Softest Kicking Magnum Round?

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Patton21

New member
Hey guys,

So it looks like the .357 kicks hard, but is alright with a 4 inch ported barrel in a heavy gun according to some. What, if any, other magnum rounds dont kick so bad? Are there heavier magnum rounds then the 357 mag that dont kick as hard? Whats the word on say a .41 mag or 45 colt etc. Thanks guys.
 
I would say that the 357Magnum itself is the lightest kicking Magnum round. The 41Mag is going to have more kick, the 44Mag will have even more. What is going on here is that they all launch bullets with similar Sectional Density at similar velocities, resulting in heavier bullets in the larger calibers. So essentially a 357Mag launches 180gr. bullets at 1250+fps the 41Special launches a 250gr. bullet at 1250+fps and the 44Mag launches even heavier bullets at the same velocities. The 357Mag has similar recoil to a 45ACP but just slightly more violent because of the increased velocity. They have similar bullet momentum but the 357Mag has more velocity. This has been my experience.
 
Is there any truth to people saying that a ported .357 mag revolver shoots like a 9mm in terms of recoil? Will porting on a 4 inch .357 mag make it kick a lot less?
 
I would think it would kick less but at the price of increased volume. At the range the other day, I was stuck in between a guy with a 357 and a guy with a 300 Wthrby Mag. The 357 wasn't ported and was loud enough, but wow, that Weatherby with a muzzle brake hurt.
 
Here's a good example for you from my collection:

158 Grain JHP, 15 grains of H110. (That's a pretty stout .357 load)
Desert Eagle: Not a whole lot of kick, but impressive muzzle flash.
Taurus 669, 6" and ported. A little more kick due to light gun, but practically no muzzle rise due to the porting.
SP101 2 1/4 DOA. 'Ouch' after 3 rounds.

.357 Magnum is a great cartridge to get into the Big Bore/Magnum guns. a good 4 or 6 inch GP100, S&S 686, Taurus...you can ramp the loads up pretty good for some crowd pleasers without hurting yourself.

Then, move up to .44. You can have mild loads in .44 as well as wrist cracking thumpers...
 
You may still have the benefit of the .357 Magnum...

Get a .357 Sig

It approximates the the Magnum and the recoil is softened by the slide accuating spring. :)

I still prefer the 1911 .45 ACP
It does the job and works for me. ;)
 
Patton,

comparing a 4" ported .357 with full house magnum loads against a 4" 9mm auto - are they the same recoil?

ummmmmmm, NO.

And it's also tough to truly compare the two as the auto is going to have more muzzle flip due to the slide.

I shoot a 6" GP100 with 125gr bullets moving at 1600fps. Thats a FULL load acording to my Speer #11. Please note that my GP100 also sports a 38mm red-dot. It's one heavy pistol, make no jokes about it. This is not a ported gun, but remember - it's a lot heavier than a 4" GP100...

I also shoot a 9mm XD 4". I have some nice, 124 gr. loads moving at 1200fps. It's a pussy cat to shoot.

When I touch off a full mag round from the GP, you KNOW you just pulled the trigger on something special. 18-20" of muzzle blast, massive concussive shockwave, and a stiff jolt right up the arm. Believe me, the whole indoor range I shoot at, all 13 other lanes, stops and stares at me. It's not bad really, but it's no 9mm.

A 4" ported .357 is NOT the same as a 4" 9mm. It's still a much more stout recoil.

Please consider though that I really don't think the .357 is all that much of a recoiler.
 
What is going on here is that they all launch bullets with similar Sectional Density at similar velocities, resulting in heavier bullets in the larger calibers
Click to expand...
Patton,
What he said.
The key to it all though is handloading.

The larger calibers will launch similar weight bullets at the same velocities, but with less pressure and with less recoil. You sacrifice penetration though since the sectional density of the larger slug is less. You also give up some extra range also since the larger light slug (with usually a less efficient ballsistic coefficient) sheds velocity quicker.

Prudent selection of bullets and bullet styles can offset some of that,,,,but,,
TANSTASFL - (there ain't no such thing as a free lunch).

If you desire lower recoil, yet magnum or magnumlike performance, then you have to make a trade -off somewhere.
 
You were wanting a 357 Magnum 4" barrel on that other thread. Probably won't find one that recoils less than the Taurus 608 which is ported. It's a large frame and weighs a few more ounces than the Ruger GP100 or S&W 686. 8-shooter. Never shot one. Looked at one once, but it was too big for my hand, so I didn't look it over very closely. No idea if it's any good.
 
If you can find a Blackhawk 357 it will tame the perceived recoil substancially (heft and plowhandle). I prefer the DA revolver personally. I don't know if the Redhawk comes in 357, but if so it would also be great for perceived recoil reduction.

Ear protection is perhaps the most important thing to help shoot maggies. Double protect with plugs and muffs. Muzzleblast gets comingled with perceived recoil in the mind.

You can always shoot 38's. Use the 357 for defensive purposes. Mix you practice up by shooting 22lr's and you will soon be looking for even bigger mags.

Train you brain.
 
It all depends on what you're used to. I have a S&W Mod 28. It is an N frame weighing approximately 40oz and I usually use S&B 158grn JSP for practice. I don't find it to be unpleasant in the least. Then again, my CZ75B loaded with anything is a real pussycat.
 
Not to be a put-down, but I personally have never fired a full-sized .357 Magnum that was really brutal in the recoil department. As long as we're taking a 4" K-frame or bigger revolver, the .357 is no biggie, IMO. Shoot .38s for practice and mix it up with full-house magnums every once in a while. I'd skip the barrel porting myself, to save the ears.

Of course, my personal favorite Magnum revolver is the .44 Magnum. With a mild handload of a 240gr SWC doing about 1000 fps in a big 6" N-frame, this is one of the greatest rounds IMO. Stomp out a 300gr slug at 1100 (or more) fps and then the recoil gets a bit stiff. By stiff I mean almost 90-degree vertical rotation of the pistol after the hammer drops. But those big slugs shoot like gang busters and seem to be gentler than a 240gr slug at 1250-1300 fps, which is easily done as well.

Maybe you should find people willing to let you try their guns sometime and see what YOU like the best. I know when somebody expresses interest in my 629 I always offer a few rounds to try it. Perhaps you can find some similar minded folks.
 
In a K-frame or better size revolver, with at least a 4 inch barrel, the .357 is really not all that bad in terms of recoil. I sometimes shoot an old Model 28 Smith N-Frame with a 4" and find it not unpleasant at all. Try shooting them in a J-frame with a 2" barrel though, and it seems like you just touched off a 155mm howitzer. I have a Taurus 605 in that configuration and I must admit, I don't really enjoy shooting it with full-power loads. I find that porting the barrel does help with the kick, but also increases muzzel flash and sound problems. Putting good rubber grips, like the Pacmayrs, also helps significantly.
 
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