooting the .357. Unfortunately, I haven't scored any for years now.

As it stands, I am contemplating just consolidating to .45 Colt and .45 ACP with large pistol primer brass.

Tallinar said:

If I could get my hands on some small pistol primers, I'd happily keep shooting the .357. Unfortunately, I haven't scored any for years now.

As it stands, I am contemplating just consolidating to .45 Colt and .45 ACP with large pistol primer brass.

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What happens in the future, when you run out of large pistol primers, and all you can find are small pistol primers?

I got rid of 9mm and got another 357. 9mm might be the most boring cartridge on the planet. The load range of 357 fits well for the recoil tolerance of my 13 year old. My dad and grandfather both shot them and I have theirs. That family connection will keep them forever in my stable.

BKS said:

I am thinking about completely ditching the 357 magnum revolvers I own.
Has anyone else abandoned the 357 Magnum?

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No way will I let mine go, I looked too long and hard to find them. They all go to the range, and they all have their own personalities. I don't shoot a lot of full power loads in them any more, I load my magnum cases to about 1200 fps and shoot quite a few .38 Spl +P loads, too. I carry my M66-1 a fair amount, it's so easy to conceal. Two K frames and two N frames:


I have four "over .40" revolvers, too, to make me better appreciate shooting .357. I seem to go in the opposite direction of consolidating calibers and cartridges. Counting my semiauto's and rimfires, I shoot 13 different cartridge types.

I considered getting out of the .357 business
also. But I have at least four good reasons to stay.
Sp101
Python

S&W66

Blackhawk/ 1894c

Armored farmer said:

I considered getting out of the .357 business
also. But I have at least four good reasons to stay.
Sp101View attachment 1090655
Python
View attachment 1090658
S&W66
View attachment 1090660
Blackhawk/ 1894cView attachment 1090663

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Apparently we have the same carbine... great for kids and small framed shooters.

Tallinar said:

If I could get my hands on some small pistol primers, I'd happily keep shooting the .357. Unfortunately, I haven't scored any for years now.

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Small RPs work just fine for .357 loads. Start low and work up...

I don't know what your uses are for the various calibers so could you tell us, for your purposes, what capabilities the .45 and .44 have that the .357 doesn't?

BKS said:

I am thinking about completely ditching the 357 magnum revolvers I own

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Okay, but they'll go cheap. Nobody wants obsolete hardware that's too heavy, too loud, under-powered and awkward to carry. Couple hundred bucks each, at most, depending on your local market.

BobWright said:

Well, as for me, I shoot the .357 Magnum jus for the pleasure of shooting a variety of revolvers. Here are my Single Action .357s, with the exception of the Hy Hunter shown as I've let it go to a collector:

View attachment 1090526



But I enjoy a variety of guns in various calibers.

Bob Wright

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Hi Bob

I forgot to mention single action 357s. The two Three Screw Blackhawks on the right in this photo are 357s. The one on the left is a 44 Mag.

BKS said:

Im shooting an L frame. A 686+ and I haven't found a lead bullet load that it likes. If I am gonna have to shoot 38 level loads in it I don't see the point in not just using a 38 spl.

The other thought I have had is buying an N frame 357 (627) to try.

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I load 158gr lswc exclusively for my 586. For velocity I use 2400 but for loading down a touch I've had good success with Herco, which I prefer to Unique. 7.1gr gives me an average of 1050fps, assuming that the results I got in 2009 still hold. As always, ymmv.

Btw, my point in posting this is to encourage you to hold on to your 357. Some cartridges are just worth keeping around.

GeoDudeFlorida, I've been looking for a nice S&W Model 27 in that price range but so far no luck.

Armored farmer said:

I considered getting out of the .357 business
also. But I have at least four good reasons to stay.
Sp101View attachment 1090655

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Is that how you normally harvest eggplant?

bangswitch said:

Is that how you normally harvest eggplant?

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<Crocodile Hunter accent> “ They’re sure a wiley adversary, those wild squash are!”

Well, he is the Armored Farmer .

Stay safe.

Riomouse911 said:

<Crocodile Hunter accent> “ They’re sure a wiley adversary, those wild squash are!”

Well, he is the Armored Farmer .

Stay safe.

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They're berries, actually. A fruit in the nightshade family, like the tomato and chili pepper. Tomatoes are fruit and so are eggplant. The skin and seeds can be eaten like a tomato or chili but, like the potato, they're better cooked.
I thought it was a pod-person at first.

Riomouse911 said:

<Crocodile Hunter accent> “ They’re sure a wiley adversary, those wild squash are!”

Well, he is the Armored Farmer .

Stay safe.

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Maybe I should start taking something to the garden with me. No telling when I may be challenged by a green bean or hot pepper. Making such an example of one of them will keep the rest of the vegetables in line.

bangswitch said:

Maybe I should start taking something to the garden with me. No telling when I may be challenged by a green bean or hot pepper. Making such an example of one of them will keep the rest of the vegetables in line.

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They made a movie about it, "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes."

While I like it, I have little interest in the 357 mag. 38 special is what I like for a .35 bore revolver.
If I needed to hunt I would use a different caliber, not because 357 wouldn’t work but because 44spl+p and 41 mag will work better.

ok all that so I could post about shooting veggies. Potatoes that are going south are a favorite target of mine. I love shooting a full choked shotgun at them. Also as the summer rolls on and we get sick of summer squash some of them do end up on the target stand lol.

I have a few K frame 357's. Loaded as 357 should be it just isn't my cup of tea anymore but the K frames are still very usable. I just load the 357 brass to 38 special velocity and I'm a happy camper. I have a 45 ACP revolver, 1911 and HK45. I shoot those a lot more than 38/9mm.

My opinion is it's your 357 so do whatever floats your boat. Sell, trade, give away, throw in the lake, or keep, it's yours to do with as you wish. Personally I have some very nice 357's that make really nice shooting 38 specials and I will keep them. They are dual purpose guns just like my 44 mags are.

Since I reload and most of my shooting is at targets I download .357 to .38spl power levels for plinking, I have some nice old Smiths in .357 (model 27, 28 and a pre 27) as well as .38spl. so I am not ditching it or the firearms.