which is better caliber for snub..38 or 357?

How much recoil can you tolerate and control?
How heavy is the snubby?
Which brand cartridge?

357magnum performs significantly better than 38special out of similar guns.

I find Gold Dot 135gr +P 38special to be my limit in any snubby, including my S&W 340pd.
 
bcoz i heard that the recoil of 357 w/ snub is too much for a newbie like me to handle. plus read from other threads that 357 ammo perform much better on longer barrel.

snub is more forgiving w/ 38 spl +p. how true is that?
 
i guess i'd go with the magnum chambering... you can always load back to .38spl if you want... i reload both calibers with bullseye so i'm pretty sure the load on both is working fully in a short barrel.... i'll tell tho my 6" model 27 is a dream to shoot with .38 spl loads... that heavy frame and long barrel just make shooting them a pleasure.............
 
Personaly I would go with a .357, but only shoot 38 Special. IMHO .357 out of a snubie is just making alot of noise and recoil and not much gain in performance. Though you will be able to use .357 if you want to.
 
On top of all of above

if you are a newbie to guns then I don't think you need a snubby pistol..4" barrel at minimum. Go with 357 and practice with 38's... save the magnums for once and a while and keep it loaded with them.
 
Hands down no doubt about it, the .357 wins this easy.
The basic reason why is because you can use .38's in the .357 but not vice versa.

Now if you want to know which cartridge to use - it all depends.

I prefer the .38spl +P 125 gr offering from CorBon. It's -><- this close to many low range .357 mag offerings, but with less flash and recoil.
 
Go with the 357 if you can, and shoot 38+p out of it. The ejector rod is longer, which helps in pushing the spent casings out. Also, it's built heavier.
As far as barrel length, 4 in. for the range, 2 in. for self defense or carry.
Depends where your priority is. It's harder for someone to grab a short barrel than a long barrel, and easier to conceal.
 
A question:

Is there any change in accuracy when shooting .38 bullets from a .357mag?
Since the revo is chambered for 357 but can shoot 38's is it supose to be more accurate with .357 than .38´s?

Fer
 
I think I'd lean to the .38 because the guns are smaller (and lighter!). I don't think any .357 is as small as a J-frame, though I stand to be corrected.

For pocket carry it doesn't get better than a 642, IMO.

StrikeEagle
 
Since the revo is chambered for 357 but can shoot 38's is it supose to be more accurate with .357 than .38´s?
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My understanding is that a .38 shot from a .38 is slightly faster (~50 fps) than a .38 shot from the same gun in .357mag. The .357 might be slightly heavier, but will probably be sturdier. I'd go .357 myself.

There is significantly more performance from .357 than .38 even from a short barrel. There is also significantly more recoil and muzzle flash. Buy a box of .357 and shoot it, if you find the gun hard to control (or develop a flinch) then go to a good .38+P.
 
My friend just got a gp100 in 4 in. the gun dealer sold him very hot loads telling him these are teh best so shoot what you carry. Well he shot it once, then he put it down. It was too much for a beginner. I went out and got a few boxes of lite loaded .38 IWC, then up to some "match grade" .38 WC then up to .38 SN, then up to .38+p then onto lite loaded .357mag. Took a couple weeks to get him to that without "flinching" from muzzel blast and recoil. I would actually recommend a .22 for a starter gun, a Ruger mark1, 2 or 3 will let you shoot without felt recoil. then move up to the larger loads.

The trick is to shoot smooth, no flinch. accuracy is what hits the target.
 
accuracy

I have found that there can be an accuracy issue. I ended up finding 38's with almost the same lenth as 357's. That takes care of it.:D
 
If you buy ammo, premium .38's for SD. Or "bulk" .357 (magtech, fiocchi, winchester, etc) with JHP bullets in them of some sort.

If you reload your own, light .357's are great out of snubbies (at least my sp101). Full power .357 SD ammo should be reserved for full size guns, IMO.
 
Go with the 357 if you can, and shoot 38+p out of it. The ejector rod is longer, which helps in pushing the spent casings out. Also, it's built heavier.
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The 357 or 38 has nothing to do with the longer ejector rod, but it is easier to eject a 38 case than a 357 case due to the short ejector rod of most snubbies. Many folks will recommend a 3" barrel because it has to do with the barrel being longer with a corresponding longer ejector rod and will eject a spent 357 case in one stroke. The only full length ejector rods on snubbies are those chambered in 9mm, the S&W 940, Taurus 905, and Ruger Sp101.


I prefer the 9mm but there are very few of them and fewer airweights of them, so I will go with the 357 because you can also shoot 38s.
 
When I carry my M85UL, I load it with 110gr Winchester .38spl Silvertips.

Anything more powerful forces my barrel up off of the target completely erasing my sight picture, thus making my follow up shots alot slower.

I spend alot of time at the range, and I am a "better than average" shot, but I also know that in a panic situation missing your target is alot easier than hitting your target.

Therefore I opt for the quicker follow up shots I get with the standard pressure .38spl loads instead of .357magnum or even .38 spl +P loads.

But that's just my personal preference based on my own personal experiances.
 
I carry a S&W model 60 stainless, .357 with a 2" barrel and load it with .38+Ps Silver Tips. It has good accuracy at the range and doesn't "bust" my hand. This gives me confidence in carrying which is very important.
 
Todays "J " frames are actually J magnum frames and are larger than their pre-96 counterparts. 'Meaning that both 38 spl and 357 mag flavors made today are the same size ( and weight if the material is the same) and larger than earlier 38 J frames. i.e. Older J frames that were 38 spl only are slightly smaller and about 3 oz lighter than their new counterparst. If you plan to shoot hot stuff out of one, being lots of 38+P or 357, then get a post 96 specimine, if your looking for all steel but smaller size and lighter weight, and don't want/need to shoot allot of hot ammo, then opt for an older version.
 
I someone is going to use a snubby as a defense gun (the main and proper use of a snubby), then the slight difference in accuracy that one ,might find between .357 and .38 is not going to be enough to notice at the ranges the weapon is likely to be employed. Just MO.
 
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