LCR .357 Ranch Carry

Elmer Keith made a comment once about carrying on the farm/ranch and being able to stop a bull on top of you or have a chance at shutting down and engine with a well placed shot to the mass of metal. He referenced the .357 due to its abililty have a chance at these functions as well as the ability of the revolver to make a close body contact shot when something large is on you.

I am in this market, farm full time, big machines, spinning shafts, big cows and bulls upto 2000+lbs. On my feet often, in and out of equipment, sit down, stand up, bend, lift, carry etc.

To follow Keiths thoughts I would need to be using some pretty stout ammo for penetration stuff like CORBON 180 hard cast or others. At least a few of the 5 rounds in the cylinder would need to be this, maybe shoots 2 and 3 of 5. I would carry a much more reasonable 2 legged defense round when not on the ranch or in the remainder of the cylinder or for smiting the ocassional opportune pest critter around the place such as a coyote in range or garden destroying rabbit.


Would the LCR handle these heavy rounds at all? I would not be shooting these heavy rounds for fun on a normal range session but I would want to try a few (3 or so) to be prepared from time to time. Normal practise with LCR would be .38 or light .357.

Also I have a 4" GP100 when I want to enjoy the big rounds. I have always assumed I would get an SP101 but the newer LCR and its ease of carry would be key for my somewhat active lifestyle.

Any suggestions and thoughts would be great.

I wonder if run away tractors trump Zombies? A more reasonable scenario may be your in a corn bin and pant leg gets stuck in the sweep auger, a few rounds with a .357 may stop that couple horsepower electric motor, all within 30 ft usually.

And yes I agree calm cattle are better, all our stock cows(mamas) are easy to handle but they can be spooked too by something small. And if you have ever got a load of 100 head of 6-700 lbers out of Idaho that havent seen a human or a fence until they day they were rounded up and put on trucks, well sometimes when they come off the trucks they dont stop until they hit something!

Good thoughts so far from you all, keep them coming, I havent posted on here for a few years as I hav ebeen busy, still lots of class here. I still am not sure but I am going to the gun shop tomorrow and leaving with an SP101 or an LCR .357. Right now I am thinking LCR due to ease of carry every day with a belt and pockets full of other crap such as smartbrick(phone), leatherman, nuts, bolts, flashlight, widgets, wallet etc. And I dont feel I will use those hot loads often.

Just so everyone knows, I am not in the bull killing business on a regular basis, at low priced bulls going for $2500 and expensive ones going for ten times that it is not good business. I usually prefer to step aside and smack them in the nose with a sorting stick when they get a bit rambunctious. But things can happen, back in my late teens had a good cow get me cornered, backed up between the bucket of the loader and the front tire, she got me on my back and it didnt look good. She didnt like me vaccinating her calf that day. Good thing a wise and fast fella, my Dad, was near by to persuade her to turn her attention elsewhere. Had I been by myself had a sufficient revolver we might have had some fresh ground beef as a last resort.

Texas- Agreed with much of what you said, see my post from later yesterday. I am not claiming to be a cattle expert but have been working some cows for a few years.... In my world I would have a better chance of meeting my end from a 4 legged crazed critter I am working by myself that gets me down than 2 legged, I cant have a babysitter in this line of work all the time. Probably better chance of that than most folks on THR, other than law enforcment, have of meeting a bad situation with 2 legged. So the majority of folks on here carry with less of a chance of being injured/maimed/killed than I do, I would say you might want to change your plan and keep something on you. Just playing the odds.

RC- Thanks for the correction, my reference was to an article I read by Ayoob many years ago in which he cited Keith, I ask forgiveness for my error. After you corrected me I seemed to have much more recollection of the article and you are correct in what you said, thanks again, I dont want to misrepresent Keith or lead folks astray by my ignorance and that was not my intention. Kudos for your gun history knowledge. THR has some pretty competent folks.

So.... in conclusion... Went to the store... Picked up a nice 2" SP101 for myself... Liked the heft, ruggedness, and trigger is similar to my GP100. I will grab some holster selections over the next few weeks and be happy I believe. But I just didnt like leaving that LCR.... So Mrs. giese took one in .38+p home with her, she was very pleased with the trigger, probably get some static for this but she liked the Colt Detective we had an opportunity to fire a few weeks back and she said it felt simialr in her had. Her purse will be much the wiser for this choice I hope... and smiles were had all around....

Thanks for advice, now ammo and holsters are on my mind........