357 mag juxtaposed with 44 mag

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Prof Young

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So having never shot a 357 I rented one at the range today. It was a Ruger GP 100 with about a four inch barrel, and I was shooting American Eagle 158 grain bullets. I ran that along side my 44 mag Taurus with eight inch barrel and scope. Shot 180 gr XTP on top of 10 gn of Unique out of the 44.

Anyway the recoil from the 357 was not any less than my 44 mag. At ten yards I was more accurate with the 44 but again, it's scoped. After I got use to the iron sights on the 357 and figured out what the sight pic should look like I got better with it too.

The thing is my 44 mag is a monster of a gun. Very heavy, so it's probably not a good comparison. But I enjoyed the 357 and may still investigate getting one. Have looked at the 357 Taurus with the long barrel and if I work on my own loads it could be a hoot.

Thoughts and comments welcomed.

Live well, be safe
Prof Young
 
My first thought is that it is quite surprising that you own a .44 Magnum and yet don't own/never even shot a .357! Not that one "must" of course, but I can only imagine that you occupy a very small group of handgunners that can claim this! ;)

As to felt recoil, I would also comment that your .44 was running "light for caliber" slugs with the 180 and a medium-rate powder. Load that thumper with 240's and 2400 or AA#9 and I'm sure that your felt recoil will surpass the .357/158gr and maybe even significantly so.

I can't imagine my shooting life without the .357 Magnum, I simply cannot. First handgun I ever bought with my own money (paper route money!) was my 6" S&W 686-3.

I say every handgunner needs a few .357's!
 
First magnum I ever got was a Blackhawk in .41 mag, this was in about 1982. A couple years later I traded it on my model 57 Smith and have been shooting it since. Then about 4 years ago finally got my first .357, a model 627 Smith and fell in love with the .357. I now run both calibers in revolvers and Henry lever actions, and as much as I am a .41 mag guy it's a tough choice between the two, but if I had to pick just one it would be the .357 due to its being a more versatile and common platform. As I've gotten older I appreciate the reduced recoil and especially being able to shoot .38 sp. Even though the .41 is the smallest of the big bores at full magnum loads it is tough on older beat up hands while even with the heaviest .357 load I have it still is less recoil than moderate .41 loads. The heaviest .357 I have are 180 gr XTP's loaded to the max with 2400.
 
My 1st centerfire was also a 41 mag Blackhawk. I've owned various 357's over the years but sold them all after buying a Smith 629. The actual weight difference between the Smith 629 and 686 is 1 oz. They were so close in size that I was able to use the same holster.

I can buy 44 mag through www.georgia-arms.com for exactly the same price as 357 mag. With mid level 44 mag loads I get less recoil, less muzzle blast and better performance than 357 mag.

If needed I can purchase loads for the 44 mag that take it to a much higher level of both performance and recoil. But those loads are rarely ever needed.

After many years I did finally buy another 357,but only because I came across a great deal on a Smith 28. But I'd carry one of my 629's any day over any 357.
 
The thing is my 44 mag is a monster of a gun. Very heavy, so it's probably not a good comparison.
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Yep, the .44 has A LOT more recoil than a .357. I carry and shoot a Smith J-frame .357, and for carry it's loaded with full house, but significantly lighter, 125 gr JHP's; and lit's still a kicker. Just something you have to get used to if you want that kind of performance.

Too, .357 158 gr JHP loads at current factory velocities are a handfull in any .357. And to be honest, I customarily range shoot it with reduced loads of my own. I particularly like Skeeter Skelton's prescription (and one that he carried as a LEO): 158 gr LSWC at 950-1000 fps. It's a close approximation, recoil wise, of my carry load with 125 gr. JHP's, and good for practice use. HTH's Rod
 
Agree with all of the above.

I own (3) 357 chambered revolvers, a 4" S&W 19-3, 6" 19-3, and a 6" 28-2 (Highway Patrolman) along with (2) 44 mags.. a 4" 29-2 and a 6.5" 629 Classic.

I would definitely agree that your light for caliber 180 grainers pushed by Unique are not representative of what the 44mag really is. Some 240s sitting on a full charge of AA#9 or H110 will make just about any 357 seem like a pup. I have fired 357 from a S&W J-frame and while I found it to be unpleasantly snappy, the 44 still out-powers it.

Get yourself a good 357 there wheelgunner! Variety is the spice of life! :)
 
My first handgun was a 357 mag (10" Contender in the late 1970s), but I have actaully never had a 357 revolver.

My big wheelgun will fire 357 mags or 38 Specials, but it really likes the full length maximums better. Like the OP stated, a big frame gun like my 8" Dan Wesson is something of a "monster".

For fun or offhand practice, the 38 Special LCRx I got for my wife is not a bad choice. After we had it for a while I went out and got something specifcially for this purpose, a 4.2" SP101 327.

My son has a 6" Dan Wesson 357 mag that is also fun to shoot.

Still, the SP101 327 comes out on top for serious practice and fun to shoot.

However, I must admit that about half the fun for me is the casting and playing around to get "optimum" loads.
 
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I shoot them both regularly.

My favorite thing about the 357 is being able to shoot mild 38 special loads if I feel like it. In my 6" Blackhawk the recoil is VERY easy to control. My daughter is 12 and doesn't like recoil. It's nice to have a revolver that can shoot stout 357's, but that my daughter or small-handed friend or other guest can comfortably and easily shoot with easily obtained 38 special ammo.

I really really like my 44's also, but the 357's seem more versatile.
 
I'm a huge .357 fan, having learned to shoot handguns as a kid with my grandpa's 4 5/8" Blackhawk. Later, the 1st gun I bought with my own money was a 4" s/s Taurus model 66 & a 2 1/2" s/s Taurus model 66 has been my faithful truck gun for over 20 years.

My 6 1/2" Blackhawk is a tack-driver & a pussycat to shoot, even with the hottest factory ammo I can find. I imagine that'll change some once I load up some warm 170gr LSWCs & 180gr JSHP, but I'm not too worried about it in the Blackhawk. I've clocked Remington's 125gr SJHP load at 1675-1700fps from my Blackhawk & folks push 158gr to ~1500fps & 180gr to over 1200fps, so it's not exactly lacking for punch. Dunno as I'd use it for bear or wild boar, but the "little" magnum ain't no slouch.

The .44? Not a fan. Too much sturm & drang for my needs & just not pleasant (for me) to shoot. Then again, I'm one of those .41 nuts. The one .44 I've owned & the other I've shot were both d/a revolvers & it may be a d/a vs. s/a thing, but it takes a "Ruger only" .41 load before my 5.5" Bisley starts getting unpleasant to hang on to.

At this point, being so invested in the .41 (also have a Bisley SBH Hunter), I'm just not interested in giving a s/a .44 a go. It won't kill our little whitetail any deader than a .41 & if I ever feel the need for "more", I'll go for a .45 Colt Blackhawk (shot a bud's & found 260gr pills at 1270fps downright fun).

Everyone's got their own preferences & reasons for them, but I say the .357 makes a durn fine little brother to your big bore of choice.
 
I have revolvers in .357, .44, and .460. For the most part, the .357s are my favorites to shoot at the range, especially at reactive targets. I go thru many more rounds of .357 than the other two combined. I have 686s in 4'', 5'' and 6'' barrel configurations with the 6'' being the most comfortable to shoot. Heavy hunting loads in the 686s can be more brutal with recoil than my 629 .44s with plinkers, and I figure that is similar to what you experienced with the rental gun vs your own gun and the loads used. IMHO, Every handgunner should have a .357.
 
I really am a fan of and immensely enjoy all of the most popular magnum wheelgun cartridges. I do not own a 41 yet, but will in the hopefully not too distant future. My brother recently traded for a nice S&W 4" model 57 with some honest holster wear. It's a joy to shoot and quite accurate. Yeah, I have some 357s and some 44s, but variety is the spice of life.
 
Please get a GP100 or S&W long barrel instead of the Taurus long barrel. You will wish you did in time. You will just feel better about it, if nothing else...lol.
 
Does your .44 Mag look like this? This is a long barrel Taurus .357 built on the same frame as your .44 Magnum. If you'd have shot .357's from this, you'd have noticed a considerable difference in recoil due to the sheer mass of the revolver. The problem is that Taurus doesn't make long-barrel M608 .357's any more and they are becoming hard to find. There is something to be said, however, about having two different calibers in the same basic frame as familiarity aids precision in shooting.
 

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DW - Yes it does . . .

Yes my 44 mag does look like that only mine is blued. I think if I can find the long barreled Taurus 357 for an okay price I'd give it a try.

Life is good.

Prof Young
 
Lavan . . .

I think the key factor here is . . . you are having fun!!!!! That's the main reason I shoot and hunt.

Life is good
Prof Young
 
There's really no comparing a scoped, 8", .44 with a 4" .357. Even with light bullets in the .44. The GP weighs 40 ounces. A plain Jane Taurus with no scope weighs 52 ounces. Just ain't the same thing. Except for the fun part.
 
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