Should I .357Mag --> .38Spl?

T

twoblink

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I have a Ruger Sp101 Snubbie .357Mag for my home defense. I took it to the range the other day, and shot up a case of my 357Mag hollowpoints. Ouch. Boy, by the 20th shot, my hand was jello. Now my accuracy is not very good with a .357Mag, I'm doing maybe 6" groups with it...

Same gun on .38Spls however, the group moves to sub 3" easily. So... my question is, ballistics aside because I know the numbers, am I losing that much for homeD if I move DOWN to a .38Spl? Because I'm thinking, a .38Spl in a bad guy, is better than a .357Mag that missed?? Is that a smarter move??

Also, now then, it makes me wonder how much of a "bite" the Corbon .38Spls have. I can shoot .38Spls all day long, but the Mag's really kill the hand out of a snubbie..

Albert
 
This needs to be moved to Revolver forum.

To answer your question, I have given up on 357 because of the noise level and muzzle blast and would consider 38 with heavy bullets to be better suited...not because they work better but because I wouldn't flinch if firing without ear plugs or glasses. Similarly, I'll stay with 9/45 over 10mm or 454.
 
Cor-Bon defensive .38 specials seem quite moderate to me. I like the bullet performance and minimal night vision loss when using them.

I agree that something should be changed, either the gun, the grips, or the load.

Sam...a CASE of .357s in one outing ?
 
I would try grips before giving up on 357. (I'm assuming yours still wears factory grips).

After I changed grips I can now fire 357 all day long, no trouble. In fact my sp101 fires 357 exclusively.
With the factory grips, one cylinder-full with mag equalled=WOW!!!
 
Good advice on the grips. Try Hogue's for a start. Although I sound like a broken record on this, the Winchester ''white box'' 110gr .357 H. P.,s work well and are very easy on the hands. Velocity is respectable and they are fairly affordable in comparison with other factory loadings. Unfortunately your revolver may not shoot well with them Anyway good luck.
 
A .357 in the home? Not me. I'll take the .38 Special +P 158 Grain wad cutter hollowpoint load made famous by the FBI.

I got news for ya, if you put a bullet between someone's eyes at 7 yards with a .38 Special and they still come at you, it may be time to start the collective bargaining process in lieu of using a handgun for self-defense.
 
Here's another idea . . .

I agree with Will Beararms. In fact, with real accuracy the most anemic .38 Special round (for example, 130 grain FMJs) will be do the job.

While I am not a great believer in “shuffling loads”, in your situation you might want the first two or three rounds in the five-shot SP-101 to be .38 Specials (+P Nyclads would be my choice) and the remaining rounds to be 125 grain .357 magnums (Golden Sabers would be my choice).

In this way, you will likely never need to fire the magnums, but they will be loaded for the most extreme scenarios.
 
Try new grips, they should help.
If they don't then, it's like you said a hit with a .38 is better than a miss with a .357.
 
Can you say Sensory Overload? I find this same thing happens when I shoot "alot" of 357 ammo thru my snubbie. My, "everything", get fatigued and I start to slip...some days in as little as 20 rnds. I have great grips....hogue's that fill my whole hand.
They help immensely. I can shoot boxes of 38 and be more consistant. But my first 15-30 shots in 357 are just as good, maybe better. Then Overload sets in :D

What are the odds of shooting 20 rnds of 357 in your house at a BG? Try the grips and if they work, leave the caliber alone....

As far as the 357 for a house gun, mine is. A good 22 short will go thru walls....kinda makes the 38/357 question a mute point.....

Shoot well
 
Did he fire six shots, or only five?

If you can't hit 'em, they won't stop. As mentioned above, good grips are essential, especially when using magnums.

If .357 is a little too much, there are many good .38+P rounds available that don't have quite that "kick" to them.

My favorite's are 125 grn Gold Dots.

YMMV...blah blah blah...

-LeadPumper
 
Years ago I used a Dan Wesson 357 as a carry piece. For a while I loaded the first two chambers with a 158gr LSWC-HP (+P), the next four with 158gr JHP Magnums. I lived in a very rural area and the Magnums would have proved better against any feral dogs I might have encountered.
 
FWIW:

I carry a .357 K-frame, 4", and load it w/ .38+P. The gun's greater mass allows me better recoil control than a std 38 k-frame of the same size. It definitly works for me.

Good luck........
 
Ditto on the Hogue grips. My Sp101 was a 'handful' with the factory grips. I was flinching quite a lot. The Hogues tamed it quite a bit and made shooting a lot more enjoyable. Factory rounds can have quite a kick to them and a pressure wave that feels like a slap. The worst were some S&B I picked up at gun show. For a real experience try factory rounds through a Taurus 605! I reload so I can tame it down a bit there also. For me the Hogue grips made the biggest difference.

Nothing wrong with using .38's it the recoil still bothers you.
 
Beware muzzle flash/noise in .357

I've been shooting safely for 45 years and my only-ever accidental discharge was shooting a hole through my bedroom floor with a hot-load .357 round. Friends, my hearing took ONE MONTH to return to a semblance of normal. I would definitely opt for .38 spcl ammo for home defense in my .357 mag.

Save the hi pressure .357 loads for the range or great outdoors and double-up on you hearing protection! Take it from one who painfully knows.
 
As mentioned many time's above, In a snubby 38/357 the 38SPL 158gr LHP+P has plenty of stopping power. There is also the noise factor, can you imagine the noise level of a 357 mag going off by your ear with a 2 1/2' barrel, with no hearing protection.
I have shot the 38SPL without hearing protection once to get the feal of how loud it was, very load indeed.

Tony

Here is a link to test results for the 38SPL load.


http://www.firearmstactical.com/ammo_data/38special.htm
 
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twoblink,

Were you using Cor-Bons to begin with? These rounds are notorious for their blast and kick---in any caliber! Try Federal, Remington, Winchester, CCI or PMC, and then make your decision to stay with magnums or move down to a .38 Special.

Personally, I think it's a waste of power to fire .38s in a .357 pistol. It's like putting a 3.0L engine into a Lamborghini. But only you can answer what's best for you.

Cheers.
 
I love shooting .357 in a 6" revolver at the range. Love the power and all that. For home defence, I wouldn't use a .357. I don't want a round pentrating a BG and hurting something else as it exits. for home defence, a .38 should be fine.
 
Mid range 357 loads like the Golden Sabor for carry and home defence and 38s for practice. thats what I would use if I carried a snub.
 
Hogue grips,38+p shoud do the trick...it does for me...or a 12ga pump...no aiming....no bad guy....no SH**! :D
 
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