.357 vs. .44 magnum

[BCRider]

If you plan on shooting much as a regular fun activity then anything that starts with a ".4" really justifies getting into doing your own reloading. The reduction in cost, as illustrated in one of the posts above, makes doing the math quick and simple.

A modest reloading setup that stores away in a medium size storage tote will run you around $200 to $250. And given the $40/50 vs $11/50 example from above it doesn't take a lot of shooting before you paid for the reloading gear and the savings from then on are gravvy.

Top that off with the abilty to load to whatever power factor suits your needs that vary from full "wrist wreckers" down to mouse fart loads that can be used to introduce the most extreme gun shy newbie and you have a win-win justification for getting into reloading sooner rather than later.

 

[Cosmoline]

The .357 has huge advantages if you want to shoot in volume. It's easy to reload for, and even these days you can find good cast bullets available. I just ordered several hundred more from Midway. Ammo has remained available throughout the shortage. And it doesn't pulverize you too much at the range, so you can keep on going for long sessions.

The .44 Mag ammo is more expensive to buy and reload, heavier to carry and will hit you harder at the range. But it's superior for hunting and such.

So it really comes down to intended use. Personally the older I've gotten the more I've come to appreciate the balance and elegance of the .357, along with its excellent accuracy when you find the right load.

I don't know much about the V-comp other than the fact that the word "comp" is always a warning sign for me when it comes to sustained range use. You may want to double up on your ear protection!

 

[BCRider]

My .357Mag loads cost me about 18 cents per round. My .44Mag loads cost me about .25 cents.

The "about" is related to the type of powder I use. Lighter plinking loads use small amounts of Tightgroup and cost a penny or two less. Full house loads of H110 or 2400 pretty much fill the case with powder so I don't get as many loads per lb of powder. So these cost me a penny or two more than these numbers.

Which is more fun to shoot? Both will certainly get the job done as a woods gun. And for that sort of use I think I'd lean towards the .357 due to the slightly reduced recoil which would allow me to get my shots away a little faster and hopefully with more control.

For range giggles or for slightly toned down loads for woods use that would mimic the recoil kick of a .357Mag there would certainly be nothing at all wrong with a .44Mag. Or find the time to practice with full power .44's so you can pop off a whole cylinder in rapid fire and hit within a 10 inch circle at 10 yards.

 

[CraigC]

The .357 has huge advantages if you want to shoot in volume.

That's a wee bit of an overstatement. The difference is slight. Cast bullets for the .38Spl and .357 are slightly less expensive than .44's but certainly not by a "huge" margin. I buy .44's locally for $56/500 and that's less than $10 more than .358's. If I order Keiths from LeadHead's, it's only $8 more per 1000rds.

I love the .38Spl but have no use for the .357Mag. A moderately loaded big bore like the .44Spl, .45ACP or standard pressure .45Colt puts more bullet on target and is more consistent in its performance without making your ears bleed.

And it doesn't pulverize you too much at the range, so you can keep on going for long sessions.

And the .44Spl is even less punishing than the .357Mag. Just because it's a .44mag, doesn't mean you have to run it balls to the wall all the time. Standard weight cast bullets anywhere between 900 and 1200fps is usually plenty for most any use.

 

[Cosmoline]

I suppose I'm overstating it a bit. I was thinking in terms of .44 Magnum brass, powder use and ammo costs more than the bullets. Bullets are the cheapest part, since you can cast those yourself in any case. Consider the current situation. Raw brass for either is very tough to find from the dealers. But even in Alaska I can find boxes of 50 .357's for $30 loaded, then reuse the brass over and over and over again. There is no box of 50 .44 Magnum for $30 here. Or anywhere else I suspect.

Just because it's a .44mag, doesn't mean you have to run it balls to the wall all the time. Standard weight cast bullets anywhere between 900 and 1200fps is usually plenty for most any use.

Sure you can run a bunch with trailboss or light load. You can even run black powder loads for fun. I'm assuming if you buy a .44 magnum you will want to shoot it as a .44 magnum, though. Not as a special or light load platform.

.45Colt puts more bullet on target and is more consistent in its performance without making your ears bleed.

Why would .45 Colt be more consistent than a .357 Magnum? I've found my .357's to be considerably more accurate and easier to fine-tune loads for than the .45 Colts I've owned.

 

[CraigC]

Uh, what? Bullets are the most expensive part. Money or labor, you choose.

Your comment about casting your own bullets only reinforces my point.

Nobody said anything about Trail Boss mousefart loads. I specifically stated 900-1200fps. No, you don't have to run balls to the wall all the time and the cartridge shouldn't be judged based on full loads alone. What I typically feed mine is 10.0gr Unique for 1100-1200fps in sixguns and 1450fps in rifles. Sorry if I don't feel the need to pigeonhole the .44Mag as a 240gr at 1450fps all the time.

Consistency on game. A .357 requires maximum velocity and expanding bullets to be effective. The .44's and .45's do not and heavy cast bullets perform more consistently than jacketed bullets. Not to mention the muzzle blast one must live with when shooting .357's at full steam.

Right now everything is out of stock but I've never had trouble procuring .44Mag brass. Methinks some folks just 'want' to believe something and mutate their view until it fits.

 

[Cosmoline]

Where are you finding your brass and powder right now and how much are you paying for it? Because here, bullets are the only thing you can get for a reasonable price. Maybe it's call cheap and easy to find in the lower 48, but Midway suggests otherwise.

What I typically feed mine is 10.0gr Unique for 1100-1200fps in sixguns and 1450fps in rifles.

I would find that a bit rough on the palms and wrists after a few hundred rounds. You are doubtless made of tougher stuff. Weren't you the same fellow packing and shooting a Colt Walker with ease? That puts you way above most of us when it comes to hand strength.

Consistency on game.

No argument there. But that's why I said it depends on the main use. For a range gun I absolutely favor the .357 over a .44 Magnum, even moderately loaded. I want to be able to write the next day, and I like shooting a few hundred rounds in a session to really work on pushing through fatigue and trying different stances. For hunting, the .44 Mag is the clear choice. And shooting 20 or 50 rounds of .44 Mag for sighting in and testing is not going to be too much.

 

[lobo9er]

My findings of 357 mag & 44 mag
357 mag : Great for SD/HD role, could be used for hunting

44 MAG : Great for hunting, could be used for SD/HD

Just my opinion of the two both are a lot of fun.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

If you don't get the .44 it will always nag at you that "what if....?".

That's how my life was ruined.

I was 17 and walking down Bourbon Street in New Orleans, and a man came out and grabbed me by the arm; "Come in here young man and see a 350 pound stripper."

Do you walk on and spend the rest of your life wondering what you missed, or go in and spend the rest of your life wishing you'd never seen that horrible sight?

 

[Riomouse911]

When faced with this question, I always suggest a new gun buyer go to a range, rent one or more of each caliber that they're interested in (or borrow them if your friends have the gun(s) and will go shooting with you) and try them out.

LOTS of "magnum" guns have been bought on looks, fired a few times, then are either set aside or sold with less than 100 rounds through them...because they were more then the new buyer thought they would be and a fun activity became a chore after 12-18-24 rounds are fired.

I have several .357 handguns, and I have a 6.5" S&W 629 .44 to match the 1894 trapper .44 rifle. I like them both, reload and shoot them both (and their special counterparts as well) so you really can't go "wrong" with either... but try them first to see what you're getting into and to see what fits your bill the best.

 

[Ed Ames]

My father once told the following story...

He was pretty firmly a small-bullet/high velocity guy. He actually had a .22 Jet when they were new. One of his friends bought a Dirty Harry .44 and the two of them went shooting. The proud new .44 owner shot a cylinder load and put it back in the box. My dad asked if he was going to shoot it any more, and got a, "No, I'm done with that thing." So my dad asked to shoot it...he shot it until his hand was bleeding from the hammer smacking back under recoil, and until he was holding it right so it didn't do that, and then he went out and bought one of his own...different barrel length but same old 29. He put many thousands of rounds through it over the years too. Meanwhile, the friend sold his.

Same gun... Same ammo... To one guy it was the end of a dream, to the other it was a beginning.

 

[wgf]

Both are fun, if you reload they are more fun. You can adjust the loads to your preference. I seem to like the medium loads the best: 38+P or 44+P for most of my shooting but I can not resist the full power loads. You will probably end up with both. I think the 44 is easier to reload because the componenents are larger.

 

[BCRider]

Ed, that's a great story and it really hits the nail on the head with stuff like this.

Back to the topic and in connection with CraigC's post about 1100 to 1200 loads for the .44. I've recently been playing with test loads in both 200gn and 240gn loads using 6.6 to 7.0 gns of Tightgroup. These loadings being aimed at producing exactly that sort of velocity.

These rounds are hellaciously fun to shoot. They provide a good thump so I know I'm doing something worthy of being called a ".44" but without the sore hand after shooting a few cylinders worth that I'd have if they are full on loads. In fact I'd say that a good comparison would be full power .357Mag loads from a big N frame Highway Patrolman. Stout but hardly overwhelming.

The fun thing for me is the variety you can get from a big bore. A .357 (don't get me wrong, I love that caliber as well) is case and bullet weight limited by volume and chamber size. The .44Mag ups the available volume and bullet weight that is acceptable. The next step up this particular food chain would be the .454Casull, .460S&WMag and .500S&WMag.

It's not like you NEED to load up to these pressures though. But it opens up the range of load options as you increase the bore size and case volume.

Note that I skipped over the .45Colt only because it isn't rated for operating in the same pressure league. But in terms of kick to the hand in the full spec loads it does have a spot up at or near enough the higher end .44Mag loadings.

As for availability of reloading components? That'll change once the whole panic buying process winds down. We were just getting to where things were returning to reasonably normal when Obama got in again and some sickos commited more mass atrocities which got the political types all up in arms over posturing to "save us from ourselves" and kickstarted the whole process all over agian with a vengeance. But this too shall pass in time and things will return to reasonably normal.

As a side note sometimes it pays to live in my neck o' the woods... Up here in Canuck land bullets, primers and casings are not pleantiful due to the demand in the US but things are not as bad as south of the 49th, and up in Alaska too by the sounds of it. I can go to my local supplier and buy bags of various Starline, Remington and Winchester brass along with bullets, primers and powders. Some of the variety is spotty but as long as I'm willing to compromise on brands I can get the stuff I need in any reasonable quantity that is suitable to a solo active shooter.

 

[savit260]

I tend to load my 44 magnums from about 900 fps to 1100-ish fps. You could shoot just as many of these in a 44 sized frame revolver as 38 Specials in a mid framed revolver and be none the worse for wear.

I taught a brand new shooter with 900ish fps loads in my Redhawk, and he did just fine with it. THen he shot a S&W 586 with 38 Specials in it and thought the recoil was about the same or less with the 44's.

I also find the bigger componants of the 44 easier to reload.

 

[readyeddy]

I would go with the 357 for just one reason. To shoot 38 special. For shooting at the range, it has no equal. And learn to hand load. The revolver is the perfect gun for the hand loader.

 

[tomrkba]

44 Magnum is really three cartridges, four if you count 44 Special.

Frankly, both are great cartridges and it's very difficult to choose only one. The advantage of 357 Magnum is it fits in small frame revolvers such as the S&W 640. You can use 38 Special for light recoiling shooting. 44 Special only fits in a medium frame revolver such as the S&W 696. Furthermore, they have been able to cram eight rounds of 357 Magnum into the cylinder of an S&W N-Frame. That's pretty neat!

But, if you want to shoot long range or hunt critters, 44 Magnum is very effective. It does a number on hogs.

 

[mavracer]

I love my 357s I got a bunch of them, But if I get to have a couple good accurate service semi autos I could live without them. So I'd go for the 44.
The V-comp would be a pussycat with hot 44 special?medium 44 mag loads.

 

[kendak]

I've got several .357 "mouse" guns around the house but I take my .44 mags when I go to shoot... go big or stay on the porch...LOL!! ..just have fun relax

 

[MikeJackmin]

I think the path to maximum happiness here is to buy the .44, and make a commitment to start reloading.

Once you can reload the .44 will not kick too hard or bark too loud or be too costly to shoot. It will be exactly what you want.

My only other suggestion is to reconsider the comp. There's no need to tolerate the blast if you can load your ammo to comfortable levels.

This is $140 and a fine way to begin:

http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision...UTF8&qid=1370568534&sr=8-2&keywords=lee+press

 

[Archaic Weapon]

.45 Colt is supposed to be able to shoot as fast/hard or harder, at a lower psi rating. No, the chambering cannot take as high of a pressure as a .44 mag, but the case is larger in diameter, so the pressure doesn't get as high for the same PERFORMANCE. Key difference.

 

[rswartsell]

A lot of good opinions here, as well as some time I will never get back. In my 40 years of shooting, I see guns and ammo as tools to be fitted for a purpose. At close to 60 years of age I am in a position to "perfect" my toolbox.

I have hunted and will hunt again with handguns (my true love). But truth be told, even though I am now a sometimes hunter, a CCW carrier and a "range rat", I have found myself in NW Louisiana without a "big bore" revolver. I do have a Kimber .45 ACP 1911. But the thing is I got this far without a .45 Colt or greater revolver.

I did that by taking advantage of "heavy" .357 mag loads to do the heavy lifting. I will attest that as powerful as they are, there are applications (big new era hogs as a starter) that make an old timer swim in the opposite direction and have me shopping for a 5.5" Ruger SA .44 mag.

I live in Louisiana. Not brown bear Alaska, take it to the max territory. But if you are committed to the outdoor "hunting" application for handguns, you will likely find your toolbox incomplete without one. For me, SA is OK. Hence the Ruger Super Blackhawk.

I see that younger shooters are attracted to extreme power and deal with recoil better. I feel a bit unusual in that I am coming to the .44 mag at a later age and because (to a degree) of that age. There is a level available in Louisiana that says the .357 even at max potential is "marginal" and .44 mag will relieve a bit of pressure on dead accurate CNS shot placement.

.44 mag is unnecessary and excessive for "defense against humans" applications. I am dead flat convinced of that. If you wish to venture into the "wild" and have good confidence in applying responsible "clean kill" power, you may one day find yourself in my position and be seeking a .44 mag to add to the toolbox.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The great thing about the .45 Colt is that even mild loads that are pussycats to shoot are effective on deer-sized game as far as the average pistolero can hit.

 

[jmr40]

I dumped my 357's after buying my 1st 44 mag. I can buy 44 ammo cheaper than 357 here. www.georgia-arms.com. 357 ammo is $.50/50 rounds less expensive, but they buy my used brass back and pay more for 44 brass than 357 which brings the total cost down to $1.50 less/50 rounds of 44 mag than 357 mag.

In a full size gun there is virtually no difference in size or weight. You don't have to always shoot full power 44's and mid level loads are more effective for SD than hot 357's. And the 44's do it with less recoil and muzzle blast. If you NEED full power loads ( I rarely shoot them), a 44 will leave a 357 in the dust.

Yea, you can shoot 38's cheap in a 357, but if I just want to punch holes in paper on the cheap my 22 beats 38 by a long shot for that. When I step up to a centerfire handgun I want performance, not just enough to punch a hole in paper.

 

[HKGuns]

I own both calibers and a bunch of auto's. There is absolutely nothing like a .44 Magnum out of a 4-6" barrel.

Go with the .44 and get a .357 later.

 

[Magnumite]

I've shot 357 and 44 Magnum for 34 years and reloaded both for 33. I seldom shoot the 357 guns but still shoot the 44 Magnums I have. Not much you can't do with it. I run 240 grain SWCL at 900 and 1075 fps for soft and medium loads. If I need more power, my go to load is a good 240 grain SJHP at an honest 1275 - 1300 from a 5.5 barreled Redhawk. I have even used shot capsules and .433" round ball loads. No recoil, lots of soot.

I have loads much heavier but don't shoot them. No need for 'em, those were developed in younger velocity junkie days. The OP has good semi autos in his battery of guns, so those bases are covered. The 44 will do as much and more than the 357. No comparison.