There are so many cool .357 revolvers out there a handgun nut, and especially a revolver nut, could hardly resist having one.
Guilty as charged.
Guilty as charged.
I wasn’t asking for advice.
Any reason to own a 357 mag if you already own a 44 mag?
@cfullgraf - I may be easily ruffled today. Largely, I see this kind of thread on one forum or another every month, and have students/colleagues/customers/etc ask me about 357mag revolvers quite often. I’ve seen so many folks either permanently shelf or trade in their full frame 357’s (as evidenced by how many used full size 357’s you’ll see available at any given shop in America), so I offer my advice in these threads whenever I see them to help balance the otherwise “all pro” advise common in these threads.
But inevitably, someone who loves their full frame 357mag will jump in to “correct me,” with their favored use for their favored full size 357mag revolver - always something for which I have used one myself, and always something for which I have found them wanting.
The threads get old, and getting “corrected” by fanboys in the threads gets old faster.
Popularity does not equal versatility. How many different bullets does one really need?The same thing can easily be said about the 44cal fanboys.
Versatility means different things to different people. To business's that means $$$$. The 44cal's are so versatile/popular compared to the 35cal's that companies like Berry's bullets sells 3 different plated bullets for the 44cal's and 8 different bullets for the 35cal's. Lee sells bullet molds, 11 for the 35cal's & 6 for the 44cal's.
3 VS 8
6 VS 11
Perhaps lee & barry's didn't get the memo about how popular the 44cal's are over the 35cal's.
Concealed carry is not the topic here but we even have .44's down to within a half ounce of the 2¾" model 66. In fact the ONLY thing the .357 does that the .44 cannot is fit into a J-frame, which is not the topic of this thread.Please explain how a 17 oz J frame .357 magnum I can pocket carry is oversize and overweight for carry compared to a .44 magnum??
Popularity does not equal versatility. How many different bullets does one really need?
However, I wouldn't use Berry's as my litmus test. Their application is extremely limited and between the two sizes there is only one that is even suitable for full loads. Beartooth has 19 different .44 bullets but only 8 different .357 bullets. Midway has 73 different .44 bullets but only 66 different .357 bullets but what does that even prove?
I guess it proves you have a hard time reading/counting
It's all about capability. The .357 is good for self defense, target shooting and hunting of thin skinned game no bigger than deer. The .44Mag can do all that and cover all of the .357's bases with moderate loads without the ear-splitting muzzle blast. On the heavy end it handles game up to and including the African Big Six. That's a lot broader range. The difference is that not many people hunt with a handgun and fewer still anything bigger than deer. So most diehard .357 fans really have a very biased opinion because they don't need a lot of what the .44 offers. I would wager that a great many don't "use" the .357 for anything but paper. They shoot .38's and then load with .357's when it goes in the nightstand drawer. Doesn't change the facts.
Concealed carry is not the topic here but we even have .44's down to within a half ounce of the 2¾" model 66. In fact the ONLY thing the .357 does that the .44 cannot is fit into a J-frame, which is not the topic of this thread.
I guess you have a hard time READING that Midway's site makes it difficult to differentiate between rifle and handgun bullets. By searching only by diameter, you're counting all the .35 caliber rifle bullets. The .380/9mm bullets are irrelevant. As are .427-.428" bullets. If you look at "caliber" and .38/.357Mag bullets, the total is 66. If you look at .44 caliber and subtract the blackpowder rifle bullets, it's 64. Again, it proves nothing. All the game that can be hunted with the .44Mag can be hunted with three or four different bullets.Midway sells 122 bullets for the 35cal's & 64 bullets for the 44cal's. I'm being generous and including .427" & .428" bullets in the 44cal 64 bullet count. If I was to use the .355" & & .356" bullets in the 35cal count it would be over 200 bullets midway sells.
https://www.midwayusa.com/bullets/br?cid=19785
158 grain Berry's plated target hollow point bullets
....and now you're not only using Berry's bullet selection as a gauge of a cartridge's versatility but also .380/9mm bullets. Which is it???Do yourself a huge favor and buy bullets that have crimp grooves & use a roll crimp for revolvers.
Do you really consider a 17 oz J frame to be a full size 357?Please explain how a 17 oz J frame .357 magnum I can pocket carry is oversize and overweight for carry compared to a .44 magnum??
Give me a good 22 auto and I could sure get by without one.I guess a 22RF revolver is useless as well.