6 rounds of .44 or 7 rounds of .357/38?

[rcmodel]

Ever shoot a 125 grain .357 in a small dark room???

Still sticking with the .44 Special!!!

Rc

 

[TruthTellers]

Hmmmm...since when was the .44Spc determined to be a better manstopper than the .38Spc or .357?

If one hoped to stop an attacking grizzly in the wild, the .44Mag would be the BEST choice, in my view. But if I had to stop a vicious, determined human being, nothing in a handgun beats a 125gr JHP .357Mag. Even a .44Mag might fail, seeing that the bullet could very well overpenetrate. Not likely in a bear, however. This is why the stopping power of the.357 is so legendary. The power of the.44Spc, however, is not legendary.

Thus, I'd rather have five .357 rounds than six .44Spc rounds!

°°°

The price... also not legendary. The rarity of it... legendary.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

More shots.

But, I'll load then as a warm 158gr .38 +P.

 

[Walkalong]

Ever shoot a 125 grain .357 in a small dark room???

Still sticking with the .44 Special!!!

Rc

Amen!

I'll stick with my .44 Spl.

And I don't own a 7 round .357 anyway.

I do like my 2 1/2" 686, but I like, and shoot better in fast DA, my .44 Spl, and am not caught up in the worry about which one is more "lethal". They are both lethal enough if you place a shot well.

 

[buck460XVR]

More important to me than the minute difference in terminal performance between the two would be the accuracy and concealability of the firearms. How many rounds you have or how powerful they are is a moot point if you can't hit the target or you ain't carrying it when you need it.

 

[crazysccrmd]

Hmmmm...since when was the .44Spc determined to be a better manstopper than the .38Spc or .357?

If one hoped to stop an attacking grizzly in the wild, the .44Mag would be the BEST choice, in my view. But if I had to stop a vicious, determined human being, nothing in a handgun beats a 125gr JHP .357Mag. Even a .44Mag might fail, seeing that the bullet could very well overpenetrate. Not likely in a bear, however. This is why the stopping power of the.357 is so legendary. The power of the.44Spc, however, is not legendary.

Thus, I'd rather have five .357 rounds than six .44Spc rounds!

°°°

A 44 Special is nearly identical in all ways to a 45 ACP. I've never heard people doubt the ability of the 45 ACP or say a 38 Special is better for self defense.

 

[Quincy12]

Easy answer, 7 of .357 or .38+P. There's are reason we're taught double taps. Handguns are not one shot stoppers. Indoors at close range a .44 isn't going to stop a person any faster than a .38, assuming equal shot placement. Plus you can't assume one assailant.

 

[25-5]

The size of the hole, and where you put it.

 

[35 Whelen]

The size of the hole, and where you put it.

33 posts in someone finally got it right.

35W

 

[sequins]

I would rather not fire a .44sp indoors. Both cartridges will be very effective, so why get tinnitus?

 

[Black Knight]

All of my revolvers (38/357 and 44) have 6 shot cylinders. Do I feel slighted by not having a 7th round 357 Magnum revolver? Absolutely not. That is what speed loaders are made for. Also the 38 and 44 Special ammo today is far better than what they were years ago.

 

[Wishoot]

More shots.

But, I'll load then as a warm 158gr .38 +P.

+1

With a GP100 or Security Six, follow up shots are a breeze.

 

[Deaf Smith]

I would rather not fire a .44sp indoors. Both cartridges will be very effective, so why get tinnitus?

.44 spl. pressure range is the same as a .38 spl.

I doubt there is much a rise in decibels.

Deaf

 

[Ric]

I actually settled this very argument a couple of years ago
I like to carry wheelguns more than autos
I have a 586 L comp that is dear to me. 7, Speer gold dot 357's I usually carry in the warmer months.
And a 629PC that is my carry wheelguns in the winter. With 6, 200 grain gold dots.
Look

Just cleaned it last week, it's starting to show some wear

In the range bag to try some new loads Monday at the range

 

[danjet500]

Still leaves two.

 

[jmr40]

If you are comparing 357 mag to 44 mag it is pretty much a draw on human threats. 6 rounds vs 7 rounds is irrelevant to me.

If you mean 44 Special vs 38 Special, then 44 wins.

I actually think the best of of all combos is the 44 loaded with either hot 44 Special loads or mild 44 magnum loads. A 200 gr bullet at around 1000-1100 fps from either. It is my opinion that you'll get all of the performance of 357 mag without the blast and recoil.

 

[Walkalong]

I would rather not fire a .44sp indoors. Both cartridges will be very effective, so why get tinnitus?

I don't want to fire either indoors and make my ears worse than they are, but of the two, the .44 Spl is going to be much easier on the ears.

 

[Duster340]

I'd opt for the 44. Right or wrong, Dad always taught my brother and I to worry less about magazine capacity and focus on shot placement, and to use the largest round we could shoot well, whether it be for hunting or other purposes. That said, I know 38/357s will get it done. But other than my 22s, the smallest handgun caliber I have is 40S&W. Given the choice of just one caliber, it's 44 all day for me.

 

[ChiefTJS]

I'm fine with the terminal ballistics of the .38Spl, I'll choose the extra round because you never know how many folks need to get shot and in all the excitement I may miss once (or twice). More is better.

 

[Bama Drifter]

Gimme 7 over 6 any day of the week. And my 158gr reloads are nothing to sneeze at.

 

[Ric]

If you are comparing 357 mag to 44 mag it is pretty much a draw on human threats. 6 rounds vs 7 rounds is irrelevant to me.

If you mean 44 Special vs 38 Special, then 44 wins.

I actually think the best of of all combos is the 44 loaded with either hot 44 Special loads or mild 44 magnum loads. A 200 gr bullet at around 1000-1100 fps from either. It is my opinion that you'll get all of the performance of 357 mag without the blast and recoil.

The Speer Gold Dot 200 Grn 44magnum runs just over 1000 fps

That's the load I carry.

 

[CraigC]

The power of the.44Spc, however, is not legendary.

On what planet???

 

[TfflHndn]

Assuming I'm shooting my own handloads, I'd go with the .44spl, but it's a close call given that I get one less round. I lean in favor of the heavier bullet and larger diameter for better penetration regardless of what clothing the BG is wearing.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Personally, I'd go for 8 rounds of 38/357 or 20 rounds of 9mm.

 

[MedWheeler]

35 Whelen arites:

Why would anyone choose an extra round of a less powerful caliber such as a .38 or 357 vs. a .44 Special...unless they don't have confidence in their abilities with a handgun?? Confusing to me.

(redacted)

(I'm not that confident that any intruders that come to my home will be "gentlemanly enough" to come alone.)