recoil 357 vs. 44 special

[jazzman]

Hello to All,
I am relatively new to shooting and have a question concerning recoil. I was reading some reloading books and see that a 44 special firing a 240 grain lead bullet can be loaded to a velocity of around 900 fps with lower pressure than a 357 has. The 357 with a 125 grain bullet has much higher velocity and much much more pressure. Does that mean the recoil would be less in the 44.
I currently am shooting 38 special and am very comfortable with the recoil or lack of and was wondering about the similarities between the 357 and 44. I am concerned that the 357 with its muzzle blast and recoil would be unpleasant to shoot or can it be loaded to be more manageable. Is there something I am missing about this whole pressure thing. Thanks for any help on this matter,
Jazzman

 

[SpiderJohn]

Jazzman,

Check out stevespages.com. Steve has a bunch of firearms related information that you will find interesting as a new shooter.

If you dig around long enough on his site, you will find a formula for free recoil. Plugging in numbers for your 44 and your 357 should yeild the information you are looking for. Pressure is not so much a factor in recoil. It is more about the mass and the speed of the bullet leaving the barrel. The pressure rise causes the movement, but really isn't a factor in and of itself.

In general terms, the weight of the gun is a large factor in the percieved recoil. A 357 round fired from a Ruger SP101 will have a much sharper recoil than the same round fired from a Ruger GP100.

I shoot all three rounds regularly and would (subjectively, of course) place the 44 spl recoil closer to the 357 than the 38, but none of the three are particularly stout. If you are looking for brutal recoil, consider the 480 Ruger, 454 Casull, or the 500 Smith.

PS. Welcome to the Highroad. Read Much. Ask often. Learn when you can.

 

[22luvr]

Also consider....

noise and muzzle flash if you are planning to use the handgun for self-defense. The .357 mag will have considerably more muzzle flash and concussive noise than the .44 spcl.

Regarding an emergency in a darkened, enclosed environment, the muzzle flash out a .357 snub will be considerable to the point of temporary blindness. Also, shooting a .357 in an enclosed space will render you temporarily deaf and may cause permanent hearing loss.

Mind you, in a life-threatening situation, the last thing one thinks about is running for some hearing protection.

my own personal choice for a home defense or glovebox gun would be either a .38 spcl or 44 spcl.

The .44 spcl fires a slower, heavier projectile (less than 1,000 FPS) and the .357 a faster, lighter one (more than 1,000 FPS).

However, for just plain shooting fun, I enjoy blasting away with hot .357 rounds. They really get your attention, if you're into that sort of thing.

 

[Imaginos]

Just to Add confusion

Felt recoil and recoil energy are two different animals.

Recoil energy is a more or less constant product of Newtonian physics.

Felt recoil is what YOU perceive when firing any given gun. It can be moderated by grip material, frame geometry, weapon weight, barrel length, etc.

The 44 Special is pretty much the ballistic twin of the classic 45ACP Military Ball ammo. In my opinion felt recoil is fairly heavy, but it is a slow push instead of the "hard snap" I feel when shooting .357.

I have trained many new shooters with 38, 357, 44 Special and Magnum, and 45 ACP. The first thing I did was select a gun that was good and comfortable in their hand before any live ammo was introduced.

I start with the "Special" loads, and after the newbie is getting consistent hits, I will OFFER a cylinder of magnums. If the offer is accepted, and the newbie does not show signs of flinching after magnum #1, then he has his choice of what he wants to shoot. If he flinches, we go back to Specials.

I think both of your rounds are easily manageable. I agree with 22luvr that the 357 is going to be a real thunderclap indoors, but the selection of good defensive ammo is not nearly as wide in 44 Special.

 

[Marshall]

I have both. In simple terms, yes, the .357 kicks harder than the .44 Special in like guns.

 

[Majic]

The real advantage to reloading is you can load any round to be a real powder puff or till it strains the firearm you shoot it in plus anywhere in between those two. You have control of how much pressure you want to generate.

 

[Z_Infidel]

The replies already posted are excellent, so I'll just add one tidbit that is totally subjective. I like the looks and balance of revolvers that have a half-shroud under the barrel and most of my revolvers (I'm a big fan of the .44 Special) are of this design. But for shooting magnums I find that guns with a full underlug beneath the barrel help reduce the muzzle rise associated with the sharp snap of the magnum and allow you to get back on target more quickly. For that reason a full-underlug GP100 or a S&W 586/686 are good choices for shooting magnum ammo. Again, this is subjective and represents one man's opinion.

 

[Malamute]

I'll throw my opinion in also.

I feel the 357 has a sharper, and stronger recoil than the 44 spl in similar weight guns. The biggest difference for me is the muzzle blast. I absolutely HATE the sharp, earsplitting muzzle blast of the 357. I would rather shoot 44 magnums if muzzle blast is the comparative criteria. I have serious hearing damage, and the 357 even with plugs and muffs leaves my ears ringing after shooting. My guns have 4" barrels. For about the same weight gun as the 586 model Smith, I can shoot the 44 spl, and have far less muzzle blast, and more flexibilty in being able to use a more powerful load than a 357 can muster. If using the 44 spl in a 44 mag gun, then the flexibilty point is magnified greatly. the 44 is much more useful in my opinion.

For me, it is not even close. The 44 is the way to go. I could live very happily with no 357 around. I very rarely shoot the ones I have.

 

[sgt127]

I carry a 3" 65 .357 quite a bit. I use 158 GR Lead Semiwadcuter full house magnums. It has a very sharp recoil and an ear splitting crack....it also has alot of horsepower coming out the other end. My other favorite carry gun is a 696 loaded with Black Hills 250 GR Lead Semiwadcutters in .44 Special. A very firm push from the recoil and a boom that sounds like a mortor being fired compared to the .357. Honestly, firing full house magnums out of a less then 4 inch barrel hurts and, I can actually feel the pressure in my sinus cavities. I'm not sure anything on the receiving end would notice the difference...whatever the .44 is lacking in velocity it makes up for in sheer mass. Both will penetrate very deep and I;m beginning to think that trumps expansion. That and the .44 Special is a classy round.....