Sorry, but don’t see the draw of the 357 MAG

[LeftyRed]

I normally just shoot 38 specials because for me, I like Snubbies and short barrel revolvers. Too many 70s detective shows growing up I guess. And if I really want some power, I step up the the 44 or 41 mags.

With that said, lighten up Francis, cause I just bought two 357 mags. LOL Haven’t seen a non Taurus of CA 357 in the stores in forever, well over two years now. Well, walked into my LGS and they had just gotten in a Kimber DASA K6 2” in 357 mag. I have only seen them in 38 Special, and I would have bought it too! So was a no brainer couple of not used pistols and cash for it. Expensive, but worth it. Regretted trading off mine due to it being too pretty to carry. But that was the DAO version. I have some FO sights and Hogue grips on order. Also ordered some Combat grips that they sell for the DASA version. Will see which one ends up on it.

And while I was filling out paperwork for the Kimber, I saw a Ruger GP100 in the case. It also was just put out and it was a 4” 7 shot. Tight lock up, well finished, and solid. This one must have slipped thru the gorillas hands that Ruger has assembling their firearms these days, cause it’s nice. Sure it will blow apart after four rounds of 38 WCs, but……all together now….Ruger will make it right! Anyways, it’s in layaway. Last one of these I saw was a 6” along time ago. Love the changeable FO front sight. Already have a white out blade for the back. Will have to order some grip inserts from Chigg’s for it.

Here is the mandatory picture of the K6, with a wonderful IWB holster I got somewhere for $35. When I get the grips here next week, will post more.

View attachment 1084570

 

[stonebuster]

Only two? How many 357s would you have bought if you DID see the draw of the 357?

 

[LeftyRed]

Only two? How many 357s would you have bought if you DID see the draw of the 357?

Wife just had a Maine Coon Cat hand delivered from Russia last night. Want to guess how much that was? LOL
So when she take some money out the kennel funds, I get some.
I would have bought another K6 in 3-4” or a SW686+ I’d they had one. Just to show SW some love. Don’t want them thinking I just want them for their Airweights. LOL

 

[mcb]

I am also not a fan of 357 Magnum, I also own two 357 Mag revolvers. One is my first center handgun I bought myself after school. A Ruger Blackhawk convertible. It's only had a couple boxes of 357 Mag through it. It has had far more 9mm fired in it than 357 Magnum and more 38 Special than anything. Bought it to hunt with but only did a season or two and then got distracted by other things. It mostly rides the back of the gun safe. My second 357 was bough years later and is a S&W 627, 8-shot 357 Mag. This revolver has had less than a box of 357 Mag through it. It was brough primarily as a USPSA competition handgun and has pretty much seen nothing but hot loaded 38 Short Colt.




357 Magnum, jack of all trades, master of none.

 

[edwardware]

So you do liked .357Magnums. . . you just don't feel the need to turn on the nitrous very often.

I for one enjoy the BOOM.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I’m in this camp as well. Not so much for revolvers, though I divested myself of all my .357 bore revolvers several years back in favor of .429 or larger ones.

My main lack of interest is in 357 Mag is in rifles and carbines. They seem extremely popular though. I can’t see why. There are better choices for hunting and plinking. I get it if a few folks would rather use a 357 rifle for hunting but there seems to be a virulent army of folks who obsess over 357s in rifle or PCC form.

The response always seems to be “they are just too much fun”. A good enough reason to be sure but I have a lot of fun and hunting utility with my 44 or 45 Colt.

I am thinking this is a phenomenon of more shooters than hunters.

 

[375supermag]

Why hate on the. 357Magnum???
It is an effective self defense round, accurate target round and useful for hunting small to medium game and varmints and in experienced hands can be used to hunt big game.
Myself, I only own about eight presently with a three screw BlackHawk on layaway at a LGS. I obviously didn't need another .357Magnum revolver but the price was ridiculously cheap for these days($375) and it looks to have been fired very little.

Reloading for the .357Magnum is fairly inexpensive and provides an impressive range of velocities and energy with various bullet types and weights depending on intended use.
I find the .357Magnum to be a good balance of power, recoil, accuracy and terminal performance in a fairly light weight revolver.
I don't worry much about the noise factor as I shoot with electronic muffs.

I am not saying it is my favorite handgun caliber but my shooting sessions usually start with .357Magnum and then I transition up through the bigger bore handguns, but I do shoot thousands of rounds of .357Magnum every year. That is also true of most handgun calibers...I like shooting handguns a lot.

 

[mcb]

Why hate on the. 357Magnum???
It is an effective self defense round, accurate target round and useful for hunting small to medium game and varmints and in experienced hands can be used to hunt big game.
Myself, I only own about eight presently with a three screw BlackHawk on layaway at a LGS. I obviously didn't need another .357Magnum revolver but the price was ridiculously cheap for these days($375) and it looks to have been fired very little.

Reloading for the .357Magnum is fairly inexpensive and provides an impressive range of velocities and energy with various bullet types and weights depending on intended use.
I find the .357Magnum to be a good balance of power, recoil, accuracy and terminal performance in a fairly light weight revolver.
I don't worry much about the noise factor as I shoot with electronic muffs.

I am not saying it is my favorite handgun caliber but my shooting sessions usually start with .357Magnum and then I transition up through the bigger bore handguns, but I do shoot thousands of rounds of .357Magnum every year. That is also true of most handgun calibers...I like shooting handguns a lot.

Mostly because for any particular job I might employ a revolver for I have a revolver chambered in a cartridge better suited for that job than 357 Mag. If I could only afford one revolver 357 Magnum would not be a bad choice but for most activities I personally use a revolver for I find other cartridges do the job better.

 

[tubeshooter]

I hate the noise of .357, but I love the versatility.
Mine mostly see .38 Special.

My best friend is the opposite; loves the loud report.
I guess he feels that it says "serious business".

In a carbine, .357 is pleasant and mild. Especially with .38 Special.
I don't think it's biggest fans are the hunting crowd.
Enjoyable for a lot of the same reasons cowboy .45 Colt would be.
Just a lot cheaper to feed off the shelf...

A short range proposition to be sure, but if you aren't shooting anything much more than targets or maybe smallish game it can fit the bill.


Is a .357 carbine worth what they are asking nowadays?
That's debatable; for a serious hunter, probably not.
I think they are here to stay though.
Enough market appears to exist to support them.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Only two? How many 357s would you have bought if you DID see the draw of the 357?

How many?
x=y-1; where x is the number of revolvers purchased and y is the number of revolvers in the shelf. (-1 because I'm not greedy)

 

[Barbaroja]

I have one .357 that hasn’t even had a full box though it (post load development) I shoot a mess of 38spls though. Like others have mentioned if I need to use a revolver for something I have better suited cartridges for the task. I’ll hunt small game with the 38s but if I step up to deer or hog size I’m going to upgrade to the 44 spl or 41 mag.

 

[NorthBorder]

I have only one now. Given to me by my mother-in-law.

All others I have sold or traded away. I did give my son a Henry .357 .

 

[Barbaroja]

I have only one now. Given to me by my mother-in-law.
View attachment 1084604
All others I have sold or traded away. I did give my son a Henry .357 .

Dang. Ok yea that’s a good one

 

[doubleh]

I don't even own a 38 anymore. I'll confess most of what goes out the muzzles of my 357's is only at 38 power but it's still fun to let loose with some of the fire breathing ear splitters now and then. My wife still has a 38 though so I can borrow it if I just have to shoot a real 38.

 

[LeftyRed]

Why hate on the. 357Magnum???
It is an effective self defense round, accurate target round and useful for hunting small to medium game and varmints and in experienced hands can be used to hunt big game.
Myself, I only own about eight presently with a three screw BlackHawk on layaway at a LGS. I obviously didn't need another .357Magnum revolver but the price was ridiculously cheap for these days($375) and it looks to have been fired very little.

Reloading for the .357Magnum is fairly inexpensive and provides an impressive range of velocities and energy with various bullet types and weights depending on intended use.
I find the .357Magnum to be a good balance of power, recoil, accuracy and terminal performance in a fairly light weight revolver.
I don't worry much about the noise factor as I shoot with electronic muffs.

I am not saying it is my favorite handgun caliber but my shooting sessions usually start with .357Magnum and then I transition up through the bigger bore handguns, but I do shoot thousands of rounds of .357Magnum every year. That is also true of most handgun calibers...I like shooting handguns a lot.

No hate, just putting it in its place. For my applications I use a 35 caliber for, it’s just a lot of noise and flash out of a snubbie. Don’t need to impress anyone, so I use 38s. Or more like the T Loads +p+ The Treasury Dept issued loaded in 357 cases. Pushes a DEWC hard, yet very controllable in a heavier snub like the K6. Will be my carry round, probably.

And mid level loads of the 44 or 41 mags is just as good, I would argue better, than the higher end 357 loads. Plus you really need a long barrel to get everything out of a 357. In a 10” TC, the 357 really shines. Out of <6” revolver, it lacks where the bigger bore excel.

So why the GP100 if I’m so down on the 357 mag? I really like the pistol. And the 357 is a good caliber, especially at the mid level loads. Plus it allows me to use my Treasury Loads in a stronger pistol. Cause I don’t want to accidentally shoot one of those in my Airweights…again. So those loads will be in 357 cases, and not a 38 case. But my 41 mag BH is the same size as a 357 BH, and will do everything the 357 will do, plus alot more. And really thinking of getting a SW69 and just leaving the 41 mag behind as well.

But I can’t fault anyone for using the 357. I just have more of a refined taste I guess.
Seriously, Would be hard to choose something else if brown bear wasn’t a threat. But then it would only be used for 38s 99% of the time. So no need to defend the 357, and yes the title of the thread was click bait. Wish I could know who was POed when they was reading the OP. LOL

 

[LeftyRed]

I don't even own a 38 anymore. I'll confess most of what goes out the muzzles of my 357's is only at 38 power but it's still fun to let loose with some of the fire breathing ear splitters now and then. My wife still has a 38 though so I can borrow it if I just have to shoot a real 38.

Smart way to do it! And what I plan on doing with theses. I still have my lighter Airweights in 38sp for pocket carry and barn work. Not making the K6 a knock around pistol yet. LOL

 

[Barbaroja]

But my 41 mag BH is the same size as a 357 BH, and will do everything the 357 will do, plus alot more. And really thinking of getting a SW69 and just leaving the 41 mag behind as well.

I’m with you on this (except I’d not leave the 41 behind) that model 69 looks mighty nice. Would make a great 44spl

 

[defjon]

I agree, if it need a magnum revolver I'd rather a 44 or 41.

That said I don't own either of the above anymore and I have a couple 357s. Hipocracy knows no bounds!

Im not set up to reload at the moment so most of my 357s will see 38s.

But, it is nice to have the option when traveling to the back country middle of nowhere cabin to be able to load up some 180 grain hardcast 357s for a little piece of mind.

 

[Rock185]

I don't like .357s either,....much

 

[SwampWolf]

A .357 Magnum is one of those rare treats in life: you can have your cake and eat it too! High power to low power and everything in-between-all in the same package.

 

[Armybrat]

Always somebody pooping on something.
I swear, some of y’all probably don’t like puppies and Jesus.

Ain’t a darn thing wrong with the versitile .357 for those who have applications for it.
I’m down to my last two….

 

[stonebuster]

No hate, just putting it in its place. For my applications I use a 35 caliber for, it’s just a lot of noise and flash out of a snubbie. Don’t need to impress anyone, so I use 38s. Or more like the T Loads +p+ The Treasury Dept issued loaded in 357 cases. Pushes a DEWC hard, yet very controllable in a heavier snub like the K6. Will be my carry round, probably.

And mid level loads of the 44 or 41 mags is just as good, I would argue better, than the higher end 357 loads. Plus you really need a long barrel to get everything out of a 357. In a 10” TC, the 357 really shines. Out of <6” revolver, it lacks where the bigger bore excel.

So why the GP100 if I’m so down on the 357 mag? I really like the pistol. And the 357 is a good caliber, especially at the mid level loads. Plus it allows me to use my Treasury Loads in a stronger pistol. Cause I don’t want to accidentally shoot one of those in my Airweights…again. So those loads will be in 357 cases, and not a 38 case. But my 41 mag BH is the same size as a 357 BH, and will do everything the 357 will do, plus alot more. And really thinking of getting a SW69 and just leaving the 41 mag behind as well.

But I can’t fault anyone for using the 357. I just have more of a refined taste I guess.
Seriously, Would be hard to choose something else if brown bear wasn’t a threat. But then it would only be used for 38s 99% of the time. So no need to defend the 357, and yes the title of the thread was click bait. Wish I could know who was POed when they was reading the OP. LOL

Scratch me off the POed suspect list. My .357 herd and I are not offended by differing tastes even though they seem to be "drawn" to me and I couldn't refuse them a home.

 

[SDGlock23]

There's just something about the 357 Mag for me, I admit that I don't need it, my .44's are more powerful, but I just simply like the 357 Mag. It's loud, it doesn't kick too bad from normal sized guns and I'd have to say I consider it to be more of a "social" magnum, meaning it's best for 2 legged threats. But it can be loaded hot enough for woods work too, it's quite a versatile cartridge.

 

[LaneP]

I've always liked the .357. For me the practical bullet weights start at 125gr and go up through 200gr. My first was a Ruger Security Six bought in 1982 with a 2-3/4" bbl. Years later I mailed it back to Ruger to have a 6" bbl installed. It can punch out 125gr JHP getting close to 1700 fps territory. That's some significant impact power.

 

[Slamfire]

This is a potent pistol in a small package.



These K frame pistols were on just about every LEO, except those whom the Department required 38 Specials.

While I do not consider a 357 Magnum a plinking round, the weight of this N frame really helps delay the flinch



And then, the full length lug on the barrel on this M686 really tames the recoil




I know I have shot at least three to five 38 Special rounds to every 357 Magnum



but still, the 357 Magnum is accurate (loud!) and hits the steel target (like now!) with a lot of power.

I took this out to the range this month, and was able to keep it, with 158 grain LRN and 15.5 grs H110, on the repair center of the 25 yard NRA target. And it was fun to shoot!




When the 357 Magnum was introduced in 1935, it was a big, powerful round. There are larger, but so what. I enjoy my 357 Magnums for what they are.