.44 Magnum vs .357 Magnum

.44 Magnum vs .357 Magnum

  • .44 Magnum

    Votes: 45 18.1%

  • .357 Magnum

    Votes: 203 81.9%
  • Total voters
    248
  • Poll closed .
Status
Not open for further replies.
I have both & love both. I feel 357 is a bit more versatile. But if you need a bit more power 44 is great because you can shoot 44Spl , a real fav of mine.
 
If just one, the .357Mag, hands down. If you master that and want a real challenge in a handgun, then try a .44Mag, but don't expect to master it in anything like a short span of time. It took me about twice to become marginally good with the .44 as with the .357, and I'm still sometimes surprised by the power of a full-house .44 Magnum load.

Yeah, some people shoot bigger revolver rounds, but I cannot imagine why.
 
I had two 44mag revolvers and sold them both w/ no regrets. I have a gp100 and will never sell it......get a .357 and don't look back. If you are going to shoot it from a rest, take a look at the 6". When you shoot .38 spec it has the recoil of a .22
 
Both because they serve different purposes. You can build a small revolver around 357 Magnum, such as the S&W Model 640, but only a medium sized five shot revolver around 44 Special (not even Magnum). The S&W L-Frames and Ruger GP100 are great all around revolvers in 357 Magnum. You can get seven shots in an L-Frame cylinder and eight in an N-Frame cylinder. This is a great feature since you can still shoot full power loads.

All they can do is shorten the barrel on 44 Magnum revolvers. A 2 1/2" barrel is really better suited for 44 Special unless it's a 50+ ounce Ruger Alaskan. Even medium 44 Magnum loads are tough to shoot in that gun. I prefer 44 Special over 357 Magnum because you can get 200+ grain bullets; I prefer them over "light and fast".

Buy both and be happy.
 
I own and shoot both, and in my opinion the .357 is your best bet. As others have pointed out, the .44 has more recoil and is much more expensive to shoot.

The .44 Magnum is at it's best when used for hunting and protection from large predators. They are generally larger, heavier guns that are a bit more work to carry than the average .357 revolver. I carry one primarily because I live in grizzly country and am out and about in their territory on a regular basis. I also hunt mule deer with it, usually at bow ranges (50-60 yds).

The .357 is my go to round for target shooting, plinking, trail walking (in areas without grizzlies), home defense, etc. It is inexpensive to reload for and relatively easy to shoot.

If I had to pick just one, it would definitely be the .357, probably in a double action revolver.

Of course, you could always buy both...........:evil:
 
For range use and SD/HD you do not need anything more than a .357. If hunting deer size game and larger was a factor than I'd advise for the .44 given your options. I myself own more .44s than I do .357s. But I still prefer the .357s at the range because of how pleasant they are to shoot.
 
I shoot my .44 Mag way more than my .357, but I reload and load 'em mid-range for the .44 and just love shooting it with those loads.
 
I'm the odd guy out, here...

.44 Magnum with .44 Special loads is just a joy to shoot. I enjoy it more than .357 Mag. For self-defense, it's what I'd keep in it.
 
I find this thread funny because just the other day I started one asking about lightweight 357's. Now it seems that everyone seems to think that a 357's recoil is a kitten compared to a 44. Wasn't it yesterday that I said I don't care if you think a 357 is painful, I don't want a 38? Now everyone is saying go with the 357 because the 44 is too painful. I think maybe we need to train some shooters here how to handle recoil.
 
As usual RCMODEL hits the x-Ring

I would like to ask the O.P. Satasaurus

What experience do you have with handguns ?

A S&W .22 LR Revolver, with the same Bbl. LEn.
4" - 6" paired with a S&W .357 Magnum ( when
you're ready ) will be a fine pair to take to the
Range.

I have a S&W 617 6" Bbl. and a S&W 625 .45 ACP
At the range, I start with the .22, practicing Single
Action and then Double Action.... and then switch
to the .45

As Far as .357 or .44 Mag as a Home Defense platform
with a 4" Bbl. with full house loads you'll have a lot
Recoil, Muzzle flash and Supersonic BOOM so youll
be deaf and dumb for sevveral seconds, besides
using a round which could penetrate a wall and hit
someone/something beyone... a subsonic .38 Special +P
or a .44 SPecial would serve better.

Just my $.02

R-
 
Satasaurus said:
I want to get a nice revolver at some point and I'm not sure if I should get a .357 or just go for the gusto and get the .44 Magnum. I've always liked .44 Magnums because of their reputation, but I've been hesitant to get one because of the cost of ammo and what looks to be a lot of recoil. I've also heard that the .357 is a better man stopper because it's more controllable. I should also probably point out that I don't live in Alaska or anything like that, this is just for target shooting and self defense. What do you guys think?
Click to expand...
For your first gun, yes get a .357 magnum.

Way to many people overgun themselves for their first gun.

Deaf
 
quote:
"With the variety of factory loads available the .357 is the most versatile handgun caliber extant before you get into reloading. The only place it won't reach is the truly big/dangerous game territory. If you do not intend to hunt or defend against something in the neighborhood of brown bear, it's a no brainer. Your first revolver should be a .357."

I beg to differ. You can get factory ammo for the .44 Magnum from a 240gr SWC cowboy load at 750 fps to a 340gr WLN launching at 1450 fps. The .357 Magnum versatility is a distant second. More expensive? Certainly, for the premium ammo; but those reduced loads bought in bulk aren't that different in cost for both calibers. (500 rounds Load-X reman. 158gr SWC .357 = $175, 500 240gr SWC .44 = $215) Constantly using full power ammo for practice with either the .357 or .44 can lead to deteriorated shooting skills.
 
Last edited:
Love my .44. I've put 10k rounds through it in a year, as I primarily shoot specials. I just never seem to warm up to a .357 the same way.

Yeah, I could ... But why? The .44 does everything I could want and has the extra HP on tap if I've got a need for it. Besides, the n-frame is just so much more comfortable in the hand and big bullets seem to find big chamber mouths just that much easier.

But, YMMV
 
If you're seriously going to get into reloading, don't overlook the 45 Colt made by Ruger. You can shoot mild cowboy loads or all the way up to near 44 Mag velocities. If not, I'd recommend the 357 Mag.
 
If you reload, I would get the 44 magnum. I would load mostly 44 Special levels at the beginning. If not, I would get the 357 mag. It sounds like you don't have a great deal of experience with recoiling guns. When I was in my early 20's, I felt that 357 mags had a lot of recoil and I was never particularly interested in 38spls at that time. Time passes and more expereince shooting.....

I got a 41 mag revolver and was determined to shoot it well. I wanted a better revolver (caliber) for deer hunting and I already had a Colt Python (357 mag). I shot and learned and became very comfortable with the recoil, but it was still pretty stout as far as I was concerned. The 44 is just a bit more....

With the CCW craze, I got a 38spl revolver for carry and started shooting 357's again. All of a sudden, the 357 mag recoil was not significant.

The difference... experience and baby steps up in power.
 
My Redhawk an Taurus 44 don't recoil any worse than my Speed Six and Taurus 65. In fact, the .357s were less comfortable, probably due to weight.
Never experienced flinch with them, either. Then again, I always use hearing protection.
I found a Charter Bulldog .44 Spl with wood grips to be more uncomfortable to shoot.

Now, if we're talking Buffalo Bore 340 grain +P+ .44 mag, I may just have to swap the Redhawk's wood grips for some Pachmayr Decelerators.
 
The .44 is more than you need, so I voted .357. Shoot 'em both, though, you may find out you're a power junkie.

The .44's gonna be excessive for anything on your list, though.
 
L-Frame said:
.357's are versatile, cheaper to shoot, and don't totally annoy people in the same room with you if you are indoors due to the large Boom! QUOTE]

You say that like it's a bad thing. Caring about other people is for socialists.

When I'm shooting my .22s for accuracy, everything else annoys me. Now, it's payback time!
Click to expand...
 
Satasaurus said:
I've also heard that the .357 is a better man stopper because it's more controllable.
Click to expand...
Apples and oranges.

Terminal ballistics is an inexact science and 44 magnum for social work (having to do with people) is barely better than 44 special. Energy wasted is just that, wasted.

No manstopper will stop anything if it misses.

A flinch, once developed is VERY hard to unlearn.


I started out shooting .357 magnum 38 years ago because I could get a gun in that caliber and ammunition was less expensive (and I started loading my own the same week I bought the gun). I now shoot 22 Long Rifle in various handguns, 9mm, 45 ACP, .357 Mag, 44 Mag, 45 Colt and 454 Casull. I load most of the magnum cases to medium Special velocities for my convenience.

If this is your first handgun, I would recommend a good, target-grade 22 rimfire. Shooting a handgun is a different skill than a long gun and 22 rimfire is a lot cheaper to practice with than even the least expensive handloads (I noticed your other thread asking about loading).

Second choice would be .357 Magnum and shooting 38 Special power loads (or actual 38 Special ammunition) for practice.

Not that the 44 Magnum is only for experts or too much to handle. But lighter loads, cheaper ammo and the ability to have LOTS of practice is more valuable than the "cachet" of large bore. Besides, revolvers are somewhat addicting and you will wind up with a big brother for the medium caliber soon enough.

In the meantime, consider this:

In the absence of any other information about your shooting experience, my recommendation is for a 22 rimfire.

semi-automatics:
Ruger Mark I, II or current model III
or Browning Buckmark or
Smith & Wesson Model 41

Revolvers that come immediately to mind are:
Ruger SP101
Ruger Single-Six
Smith & Wesson's K-Frame K-22 "Masterpiece" (I had one a while back)
Smith & Wesson 617
Taurus (I forget the model #)


Here's my reasoning:

1 Practice is important for becoming a good shot. Practice (beyond dry firing) takes ammo. Ammo is cheaper for a 22 than for any other caliber. Example: 22 rimfire costs (around here) $20 - $30 per 500. 500 rounds of 9mm (a very inexpensive round) is at least $100 to $150 per 500.

2 Practice with a round that has almost no recoil makes concentration on sight picture, breathing and trigger control much easier without the distraction of recoil and excessive muzzle blast. You can add those elements later after you have gotten the basics ingrained in your subconscious. If you start out with a hard-recoiling round you are almost certain to develop anticipation (usually characterized by a flinch) which is devilishly hard to cure. Prevention is much easier to, especially while you are learning.

3 Having a good, accurate 22 will put you on the range (if you go to a formal or informal shooting range) where you will get acquainted with other shooters, see their gun handling practices and see their guns. Most gun owners are proud of their hardware and if you exhibit good safety practices, a modicum of shooting skill and a little bit of polite interest, they will very probably let you handle their guns and even send a few rounds downrange. You can get to try out a wide variety of guns that way and collect testimonials from people other than salesmen when you go to a store.

4 Most (accurate) 22 rimfire guns are cheaper to buy than similarly accurate centerfire guns and hold their resale value well.

Good luck. Thanks for reading.

Lost Sheep
 
If it's your first I'd say get the .357, but .357 and .44 are kind of apples and oranges.
 
My 1st big bore was a 357 but everything since then has been a 44 or 45. I just like big holes. I hunt with a revolver and the 44 does a better job on game and would do a better job on 2 leg critters if needed. My wife carries a 38/357 but uses 38+ for EDC. She thinks a 44spl is more manageable than the 38+ but the 38/357 is smaller for EDC.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

G
  • Locked
.357 magnum vs .44 magnum recoil?
Replies
21
Views
23K
MrBorland
MrBorland
P
  • Locked
Is .357 Magnum Good for Home Defense? CCW?
2 3 4
Replies
88
Views
26K
Prosser
P
Panzerschwein
  • Locked
.44 Magnum recoil vs. .357?
2 3 4
Replies
76
Views
14K
ACP
ACP
M
  • Locked
question 357 / 44 sp
Replies
7
Views
603
Oro
O
H
  • Locked
.44 magnum stopping power? Also what is .44 special?
2
Replies
26
Views
6K
goon
G
Back
Top