.357 for Home Defense?

For home defense I use .357 Remington Golden Sabre BJHP 125gr in my S&W model. 65.

I used to work at an indoor range and sometimes we would shoot with lights out. I didn't find them to have terrible muzzle flash at night. I did find a video showing them used at night.

i also found a few others. The guy who posted these vids to youtube has got quite a few other night tests and ammo tests. Interesting way to kill a few hours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ya85J0e7o8

I'm glad I've never been forced to use that or my mossy 500 to defend myself or my family.

A few other night testing videos of .357 ammo.

Winchester 110gr JHP .357
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7DZkCkGZbg&feature=fvst

CCI Blazer 158gr JHP .357.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wahPxqJvJKQ&feature=relmfu

Federal Classic Hi-Shok 125gr .357.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3Iyy0MLSjc&feature=relmfu

Just more food for thought.

Just for lighting your cigar. Desert Eagle .50 AE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGYpnzhYzW0&feature=fvwrel
 
For my 7 shot .357 I keep the 1st 4 as 38sp and the last 3 I load with .357. That way if the first 4 don't work then hopefully the last four will.
 
.357 for home defense

I really don't think the blast of a .357 is gonna make a heckuva difference when you're protecting your home and family. That's the last thing you're going to be thinking about. Removing the threat would be first and foremost on your mind. A 12 gauge, short barrel, slide action with 00 buck would make a helluva lot more noise than a revolver, but it would work better. Who cares if you wake up your neighbors when someone is invading your home? By the time your ears stop ringing, you'll be realizing how lucky you were in the first place that you and your folks survived. I don't think they'll be complaining about ringing ears either.
 
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By the time your ears stop ringing
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Mine never did

take it from someone who has fired a .357 indoors with no protection. I suffer a constant ringing in my left ear, high frequency hearing loss, and the whole year after it happened the ringing was so unbearable I couldn't sleep. I don't even own a .357 anymore, it has no place for me in carry or home defense after that incident.

By the way the gun was a 3" model 60 with Federal 125gr 357B. Talk about loud.
 
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Dan Wesson .357 next to my bed is the first gun I grab, by the door are two loaded shotguns, a Win 1200 and a Mossberg 9200. Doesn't matter which one I grab, I don't want to shoot anybody but if I have to the absolute last thing I am going to worry about is more ringing in my ears. More better the boogerman worries and starts doing what I tell him to or it will be the last sounds he might here.
 
.357 home protection

OLD GRUMP. I could've said it better! I hope to never fire at a fellow human, but if I have to, for protection, I quess I would have to.
 
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First, if you want low recoil, low flash .357 magnum check out Buffalo Bore. They have you covered.

Secondly, a rifle or a shotgun is not always better in close quarters. I think of the Israeli army using their 9mm Uzis in the 6 day war when they were in the trenches with foes armed with AK47s.
 
Today 02:21 PM
Super Sneaky Steve First, if you want low recoil, low flash .357 magnum check out Buffalo Bore. They have you covered.

Secondly, a rifle or a shotgun is not always better in close quarters. I think of the Israeli army using their 9mm Uzis in the 6 day war when they were in the trenches with foes armed with AK47s.
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+1, that is my ammo choice I use in my SP101 .357 that is also my EDC. My primary home defense is a 20 ga with buckshot. I have taught my wife that if someone is breaking in, to get down and put on her ear muffs which we have on both of our bed side tables.

I keep my bedroom door barricaded every night to give us the time needed to get my guns AND get our ear muffs on.

Lastly, I do use the BB suppressed flash and low recoil "tactical" ammo. Over penetration is also a concern and that is why the 20 ga with buckshot is my first choice, but the .357 is also within easy reach at all times as well. Just makes sense to prepare for all things including hearing protection.
 
I've been in 6 shootings at work. I never felt any recoil to speak of, the bang barely registered. Now afterwards I have suffered some hearing loss but no bullet holes. Use ear protection for practice and don't worry about it during a fight. Do pray every night that you'll never need top use your skills.
 
I wouldn't use full house .357 for home defense. That's the realm of 12 GA and hi-cap 9mm for me. It's important that I survive and have intact hearing afterwards.
 
The only and only object of a gunfight is to survive it. I have some hearing loss but I walked away from 6 gunfights at least in part because I used the best gun I could with the best defensive type ammo available.
 
Going back to the orginal post...

If you are concerned about the noise and flash .357 magnums make in very dark bedrooms late at night...just ask the BG to hold on a minute so you can throw a blanket over the gun so as to not disturb the neighbors before you start hosing down the area..
 
While I try not to make a habit of it, I have fired a .357 Magnum without hearing protection before, including once in low light, and also been present when one was fired indoors. While it will certainly make your ears ring and the flash is noticable, it is not the "Wrath of God" that many make it out to be. In none of the cases that I fired or was near a .357 Magnum being fired without hearing protection was the report so deafening that I could not hear normal conversation immediately afterward nor was the flash so blinding as to impair my night vision. I've also suffered no noticable long-term hearing damage though to be fair my hearing was never all that spectacular to begin with.
 
I have no problem shooting 125 grain full house magnum loads in my carry revolver. The recoil is not perceived as much more than a 158 grain +P .38 load as far as I can tell.

Spend some range time with the .357 loads and find out for yourself.
 
Are there really people suggesting the 12ga, 9mm, .45 are just as loud as a .357? We have some serious smoke blowers here. No offense guys, but you obviously don't know what your talking about. I almost dropped my 357 when I pulled the trigger and noticed I forgot to put on ear muffs. I was checking for blood coming from my ears. Meanwhile I shoot 12ga and 9mm often with no ear protection and no pain. Granted my 357 has a 2" barrel
 
.357 for home defense

A 2" barrel anything is going to be louder! My wife can tell from inside the house whether I,m shooting a rifle or revolver. I live in the sticks so I can shoot anywhere on my property. I have to admit, though, I sold a .357 taurus 6" barrel because I just didn't enjoy the blast. And yes, a 12guage, 18 1/2 barrel is on the limits for me, both kick and noise-wise.
 
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Ok lets I guess take it in to context. How old is the OP because age and hearing do make a difference as the hair inside your ears over time do begin to lay flat and offer less protection. Of the posts ive seen here, people say they have had major hearing problems after which baffles me to be honest, but if they were elderly at the time is the only thing I could understand. I HAVE fired a .357 magnum Federal 180gr Power-shok JHP in an appartment before. beyond that lets not get into why or what were you thinking, an accident, partly my fault, not completely... Anyways it was not at night so I can not account to the flash but from what Kevk, I believe, said before that sounds minute. I had absolutely no such hearing problems after, ringing in the ears for maybe 10 min. My girlfriend was with me and beyond both our shock we were absolutely fine. At the time I was maybe 20 or 21, maybe that is a considerable difference. I have no hearing loss and my ears did not bleed and neither did hers. Beyond that actually no police came to our appartment, which surprised me actually as we lived in a nicer neighborhood. So in conclusion your age may be something to consider but I am sharing this embarrasing story to tell you it is not, I repeat NOT severely damaging to your ears if you are young at least. That is all I can account for.
 
.357 for home defense

The Malicious-- You're right, I'm 59 and find I can't quite handle the recoil and blast that never bothered me when I was 18. When I started shooting in the '60s, no one except pros used ear protection. We used to wander the woods shooting 12 gauges and then laugh when our ears were ringing. We would go to the range and shoot our 30-30's and never think a thing about it. Then we would come home and Listen to "Don't Fear the Reaper" at full blast. I'm paying for it now, I think I need one of those ear trumpets the old guys used!
 
Of the posts ive seen here, people say they have had major hearing problems after which baffles me to be honest, but if they were elderly at the time is the only thing I could understand.
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So leme get this strait, you cannot understand how a younger person can suffer damage to their hearing and ears from a gunshot in excess of 165db indoors, and this baffles you? Talk to a few young combat veterans who were exposed to IED's and constant barrages of .223 rounds going off next to their heads. I was 25 at the time of my incident, was the first time I ever shot anything without ear protection, and one single shot of a .357 and I suffered high frequency hearing loss and tinnitus, my left ear still slightly rings 24/7. Age has nothing to do with it, anything in that decibel range will damage your ears, a good part of it is what is to your left and your right, hence what is going to bounce the sound waves back into your ears.
 
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