Going Magnum - .44 or .357??

[george29]

No magnum shoots finer then the .41 but for versatility you need to go Ruger Blackhawk Convertible. They make a .357 / .38 that shoots 9mm, a .22mag that shoots LR and a .45 LC that shoots ACP. All .44 mags shoot specials.

 

[Fishman777]

.357 magnum all the way, unless...

I would favor the .357 magnum, unless you really, really need the extra firepower for hunting or Bear protection (not that handguns are ideal for that purpose, but hard-cast, heavy .44 magnum loads can do the job *if* you can hit the mark).

.44 magnum revolvers are incredibly versatile, but I wouldn't recommend getting a .44 magnum revolver unless you reload. I don't reload, and I don't shoot my .44 magnum revolver as much as I would like to. If you need to scratch that revolver itch, I'd start with a .357 magnum and work your way up.

 

[Meeteetse]

One consideration might be the availability of ammo. I know both the .357 and .44 are pretty common, but I have been in small shops in small towns that did not carry a supply of .44's. Maybe that was just an odd situation, but you might keep it in mind.

I have both calibers and both have their place. Personally I've always thought of myself as a .44 type of guy, but I'm never very far from a .357. I happen to like single action guns and my Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks are fun to shoot and not bad to pack in the woods. Especially with short barrels.

If I were starting over, I would probably go with .22 LR and .44 mags., and forget everything else.

 

[Loomis]

I have a thing about trigger to bore center line distances. The higher the bore is from your trigger finger, the more leverage the recoil has against your wrist. Because of this, I shun revolvers with big cylinders. I like 5 shot revolvers.

I would suggest you take a look at a smith&wesson model 60 revolver with a long barrel.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...selected=tech&isFirearm=Y&parent_category_rn=