westernrover
Member
- Joined
- May 4, 2018
- Messages
- 1,613
I'm relatively new to shooting revolvers but not firearms in general. I started shooting double-action revolvers this spring and quickly got into single-actions as well. I've trained and practiced with a couple-thousand rounds about now. I've mostly been shooting 38 and .357 Magnum. The 38's had low recoil in the lightweight gun I started with. I started shooting .357 but found a heavier steel gun (like Model 60 or SP101) worked better. Lately I've been shooting a heavy (about 45 oz) .357. With the weight and the long barrel, I enjoy it much more. I'm shooting 158 gr. at 1500 fps and it's pleasant.
I know some people are advocates of "big bore" cartridges and the guns that shoot them. Tell me why I should be interested in them too. It's only fair to have a purpose in mind, but I can only tell you that my handgun is "all purpose." I might hunt with it, but if I get a deer tag (which isn't guaranteed every year), I'd probably use a rifle. My handgun is not really intended for self-defense but I'd use it if I had to. I don't worry about bears. I see them occasionally, but they're scared of me and not even my dog is scared of them. So I might be the only one, but I don't need a "bear gun." I carry it regularly and train or practice at least every week or more often.
I figure I could get some 180 gr. hard cast bullets and might be able to load them up to just under 1200fps out of a ~6" barrel and they'd penetrate better than any lighter bullet I've got. But what about a bigger bore and a heavier bullet? I suppose the advantage of .44, .45, .475, .50 are the heavier bullets. I'm not sure those are so much about big hollowpoints, but suspect they're more about 340, 360, 410 gr. and so on and deep penetration.
I know I don't want to go back to the kind of high-velocity recoil I had with the really light .357 guns and that I could do that even with a heavy gun if I loaded for really high-speed in .454. From what I've read, the idea behind the .480 Ruger or the .500 Linebaugh or JRH is more appealing to me that the higher velocity, higher-energy loads. But I might prefer an alternative if it's more down-to-earth. I do reload, but I'm pretty sure .44 components would still be half as much.
I'm probably going to stick with my .357 because it works, but tell me about the appeal of the big bores. I'm comfortable carrying up to a 3 pound gun. I enjoy low-speed recoil, and one-handed shooting.
I know some people are advocates of "big bore" cartridges and the guns that shoot them. Tell me why I should be interested in them too. It's only fair to have a purpose in mind, but I can only tell you that my handgun is "all purpose." I might hunt with it, but if I get a deer tag (which isn't guaranteed every year), I'd probably use a rifle. My handgun is not really intended for self-defense but I'd use it if I had to. I don't worry about bears. I see them occasionally, but they're scared of me and not even my dog is scared of them. So I might be the only one, but I don't need a "bear gun." I carry it regularly and train or practice at least every week or more often.
I figure I could get some 180 gr. hard cast bullets and might be able to load them up to just under 1200fps out of a ~6" barrel and they'd penetrate better than any lighter bullet I've got. But what about a bigger bore and a heavier bullet? I suppose the advantage of .44, .45, .475, .50 are the heavier bullets. I'm not sure those are so much about big hollowpoints, but suspect they're more about 340, 360, 410 gr. and so on and deep penetration.
I know I don't want to go back to the kind of high-velocity recoil I had with the really light .357 guns and that I could do that even with a heavy gun if I loaded for really high-speed in .454. From what I've read, the idea behind the .480 Ruger or the .500 Linebaugh or JRH is more appealing to me that the higher velocity, higher-energy loads. But I might prefer an alternative if it's more down-to-earth. I do reload, but I'm pretty sure .44 components would still be half as much.
I'm probably going to stick with my .357 because it works, but tell me about the appeal of the big bores. I'm comfortable carrying up to a 3 pound gun. I enjoy low-speed recoil, and one-handed shooting.