Favorite Revolver Cartridge

[PapaG]

357 for many reasons but mainly because my most accurate guns as well as the best actions are in that chambering. SP101, 2 3/4 Security Six, Stainless Blackhawk 4 5/8, M19, 686+, 6 1/2" Blackhawk, Win 92, Henry Single, Contender.
That said, my 44s, both special and magnum are hard to consider doing without.
45 Colt. Only three but ain't giving them up without a fight.
All said, 357 and 22.

 

[AJC1]

I chose 357 for now, because it's fun but not to much, and I have junior competing with it. At 100 yards it gets the job done. If we start shooting the 200 I'll probably swap him to 45 colt to prevent ringers but a 16.5 fits him soooooo good right now.

 

[film495]

.38 Special. and really .357 is just a bigger sister version of the same cartridge so, they aren't really the same, but they are so linked they almost are. I never fired .45 Colt, so - I guess I'll have to do more research and report back. For a K frame size revolver, .38 Special just fits too well not to choose it. In a bigger revolver maybe 45 Colt, but just never fired one.

 

[AJC1]

.38 Special. and really .357 is just a bigger sister version of the same cartridge so, they aren't really the same, but they are so linked they almost are. I never fired .45 Colt, so - I guess I'll have to do more research and report back. For a K frame size revolver, .38 Special just fits too well not to choose it. In a bigger revolver maybe 45 Colt, but just never fired one.

45 Schofield is to 38 what 45c is to 357. If you have the longer chamber they ship and shoot. I don't perfer a scandium frame in any of them.

 

[22250Rem]

I voted 357 Mag. because of its versatility. A true dual purpose chambering that also accepts 38 Special. . So my two 357 revolvers see lots of 38 Special, which, in a 357 Magnum can be handloaded to +P+ levels without undue wear & tear on the gun. The usefulness spectrum of a 357 Magnum revolver runs from mild 38 Special target loads to fire breathing, heavy bullet 357 Magnum deer slayers.

 

[mcb]

I sort of despise 357 Magnum. Jack of all trades and master of none. Its bark is worst than its bite.

In addition to the missing rimless cartridges mentioned in my previous post. We need 38 S&W and its heavier kissing cousin 38/200R. And if your going to stuff a rimmed cartridge into a revolver it should be short and fat. 455 Webley needs a place on that list.

 

[45 Dragoon]

45C of course . . . but 45acp is a close 2nd!! Ironically both of these cartridges are excellent for testing. They can both be loaded up or down which is the beauty of them being used in a revolver. I'll be checking in tomorrow with a range report.

Mike

 

[sparkyv]

Other: 10mm auto
Bonus: the M610 shoots the 40S&W too!

 

[Reinz]

In my younger years I was the macho John Wayne guy when it came to powerful cartridges. The more power, the better.

Which leads me into my dilemma as an old man with nerve damage, osteoarthritis, and now rheumatoid arthritis.

Because of this, 38 special is best for me with enough power to affordable reloading cost ratio.

 

[DR505]

This thread needed some photos for the .45 Colt:

 

[UncleEd]

MCB,

Stop your hollering about rimless cartridges.

You are "Other."

 

[Archie]

My favorite cartridge is .44 Special. I think it the most useful in many regards without being superfluous.
However, my favorite carrying handguns are Government Models and K frame S&W revolvers. All the .44 Special revolvers are either too big or - in the case of the Charter Arms Bulldog - hideous in the trigger. So I carry a Lightweight Commander (.45 ACP) or a K frame Model 10 in .38 Special.

 

[35 Whelen]

I've been down the road and back with soooo many revolver cartridges.

I love the .38 Special and carry a 4" Model 10 almost todos los dias. If I never thought I'd have to shoot anything bigger than a feral dog or someone intending me harm, I'd need nothing else.

Same with the .357. I carried them for a good while and hunted with them but wasn't very impressed with their performance in the field. Yet the cartridge is undeniably versatile.

I went through a 45 Colt phase and while those big .45" SWC's work great for hunting, this cartridge is finicky with POI's when switching bullet weights.

I started many years ago with the .44 Special and have now come full circle, so that's the way I voted.

Whether loaded as originally with a 245-ish gr. RN at ~750 fps for target shooting or popping southwest Texas blue quail-



....or loaded right up to factory .44 Magnum levels as loaded by the Big 3-



It is a very versatile cartridge and one with which I've killed most of my game with a handgun and accuracy comes very easy with most any reasonable load.

My current and likely last handgun love affair is with this old, neglected, very used S&W 3rd Model Hand Ejector.



This old girl is probably the most accurate .44 Special I've ever owned and with my hunting load of a 255-ish gr. cast SWC running 1000-1050 fps, it's sights shoot perfectly on at 50 yds.



She's currently at Alan Harton's having her sights slightly updated.

35W

 

[WisBorn]

This is fun watching the votes come in and what is popular with THR members.

Sorry I didn't include rimless cartridges.

I passed on a 1917 Smith&Wesson 45acp Revolver 2 months ago. I thought it was a little high priced $1k.

 

[NeroM]

"Favorite" depends upon intended need, among 22 LR and Mag, 38 Spl, 357 Mag, 41 Mag, 44 Spl, 44 Mag, 45 Colt and 454;
use 38 Spl, 41 Mag and 45 Colt most often.
38 Spl for utility, 41 Mag for "bigger game" and 45 Colt for deer and utility.
This evolves over time - Probably have shot 45 Colt the most during the past couple of years.

 

[thirty-eight]

.45 Auto Rim, without question.

 

[Tallball]

I shoot way more 22lr than anything else.

Voted for 38 special because I've been shooting it since I was a teenager and I still shoot it almost every range trip. It's gentle on my damaged hand, but makes nice holes in paper or meat.

 

[mcb]

.45 Auto Rim, without question.

uuugh, 45 Auto Rim is anathema to moonclips and we all know moonclips rule! 45 ACP on moonclips is the standard by which all other moonclip fed revolvers are judged against. Hard to find a faster reloading revolver than a S&W 25/625 with 45 ACP on moonclips.

I might have a slight obsession with moonclips...

 

[WisBorn]

I might have a slight obsession with moonclips...

That is an understatement

 

[bigpower491]

44 Special, cause I sure do shoots alot of them. Probably 2000+ a yr between 2 revolvers. I must say 38/357 is catching up in that respect, but the 44s are the revolvers I find myself reaching in the safe for the most

 

[buck460XVR]

I have and reload for, the majority of the calibers in the chart. The reason I said .357 mag is because to me, it is one of the most accurate platforms, one of the most pleasant to shoot in a range gun, and the least expensive and easiest to reload for.

 

[King Medallion]

I reckon 44-40 is technically a rifle round, but it's what I shoot most, 45 Colt second.

 

[wcwhitey]

.44 Special for me. As a reloader’s cartridge it is very versatile and accurate. I shoot twice as much .38 but enjoy the .44 a bit more.

 

[doubleh]

My favorite, 22LR, wasn't a choice so I opted for 44 special but, being honest, I like the 38 special just about as well. I am not into anything with serious recoil these days as it hurts.

 

[Oninotaki]

I am that lone .32 H&R mag vote and this is why.

So I want to preface my opinion here with the knowledge that I became a gun owner during 2020, aka a day late and a dollar short. So my opinions on firearms have been shaped by shortages of all kinds, and figuring out what I can do with the very few options available on store shelves.

If this had not been the case I probably would have selected .45 Colt, praised it's versatility, picked up a Charter Arms snubbie, a Ruger Bisley, and Henry Big Boy, stocked up cowboy action and Buffalo Bore ammo and that would have been that. However I did not and that is not my story. Instead .410 shotgun shells and "Cowboy" style firearms were what I could find on shelves in any meaningful quanity/quality. The first pistol I could actually acquire and find ammo for was a Bond Arms Derringer in .410/45. Was it ideal? No, was it better than nothing in uncertain times? Yes. Would I still choose it now as my EDC now that I have other options? Nope, it has been retired out to pasture so to speak as a sentimental piece that provided me with some security when I had none.

For me and my needs none of the revolver calibers are more versatile than a proper .410 loading for the job. Especially since shots further than 40 yards for me are essentially not going to happen.

So this leads me to what do I actually want a handgun for, let alone a revolver. For me that is having a platform that is a concealable, controllable, reliable, accurate, simple to use, mellow enough on the ears, and powerful enough for self defense while among people. To meet those ends I started looking at cartridges from the bottom up. I learned first hand about the unreliability of .22lr for SD, and could not find a .25 acp that my big mitts could quickly grip. For awhile I thought .22 wmr was the answer until I tried shooting one once without ear protection, ouch, and I still just didnt feel comfortable with rimfure reliability. All of that exploration lead me to the .32 caliber family, next up in the line. I picked up a Taurus .327 snubbie right when they first re-released them in 2022 and haven't looked back. Those requirements of mine were met just about as perfectly as possible by .32 H&R mag.

Also I have shot .327, .38 spc, 9mm & 10mm (autoloaders only) .357/.44 mag, .410 (every load out I could find) .45 ACP, and .45 Colt all to make sure that the .32 H&R mag really is the sweet spot for me. Next on my list to try from a revolver is .380, .41 mag and .44 spc. So my opinion may change.