357 magnum personal defense

Packaging is the main problem for revolvers in general. It's like a pistol that ate a jar of baby food...jar and all. If the owner has found a way to carry the piece (concealed or open) which suits his lifestyle, that's half of the battle or more. I don't think I can do that. A medium sized semi-auto is challenge enough for me.

Then there are the tactical limitations of the type. Lower capacity. Arguably slower reloads. These negatives may never surface in actual use...then again they might.

On the plus side, a .357 can be tailored to give a lot of power, penetration and good accuracy, particularly so with longer barrels.

Each of us has to examine our own lives and our world and decide what threats are worth preparing for and how to do so. Life is a chess game in that way. No, on second thought, chess doesn't begin to do justice to the complexity of our lives. A .357 has the potential to do things that most semi-autos cannot. The reverse is also true. It boils down to what threat you are preparing to stop.
 
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No useful answer without the context of a specific gun size and weight. In general, I use 158 Gr HP in larger guns and Speer Short Barrel in the smaller. The compromise in grip for concealment usually means I am using Speer Short Barrel.
 
Whichever cartridge you can shoot most accurately, consistently, and repeatably.
All else is largely irrelevant.
 
I'm not sure is a big difference in the vast majority of quality .357 Magnum loadings. I'm also sure I could tailor a test to "prove" the superiority of any one round against another.

I usually carry the basic Remington 158 gr semi jacketed HP.

I've also carried the Remington 158 gr lead Semi wadcutter. (Which is, actually, give or take) the original .357 Magnum.

The 125 hurts my hand to shoot and is kinda rough on the gun. But, if I had a box of that and needed to load a gun to stick in my waistband, I'd be fine with it too.
 
To answer your question it would likely be the heaviest bullet you can use. They go slower so less friction in the bore.
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Actually, it has to do with two factors. The heavier bullet is not hitting the forcing cone as hard and fast and the longer bullet (because it is heavier) seals the hot gasses better as the bullet transitions form the cylinder to the barrel.
 
It's easy to get wrapped up in hoping to maximize terminal ballistics, but in reality, if the bullet expands and holds together and penetrates far enough, that's all that is needed.

What is then important is (1) being able to practice with the gun enough, without flinching, and without suffering the cumulative effects of nerve, tendon, and joint damage, and (2) the ability to shoot rapidly.

A heavier gun and a reasonable load are indicated for that.
 
Any 158gr JHP Shoots to POA...

...in my 3" SP101. Lighter bullets do not. I'm firmly in the "bullet placement counts camp," and I choose to ignore a couple inches low at average defensive use distances probably will not matter. I also think the higher sectional density of a heavier bullet is beneficial in providing adequate penetration, and since I've got a short barrel anyway, I might as well give the powder more time to burn with a slower, heavier bullet.

For HD, I use the Remington 38 Sp +P 158gr LHP, and for field use a stout 357 Mag load consisting of a 158gr Hornady XTP over a maximum charge of W296 powder. The latter is a bit of a waste in a 3" barrel, but does double duty in my 10 inch Thompson Contender single shot.

I've considered a lighter JHP HD 357 load with faster powder for a higher octane low flash loading, but I just can't bring myself to worry about the +P LHP 38 Sp load not doing the job, and doing it with a lot less flash, bang and noise.
 
Actually, it has to do with two factors. The heavier bullet is not hitting the forcing cone as hard and fast and the longer bullet (because it is heavier) seals the hot gasses better as the bullet transitions form the cylinder to the barrel.
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I've always preferred lighter projectiles in small, light guns but maybe heavy really is the way to go in an alloy snub?
 
I carry the Black Hills .357 mag 158 gr JHP ...they're about 1250 fps...

I have carried them in a 2" model 66 K frame ...and an N frame model 627 in a 2 5/8" barrel ( 8 shot )...in fact, I'm going to carry the model 627 today.

I like the traditional 158gr bullet in .357 mag.../ and its similar to my reloads that I practice with in those same guns.
 
For personal defense I carry a 125 grain JHP, Hornady, Georgia Arms, etc... I have a couple of Model 19's I carry these in when I am carrying for self defense but shoot very few out of the K frames.
 
Actually, it has to do with two factors. The heavier bullet is not hitting the forcing cone as hard and fast and the longer bullet (because it is heavier) seals the hot gasses better as the bullet transitions form the cylinder to the barrel.
Click to expand...

I've always preferred lighter projectiles in small, light guns but maybe heavy really is the way to go in an alloy snub?
Click to expand...

I would note that Speer Short barrel sort of splits the difference (between 125 and 158) at 135 gr.
 
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I carry Fiocchi® 357 Magnum 158gr Hornady® XTP (#357XTP25) rounds in my 7 shot, 2¼" barrel Taurus® Mdl 617SS2. I use this round because it shoots EXACTLY to POA out to 20yds. Recoil is also less than the full house 125gr loadings.

This makes it a "No-Brainer" AFAIAC!
 
^^^^^^^

It is indeed very important to find loads that to shoot to POA in your actual gun. An SD situation is NO time to remember to adjust your aim! :eek:

I didn't have much luck with POA from Buffalo Bore's 158 gr tactical reduced recoil (1100 fps in snubby). I am all-in for the venerable Golden Saber 125 gr @ 1220 fps, which is milder in recoil than the Buffalo Bore load or other heavy bullets, and shoots very well in my 2" and 6". It is a complete pussycat in my 6" 686. You don't have to punish yourself with 1500 fps loads to get a very deadly result from .357 Mag. And high velocity is what makes the notorious .357 crack so brutal on the SHOOTER!

The only time I go hotter than Golden Saber would be Win PDX1 @ 1325 fps, or I'm sure the fairly mild Critical Duty 135s would be fine, although I haven't tried them yet. I am settled on Golden Sabers for the 2", which I will probably upgrade soon to a 3" anyway.
 
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Speer Gold Dot 135 gr 357 Magnum short barrel.

Good in snubs.

It's a low to mid range 357 magnum load -- a step up from the Gold Dot 135 38+P short barrel rounds.
 
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