Anybody Not Like Shooting .357?

[Youngster]

Custom fitted earplugs worn under quality ear muffs.

Done and done, the problem is the shockwave hitting me in the face, not so much the noise. Within reasonable load levels I prefer shooting the bigger Magnums because they hit me with more of a Boom instead a piercing Crack.

 

[Snapping Twig]

I like .357! For me it's 1/2 (or damn near) the powder and lead of my first love - .44 mag. I Shoot N frame S&W's, so an L frame feels about the same and it's my economy training tool.

I've found that jacket rounds flash more than cast - way more. If I want to make a bright flash, I use a jacketed bullet.

I have several loads for various calibers, but typically I seperate them into a "special" and a "magnum", using W231 and Unique for the light to medium and W296 or 2400 for the magnums. Specials generally run @ 900fps and magnums @ 1200 or so.

I wouldn't shoot a magnum through a lightweight pistol unless I was forced to.

 

[DistantHorizon]

I'm ok with fairly strong .357's from a 2" snubby (not lightweight!!!), & strong loads from my 3" sp101. Haven't tried full-house in it yet; don't know if I ever will.

Now I'm not a tough guy by any stretch - just some people are way more sensitive to certain stuff. My dad says Winny White Box .357 in the sp101 hurts his hand; I can't comprehend it.

Now full-house .44 mag I can do without.

 

[texas bulldog]

mixed bag...

i really like it out of my 6" S&W 586. not uncomfortable at all with plenty of weight to the gun to soak up the recoil.

out of my 2.25" SP101, i can do it, but it's rather uncomfortable after awhile and i struggle to get through a box of 50 in one session. i tend to practice with .38s and load it for SD with .38+p. i've decided that i don't want to carry it with .357 if i find it so uncomfortable to shoot. follow-up shot times are much improved with .38, even of the +p variety.

as some others have suggested, good hearing protection helps. i tend to double-up when i know i'm gonna be shooting magnums. (plugs under muffs)

 

[hemiram]

Since I really messed up my right shoulder last year, .357 loads, especially the 158 gr. ones just kill me to the point I start flinching from the pain. It seems to be the recoil from the bullet weight, as it's about 10 times worse with the 158 gr loads.

I had some 110gr Remington's hiding in a drawer, and they hurt too, but nothing remotely as bad as the heavier bulleted ones. I'm shooting a 6" Dan Wesson Model 15, shooting a friend's S&W 66 is much worse.

I'm ok with 9mm in my Bernardelli P018, and Astra A-100, and 45 shot from my EAA Witness, but .40's from my Astra A-75 are pretty unpleasant, not only does my shoulder hurt, my hands hurt like hell after about 1 magazine's worth of shooting. Too many fights when I was a bouncer, I guess.

 

[tipoc]

Since I really messed up my right shoulder last year, .357 loads, especially the 158 gr. ones just kill me to the point I start flinching from the pain. It seems to be the recoil from the bullet weight, as it's about 10 times worse with the 158 gr loads.

158 gr. or 158 gr.?

tipoc

 

[welldoya]

I hadn't shot a .357 in a few years when I bought a Colt Python. I took it and a few others to my hunting camp to do a little plinking. I shot a box or so out of my S&W 642, then loaded up the Python. I was disappointed. I was looking for a big kick and didn't get it. My 642 with +P kicked more.
So, I guess it just depends on the gun. I never did warm up to that Python. It sure tamed the recoil but I couldn't hit with it worth a darn and it was too heavy for concealed carry so I sold it.

 

[Rexster]

I find it exhilarating to light off a few rounds of .357, but my right wrist is getting tired of being bashed. I used to shoot .41 and .44 mags, but set those aside long ago. I do most of my sixgunning with a .22 LR K-frame these days, which keeps me in practice for my carry .357 revolvers, and does a decent job of providing practice for my duty/carry SIG P229 DAK-trigger autoloaders. I shoot enough .357 to stay used to the recoil.

For those who know I am a lefty, and are wondering why I mentioned my right wrist, I have always tended to shoot DA sixguns best in my right hand. Also, to be clear, I am not blaming the .357 for my right wrist issues. If anything, the .41 did more damage, but I suspect things other than shooting. It hurts to shoot my .40 duty pistols in my right hand nowadays, too.

 

[10X]

It depends more on the gun than being 357.
An N frame with target grips make shooting very enjoyable.
If the grips don't fit you and the gun is light, it is not fun for more than a few rounds.

 

[jetrecbn]

I just shot some 158 Truncated cone (jacket) with W231 going about 1250 fps in a 586S&W. I think my commander loaded with WWB recoils more. I have not shot any 158 gr going 1500 fps yet. Those rounds might make me change my mind about the harshness of the .357 but as of yet I find the 357mag a pleasure to shoot.

 

[dvcrsn]

If you are shooting a snubby--there are distinct disadvantages to going for absolutely minimal weight in 357, 41 or 44mags--a SP101 or snub Security Six/GP makes sense since they are substantial guns--airweight Smiths are punishing. If you don't have after market grips that fit your hand well, try those, if it is noise--plugs under muff, also if it is pressure wave--hat and neckkerchiff over face with eye protection

 

[Fishman777]

.357 magnum...

I think that it depends on the gun. I feel comfortable with all of the .357 magnum loads I've shot through my GP100. I use the hogue grips, because I think that they fit me better than the old Ruger-style grips. I haven't shot 180 or 200 grain loads from it, but everything else doesn't seem too bad. The nice thing about the different GP100 grips is that you don't have metal slamming into the web of your hand during recoil.

I struggle with .44 magnum a lot more. .44 magnum can be pretty rough. I bought my .44 magnum for shooting .44 special and the occasionally magnum round, here and there.