.44 Mag or .357 mag for SHTF.

So far, this discussion is actually entertaining and informative, so in order to guarantee its continuance...I'd suggest substituting "Trouble" for "SHTF".

Maybe edit the title?

'Cause we don't do SHTF on THR.

If I had to limit myself to one of those two, it would be 357. My 357 rifles hold more rounds than my 44 carbine.

I think in this case you go with what you have and what you are familiar/comfortable with. If you haven't gotten attached to either, I would go with a .357.

First let me say, that I have a .44 mag that plays a role in my SHTF plan, but it is because I have one carried for years (boar hunting) and I reload for it. So it IS one of my fallback plans, but not plan A or plan B. Incidentally, I am not planning on bugging out anywhere, so having multiple fallback plans is an option for me. I have powder, 1000-plus 240 grain SWC's, and 500 empty brass for reloading on hand for hunting and practice. So for me that makes it worth figuring into my SHTF plans. If not, I probably would go a different route.

I think the .357 makes more sense, because it can use 38 special round, and even 9mm if you get plan ahead and get your .357's cylinder set up for moon clips. The .357 is a better combat round, by all accounts and is darn sure more controllable. Ammo is lighter per round, so more rounds per pound if bugging out figures into your plans.

That's my thinking on it, anyhow.

All joking aside, what is it that folks envision for a "SHTF" moment? Aliens.....Zombies......Bigfoot?

If I had to go at it all alone, as the last person on earth, and could only have one firearm, it would be a 590A1. Slugs, birdshot, buckshot, 9 rd capacity and a bayonet that would probably never be used, but who knows.........

Back on topic - .357 and a matching levergun

i have had both, and honestly, for what you are considering, i would go with a 357. the 44 mag definitely has more power. but a hole clean through, is a hole clean through. plus, with a 357, you will be able to recover faster, and if you are forced to shoot indoors, there is at least a slight chance that your hearing may come back with a smaller round. humans, kill easy, at least compared to animals. if you wanted to hunt bear, i would send you looking for a 44 magnum (or larger). but i have killed deer with the 357 with no trouble. i mean think about it, the standard police revolver for decades was the lowly 38 special. and not even +p loads. the 357 magnum easily beats that. if you need another perspective, think of this. the 380 auto is pretty much considered the bottom edge for personal defense rounds. that has a whopping 200 foot pounds of energy. the 357 magnum, has 802 foot pounds, that is 4 times as much. do you really need all the extra recoil of a 44 magnum for defense situations?

Well i hope i can have both! i have cans full of ammo for both, some light loaded stuff and some not so light, I think you would be fine with one or the other if you can keep them fed!

If your in a bug out situation then you are limited to how much you can CARRY and SCAVENGE. Bug out situations are the most common as large cities have vast amounts of population. A lot of people means a lot of threats. The more threats you take down with the same ammo as you the more frequent ammo gathered. Not everyone lives in the backwoods or in a bunker with the amenities of a reloading press and stock piled powder, lead, and primers.

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Bug Out, Scavenge????? You are delusional. If your situation is as you outlined above, then your first concern should be relocating and removing yourself from such a situation. If you think you are going to carry all you need and live off the land, then you have been watching too much TV.

Don

Brilton said:

Given the choice would you rather have one or the other? I'm looking at an S&W 629 with a 4" barrel and being that there are scores more .357 chambered revolvers I'm not sure which direction to go. Remember mainly for SHTF, take ammo availability and cost vs. stopping power and sustainability for multiple shots. .44 mag bear loads are PUNISHING. Really looking for all angles on this so write away.

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Both calibers have there place in my opinion. The 44 mag makes an awesome carbine cartridge. The extra barrel length turns the 44 into a solid 100 yard performer on most anything on two or four legs. It is very effective at overcoming intermediate barriers. A Marlin 1894 with 10 rounds on tap is a versatile and formidable weapon under any circumstance.
The .357 is the most highly rated manstopping cartridge period. The 38 Special adds versatility. My 4" Ruger Service Six shoots Remington .357 125 gr JHP to point of aim and with outstanding accuracy. It is rugged, light and reliable.

You are not likely to be able to scavenge much. There are too many with 357 and 44 mags around. You need at least 30 days rations (at least) and the where-with-all to actually ration yourself. Pay attention to water.

Well since everyone and their extended families will have used up the .357, 38, .44. 44mag, .40, 9mm, .45, 45 acp, 45 gap, the 10mm, the .454 , the .308 and the .223...

.480!!!, should be lots of that laying around... if it's not been melted down for reloading all of the.357... 38... 44........

SHTF? .357. There's more .38 out there than .44 special.

Yeah, 480 Ruger. That has some oomph! Should be about as much lying around after as before.... I have to order online.

Do you think UPS will be running?

USSR said:

Bug Out, Scavenge????? You are delusional. If your situation is as you outlined above, then your first concern should be relocating and removing yourself from such a situation. If you think you are going to carry all you need and live off the land, then you have been watching too much TV.

Don

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I think if you're worried about a "SHTF" situation to the point of buying stuff to prepare for it, you're pretty delusional, as well.

Honestly, there are several terms I hate when it comes to guns that point to someone just being... not right to me. "Bug out" being one of them, because... where the hell do you think you're going to make it to that other people haven't gone, on a path that isn't crowded or unsafe? "BUG" I think is ridiculous because I don't know if I've EVER read of someone in a defensive situation having and need multiple guns on their person at all times, and the situation making that second or third firearm necessary. "Stopping power," because you always hear, "yeah, but if they're on drugs..." Come on, man. 99% of situations where a gun is presented to defend someone, no shots are fired and the situation is resolved. If you're the one out of a million who runs into some guy who wants to mug or harm you and happens to be on so many drugs that he doesn't care if he's shot... Who makes up this stuff? Marketing department?

I know that's an unpopular opinion to have on a firearms forum, but really, I've never heard of anyone needing a second weapon, or someone who carries multiple using multiple to defend themselves.

If the usage for either caliber option is what I'm envisioning, then I believe the efficiency of the .357 will far exceed the .44 magnum.

The .357 is likely to be more than adequate for just about anything for which it will be pressed into service. The applications to which the power gain derived from the .44 mag can be utilized seem largely theoretical.

Added to that all the previously mentioned assets -- greater compactness of ammo, greater ease of follow-up shots, cheaper (ability to stock more rounds), etc. -- the cost benefit analysis would seem to significantly favor the .357.


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USSR said:

Bug Out, Scavenge????? You are delusional. If your situation is as you outlined above, then your first concern should be relocating and removing yourself from such a situation. If you think you are going to carry all you need and live off the land, then you have been watching too much TV.

Don

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Who the hell said anything about living off the land and carrying all you need? I'm talking about just 3 days of essentials not your whole freaking house. My point is exactly as you stated so why would you need "all the primers, powder and lead" if S(REALY)HTF? What on Gods green earth did you think I was talking about? Zombies? That extremely dangerous flu that is just the same as the regular flu? That magical burst of sunshine in 2012?

@Williams - Bug out is a term used to describe 72 hours of amenities in a situation. Who the hell said anything about walking out of a a city/town. In fact that has to be the stupidest idea any would think of in that non practical situation. Where is this multiple guns comment coming from? Anyone say anything about carrying your entire gun case with you?

1 in a million chance of that tweaker isn't enough right? Have you ever had a law enforcement family member shoot a guy and he's still sprinting toward you yelling about the second coming of christ? It would be malevolent of me to say it but if that's whats going to change your mind go for it.

If you don't think carrying out essentials and scavenging isn't practical then tell that to those who volunteered in hurricane katrina where it was so disorganized people were drinking dirty water and attacking each other for scraps.

.357

The .357 125-gr JHP is the best manstopper. The .44 mag is strictly for large animals. It quite frequently penetrates a human and then the rest of the energy is wasted. Many of my friends who are federal cops say if they were limited to just one caliber and gun, it would be the Ruger Mark II/III and a bunch of .22LR rounds. Back when the SHTF in Argentina years ago, people were using .22LR ammo as barter! And when sanctions were placed on South Africa because of their racial policies, people in that country bought up Rugers because they knew they would work for years without any parts replacements! With parts restricted, they needed guns that could be used every day for hard use! The Ruger autos really fit that bill. When I worked for the NRA years ago, I interviewed quite a few people from South Africa and Rhodesia, and their Rugers held up for years with minimal maintenance.

I reload, so all the "lack of ammo" arguments are out the door.
I can just reload what ever caliber I want.

The 44 mag is definitely going to hit the target harder than a .357 mag.
So one-shot stops are gonna be much more frequent, hence the need for less ammo.
At 15 yards I can hit what I aim at, so I won't be wasting a lot of ammo.

And my guns are both Ruger, a 4" Redhawk & a 2.25" SP101.
Heck I want both!

Fictitious scenario aside, a .357 Magnum is a much more all around useful and versatile tool than a .44 Magnum IMO.

Dnaltrop said:

Well since everyone and their extended families will have used up the .357, 38, .44. 44mag, .40, 9mm, .45, 45 acp, 45 gap, the 10mm, the .454 , the .308 and the .223...

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But not .357 Sig, 9x23 or .41 magnum!

Those were found on the shelves during the recent ammo shortage......depending how the election goes, I wonder if........hmmmm....

Unfortunately, the 41 mag ammo never returned to most gun shops in my area after they eventually sold out during the election run on ammunition. However, 41 mag revolvers are fairly popular in the SE in general. Everything is just getting very expensive.

I do have a good supply of 41 mag ammo as I think others do as well, which is probably the problem why dealers aren't stocking it now much. But for me it would be a great choice for many applications as I'm good out to 100 yds on deer sized targets.

Check the brass buckets at your local ranges

.357 ammo not as popular is it once was. Lots more 9MM and .40 S&W.
I would buy a pistol and not a revolver for your:banghead: problems.
There are many reasons why law enforcement, military and various gun games have stopped using revolvers.

RatherNotSay said:

@Williams - Bug out is a term used to describe 72 hours of amenities in a situation. Who the hell said anything about walking out of a a city/town. In fact that has to be the stupidest idea any would think of in that non practical situation. Where is this multiple guns comment coming from? Anyone say anything about carrying your entire gun case with you?

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Not to be rude, but I've never seen anyone else who's definition was limited to 72 hours. Everyone else who I've seen use the term meant it indefinitely.

earplug said:

.357 ammo not as popular is it once was. Lots more 9MM and .40 S&W.
I would buy a pistol and not a revolver for your:banghead: problems.
There are many reasons why law enforcement, military and various gun games have stopped using revolvers.

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I'd say that's because most guys I see at the range are tacticool folk, in 5-11 gear at the grocery store and thinking anything that isn't semi-auto is for their grandparents and cowboys.

SHTF means different things to different people. It could bs a flood, hurricane, emergency evac due to gas leak, etc.

Not every SHTF scenario involves indefinite, long term, gotta-carry-it-on-your-back-while-repelling-nonstop-looter-attacks, etc. That would be EOTWAWKI.