.357 vs .44 Special for Home Defense

Status
Not open for further replies.
Noise & Flash....

I'd suggest shooting both at the end aise of an indoor range; with good ears on. for the noise. For me, a good 44 Spec is easier to shoot than many .357's.

IIRC, flash depends on how the powder is made, and some rounds are advertised as having less muzzle flash. Silvertips used to be known for this, but I'm not up on current stuff.

There's little doubt in my mind that a good 44 Spec load works well. Just look at the results from all these years, of shooting animals and bad guys. I understand the 44-40 was "king" of deer rounds in the southwest a few generations ago. Compare the ballistics of this round to that of the .44 Special/Magnum and the .44 Spec looks pretty good.

The .357 is pretty good itself.
 
Just checked this out on Sat. morning before dawn.

I shot a round each of SilverTip and Fed. LHP out of a 4" N-frame. The 'flash ball' was about that of a softball. Pick ANY .357 load, flash-retarded or not, and I think you'll see a dramatically larger flash signature. As to blast noise, the Special wins hands-down over the .357.
 
.357 vs. .44 Special

I think that in the interest of reducing over penetration, the .44 with something like the CorBon 165 gr. HP loads would be just about ideal.
If you went with the .357, Corbon makes a .38+P load with a 110 gr. bullet going almost at .357 velocities.
 
I went with the .44 special, mainly because I just like them big fat holes.

Really, I feel more comfortable if ever needing to fire inside, with a bigger slower bullet. With family in the house I feel it's a safer round than a 357 Mag, less likely penetrate clear thru anything, BG's, walls, etc.

I aslo have .44Mags I can shoot Specials thru in a pinch or if I just want to shoot a lighter load from time to time.
 
Last edited:
My nightstand gun is a 629 loaded with Speer's 200 GDHP which has the largest HP of any handgun load I have seen. IMHO the 44 special equals the 45 ACP for terminal ballistics when using proper type of bullet.

I think the 44 special and 45 acp are much more pleasent to shoot than the 357/125 @1400+ which means I practice more with that gun/load combination.

Also if you need or want more than Speer factory load in 44 special performace Georgia arms and others load a +P version or 44 mag Light version using same bullet. Which moves the 44 special into 45 Super/SMC power levels.
 
I love big-bores but many of the rounds mentioned for the .44 Special are just too slow to reliably expand. That Federal LHP someone said went 900 fps I have read tested MUCH slower than that & usually did not expand. I'm sorry I don't have linkage for proof. I've read hundreds of gun rags over the years & used to keep 'em all filed but finally threw them out (mistake).

Speaking of gun rags I remember reading an article about noise levels and I think the end result was that ALL popular defense loads were loud enough to cause hearing damage. Including .38.

Anyone remember that? Correct me if I'm wrong.

As for the fireball blast of Magnums --- I LIKE that aspect!

Do I consider it a problem for SD? Not really. I seriously doubt I will EVER get in a "gun battle". I think defense against some random crazy (with or without a gun, knife, etc,) would be the more likely scenario around here. Then again I don't live in a gangland war zone as I'm sure some unfortunates do.
 
you ever notice that during a selfdefence shooting,you dont seem to hear the noise?because youre concentrating on hitting your target.357 are cheaper to buy than 44s,can shoot 38 specials in that 357 too,milder recoil than 44.44 can do the job so can 357.i have a 44 and consider it overkill for self defence.its used for deer and bigger game.casual plinking with a 357,youll painfully hear the sharp bang without hearing protection but in a defence situation,you wont notice it,too busy with other things.just some thoughts.
 
I'd worry about overpenetration with either .357 or .44 - if I would shoot it in the house I would want to shoot it at/thru a couple sheets of drywall on a 2x4 frame.

What's wrong with a 20 ga with a youth stock and #1 buck?

FYI, shoot anything in the house and its LOUD!

(Remember we are talking Life and Death, that's why we are firing a weapon in the house; so hearing protection is really a moot point. Plus it O Dark Thirty and we are in our birthday suits...)
 
i went to the .44spl from the .357mag after shooting them side by side. i was comparing L-frames:

1. the 4" 686 with 125gr jhp and 140gr jhp (personal favorite)
2. the 3" 696 with 200gr gdhp (blazer)

the .44 had less blast and flash. they were equally accurate.

my personal 696 came from the factory with mag-na-porting. this made followup shots faster and reduced felt recoil/muzzle flip to that of a 125gr .38spl +p out of the 686.
 
No question - a 250gr LRNFP @ 750 fps would most likely not exit a BG's torso - imparting all of the KE to him - .45 Colt even in Cowboy levels is a great stopper. I believe the question was .357 or .44 S&W Special. I think, considering the low velocity sub-sonic (875fps) boom of the CCI Blazer 200gr Speer GDJHP's, their excellent expansion at those speeds, the lack of over-penetration, and the fact I like big bores, I'll go with the .44 S&W Specials. I keep the Blazers in my 696 as HD. Of course, I thought Sony Beta was a better system, liked Studebakers, and would have voted for Goldwater, had I been old enough. Besides, my wife has her CZ-75 with a couple of 15rd mags of ball ammo...

Stainz
 
Another approach is to take a .44 Mag and get a light load for it. My choice was a 3" Mod 629 loaded with Pro-Load Tactical Lite, 200 gr Gold Dot at 1050 FPS (from a 4" tube). From a 3" tube it's moving at 950-1000 so it's subsonic which is a plus. Recoil is very managable, sorta like a hot .44 Special.
 
Another consideration is practice. .38/.357 is cheaper to shoot than .44 special unless you reload. I tend to shoot more with my inexpensive-to-load guns more than I do those that cost an arm and 1/2 a leg to fire.

And yet another consideration is your surroundings. What can that bullet hit after it leaves the bad guy? I think .38, .357, and .44 special all have application depending on that circumstance. I live in a townhouse with just my fiance. My home defense load of choice is a 158 grain .38 special +p. When I move to a single family home I am moving to a 125 grain .357. I think .44 special fits somewhere between these two.
 
Worms, Worms, And More Worms-

Greeting's All-

I keep a 6" Smith & Wesson model 686-5, .357 magnum
loaded with Federal 110grain +P. 38 Spl. JHP "Hydra-Shok's";
strictly for member's of my household that can't handle
the .45 caliber SIG-Sauer P220A stoked with Federal
230 grain JHP "Hydra-Shok's"!:) :uhoh: :D

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life
 
.357 v. .44 Special

Just a little food for thought: The best .357 loads I have encountered are hand loads and handloaded is a no-no for personal defense. A plaintiff's attorney would have a field day telling a judge or jury just how evil the .357 can be, and then say something like "and you, Mr. Smith, were not satisfied with ordinary bear hunting ammunition. You had to craft special, more powerful loads..."
(Get the drift?)
Also, the best ballistic results in .357 come from shoving a lot of powder behind a lightweight projectile, making great likelihood of over penetration. You don't want to dead-center the bad guy and then knock the baby next door out of her high chair!
My choice is the old cowboy .44 special cartridge in Silvertip or Hydra Shok off-the-shelf loads. It has a bigger, heavier bullet at lower velocity and is likely to leave all its energy in the target and not in a neighbor.
 
A another Big and slow or Small and fast discussion

Both will do the job , but be prepared for major hearing problems if fired in an enclosed room. Most firearms in those calibers will have above 150db.That is what I have read.Maybe other members have a take on this too.
 
I prefer the 44 magnum loaded with Hornady XTP or Winchester Silver Tips in 44 special. The heavier weight of the 44 mag frame and the light load of a 44 spl round will give you quicker shot-to-shot recovery and better stability. Since you'll probably be in fight or flight mode you want something as steady as you get. The 44spl won't go through walls too easily and it's a seriously destructive at close range.

-MW
 
I ended up with a 44 mag loaded with Mag Safe 44 spl. Advertised as 2000 fpm from a 5 1/2 in barrel. I'm guessing with my Tracker 1200-1500 fpm with my ported gun.

They're a 55 gr pre-fragmented round. Shot a couple the other day with pretty decent results and very little recoil.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

stchman
  • Locked
44 Special for home defense
2
Replies
30
Views
4K
Sam1911
S
M
  • Locked
.38+P vs. .44 Special
2
Replies
31
Views
5K
BluesBear
B
P
  • Locked
Is .357 Magnum Good for Home Defense? CCW?
2 3 4
Replies
88
Views
26K
Prosser
P
M
  • Locked
Ultimate home defense revolver?
2
Replies
33
Views
5K
Elkslayer
E
J
  • Locked
recoil 357 vs. 44 special
Replies
8
Views
1K
sgt127
sgt127
Back
Top