The .38/.357 is ideal isn't it???

Status
Not open for further replies.
My 632 Pro, chambered for .327 Fed Magnum, will also discharge .32 H&RM, .32 S&WL, .32 S&W, and .32 ACP. Go from 115gr GDJHPs @ ~1,360 fps down to 60gr LRN @ ~620 fps! None of those calibers were available at WallyWorld, the last time I looked. Even LGS stock is low and pricey. I reload - .38/.357M lead, etc, is far easier to find - and WallyWorld carries it loaded, too. Yeah, .38/.357M still has a lot in it's favor. Of course, .22 LR is pretty effective - 550 packs of plinkers <$18. Even the effective CCI Stingers are <$6/50. Of course, you must first get over the irrational fear of marauding gangs of feral cast iron engine blocks! Those 'Transformer' movies weren't based on reality. Now, Zombies, that's another story!

Stainz
 
I started handloading 38/357 about 30 years ago and thought at the time that 90% of handgunners would never need anything more; it's got the bases covered. The only CF handgun I had at the time was a Python.

Fast forward to today. I've got a lot more and have tried and spent more on handguns than I like to think about. There was a lot that I 'liked' but little that was necessary.

Now, coming back to 38/357, I realize I never really needed anything more. From pocket carry to deer hunting, 38/357 will do it.
 
The problem with the .327 is two-fold. Firstly, that it was introduced and marketed only as a self defense round. It should've been available in K-frames and Single Sixes from the start. Secondly, that most shooters are too closed minded to realize what potential it has. That and apparently most aren't outdoorsmen.


Someone said ideal so I thought we were talking about .44 special
Click to expand...
+1 :D
 
you can get set up to reload a lot cheaper than that, you can get a starter kit with everything you need for around $125
 
ljnowell said:
Yeah, whats your point?
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=288
Click to expand...

My original point was that if you compare non +p 38 special and 380 they have very similar energies. Of course the discussion then went into +p which is much more of a gray area since the pressures aren't as well defined. Loaded to 357 magnum pressures the 38 special is going to be more powerful than 380, but at that point I'm not sure it's a fair comparison. I'd be curious to know what the pressure on that Buffalo Bore ammo is. Doubt it's within SAAMI spec considering the velocity is equal to my max load 357 ammo.
 
My original point was that if you compare non +p 38 special and 380 they have very similar energies. Of course the discussion then went into +p which is much more of a gray area since the pressures aren't as well defined. Loaded to 357 magnum pressures the 38 special is going to be more powerful than 380, but at that point I'm not sure it's a fair comparison. I'd be curious to know what the pressure on that Buffalo Bore ammo is. Doubt it's within SAAMI spec considering the velocity is equal to my max load 357 ammo.
Click to expand...

I was pointing out that when hotrodded the 38 will win. Also, ft lbs of energy isnt the end all of ammo and performance. Thats something that boutique reloaders have pushed for a long time. The heavy 158gr bullet will outperform the 95gr 380 load in real life on living targets.
 
There is very little that a good .357/38 won't do for me, be it defense, casual shooting, hunting to a degree or interesting guns. That's just my feeling based on what I value in a cartridge, but so far so good.

As a side note, it is a delight to fire either cartridge from a rifle.
 
My original point was that if you compare non +p 38 special and 380 they have very similar energies. Of course the discussion then went into +p which is much more of a gray area since the pressures aren't as well defined. Loaded to 357 magnum pressures the 38 special is going to be more powerful than 380, but at that point I'm not sure it's a fair comparison. I'd be curious to know what the pressure on that Buffalo Bore ammo is. Doubt it's within SAAMI spec considering the velocity is equal to my max load 357 ammo.
Click to expand...
But .38Spl +P is defined by SAAMI at 20,000psi. So unless noted, Buffalo Bore ammo is loaded to a maximum of 20,000psi.

Anybody who thinks a .380 pushing a 90gr at 1025fps is equal to a .38Spl pushing a 158gr at 950fps (standard pressures) needs an education on ballistics. Add 100fps for +P.

IMHO, the .357 is vastly overrated. Unless you're impressed with velocity and energy. :rolleyes:
 
CraigC said:
But .38Spl +P is defined by SAAMI at 20,000psi. So unless noted, Buffalo Bore ammo is loaded to a maximum of 20,000psi.

Anybody who thinks a .380 pushing a 90gr at 1025fps is equal to a .38Spl pushing a 158gr at 950fps (standard pressures) needs an education on ballistics. Add 100fps for +P.

IMHO, the .357 is vastly overrated. Unless you're impressed with velocity and energy. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

In this day and age when you're talking about defensive 38 you're talking about a snub noses revolver

That means 158g bullets closer to 700 fps and 110 closer to 1000

IMO IME this slots 38 right in between 380 and 9mm.

I have a 9mm snubby that I've tested Extensively. 38 spl comes nowhere even close to its level of performance with JHP ammunition 124g gold dots @ 1150 from a 2" bbl. Not even BB can match this level of performance with their $40 a box 38 spl overloads.

38 is what it is and as long as its pedestrian 20k psi SAAMI pressure limit is adhered to it'll never be anything different.
 
I believe that arguements about which is the better performer, the .38 Special, or the .380 auto rank right up there with arguements about which horse is the prettiest at the glue factory.
 
I believe that arguements about which is the better performer, the .38 Special, or the .380 auto rank right up there with arguements about which horse is the prettiest at the glue factory.
Click to expand...

Ok, whatever. I recommend you not be so dismissive of their viability as defensive rounds. They've been around a long time because they still work.
 
Did I dismiss their viability as defensive rounds?

No, I didn't.

They are both at the bottom end of that spectrum, however, and nothing will change this.

Both perform in a similar manner.

Both perform with similar results.

I make an exception for 1930s era .38-44 loads.

But for commonly available ammunition, there just isn't much difference in performance between the 2 cartridges. Choose your platform, that is the bigger difference.
 
Ideal for me? No. I've tried really hard to like the .38/.357, but they just don't do it for me. After having no less than eight DA revolvers, I've finally learned that I just don't like them, and that I can shoot a semiauto much better. Besides that, I find the .357 to generally be too much and the .38 to generally not be enough. For my uses, I enjoy and use 9mm Parabellum. But your experience may vary.
 
When you consider the vast array of factory ammo from ultra-light .38Spl to just-this-side-of-thermonuclear .357 rounds, there is not a lot that isn't covered.

Roll your own ammo, and it just gets better. .44Spl/.44Mag is also very wide-ranging in a bigger bore. I do remember when I first started shooting .44mag (late 1970's) there were only a couple of loads in the Remington ammo listings, a 240-Gr soft-point and a semi-jacketed HP also 240-Gr, and .44Spl in a 246-Gr lead round-nose.
 
I love the .357 and .38 Special and they do a lot of what I need a handgun to do, but whether they're "ideal" depends on what you're trying to do with your handgun.
 
grendelbane said:
Did I dismiss their viability as defensive rounds?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I took your horses at the glue factory reference literally. They would only be there because they're worthless for use as horses.
 
I can see the OP's point. The .38/.357 have a lot of bases covered.

But I also see the point of the .327 Magnum. A light, fast, energetic bullet appears to be very good from a self-defense standpoint, but the .357 simply kicks too hard for many folks - especially in a light revolver. If the .327 truly offers most of the effectiveness of the .357 with significantly less recoil, then it is a very useful cartridge. Of course, that's a very big "if".

It's the other end of the spectrum where the .32s really shine, in my opinion. The .38 with target wadcutter loads is a truly great cartridge - but the .32 Long with target wadcutter loads is better in every way, and is absolutely perfect for that niche, as far as I am concerned. I only wish good target revolvers in the caliber were more widely available.
 
While the .357 is hard to beat as an all around versatile handgun, where I live it falls short of some of the hunting tasks it could be called upon for.
 
It's interesting that those who dismiss a particular caliber as ineffective for SD rarely volunteer to stand in front of one. ;)

Two things make me want a .327 Magnum: 1) I don't have one, and 2) serious cool factor.

Could I get along with only .38/.357? Probably. Do I want to? No. Would I give up my .38/.357s? No way. I've at times carried a .22 loaded with CCI Stingers for SD, and I've at times felt I would need something north of a Remington 870 loaded with 12g slugs. Nothing is going to cover every base. That's why God gave us so many calibers! :D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Z
  • Locked
The .357 Magnum/.38 Special
Replies
16
Views
1K
azyogi
A
Z
  • Locked
Lightweight snubbies
2
Replies
33
Views
2K
5-SHOTS
5-SHOTS
P
  • Locked
38+p in a 357?
Replies
10
Views
629
Scooter72
S
Heir Kommt Die Sonne
  • Locked
Cimarron Richard-Mason 'conversion' worth it?
Replies
24
Views
4K
Jesse Heywood
Jesse Heywood
C
  • Locked
Time for a debate or "Can of Worms" 38's in a 357
2 3 4 5
Replies
101
Views
5K
WalkAbout
W
Back
Top