What's a Good Low-Recoil .357 Round?

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D-Man

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I own a couple of S&W 357's, and admit to never having fired a .357 out of them. Figure I'd build up getting used to .38 specials (and +P's), but admit to wanting to try out some .357's at some point.

What's a good .357 round to try out that's easily obtainable at most stores and won't break the bank?

I'm thinking a heavier standard pressure round is what I want correct?

(Edited to add that this is for range shooting only).
 
It's all a matter of perspective...

What are you shooting it from?

If you have an N-frame, almost anything is reasonably controllable.

If you have a 12 ounce Scanduim J-frame, there is no such thing as a "gentle" .357 round.

The .357 Magnum is not a "gentle" round. It was not designed to be. It is a powerful handgun round.
 
^ A good point - should of added that.

I have a 19-4 6" which is what I would plan to shoot them out of. I also have a 66-2 2.5" that I could use too once I am comfortable with them out of the larger gun.
 
I've heard different opinions on which .357 bullet has the lowest recoil. I like Black Hills 125gr out of my snub. I notice less recoil with that load than a standard 158gr load in the same gun. My gun weighs 28oz, so recoil may feel different out of a lighter gun.

If you want to try something other than the Black Hills, I bet any standard brand 125gr will shoot similarly.

Lou
 
speer GD 135 short bbl is not much more than +p 38,then remmie 125 golden saber its pretty mild.if you want practice ammo WWWB 110 JHPs don't have much recoil but bark a little(pretty big muzzle flash)
 
The Remington Golden Saber in 357 magnum has very soft recoil for a 357. It is not a full power 357 load; if I am not mistaken I have chrono'd them at around 1250 fps out of a 4 inch barrel.

They are much more pleasant to shoot than full 357s
 
In the 6" M-19 almost all common factory 357 rounds will be reasonably controllable. Not so much in the 2.5". I suggest just shooting the standard UMC and WWB in the 6 incher until your comfortable with it and then try it in your 2.5".
 
If you want .357mag, low recoil, no break the bank, ammunition that comes 50 per box ----> look for CCI Blazer aluminum case, 158gr jhp.

I use the stuff all the time, and recoil is on par with a hot +p .38 special.

Another inexpensive reliable buy is Aguila 158gr jhp. Those got a bit more kick though, but still 50 per box.

I did use Independence for awhile (Federal spin off brand), and it's good stuff, but stopped since they became far too proud of their product.

These are my favs for practice. All come in the original 158 weight which I prefer over the hotrod rounds.

Win, Fed, Rem, all good, but make a killing with the "fancy" rounds in boxes of 20 and 25.... :scrutiny: kooky talk. :neener:
Remington UMC (dirty stuff) and WWB are both more expensive than the ones I've listed above.
 
I reload 158 swc only, but I keep a few boxes of the Blazer aluminum ammo for carry purposes. It is a mild 357 mag., or like a warm +P+ 38 load. It works reliably for me, and accurate enough for my needs. I shoot enough of the Blazer to stay accustomed with it, but 98% of my shooting is with my reloads.
Old 112
 
You can buy just any old .357 that's readily available and shoot it without worrying about it ripping your head off.

While it will be louder than the .38s, and offer a little more recoil, it's still quite manageable.

Don't be scared!

After firing a box or two of magnums it will seem "Normal" to you, and then you will be ready for a .44!
 
I'm sure you can handle it, but .357 out of a snubbie is never pleasant.

I don't think there is any such thing as a "low-recoil" .357 round.
.357 is SUPPOSED TO BE atomic.

As the others have said - Stick with .38 spl. if you want low-recoil.
 
I have a 19-4 6"
Click to expand...

No worries there. If you have any control issues, just slip on the Hogue monogrips for shooting. That's more than enough revolver for most .357 loads, though the light and fast ones will give you a little kick. For practice I like the Fiocchi FMJ's. They're reasonable price, clean and don't overtax anything.
 
The Winchester 110-gr. "white box" JHP, the various 125-gr. medium velocity loads (not all of them are marked as such) and the Federal 130-gr. "Personal Defense" Hydra-Shok have all worked well for me. They turn that .357 fire-breather into a 9mm. ;)
 
Another way to tame the recoil of a .357 is to get one of the really recoil heavy guns (.454 Cas comes to mind). Shoot it for awhile and then the .357 will seem like a pipsqueak.:evil:
 
The problem with special low velocity 357 Magnum loads is that you pay a premium for them as they are usually specialized self defense rounds. I believe Cor-bon and Speer make low recoil 125gr rounds. I still say that you will be fine shooting normal loads in the 6" M-19.
 
As another poster mentioned, if you want real easy on the hands loads in .357Mag, try the "Cowboy Action" loads.

Due to the very soft lead bullet and bullet lube, the Cowboy loads do tend to be a bit 'smoky'.

I was looking over the specs on some "Cowboy Action" loads, and thery were very mild on both .38Spk & .357Mag. Less than 1,000FPS muzzle velocity.
 
158 Gr HP's are not at all unpleasant in my 4" M66. However, I find it's a lot cheaper to shoot "cat sneeze" reloads for general target practice and plinking.
 
The cowboy stuff is 38 special loads in a 357 casing (basically) That just means they cost more than the 38 specials.
If you want less perceived recoil, go with the lighter weight bullets (110, 125, etc...)
That S&W M19 should be pretty mild with most 357 loads anyway...
 
If you want less perceived recoil, go with the lighter weight bullets (110, 125, etc...)
Click to expand...

Ummm, not really, at least not in my experience. Most 110gr loads are hot hot HOT! So are some of the UMC 125gr loads. American Eagle (Federal) 158gr flat nose is a relatively gentle "push" vs the typical "snap" of a .357 round.

But for the OP, seriously if you are going to fire .357 Magnum then do it and don't try to gentle it down to .38 Special territory. I think you'll be surprised at how nicely it actually handles.
 
Speer's 135gr "357 short barrel specialty" load is VERY mild. Same projectile as used in their 38+P load and in "357" barely breaks 1,000fps in a snubbie.

BUT: that's not to say it's worthless. It remains the most accurate load I've shot in my 4.68" barrel New Vaquero, and from our longer barrels out past 4" velocity will still be respectable. I would submit it's still on the table as a defense option either in longer-tube or very VERY lightweight (12.5oz!) snubs.

In heavier guns I'd personally go for a bit more heat...Remmie's "Golden Saber" or one of the new Buffalo Bore "ligher load" 357s that just came out.
 
If you want less perceived recoil, go with the lighter weight bullets (110, 125, etc...)
Click to expand...

Perceived recoil is highly subjective. I find the light weight loads to be harder recoiling.
 
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