.44Mag vs. .357Mag question

T

twoblink

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OK, I don't believe in hunting with a pistol, and so something like Hog hunting will not be one of the intended uses for the pistol..

My usage will be, 99% target shooting, 1% bad guy who's stupid.

That said, here is my question:: Is there anything that I can do with a .44Mag that I can't do with a .357Mag from a 6" revolver; keeping in mind, paper and potentially a bad guy.

I have a small .357Mag (Ruger SP101) for home D right now, I would like to introduce it to something with a 6" barrel for target. I would also like to stick to the same caliber. But I don't want to do that without hearing some reasons for going .44Mag, if there are a lot of good ones.

Stopping power wise, My understanding is, .357Mag is the ultimate man stopper, and a .44Mag probably is not statistically giving you all that much more?

Thanks guys.
Albert
 
Unless you plan on going into bear country or hunting, a 357 Magnum is all you should ever need.
 
"That said, here is my question:: Is there anything that I can do with a .44Mag that I can't do with a .357Mag from a 6" revolver; keeping in mind, paper and potentially a bad guy."


You can take a red clay brick, stand it on end, and turn it into a cloud of dust and chips flying thirty feet into the air. Other than that, not much. It is a hoot, but be careful where you park your truck.;)

A six inch .357Mag is a lot of fun, and with .38s, a great gun to lend to newbies you might bring to the range.

An eight inch .44Mag is a lot of fun, kind of heavy, and a little bit more expensive to shoot. A six inch .44Mag is lighter, but a little less fun.

Get the .357Mag first. Get the .44Mag someday.
You need them both.
You need them both.
You need them both.
:D
 
TwoBlink . . .

I agree with the others; practically speaking, there is nothing of consequence the .357 magnum cannot offer. It has proven to be a superb defensive round. In addition, you have the ease and flexibility of the very wide variety of .38 Special and .357 magnum loads.

If you like the SP-101 and want a six inch barrel, may I suggest the Ruger KGP-161 (six inch GP-100), which you can buy new in the mid $300s (try www.gunroker.com).
 
The 44 is a little more expensive and punishing to shoot. Also after one shot from a 44 without earplugs you can't hear for an hour or so. The 357 without plugs isn't fun either, but it's nothing like the 44. (Gee wiz mr. BG hold on so I can put my earplugs in before I shoot you.)
357 is all you should ever need. Buy a 44 when you want an ego gun.
 
Have and carry both. Have pockets holsters for em. Model 19 .357 can't make as big a lump in your pants as the model 29 44maggie.

Both delightfully flexible and accurate cartridges. Often, the most accurate target loads are rather soft and easy to shoot lots of.

It is a hoot to pull out the bigun and turn the practice rock into gravel.

Well placed being a requirement for any defensive shot......38special probably just fine for ccw. .44 comes pre expanded tho.

Like em both............shoot, get em both.

Sam......bang is good, BANG is more gooder.
 
I agree with the rest, the .357 magnum is all you'll need for self defense. I just bought my first wheelgun two weeks ago, Ruger SP-101 .357 snubby. I really like this gun, the way it feels, shoots and conceals have pleased me.

I have shot a .44 magnum and have seen what it can do to a target and its impressive. I have this ego trip nagging at me also and my next gun will probably be a .44 magnum. The only thing I'm waiting for is to decide on which one I'm going to get. Sans a .44 magnum in my gun safe, I feel that I'm well protected with the .357 magnum.
 
There's another couple of angles to this:
1. If you end up before a jury, a 44mag could lead to a "dirty harry" stereotype.......just a thought.
2. Quick follow up shots are almost impossible with a 44mag unless you are highly trained or VERY strong. (If you actually need one though, you're probably in BIG trouble!)
 
Another vote here for both the .357 and GP100. At most, all you'll need on the GP is a spring kit, possibly some mild trigger work. Rugers DO respond to such.

You'll get the same operations drill on cylinder latch and ejection as you have on your SP101. Such "identical feel" in an emergency could save your life one day.
 
Since your not going hunting with it---go with .357---guns and ammo cost less and its less pounding. A .357 is plenty for shooting any human target. Plus you can shoot the cheap .38's for practice. Since I use my revovlers for everything I have 2 .44's and no .357's.
 
I too vote for the .357 Magnum, an incrediably versitile round. I'll be uncoventional however and recommend the 4 5/8" barrel convertible Blackhawk so you can also shoot 9mm. Get a trigger job, put Ajax or Lett grips on it and it will shoot like a dream at 50 yards for 99% of your needs, and with a little practice it will handle the 1% issue right handily (you'll have to however ignore those who ask what you'll do if you're jumped by 6 to 25 gang-bangers all armed with Uzis). :) Dennis
 
The .44mag would probably only make sense for self-defence if you loaded it with .44special ammo, or some special loads like Cor-Bon's "Self Defence."

Why go to all this trouble when the .357 is so flexable and certainly (in some loadings) at the upper limit of power in anti-personnel cartridges?

But the .44 is just so cooool. . .
 
The .44 Magnum has a very high "cool" factor, and it's a blast to shoot (no pun intended). That said, I consider the .357 Magnum to be the superior self-defense cartridge, simply because it's more controllable and offered in more manageable packages than the mighty .44 Magnum. A wheelgun in .357 Magnum is possibly the most flexible handgun you can buy, just by virtue of the immense choice of loads available in .38 Special and .357 Magnum.
 
.357 mag vs .44 mag

I own and shoot both 357 and 44 mag. I carry J frame Bodyguard or Centennial in .357 mag. Ialways take and shoot the 44 mag at the outdoor range with factory equivalent handloads. Tis quite a blast. Despite everything I've read in the gun rags about 357 being the ideal defense weapon I gut feel that a criminal looking down the barrel of a 6.5 inch 629 S & W 44 magnum will have or should have second thoughts. From my stand point the sheer power of the 44 mag has to be considered in certain circumstances ie a big bad guy.
Herb
 
I believe the 629 with a 4 inch barrel is one of the most versatile revolvers made. With 44 special ammo its a very accurate fun plinker. With full power 300 grain loads its a good woods gun. With 165 to 200 grain loads at 1300 to 1000 it is a good self defence revolver. IT is small enough to carry concealed with the right leather if your a revolver fan. Its handy for the trail.
PAT
 
The "cool" feeling of the .44 eventually wears off and is replaced with a nagging buyer's remorse. To avoid buyer's remorse, convince one of your friends to buy one. Wen his cool feeling is stale, offer to do him a favor and take it off his hands. Knocking a couple hundred off the price makes the "gee whiz" factor cost effective. :D. Of course you WILL have to let him shoot it to avoid "Man...I screwed over a friend" remorse :o.
 
I live in an area where 357 mag revolvers are not that popular. They work fine for self defence but they are a little under powered for most hunting except small and medium game. The 44 can do more and still be fun to shoot with reduced loads.
PAT
 
357mag. v 44mag.

I use the 357mag. for two legged critters and the 44mag. for the four legged critters. I use both on the range to practice with. I carry a Ruger SP 101 357mag. for my CCW weapon and when I am in the woods and hunting I carry a Ruger Super Redhawk 44mag. With that said and done it looks like for your purpose a 357mag. will do just fine for them two legged critters and target work. Mark:D
 
That said, here is my question:: Is there anything that I can do with a .44Mag that I can't do with a .357Mag from a 6" revolver; keeping in mind, paper and potentially a bad guy.
Click to expand...
I've got limited experience with both calibers, and I would answer, "No".

This past weekend, I shot my 5.5" barrel Redhawk and a GP100 with specials and magnum loads. The GP100 had the rubber/wood grips, and it's a beautiful, comfortable gun to shoot. .44 mag loads gets old pretty quick at the range IMO, but .357 mag isn't bad at all.

I'm planning on using my Redhawk for hiking, camping, etc., and I probably won't be shooting the mag loads at the range too much. I would stick with .357 for your intended uses.
 
Hmm. I think I will probably go with the .357Mag. There are a few reasons. From what everybody has said "a well placed shot with a .357Mag = dead man" and the only thing I get with a .44Mag is a deader man, and a lighter pocket, and possibly a more punishing experience...

Also, I love shooting .38Spls from the Python or something with a 6" barrel. It's not even a pussy cat, it's a stuffed doll.. I have a Ruger 22/45, which is my "date at the range gun", no recoil, and easy enough for anybody any size, to shoot. But I'm thinking, a 6" barrel and 38Spls probably would be a great gun to shoot as well for my dates, who are generally 5'2" and under 110lbs. My ex use to shoot my SP101 at the range, she was quite accurate with it too, and had no problems.

So I'm thinking GP100 might be on the xmas list..

Thanks guys, I wanted to kill the nagging doubt about what I am missing with the .357Mag vs. the .44Mag.

Albert
 
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