Thinking of Ditching the 357 Magnum

BKS said:

Has anyone else abandoned the 357 Magnum?

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No, but I don't own any .44 or .45 revolvers to sway my decision.

Send 'em to me!

I have two, they get shot with .38 target loads the vast majority of the time. .357 Magnum is my least shot handgun caliber. Not selling my revolvers though.

Keep the .357s both for pleasure of shooting
(.38s or downloaded .357s) which by your
own statements will do you well. You said
'you're just shooting for fun.

The .44 or .45 are bigger guns that have
appetites (factory or reloading) than are
far greater than any .38/357. Components
for the big bores will always be greater in
cost, possibly cutting the amount of shooting
you enjoy.

As years pass, those .38/.357 revolvers will
grow and grow in appeal.

On the other hand, if you like big bores to
accomplish the same thing on paper or steel
gongs, go for it. Not.

But you'll miss the .38/357.

Probably never will but I reload 357s lighter than factory making them more pleasant for the range. Your post makes me wonder what size 357 revolver you're shooting.

I came back to the .357 a few years back---not going anywhere.

Well, I ditched all K and L frames many years ago and with them, the majority of my .357 diameter bores. I dont miss them one bit. The only .357 bores I have currently are 2 J-Frames of which both are 38 Spl.

I just found them very uninteresting one day as I perused a gun show and virtually all the revolvers there were 38 and 357. Later that week bought a Ruger Redhawk in 44 magnum and later that year traded it for a Ruger Redhawk in 45 Colt.

For me to buy a revolver these days it has to have a .429 or larger bore and a barrel of less than 4". A little thinking will tell you that there are not very many of these around and they command huge prices in factory guise.

I have been known to place pretty unrealistic restrictions on myself to keep from buying more guns and it works quite well. I have kicks though. I have bought 3 bolt action rifles in the last week and will probably buy another next week.

I still like the boom and a bit of recoil when I am shooting. I can reload larger quantities .357 for less money than the bigger calibers, so I tend to shoot it often. I still get the boom, a good amount of power, and cheap shooting. I love my .4+'s but my .357 are not going anywhere.

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

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Ok.

BKS said:

Has anyone else abandoned the 357 Magnum?

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I let it go, and got rid of most of my guns chambered for it.

But now it's back! Because the jack-of-all-trades cartridge is too versatile for me to leave be.

I'd recommend you keep at least one of your .357 magnum revolvers. Make it a solidly built medium frame DA, in stainless and with a 4" barrel. If you don't, you may well wish that you had.

I own 44 and 45 cal revolvers,love em,but I would never even consider getting rid of my 357's.

I would get rid of my .44 magnums before I got rid of my .357's.

No in deed ... they like my children ... I love them all and will abandon none .
Each has a place . But I don't own many ... the few I own I shoot often and enjoy all .

If I could keep only one revolver ... it would be a 357 Magnum .
Due mainly to the wide varity of ammo that can be fired in them ...
38 Special / 38 Special +P / 357 Magnum ... Target loads , light plinking loads , standard pressure loads , +P loads and the many different 357 Magnum loadings can all be fired out of one revolver .
Make that revolver a Ruger Blackhawk with a 9mm Luger cylinder ... just think of how many different loadings of 9mm Luger there is ...plus all the 38/357 loadings .
I can't think of another handgun that would be able to shoot so many different loadings in it .
Gary

I'm a big bore fan but my 357s serve a specific role. They're for shooting reasonably powerful medium sized handgun rounds, loaded up or down there's really not much the 357 can't do. I've only got one 357 revolver remaining but it's a keeper- 6" gp100, I pair it with a 77/357 and I'm all set for a camp gun that I can keep a carbine nearby with. No need to remember separate cartridges , just grab a few hundred 357s and I'm all set. My carbine prefers jacketed bullets but my revolver does well with jacketed too but the revolver gets mostly cast.

Yes, you can do the same with 44 or 45 but everything gets bigger & heavier

BKS said:

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.

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In my case it's because I probably have well over a thousand 357 Mag cases on hand.

BKS said:

Has anyone else abandoned the 357 Magnum?

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Nope and never will. IMHO, the .357 is the most versatile Handgun cartridge out there. Especially when one is shooting it for fun. People complain about the noise......but who the 'ell shoots without hearing protection anymore? Folks complain about sharp recoil, but......in the proper gun or with the proper load, and using grips that are chosen because of how they fit, as opposed to how pretty they are, recoil can range from non-existent to quite tolerable. It's a cartridge that's easy to reload all the way from mouse fart to flame thrower with components that are cheaper to use than .44 and .45(I know because I reload for those too). It's just too good of caliber for me to give up on, whether it's in one of many revolvers or my lever carbine.

49willys said:

I own 44 and 45 cal revolvers,love em,but I would never even consider getting rid of my 357's.

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Same here.

ColtPythonElite said:

I would get rid of my .44 magnums before I got rid of my .357's.

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I put my .44 mags in the same boat as my .357s. I would never be without either. I hunt deer much more with my .44 revolvers and carbines than I do with the .357s....but I don't shoot them as much at the range. Part of it is cost of components. Part of it is pleasantness of shooting. Some has to do with accuracy. Within 30 yards, I'm a better shot with the .357s than I am with the .44s. Past that, the .44s start to dominate. That is with the revolvers. With carbines, the distance is closer to 60 yards where the break is.

I ditched 357 Magnum years ago, have not missed it.

Shooting rank by volume - 45 Colt most, 38 Spl, 41 Mag, 44 Mag and 357 Mag least.
Carry a Contender in the front passenger side back seat pocket of the car, very convenient to pull out. Have a heavy lbt bullet load that penetrates and works well.
However, 357 really comes alive in a carbine - probably the main reason I keep it going in my herd.

I've owned .357's before and after using one on a hog outdoors, without hearing protection, I swore I'd never do it again. I could not imagine firing one in any enclosed area without hearing protection, so I essentially found no need for the .357 out of a handgun.
There are cartridges that belong in handguns, and there are cartridges that belong in carbines. Once I drew that distinction, my handgun experiences have been much more enjoyable. And yes, I wear hearing protection whenever I go shoot, it's those unplanned shootings where you find what your ears can endure, or not endure.

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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N frame might be more comfortable for you. Still, I've never had a problem with LSWC out of my 686, in fact, that's how I found my most accurate load.

You're doing something wrong or not doing enough. Grains, powder, maybe even cases or primers. I dailed mine into a nickle @25yds with a cheap Bushnell trs-25.

I will always have one or more .357's around and it's one of my favorite numbers to reload for. I used to go for max fireball H110/W296 loads but as the years have gone by find I prefer heavy, 170gr + lead at moderate velocities the most. But nothing wrong with ditching cartridges you don't have an active interest in and spending your range time and money on cartridges you enjoy more.

357s are my second favorite handgun round.

The 357’s would probable be the last handguns I parted with. The versatility is a big factor to me, although I load almost exclusively hotter loads.
Depending on powder, charge, bullet, they can be sharp recoiling or slow, booming flame throwers. If I didn’t reload my calculus might be different. Factory offerings are pretty pathetic. But then 44/45 has the same issue.