roashooter
Moderator
posts like this reminds me of the phrase....EDIT.....never mind...
Ruger GP100 44 special
- Thread starter roashooter
- Start date
posts like this reminds me of the phrase....EDIT.....never mind...
I carried a .44 Special as a CCW for nearly a decade. But it was a S&W M296 Centennial Airweight. 18.5 ounces, DAO. With the Barnes style all copper 200 grain JHP's, I liked it a lot. That's a CCW revolver.
I don't see this GP in that way. It is either a fun range gun for people who love the nostalgia of .44 Special or an open carry working/range gun. I live on a 90 acre ranch and I could see making it a regular carry gun with the right holster and belt. My normal use of such a gun would normally end with one or two rounds fired.
First revolver I ever bought for myself on my 21st birthday was a Ruger Security Six, six inch barrel, stainless. That would have been 1982. That's the gun which led me to learn reloading as well. I still keep it close by my side of the bed. But... as a general walking around utility gun, I've definitely moved away from .357 Magnum over the years. My first carry gun was a S&W M640 Centennial and it was a fine gun. But it is a total handful of blast and flash with the recommended 125 grain JHP Magnum load.
I'm 55 years old now and been shooting guns my whole life. The older I get, the more I move towards bigger bullet and slower speeds. A .357 Magnum can be quite effective at many things but it gets to be a bit obnoxious over time. I can do just about everything I need to do around the property with 8.5 grains of Unique in .44 Special. And, as I said, five rounds/six rounds... makes no difference. If I have to put down a hurt goat, it's one shot to the head. Capacity isn't a big issue for a utility gun. I still love my unconverted OM Ruger Blackhawks and I carry all of them with five rounds loaded.
I'm not a total old fart. My CCW finally changed a few years ago. After the Colorado movie theater attack. I decided I really did want longer range and higher tactical penetration in case the bad guy was wearing some type of vest. So I moved to an HK P2000 LEM in .357 SIG. I'm totally happy with it in 12+1. But I don't just walk around my property with it... that's usually either a .22 LR or a .44 Special.
Gregg
Model12Win
Moderator
Anyone that claims a .357 offers better on-target terminal ballistic performance is quite frankly, insane.
Guys I've said it before and I'll say it again:
"There's no replacement for displacement"
"When all things are equal, bigger bullets tend to work better"
You can talk up the .357 magnum all you want, but it will NEVER be as capable or effective as the far larger and heavier .44 and .45 class slugs pushed at moderate velocities.
Guys I've said it before and I'll say it again:
"There's no replacement for displacement"
"When all things are equal, bigger bullets tend to work better"
You can talk up the .357 magnum all you want, but it will NEVER be as capable or effective as the far larger and heavier .44 and .45 class slugs pushed at moderate velocities.
ShootistPRS
New member
Modern tech shows the there is a replacement for displacement - super chargers and nitrous. So there are exceptions to every rule.
I am fond of "bigger bullets" too but bullet weight or diameter by itself is no more "magic" than the hyper-speed light bullets.
I did a lot of research when I decided to try my hand at hunters pistol silhouette and found two things of importance for me.
1. it is easier for me to hit a target when I have to hold under than if I have to hold over.
2. velocity can overcome weight if the bullet is properly chosen.
I chose the 140 grain JHP over the 158 grain bullet because I could easily adjust the round to hit at 100 yards and hold under at 50 and 75 for solid hits. The hollow point bullet transferred more momentum to the target because it took time to deform before the heat built up enough to destroy it. This was proven to me by the perfect imprint left from the hollow point in the chickens at 25 yards. I made my choices based on what some of the experts in the competition were reporting and the fact that I did not want to have to adjust my sights between banks.
OK, that's fine for silhouette but what about self defense or hunting? As it turned out the round was as good in these areas as it was in silhouette but for different reasons. The 140 grain bullet is the best compromise between velocity and the brute force of the 158 grain bullet. You see the 357 gives up a lot of velocity going from 140 to 158 due to the added weight and length. The weight is obvious but the length hits twice. There is less space left in the case and more drag in the bore. You don't have a lot of extra space for H110 with a 140 grain bullet so the next slower powder loses velocity and with the 158 grain bullet that 16.6 grain maximum charge (old data please check your manuals) was as close to a compressed load as you want to get with a double base powder. There just is no longer enough powder space to get the job done properly.
As it turns out you can cleanly kill a deer at 50 yards with a 140 grain 357 round. I could have pushed it to 75 but I tend to be conservative when shooting at game. After seeing the effect of the 357 going through the chest of a deer I knew that it was as good for self defense as I could ask for.
From a 3" or longer barrel the 357 magnum will outperform the 44 Special, 45 ACP and 45 Colt on people, everytime. I don't carry a 357 revolver anymore, I carry a 44 mag if I am carrying a revolver.
I do believe that a decent load in a 44 special can compete with a 357 when the 357 is fired in a sub 2.5" barrel.
ShootistPRS
New member
I just keep in mind that there are no "magic" bullets, loads or sights. You have to hit the vitals with enough damage to them to kill whatever you are shooting at.
ShootistPRS
New member
Nanuk,
You have a higher respect for the capability of LEO than I do. I was a member of the SPAA (police range in Seattle) for many years. Most of them were less than capable marksmen and some were just more dangerous than their shooting. It was amazing to watch a policeman put 50 rounds of wad cutters on a 24 x 24 inch target and get so few in the 8" bull at 25 yards. There were exceptions but I would rather count on someone other than a cop to save me in a bad situation. Thankfully most of the cops never had to pull their guns out of the holster except for annual qualifications. (they got three chances to qualify at 7 and 15 yards).
You have a higher respect for the capability of LEO than I do. I was a member of the SPAA (police range in Seattle) for many years. Most of them were less than capable marksmen and some were just more dangerous than their shooting. It was amazing to watch a policeman put 50 rounds of wad cutters on a 24 x 24 inch target and get so few in the 8" bull at 25 yards. There were exceptions but I would rather count on someone other than a cop to save me in a bad situation. Thankfully most of the cops never had to pull their guns out of the holster except for annual qualifications. (they got three chances to qualify at 7 and 15 yards).
arquebus357
New member
That is odd. I have watched the LEO's practice at the Sparks Reservoir range near Atlanta and they average good to very, very good.