my 357 or my 44 Special?

[JJHACK]

Having seen a lot of black bears shot with both 44's and 357's, there is no question that the .44 bullets rock them with significant force. I've seen them run a long way after a 357 hit. Don't recall ever seeing them handle a big 44 bullet as well. Hard cast flat point 240-260 grain bullets disrupt massive amounts of tissue. They also nearly all exit. The 357 bullets rarely exit.

I would be packing the .44 in every case I can imagine

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I'd take the Ruger over a Rossi or Taurus any day of the week. If you can handle the .357 that's the way to go. Even from a short barrel with the right load it's a very powerful round. RC is spot on as usual, it will make your ears ring, maybe for the rest of your life.

 

[CopperFouling]

The one time that I took a shot with a .38 Special, wearing no hearing protection, my ears rang for a quarter hour afterward. I cannot fathom what a .357 Magnum at supersonic velocities, especially from a shorter (under 6") barrel would sound like without hearing protection.

I am not trying to suggest that that's necessarily the most important factor in choosing the round. But it might be the case that such a massive flash and crack from a .357 might cause trigger flinch without hearing protection. Maybe not, of course, but given that both are fairly effective, I'd choose the subsonic one.

 

[DM~]

Having seen a lot of black bears shot with both 44's and 357's, there is no question that the .44 bullets rock them with significant force. I've seen them run a long way after a 357 hit. Don't recall ever seeing them handle a big 44 bullet as well. Hard cast flat point 240-260 grain bullets disrupt massive amounts of tissue. They also nearly all exit. The 357 bullets rarely exit.

I would be packing the .44 in every case I can imagine

Are you saying you've seen a lot of blk bears shot with 44 spl's?? That's a 250 grain bullet at around 900fps?? OR are you talking about a 44 bullet at 44 MAGNUM velocities???

I've shot a lot of big game with a 44-250 at 1,350fps, and it does a LOT more damage than 44 spl. and of course, it's a LOT more than a 357 mag. too.

I've seen 44 spl. factory loads bounce off a dry oak board on a pallet at 50 yards, and every 357 mag. factory load i shot at the same pallet, went right on through, as did the above 44 mag. loads...

DM

 

[CraigC]

How many times you guys going to shoot someone in your house?? Once a week? Once a month?? Once a year??

Once is enough and all the reasons stated are enough for me to disregard the .357. You are certainly free to choose differently. Like I said, I'm not quite 40yrs old and FOR ME, that is far too young to spend the rest of my life either nearly deaf or with tinnitus worse that it already is.

I've seen 44 spl. factory loads bounce off a dry oak board on a pallet at 50 yards...

Factory .44Spl loads are a joke and always have been.

 

[Detachment Charlie]

I love my .45ACPs and have a flock of them. However, I find my .44Spl., 2" Charter Arms Pug, 5 shot an ideal carry piece for unexpected social encounters. I load. My own with either a premium heavy JHP or. A heavy LSWC. The exterior. Ballistics on these are very close to a .45ACP.
YMMV
Seriously, at 10' the bad guy is not going to be able to tell the difference. And, as always, where. You shoot him is much more important than what you shoot him with, 12 ga. Slugs and .500 Nitro Express excepted.

 

[Ash]

A single shooting in an emergency isn't going to make you deaf.

 

[35 Whelen]

If a .357 sounded like an air rifle and a .44 Special like a 50 BMG, I'd still use the .44. When you're trying to hurt someone or something, a bigger hole is always better.

35W

 

[CraigC]

A single shooting in an emergency isn't going to make you deaf.

A single shot with a .357 revolver in an enclosed space can certainly cause permanent hearing damage. Like I said, my ears ring enough already and I don't want to spend the rest of my life with the tinnitus any worse because some scumbag broke into my house.....again. If you want to use it, fine. I choose not to for myriad reasons and unlike many with an opinion on self defense cartridges, I know what they do to flesh.

 

[Paladin7]

Depends on your perceived threat scenario...

The 357 is an awesome SD caliber when loaded with 125 gr Semi Jacketed Hollow Points, but noise and flash are a major issue. If your perceived threat scenario includes you shooting in a confined space (room in your house, or in your car) or in low/no light, then I would strongly recommend the 44 Special.

The 44 Special with 200gr Gold Dot Hollow Points meant to expand violently at 44 Special velocities, esp. out of short barrels, is a very effective round with less muzzle flash and noise than the 357 in defensive loads.

My preference is the 44 Special for the reasons stated above.