Unusual Revolver Scenario...

S

S.E.R.T.SGT

New member
Well I again come seeking advice from my good friends at TFL. I will try and be brief to kind of explain my scenario and ask the question. I have been shooting for about 25 years and have owned exclusively semi-autos with the exception of one gun, .357 Colt Python, which I kick myself everytime I think about when I got rid of it. (DOH) Anyways, I am in the market for a new revolver and am debating between .357 and .44. (Although I am open for suggestions.) This will mainly serve the function of a self defense pistol, (2 legged.) however, and this is the "caveat", I do spend a good bit of time in the mountains as well and would like to have the ability to discourage the 4 legged beasties as well. I am really torn between the two calibers, and not sure which one would fit the bill for this scenario the best. I would also be interested in finding out specific makes/models that you might recommend for the new addition. So my question is, based on the above scenario, which caliber do you think would "fit the bill the best", and what make/model of gun would you get in that caliber? (I have been thinking a lot about this because of the fact that most of the .44 mags seem to be a little big for concealed carry, but I am not sure if I would trust a .357 against some of the bigger critters.) The last 3 gun purchases I have made have been a result of studying, handling, and the suggestions of various people's posts here, so I do appreciate the feedback.
 
Which side of the "old Mis" do you live on? Not much on the East side that .357mag 180gr heavy loads won't handle. West you can run into 4 legged beasts that that load would be a last resort kinda thing, big bears and such. Me being on the East side I'd look for a Ruger SP101 with the 3 1/16 barrel. For the West side of the river I'd look at a S&W .44mag Mountain Gun. Light enough to CCW if you had to and powerful enough to handle big beasts with heavy loads.
 
The .357 Magnum is, especially with heavy bonded loads, perfectly capable of taking out black bears, cougars, and wolves.

Grizzlies may be another matter, though Colonel Doug Wesson did take antelope, moose, elk, and grizzly bear with his in the '30s and some companies still make some stomping .357 loads that are as hot or hotter than the Golden Age rounds.

I think that the hot .4x rounds are better marketed for beast defense rather than actually more effective than a 6+" .357 Magnum.
 
With nothing larger than our black bears (that you would be hard pressed to get one to charge at you) a .357 mag should fill your bill.
 
Boy, THIS is gonna spark a debate! :D You didn't say which mountain range you're packing in, but I think that unless you're in major grizzly country, the .357 mag is a hell of a lot of cartridge. Not the same as a .44 mag. of course, but more than sufficient for cougar or black bear, (or even moose, that, when pissed off, ain't no slouch either. I'm going to quote CarbineCalib (more or less) and say it's pretty easy to avoid trouble in the boonies, but if you do run into a jam, the .357 will do the job, with less weight and bulk, on everything short of grizz. Now for the onslaught of the .44 mag fans. :eek: :D
 
I would get a Smith & Wesson Model 686, preferably with a 6in barrel but knowing that 4in would conceal more easily. This is an 'L' frame and smaller than the 'N' frame .44. I have used both and always felt the .357 was easier to handle. Not only that, but since I reload I know that .357 costs less to shoot. The fully loaded .44 will outperform the .357 but both will stop big animals pretty well (although I'd prefer a shotgun if it was a bear.) For normal sized animals the .44 is overkill in my opinion.
 
The 7-shot 686 is immensely popular, and plenty of holsters in 4"... the 6" soaks up a little more recoil and gives just a touch more practical accuracy. They even have a half-lug 5-inch at "stocking dealers", but not too many holsters for that size... I have shot them a few times at S&W in Springfield, definitely one in my future.
 
There's not a critter in TN/NC/GA that a 158-180gr .357 won't dispatch with alacrity. That, and the availability of cheap .38 Spl plinking/practice ammo would seem to mitigate in favor of the .357 K/L-frame...
 
If this is going to be dual purpose, how would the hotter 10mm loads fare?

Here are some links for Remington's ballistic charts:

for .357 magnum:
http://www.remington.com/ammo/ballistics/pr/results.asp?cal=5

for 10mm:
http://www.remington.com/ammo/ballistics/pr/results.asp?cal=12

for .44 magnum:
http://www.remington.com/ammo/ballistics/pr/results.asp?cal=16

Just for kicks...
http://www.winchester.com/products/catalog/handgundetail.aspx?symbol=S500PTHP&cart=NTAwIFMrQUNZLVc=

I would go with the 10mm in a Glock 29
http://www.glock.com/g29.htm

The finish is great so you can sweat all over it without worrying too much about the finish, it is more compact that most revolvers, at least in thickness. It is much easier to carry reloads while having a 10 round magazine. I haven't priced the G29 but most Glocks can be had for around $500. Good luck and let us know what you decide on.
 
Capt..not wanting to start a debate here, just wanted to get some feedback based on a scenario in which one would seem to lean towards the .357 (i.e. self defense) and the other the .44(i.e.bear, etc.). I guess I'm really trying to fill, what appears in my mind as a gap between the two?? From the posts so far it appears however, that something in the .357 is the way to go. I have always be interested in the 66 as my dad carried one in Vietnam, but wasn't sure how the .357 might handle those 4 legged creatures I referred to. Good stuff all, thanks!!
 
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I found something in the middle... the .41 magnum. Here are the ballistics.

http://www.winchester.com/products/...aspx?symbol=S41PTHP&cart=NDEgUmVtIE1hZ251bQ==

I'm not sure now popular this cartridge is so that affects the availabilit and price of the rounds. I hope this helps. Does any one who owns a .41 Magnum revolver know if you can fire .40 S&Ws or 10mm Auto rounds with half moon clips? If so that would make it very versatile and practice ammo could be a lot cheaper. (not that 10mm ammo is cheap!)
 
I have a 6" 586 and am absolutely delighted with it; wouldn't sell it for the world (don't know if I'm making any sense here or no, 3 sheets in the wind :D :D :D ) I'm thinking the .44 mag is a bit of overkill like some others here, but I'm also thinking it's going to boil down to personal choice (thank God for spell check :D )
 
Jonathon - you make holsters? Have any pics of your handiwork?
Click to expand...

Yes, infact I just posted a thread.. none of the material I used is what I would sell... more or less cheap crap to practice with, since most of it performs the same, just has some corrosive chemicals.. found a place to get veg tanned pieces that were marred in some way or another for cheap, I've gotten one just recently. The light grit sand paper cleaned it up nicely.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173403

I'll post my first pancake bit in about 5 mins...
 
Johathon- No bears (plenty of beers though) and there are a few crocodiles. I don't know which would be worse. I'd say that a 15ft salty crocodile might have the edge - they take no prisoners.
 
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