How much .357 do you shoot through your .357?

Not much. I only have three .357s, a Ruger Vaquero, S&W 28, and a Ruger SP-101. None are bad as far as recoil. I just can't find any .357 for a price I'm willing to pay. I'd shoot a lot more of it if it was more affordable
 
Mr Wright

You not only have very cool revolvers, but the pictures are always top notch.

Every time you post, I want, right then, to go find an all night Ruger store! And there are none.

Durn your hide, sir.
 
My SP101 gets .38spec. mostly. The .357 Mag. was invented when they discovered that slow burning powder and a long barrel could produce magnum velocities. In a short barrel, the bullet is out of the barrel before all of the powder is burned, producing a larger ball of fire from too much powder burning outside the barrel instead of magnum velocity. My 4 5/8" Blackhawks do better with magnum ammo, but still not as good as my 8" Contender.
 
I shoot .38s in my .357 mag bedroom gun and then load 357s back in when it goes back to the bedroom for home defense. It's all about being comfortable with the gun when you turn to it for defense. The only time the extra power/noise of the .357 won't be detrimental to comfort is when the adrenalin is high from the fight response. Then the extra stopping power and noise will serve their purpose.

Oddly enough, I just picked up some .357 CCI Blazers at a local shop for $4 less a box than the same brand and weight of .38 +p ($21 vs. $25 a box). I don't know if that's just a result of the current price fluctuations or what.
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Yep. In times of scarcity, the round that fits more guns will get the bigger jump in price and this kind of inversion can occur. The extra powder cost and lower market share of the .357 become insignificant when demand outstrips supply for the cheaper-to-make .38.
 
357 Mags

357 Mag. is a weapon intended for the extra power which it contains. If the shooter does not need the extra 357 power then 38's will do the job. A 6 inch barrel is necessary to allow the powder to burn in, in order to creat the gases sufficient to push the bullet to 357 Mag. specs. Shorter barrels are a waste of powder. Handling and shooting your handgun is a necessary process in order for someone to get confortable and confident with it. I hunt wild hogs from time to time with mine and enjoy the power and penetration of the 357 Mag. I have never shot a hog with the 357 Mag that did not expire quickly. There is my 2 cents worth.
 
80/20

I run 38spl through my S&W 686+ about 80% of the time. When I'm out practicing I always load one or two cylinders of .357mag, funny thing is I am more accurate with the .357mag. For target practice and in house defense the 38spl is plenty, I don't think I want to experience the blast from the .357 indoors! If I was outdoors for a walk in an area where I might encounter dangerous animals I would go with .357mag for sure.
 
I probably shoot around 700-1000 rounds of .38 standard pressure every year or so. As far as .357 goes i would guess 400-500 rounds per year. I carry 125gr JHPs in .357 for defence so i like to keep the power of my reloads about the same as that so i can train for the recoil, blast,ect.
 
I'd say that if you're using .357 mag that goes 10fps or less , then you might as ell run .38s
If it doesn't ignite Tenerite, it's to a mag load:D
 
.357 was originally developed to shoot through steel bodied cars. Next time I want to shoot my car I will buy full house .357 Remington Magnum as this is the correct name.
 
357 Mag. is a weapon intended for the extra power which it contains. If the shooter does not need the extra 357 power then 38's will do the job. A 6 inch barrel is necessary to allow the powder to burn in, in order to creat the gases sufficient to push the bullet to 357 Mag. specs. Shorter barrels are a waste of powder. Handling and shooting your handgun is a necessary process in order for someone to get confortable and confident with it.
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Are you saying that a factory .357 Magnum round fired through a 4" barrel won't be traveling faster and hitting harder than a factory .38 Special of the same bullet through the same barrel? If you're not saying that, how is it a waste of powder to have a harder hitting bullet? I agree that you may not get the maximum possible from the round, but all else being equal, the BG will likely not be thinking, "Geez, if that gun had a 6" barrel, I would be dead already, that 4" barrel was a bad choice. He should have just shot me with a .38 and saved some money."

From the tables I've seen, the .357 Mag beats the delivered energy of a .38 Special even from a 2" barrel and gives you whatever deterrent effect that a louder bang and brighter muzzle flash might offer. In a self-defense situation, shooting a gun you're comfortable with makes it more likely you will hit the target. You won't be wearing hearing protection and you'll feel more recoil than you're used to, but those will most likely go unnoticed. You'll deliver almost twice as much energy into the target and that's what really matters. These charts tell the tale.

38 Special

357 Magnum

That's why I put many more .38s through my bedroom gun than .357s. The gun will last longer and I will be more confident and comfortable in my ability to shoot straight with it. The 2" of barrel length won't matter much inside 15'.
 
two revolvers, two loads

My two full size- 4 & 4-5/8" revolvers get magnum loads, but the ammo is taylored to the use.


The SA, 4-5/8 gets a 1000 fps+ midrange 158 LSWC that is a useful jump over .38, but not obnoxious to shoot. It is a GP set up that does not deafen and blind if you take an impromptu crack at a varmint or improvise hearing protection for impromptu plinking. It is my favorite .357.

The large framed DA gets factory 125 JHP as a SD load. It is somewhat obnoxius to shoot and I make a point of both muffs and plugs when shooting same. By coincidence, 148 /.38 WC shoots to same point of aim, but I do very little of that. In fact I shoot the DA not that much at all.

Both of these wheel guns will not shoot to a useable zero with any other mag ammo as set up presently.
 
Other then for occasional testing, 100% of the 357 magnum ammo is 357 magnum. So all it all it is probably about 99% of what my mags are fed is 357 Magnum ammo.

As a reloader, why mess with 38 special in a Magnum when I can shoot mags?
 
Now that I have joined the ranks of reloaders, I will probably start shooting .357 that I've loaded to something between .38 Spl and .357 Mag power. I will also be load .38s for my wife's .38.
 
I will probably start shooting .357 that I've loaded to something between .38 Spl and .357 Mag power.
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That's the way to do it! Taylor the load to how 'you' want to shoot and what is accurate in your revolver(s)... My favorite is 5.0g of Red Dot under a 158g SWC. Around 1000fps and accurate in my .357s. Only .38s I've ever loaded were for my dad, or for wax loads with the flash hole drilled out as a kid.... only .357 brass gets used in my .357s.
 
This is a interesting thread. Depending on the 357 magnum which I have three, I may shoot all 357 magnums or 38 specials.

For example:
My Ruger Blackhawk 357/9mm. This revolver will see either 357magnums or 9mm ammo. No 38 specials. Waste of a time shooting 38 specials in a large frame revolver.
My Ruger Police Service Six 4 inch. 90 % 357 magnums and 10 % 38 specials. I like the Blazer 158 gr 357 hollowpoints for range use.
My Ruger SP101 4 inch 357 magnum revolver. This is a new revolver and so far I have used 38 special rounds with only 10 rounds of 357 magnums. This is a small frame revolver and 357s produce a lot more recoil than the 38 specials.
That is the great thing about a 357 magnum revolver. A person has choice.
Howard
 
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