the ultimate revolver round for.....

9mm has a lot less blast and is easy to shoot
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I wouldn't be surprised at all if thats true. It makes perfect sense to me, if easier to shoot just means softer recoiling.
And its certainly true what is said about 2" revolvers regarding muzzle flash.

revolvers are preferred, by me, in the role of conceal carry, Pocket, BUG/get off me gun. Scenarios involving entanglement and/or drawing from concealment under stress (I have no combat training or experience) are exactly why i will always have my 357 revolver (6shot 327mag is a good candidate) easily accessible, regardless of if I also carry something full size.
For this role, I want something that hits harder than a 9mm despite recoil and flash. Ultimate, .357Mag has the flexibility to be the best for me (id really like a 3-4"barrel) . Im also very curious about .44spl/mag, I could probably be sold on that.
 
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By "revovler round" I'll assume you mean with a rim. I want to say while rimless, it's only used in revolvers currently and that would be 10mm Magnum with a properly made bullet and roll crimped, but since the likely focus is on rimmed, I'll stay within the limits of rimmed cartridges.

I can tell you that .44 and .45 calibers are not it because while they're still good choices, the size of the revolvers is what holds them back; the Charter Arms is the only exception here, but I don't think it's better than .357.

Does that mean I think .357 is? It's sure got the track record, tho I still think .327 is a good choice, but is held back due to lack of ammo, and if someone made a properly sized .41 caliber revolver and a 180 grain JHP load that gets 1000 fps from a 3 inch barrel, it would be an excellent choice.

Those things being what they are, .357 is currently the ultimate self defense revolver round. If there were more options in .327, say that 115 grain Speer Gold Dot ammo came back, it'd be a tough choice.
 
There is no such thing. There is no ultimate round. All there is an assortment of needs, and assortment that can fill those needs.

For a snub, the ultimate may be either 9mm, .38, .327, .357, you can easily use any of those cartridges as a good combat round in a snub. they work and mostly work well. It all depends on what loads you want to use and what gun you want to use.

For a conventional size it's hard to call the .38 the ultimate, and equally hard to call the .357 the ultimate. You can use .38 in the J frame, and use heavy rounds, and have great capacity to kill, or you can get a K frame in .357, also with great power but with tradeoffs. You could get a big old hogleg and use the .44 or .45 rounds, or use a more compact one with fewer available rounds, and you're still at an impasse, will the bigger rounds work better? Sure, they might, but what are all of the tradeoffs?

You could even go to the N frame smith with the .45 acp moon clips and have a truly effective round that is better than the .44 in almost every possible way.

You can pick one and call it the ultimate, but in the very simplest terms, calling anything "the best" is almost just talking nonsense. What is the most appropriate, works most effectively, etc... Pepsi or coke, mcdonalds or burger king, jack daniels or wild turkey? I used to hear the kids in high school arguing over winston, marlboro, camel, or cools. They never resolved which one was best.
 
You must take into account how well you can fire that gun and round. You can't stop a fight if you can't shoot the darned thing.
 
So to recap, it's unlikely that any one particular caliber will be the absolute best for every person in every possible situation. If you want more power per round then you've either got to haul around a bigger revolver all day or you've got to accept a higher potential for hearing damage should you need it in a defensive situation. If you want higher capacity (and don't want to carry a semi-auto) then you've either got to haul around a bigger revolver all day or you've got to accept a smaller caliber.
 
Cosmodragoon, the criteria I set out with was narrow in scope, basically a self defense round against a human attacker that the average shooter could handle reasonably well.
 
I got it, JERRYS. I'm sure you can see from the debate that there is no single best. However, there are lots of good choices and the right one depends on a bunch of particular details. Did I miss a victory on big and slow versus small and fast within your narrow scope?
 
... that the average shooter could handle reasonably well.
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There's your problem with the 357 Magnum. Other than those manly men who aren't bothered by recoil and blast, the vast majority of people (this would include the OP's "average shooter") can't control a full power 357 worth a poop.

Why do I say that? For ten years I ran my own firearms training business, qualifying people for concealed carry permits and running self-defense classes. I trained well over 1000 people during those years, and I can count on one hand the number of men who could handle a full power 357 Magnum in realistic training drills. Sure they can manage slow fire, but put the pressure on and accuracy (the point of the exercise) falls apart. And the smaller and lighter the gun the worse it gets.

A full power Magnum in a duty size steel revolver can be controlled by someone who practices with full power ammunition. The problem is the OP's average shooter doesn't practice nearly enough and they don't practice the right way, doing the right things.

I'll wait for the arguments but you can't change 10 years of observation and experience.

Dave
 
Agree with Dave T. In that a .38 Spl (standard P) 158 gr. lead hollowpoint such as Buffalo Bore 38 Spl, 158 gr. LSWHP fills the bill imo. It is controllable by more people of average skill level and:
1. It won't hurt older/fragile/alloy revolvers. (Non +P)
2. Is effective as a "fight stopper" through the use of proper bullets.
3. Is more powerful than typical/standard, weak 38SPL ammo.
4. Generate much less recoil than our +P 38SPL ammo.
5. Is flash suppressed. ...
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I have no problem shooting .357 Mag, but the muzzle flash/blast does slow recovery for a second shot; but I prefer to shoot .38 Spl +P. OTOH, I limit myself to standard pressure rounds in my S&W Mod’s 12 & 14 and usually find myself shooting 148 gr LWC target rounds. So were I to choose a single loading for all my .38Spl/357Mag revolvers, it would be a load that should be effective and that all of them can use. Standard pressure with a largish lead hollowpoint. YMMV
 
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... I trained well over 1000 people during those years, and I can count on one hand the number of men who could handle a full power 357 Magnum in realistic training drills...
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Recoil and blast add challenge for everyone. The size of that challenge will vary by individual and can be mitigated by training but it's always there. Manly or not, I never cared for .357 magnum in an alloy snub. I carried .38 special until I got set up with .327 Federal. Even there, I use the lighter 85-grain loads. That's the right balance for me.
 
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