the 357's horrible recoil

[Action_Can_Do]

Hello everyone. My question is just what is going on with all the people I'm seeing on this forum and others who are talking about the terrible recoil of the 357 magnum? I remember a post not too long ago where someone criticized someone else for buying his wife a 357 for self-defense. I also remember a poster criticizing another poster for using a 357 magnum to teach a first time shooter
Am I missing something? Are the 357 loads outside of Pa heavier than the ones in Pa? I took my sister shooting for the first time when she was 15 years old. She weighs less then 100lbs. Since it was sort of an impulsive trip, and she asked to come along at the last minute, all I had with me was my 12 gauge and my 357 magnum. A friend coming along brought his 45acp. She enjoyed firing my 357 quite a bit. The load was a 158 grain hunting round. She didn't like the 45acp (she was holding it improperly and the slide got her) and she really didn't like the 12 gauge. Since then whenever she comes along, she always asks to shoot the 357 magnum. And for having gone shooting less than a half dozen times, she's a pretty good shot.
So why are grown men (who I assume weigh more than my sister) complaining about the Awesome Recoil of the 357 magnum. IMHO if you can't handle a 357 you probably can't handle a 38 special or 9mm and you certainly can't handle a 45.

 

[cookekdjr]

.357 recoil varies greatly, and is dependant upon the handgun used as much as the particular ammunition used.
A relatively light .357 load fired from a light-weight alloy revolver can be quite painful to the shooter. OTOH, shooting a much more powerful heavy load from a Ruger Blackhawk can be a walk in the park. In the middle would be smaller steel handguns like the Ruger sp101.
I know I've enjoyed firing the sp101, and I never fired a load from a Blackhawk that stung my hand even a little. But shooting even light .38 loads from a S&W alloy j-frame hurt quite a bit.
Just my experience, but I bet alot folks have had the same one.
-David

 

[torpid]

The recoil of a 145 grain .357 from a 2 1/2" snubby stripped the skin and muscle from my arms to the bone all the way up to my elbows.

(Disclaimer: above statement may contain factual errors)

 

[BulletFan]

I think the posts you may be referring to are in reference to a self defense situation. I don't think there are any men (or women) on this forum that would actually complain about the recoil of a .357, it's just not exactly a perfect all around cartridge for self defense situations, especially in cases in which the shooter is not exactly a pro. A .357 in the hands of a stressed, shakey lite weight would be less effective than the more controlable .38.
In self defense, you need as much control of the situation you can get, adding recoil that is not easy to manage would just worsen an already aweful situation.

$.02

 

[ArmedBear]

It all depends.

.357 in a SAA clone? Pussycat round. I'd hand mine to almost anyone, with a 4 5/8" barrel at that.

.357 in a 4" 686? A bit snappy, and can bat the web of your hand a bit. Not the first gun I'd hand someone. A 6" 686, though, is no problem. 2" of barrel make a world of difference in a gun with a S&W's balance, because of recoil velocity.

.357 in an Airweight? Fun for a few cylinders, but can leave a swollen hand and sore wrist the next day if you shoot a whole box. Not recommended for anyone without handgun experience and a good attitude.

 

[mete]

You have to learn to handle recoil.It's much better to start with light loads then work up to full .For the 357 start with [for a new shooter] target 38s , then full 38s then 357s....For those interested in history. The 357 came out in 1935 in the S&W N frame. Some said it should be used only by the biggest and strongest men !!! Then smaller framed 357s were made .Then we introduced the 44 mag , then other bigger cartridges .Teach the new shooter properly, ear and eye protection, how to hold the gun, how to stand properly.

 

[steelhead]

Not everyone is enthusiastic about shooting. First timers can be put off by a bad experience. Shooting .22's or .38's allows the "this isn't so bad and kinda fun" factor to develop. Some can jump right in - most can't or at least shouldn't.

As the others have said, it also depends on what the launcher is. Shooting 357's out of my Taurus 627SS4 is like shooting 38's. Even Buffalo Bore 180 grainers are comfortable. Switch to my 640-1 and the 357's start to be felt but are still tolerable for extended shooting. Move down to a Scandalium and I'll pass after a couple cylinders.

You didn't mention the make/model but odds are your sister shot the .357's out of a revolver that had at least a 4 inch barrel and weighed more than 34oz. (most likely it was over 40oz and had a 6 inch tube). Had it been a J frame size revolver (SS/Airwieght/Ultralight) the story would have turned out different.

 

[foghornl]

Some of the super-hot monster-zombie butt-stomper loads in those ultra-light-tanium (16 oz empty weight or less)...not for me.

Now, a very lightly loaded "Cowboy Action" type round in something heavier, similar to say a long-barreled Ruger Vaquero/Blackhawk? no problem...blast away all day. I have...once I ran 350 "Cowboy Action" loads through my Vaquero. It took me all afternoon, but it was a FUN DAY.

With all the different .357Mag revolvers/ammo combinations, you CAN find something you like that works well.

Plus, there are some VERY lightly loaded .38Spl rounds....sometimes called "Rodent Flatulence" loads

 

[bakert]

My wfe is a small woman and not knowing about the terrible recoil of the .357 when she first started shooting my S&W 66, she just kept on shooting and loving it. It did have Pachmyar grips and maybe that helped. But then she shot a few of the smaller, lighter versions. DAMN!! She even dislikes the very small frame .38s like my Taurus 85 but still loves that K frame Smith.

 

[HankB]

It depends on the gun.

I have a 340SC, and even with rubber grips find the recoil a full power .357 to be rather unpleasant out of that gun.

Switch to a 4" 686, and things change - you know you've fired something serious, but it's not abusive in the least.

Switch to a 5" or 6" N-frame, and it's a pussycat.

 

[ArmedBear]

It's important to remember that a gun's balance and geometry, not just length and weight, have a significant effect on felt recoil. Gun fit can be personal, too.

Want to get a good demonstration of that?

Grab a 12 Gauge Over/Under shotgun and some field loads.

Shoot a round of trap from the upper barrel only.

Then shoot a round of trap from the lower barrel only.

You might be surprised at the difference.

 

[Redneck with a 40]

I have a Taurus Tracker 357 magnum with the ported barrel. Shooting this gun is a delight even with full power loads, its like shooting a hot .38. The ported barrel makes all the difference in the world. I can even handle my dad's Tracker 41 magnum, because its ported. I think I'd pass on shooting a non-ported 41 mag.

 

[TimboKhan]

Armedbear makes a really good point. I have, in the past, chided people for moaning over .357 recoil. I have shot .357 in a variety of guns and never found it to be discomforting. That is, until I shot a Ladysmith my dad bought. That gun was no bigger than the Taurus 605 that I use as my CCW piece, but thanks to the grips and to the light weight of the gun, about 3 cylinders full was all I cared to take.

 

[bpisler]

Grips can make a would of difference in the felt
recoil someone feels.I tried the UM grips that
came on my magnum J frame,after 10 rounds
of Fed 125gr 357's my hand hurt.I switched
to Hogue's and the problem went away,the
UM's do work quite well on my 642-2.

 

[miko]

I shot 125 grain 357 out of 12 ounce AirLite 340 with Bantam (uncovered backstrap) grip. Twice. Nobody would do it for fun.

But I am seriously considering carying it. I am not a "fast shooter" anyway - will probably not shoot second time until I see the effect of the first round. So I might as well make that round a 357.

miko

 

[orionengnr]

yeah, PA stud man (action can do)

Borrow yourself an 11 oz S&W 340 or 360, load it up with 1450 fps Federal C357B loads and let 'er rip. Only 20 rounds in that box, hey, that's only four cylinders full....get back to me when the box is empty.

Bet your response is typed with your left hand.

Of course, the same load in my 4" M66 is no problem.

Capisce?

And BTW, the Speer 135 gr Gold Dot +p short barrel round is what I shoot out of mt 340.

 

[gazpacho]

miko,

Try Speer's Gold Dot 135gr Short Barrel 38 Special in your 340PD. I find it has plenty of pop, and the recoil is just inside of managable. I can't fire 5rnds of 357 in 8 seconds from my 340PD and keep all 5 shots inside of the 8 ring at 5 yards.

 

[Ichiro]

Yeah. It depends on the round, and it depends on the gun. .357 is no biggie, unless you're shooting an Airweight or lighter.

Some .357 rounds can be scary, because they're so freaking loud! Get used to it and it's no big deal, as long as the gun is suitable for the power.

My 6'8" 450lb. former lineman friend could not handle some of my .357 loads, preferring instead to shoot one of my .22s while still managing to control his flinch only part of the time.

On the other hand, my 2'7", 35lb. niece, who loves coloring books and teddy bears, can shoot full-power .357s rapid fire with one hand without even blinking.

Go figure

~Ichiro

 

[Deaf Smith]

I've shot 125gr Federal .357 magnum loads from my Smith 340PD. Now they sting a might, and I sure would not go 50 rounds of that stuff at one sitting, but 'horrable'? No.

If you want horrable, get a Smith TI .44 magnum and fire full Buffalo Bore .44 magnums out of it (that is, if you can hold on for more than one shot.)

Now from a full L frame Smith, the full house .357s aint bad at all. Makes a real good defense load. From the 2 1/2 K frame M66, it does kick a might. And of course, I've told you about my 2 inch 340PD...

There are far worse kicking guns than .357s out there.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

It has been a long time since I shot a .357 Magnum. Last time I shot one was when I was about 10. My uncle had a 6" barreled S&W that he let my younger brother and I shoot a couple cylinders through. I really can't remember much about the ammo, just that I had a blast and when I look up with that big smile on my face, my uncle said "There, now you've shot a .357 Magnum." The next time I had a smile like that on my face because of a gun was the first time I ran a mag full of Double Taps through my Glock 20. People give the 10mm Auto the same grief they give the .357 Magnum, because they are ballistically almost identical. But I've seen a 16 year old girl do just fine with the Glock and Double Taps. The .357 Magnum and 10mm Auto both may be near the top end of what would be suitable for self defense, but they can both be tamed with practice and employed very effectively.

 

[Cousin Mike]

I agree with the PA stud man

...but maybe we're just bred a little tougher up here in the Mid-Atlantic states.

First time I shot a gun was a .357 Magnum, at the tender age of 12 - at around 5'3 and 110lbs. Since then, I've turned into a 6-foot something 250 pounder - and now at the age of 26, I am craving my own .357 Magnum, which I will probably purchase tomorrow.

Next, of course, is a .44 Magnum.

My girlfriend - a relatively new shooter - wants a Ladysmith of her own in .357 Magnum, and wants to rent a .44 Magnum next time we go to the range. She's 5'4, and about 135 lbs. Recoil, noise, flash, bang, these are selling points to her, nothing for anyone to be scared of. Her attitude is that if it can drop a 1000lb. wild animal, then she's confident that it can take care of a 300lb. cocaine crazed meth-monkey, should she ever need it to.

When I asked her, "Well, what if it's too much for you?"

Her reply...

"If it hurts to shoot it, I'll get used to it and learn to love it... but that's what I want to carry."

Can't say I find fault with that logic.

 

[miko]

miko,
Try Speer's Gold Dot 135gr Short Barrel 38 Special in your 340PD. I find it has plenty of pop, and the recoil is just inside of managable. I can't fire 5rnds of 357 in 8 seconds from my 340PD and keep all 5 shots inside of the 8 ring at 5 yards.

I have a dozen boxes of 38 Sp +P+ 147gr Hydra-Shok JHP High Vel.
(Federal #P38HS2G 50 rds/box)
According to mfg specks it produces MV 900 fps, ME 265 ft-lbs (4”-V barrel)

It is more manageable than 357 and I am currently carrying that in 340 but I strongly believe that anything worth shooting is worth shooting with a 357.

miko

 

[TexasRifleman]

.357 in an Airweight? Fun for a few cylinders, but can leave a swollen hand and sore wrist the next day if you shoot a whole box. Not recommended for anyone without handgun experience and a good attitude.

Fun? Fun? You sir have a twisted idea of what is fun

 

[sgt127]

Many years of shooting the full house .357's .41's and .44's have beat the crap out of my hand. I carried a Model 58 .41 Magnum for years. It was always a hard recoiling gun.

Now, I can barely get 6 rounds out of a K frame Smith in full house loads without pain. (Rubber backstrap grips help alot. I can shoot a hundred rounds or so without crying.)

There is one particular spot, just to the right of the web of my right hand, between the thumb and index finger, that gets hammered with full house loads.

So, I got a Sig 239 in .357 Sig. No problem. It recoils into a different spot, the slide soaks up some of the recoil, life is good. And, I get a hard hitting round...and, two extra shots over the 3" 65.

 

[rustymaggot]

i was 9 years old when my dad took me out shooting for the first time. ruger blackhawk. i was easily hitting coke cans at 25 feet or so. ive fired lightweight guns since then and they do kick alot worse. my dads old ruger was very manegable.