what caliber do you like and why?

[HelterSkelter]

i was thinking of buying a revolver in a caliber besides my favorite, the .357. i was wondering what calibers were you guys' favorites. i shoot mainly for fun, but i do carry snubbies and small revolvers and was thinking of maybe hunting with one. please tell me what caliber you like the most and why as in accuracy, power, range, etc.. also tell me why you think it would be better than .357, you gotta talk me out of buying another one lol.

 

[XTrooper]

Well, as far as I'm concerned, you already have the right caliber for self-defense.

The .357 Magnum is my favorite self-defense revolver cartridge simply because it has, on countless occasions, proven it can get the job done. It's not by accident that at the peak of the revolver era, it was the undisputed king of calibers among police organizations and individual citizens alike. The .357 is the perfect balance between accuracy, power, and control-ability.

My personal favorite for hunting is the .41 Magnum. It is not quite as powerful as the .44 Magnum, but has a flatter trajectory that I like and find useful.

 

[GP100man]

I shoot mainly 357 , but love the 44 mag , it`s so versatile especially if ya handload !!!

Wish my hands & eyes were younger !!!!

 

[RugerBob]

45s all the way. can load them for power house loads or plinkin loads. Have sevral .45LC and .45acps. Both like lead and jacketed. Since I cast ,it works out very well.

 

[MMCSRET]

My all time favorite is 32. I have several revolvers in various 32 chamberings and a Walther PP in 32 Auto. My 32 chamberings are 32-20 (4), 32 S&W Long (5), 32 Magnum and 327 Magnum. In addition I can shoot 32 S&W in 7 of them. I cast a variety of bullets for them using obsolete Ideal/Lyman molds and several modern Lee and Lyman molds.
For a magnum, my favorite is 41, I have a single action, a double action and a 10" Contender, scoped.

 

[kyletx1911]

MY EDC all 1911s in .45, All day 2 rocks and a colt 80

 

[22-rimfire]

For hunting, it depends on what you are hunting as far as caliber choice. For whitetail deer I like the 41 magnum and the 480 Ruger. Both have better stopping power than the 357 mag. I clearly shoot the 41 mag the best.

357 Mag is a very good general purpose caliber. So, buy what you like.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I like 38 Special most and the 38 special only guns that are out there. I never have messed around too much with the 357s as they tend to be a bit heavy these days. I likes the K frame 357s but those seem to be a thing of the past. Which is strange because there sure seems to be plenty of 357 J frames.

Anyway I like the 38 and 38 only revolvers. I have had 357s but they did not get used for what they were made for if you know what I mean.

 

[JohnD13]

As much as I like the .357, a .38 special J frame S&W gets carried more often. For handgun hunting my choice is a .41 magnum. Mostly I hunt Whitetails, and the .41 drops them as fast as any bigger caliber I've seen used. Like hunting with any handgun, shot placement is critical.

 

[Armored farmer]

.357 is my main caliber, and I have several handguns and a carbine in .357.
FWIW, after having some dissappointing results with the .357 taking whitetails, I bought a .45 colt. It is fun to load for, and a big bore deer knocker-downer. You can turn out some pretty hot loads for a Ruger.

 

[fireside44]

.44 special. I can buy a small five shot carry piece with some mildly stout SD ammo or use a blackhawk and handload some pretty doggone good thumpers. No, it's not a magnum but it's also not a powder hog either and yet will still satisfy my limited thirst for power.

 

[waidmann]

I am going against the grain. I recommend you consider a quality .22LR in a K frame size platform. It is good for recreation, training (especially new shooters), the camp pot and sometimes as a bit of a reality check. A good .22, sans recoil, flash etc. will tell how well you (or someone else) are capable of shooting.

 

[Colt Smith]

I love all these posts that say "talk me out of buying a ......". That's not our job. That's your wife's job. If you want it then get it. Then for the love of God and country man, pictures, pictures, pictures!!!

Me likey .45 . There may be better rounds for different reasons. I'm no technical expert. I like anything that goes *BANG*. But for ME, there are few things as satisfying as patting a 45 caliber bullet on it's bottom and sending it on its way. YMMV.

 

[flipajig]

44 mag its just something about it I fell in love with it over 30 years ago

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I like .357, as there are so many variations between it and in .38 specials, you can find just about any mix to suit your handgun for recoil and accuracy. I also like .45 ACP, and I have a few SA's in .45 Colt for the nostalgia. .44 Magnum is a good caliber as is .44 special, and I am told .44 Russian will also work. I've found in a magnum snubbie the .44 special is very nice. I'd like to see the CAS .44 Russian load in a snubbie compared to a .44 Special, as the shorter case in a magnum cylinder might give interesting ballistics.

Really,... get a good handgun that properly fits your hand, in a cartridge that you can afford to shoot on a regular basis, for if you don't get used to the handgun and what it shoots, it's not going to do well for you.

Hunting: adding to the .357 you can add a .44 magnum, and in a strong single action using a hot .45 Colt. Many folks find though that because of liability the factory loads for .45 Colt are rare that are really as hot as they can be in a handload for a strong, modern single action or single shot, while the .44 Magnum ammunition was born "hot", so easier to supply and comes from the factory in wider varieties.

LD

 

[NMGonzo]

.357

Because you can shoot anything from a carbine to a snubnose with it.

 

[VegasAR15]

44 mag, because the first time I shot mine I could not wipe the smile off of my face. I bought mine to carry while hiking or camping, and just for fun at the range.

 

[Brad5192]

Have fun get a 454 that's what I hunt with.

 

[Water-Man]

.45 acp for carry and in-home self defense. .357 mag in the woods.

 

[BlackSky]

.45 acp for carry and in-home self defense. .357 mag in the woods.

That's exactly what I do.

 

[captain awesome]

I like a variety of calibers. a lot depends on the reason I am using it, and my mood at the range. If i am hunting small critters or just want a lot of easy going range time - 2lr is my go to. they make every type of gun imaginable in that caliber, and its cheap, and won't tire your hand or shoulder out.

If i am carrying for defense in the city, my 357 snubby. i also love my gp100, but you don't want convinced into another 357

Defense in the woods, 4" 629 44mag, and for some reason no other hand gun matches my ability to shoot small targets at 100 yards with iron sights than with my Colt Anaconda.

If i want to get my jolly's out at the range, or hunt BIG game, my 500 mag.

I got a 480 ruger recently, and I think I am really going to like it as a shooter and hunting cartridge, but haven't had the chance to try it yet on account of a busted right hand .

I love the idea of the 41 mag for longer range plinking and lighter hunting, and it's next on my list.

 

[nonseven]

327 Federal, for reasons:

1. Ballistics - 1400 fps with a 115g out of a 3" SP101. wow!

2. 6 shots in a j-frame size.

3. Versatility - shoots 32S&W, 32S&W long, 32H&R

 

[Vern Humphrey]

As I have said many times, in my not-so-humble opinion, there are only 4 1/2 useful pistol cartridges:

1. The .22 LR. Everyone ought to have a .22 pistol.

1 1/2. The .38 Special -- most people who buy .357 snubbies shoot .38 Special anyway because of the recoil.

2. The .357 -- the ultimate revolver self-defesne cartridge and it will tke game up to deer, too.

3. The .45 ACP, especially in the gun designed for it, the M1911.

4. The .45 Colt. It's wonderful to shoot and in strong revolvers like the Ruger Blackhawk it will shade the .44 Magnum.

 

[CraigC]

I love .22's, .32's and the .38Spl but I'll take a moderately loaded big bore over the .357 any day of the week and for any purpose. A 200-250gr, .40 - .45cal bullet at 900-1000fps offers better performance without making my ears bleed. Make mine a .38-40, .41Spl, .41Mag, .44-40, .44Spl, .44Mag, .45ACP, or .45Colt.

It's wonderful to shoot and in strong revolvers like the Ruger Blackhawk it will shade the .44 Magnum.

I don't want to turn this into a .44 vs. .45 debate but that is really no longer true and hasn't been for some years. Cast bullet design caught up and the .44 maintains a 100fps advantage across the board, all the way to 355's and 360's.

 

[Black Butte]

44 mag its just something about it I fell in love with it over 30 years ago

40 years ago, perhaps, when Dirty Harry first made its screen appearance?

As far as favorite calibers go, mine are the 10mm and .41 mag for pistols and wheel-guns respectively. Perfect combination of performance, uniqueness, coolness, and horsepower -- and chicks dig 'em too.