Anything .45 colt can do that .357 can't?

Anything .45 colt can do that .357 can't?
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Not very much.
Mountain lions, black bear, moose, and now wolves (albeit very few) are the main 4-legged threats
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Nothing in that list a 357 can't kill cleanly. The BLM depredation hunter that used to take care of critters for my sister's sheep ranch used a 22 revolver on cats and coyotes. A friend of mine took the CA state record black bear with a 38 Special revolver. Moose die easily, a customer of mine used to shoot moose with an old, tired 25-35. Wolves go to 180 lbs. A 357 can handle all of that.
 
The 357s get shot nearly every range trip.
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And me, the .45 Colts gets shot nearly every range trip :) . As said above it has been on the job since 1873 and no complaints. With the added bonus of a boom, rather than the ear piercing 'crack' of a .357 when in the field. Go with your gut instincts. Don't let the cool word 'Magnum' distract you.
 
rclark said:
And me, the .45 Colts gets shot nearly every range trip :) . As said above it has been on the job since 1873 and no complaints. With the added bonus of a boom, rather than the ear piercing 'crack' of a .357 when in the field. Go with your gut instincts. Don't let the cool word 'Magnum' distract you.
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45c has been around a very long time. Anything a 357 can do a 45 can do better. Any gun is better than no gun, a well placed shot is better than no shot, and a bigger hole is a better hole.
 
Jacket67 said:
I'm interested in a Ruger Blackhawk with the convertible cylinders, or a Redhawk that allows moon clips for a "conversion". Deciding between .45 colt or .357 magnum. I'd love to own a .45 colt and have .45 acp already in the mix. I'd also love to own .357 and already have 9mm, which the Blackhawk has a cylinder for. To my knowledge, the .45 colt Redhawk is the only one of the two calibers that offers the option for moon clips with the respective shorter cartridges.

The main purpose of getting the revolver would be for woods carry in Colorado, particularly when hunting/fishing. I know that .45 colt can be loaded up to ~454 casull levels, but I'm currently not in a position to reload or heading into griz country any time soon.

Mountain lions, black bear, moose, and now wolves (albeit very few) are the main 4-legged threats in the woods that I know of. Would .357 mag handle these situations on the slim chance I'd need to?

I like that the .357 Blackhawk convertible shoots 3 calibers (.357, .38, 9mm), and I'd eventually pair it up with a Henry lever. I also have two 9mm pistols so ammo commonality is still there. But, I do really like the idea of owning .45 colt and having another option to shoot .45acp as well. From what I've seen with the current pandemic, .357/.38 is often sold out but I've been to 2 local stores that had .45 colt readily stocked (a plus in my mind of owning a less-popular caliber).

Of the two caliber options, which would you buy if you were in my shoes? Whatever caliber I don't get now, I will end up with at some point. Just want to make a better pick for my current situation.
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I would definitely go with the 45 Redhawk.
 
Yes

1. Heave a 285gr SWC 1057fps
2. Blow through hogs and deer to 40 yards, at any angle.
3. Leaves large exit wound.
4. Cases last forever with the 10gr Unique load with aforementioned bullet.
5. No punishing recoil.
6. No loud muzzle blast.
7. Shooting a cartridge that has successfully migrated from Black Powder to modern propellants.
 
.357 vs .45 Colt is pretty much a "flip of the coin" type question. Get either and you'll be well armed. I've killed a bunch of deer with the three magnums, mostly with .357s. But I've never used the .45 Colt on them. Still my primary woods roaming sidearm is a long owned, slightly modified three screw 4-5/8" BH. This revolver also has an extra acp cylinder that doesn't often get used. My handload gets 1060 fps with a 265 grn swc. I've taken lots of smaller game with it but never a deer. I find it pleasant to shoot and super accurate.

Both have the ability to get one's hiney unstuck with the .45 giving greater penetration, if that's a concern. Generally my holster holds a 4" .38 spl or 4" .22LR, but that's in more "civilized" forests. If I expect there may be things that bite or claw lurking, then I pick up the .45. The .45 Colt is at it's best when it's reloaded to fit a particular need.
In a .357 this is what's in the holster the most.

When it might just hit the fan while roaming, this is with me.
 
I thought of one thing 357 can do that 45 Colt can’t. It’s minor, but it is something. With 125 gr bullets out of a 357 rifle i can reach 2460 fps (I’ve personally chronoed it). That’s enough to cause hydrostatic shock reliably. The 45 Colt can’t do that.


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I've driven 125jhp to 2200fps (clocked) from a Marlin carbine.

At that speed there is no 125jhp pistol bullet that performs properly. They are seriously overdriven, often expand violently (think grenade) when that hit anything (and that includes a blade of grass or sheet of paper) and are erratic in performance and often in accuracy. Penetration is poor, nd can cause a horrific wound to the surface tissue without getting to vital organs.

Been there, done that, found disappointing results.

158gr soft points (topping out at 18-1900ish do generally perform better, expanding a lot, but, generally, not blowing up and penetrating enough to be useful.

I think if you shot a 125gr JHP from a .45 Colt in a rifle (sabot bullet?) you'd see some truly impressive velocity figures, but down range performance with a bullet designed to open up at pistol speeds won't be good for big game animals.
 
The 45 Colt has a much higher power to decibel ratio. That matters if you hunt without hearing protection. Both calibers have advantages over the other. But those advantages come with trade-offs that mostly are not free. The most-free advantage of the 357 is that the ammo weighs about half as much. Most of the revolvers for either one are six-shooters, but there are some 7 or 8-shot 357's.
If handloading, you can get the decibels of the 357 down to 45 Colt levels, but then your power is down to 38 Special levels at best.
Since the 357 magnum can shoot a bullet of perhaps half the weight of a 45 Colt, and at twice the velocity, it will have a flatter trajectory that a few fellows might be able to take advantage of...
I consider the two calibers to be of comparable, though never fully equal power in standard loadings. Handloaded in Ruger Blackhawks, the 45 Colt can leave the 357 way behind; it can equal the 44 Magnum, and even though the decibels have gone up, it's still not as high as the 357 or the 44 magnums.
If you've split a lot of firewood, you know that there is a place for a kindling hatchet, an axe, and an honest-to-goodness splitting maul. You can't swing the Maul quite as fast, but it can bust knots that the axe can't begin to touch. Dang, it comes down with authority!
I vote 45 Colt.
 
44 AMP said:
I've driven 125jhp to 2200fps (clocked) from a Marlin carbine.

At that speed there is no 125jhp pistol bullet that performs properly. They are seriously overdriven, often expand violently (think grenade) when that hit anything (and that includes a blade of grass or sheet of paper) and are erratic in performance and often in accuracy. Penetration is poor, nd can cause a horrific wound to the surface tissue without getting to vital organs.

Been there, done that, found disappointing results.

158gr soft points (topping out at 18-1900ish do generally perform better, expanding a lot, but, generally, not blowing up and penetrating enough to be useful.

I think if you shot a 125gr JHP from a .45 Colt in a rifle (sabot bullet?) you'd see some truly impressive velocity figures, but down range performance with a bullet designed to open up at pistol speeds won't be good for big game animals.
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Very true. I’ve experimented with many many 125 grain 357 bullets out of my rifle trying to find one that will hold together at those velocities. The best is the Sierra jsp, followed by the gold dot. Each will go through about 4 gallon water jugs and does not break apart. Everything else only goes through two jugs before exploding like a grenade just like you said.
I’ve yet to try any on live game but hope to soon.


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If I had to choose but one, it would probably be the 45LC. But only in a Ruger handgun. You can hot load the 45LC to about 44 magnum power levels and fire them out of the Ruger's. But since you don't reload you would be limited to a round firing a 250/255 grain lead bullet at about 850 fps. I don't own a 45LC so I'm not sure what types of commercial ammo are available. But that is what was available back if the day. Good luck.
 
No there isn't.

357 mag for the most shooting versatility win from mouse fart .38 spcl to heavy hitting 357 mag. Unless your a purist and have a warm fuzzy love for the .45 colt , there's no niche shooting experience that it fills (just my opinion)
 
hammer_jockey_91 said:
a 45colt ruger can generate 1400 foot pounds of energy, while a 357 tops out at around 800. additionally there are 22lr chamber sleeves for 45 colt
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I would not make that a factor in a purchasing decision at all. IMO, the two round ball "duplex" loads would be a better factor as two 140gr balls is significantly more effective than two 80 gr balls.
 
As much as I love my .357 revolvers and carbine, the one big drawback it has that most people seem to overlook is the extremely sharp crack. It has far more obnoxious muzzle blast than even Ruger level .45 Colt loads.

It's only mildly irritating at the range with good ear protection, but out in the woods with no ear protection it could be a big factor for a lot of people.
 
Post #40 is where I'm leaning towards. Like the Ruger BH, I have a Pietta in .45 Colt with the .45 acp cylinder; no moon clips. I like those .45 Colts better for plinking and protection while camping, fishing. They just seem easier to shoot. Guess its why I have three of 'em.
 
Something a .357 can do that a .45 Colt cannot do is a six round J frame size revolver that you can pocket carry for woods protection. (Kimber K6)
 
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