What IS a "full power" .357 magnum load?

[RWK]

This is a very interesting subject, and not the first time it has been thoroughly dissected here, on TFL, and so forth. Without question, it is difficult (impossible) to find fully-potent commercial .357 magnum loads. In fact, most top-quality factory rounds provide a 158 grain projectile with about 1200 FPS muzzle velocity, instead of the 1400+ FPS muzzle velocity of earlier decades.

This said, I wonder if today’s best .357 magnum defensive JHPs might not actually be BETTER man-stoppers (and please note, I am saying man, not automobile or man behind automobile). My thought is ~1200 FPS with a 158 grain bullet should be PLENTY for excellent penetration and expansion; however, today’s “wimpy†loads might reduce carry-through concerns and provide faster follow-up shots. In sum, I suspect the best contemporary .357 magnum commercial rounds (HydraShok, CorBon, Silvertip, Georgia Arms, and so forth) remain a VERY effective anti-personnel load.

How do our experts feel about this?

Thanks and best regards.

 

[C.R.Sam]

A...My 40,000 response was an approximate number.

B...The question was "What IS a "full power" .357 magnum load? "

C...Not related to the question but I agree that there are projectiles now available that make the cartridge very effective as a man stopper using less than full power loads.

Sam

 

[Sleuth]

JAR had it almost right. In the mid 70's when we started qualifying with "full power" .357 loads (125g JHP), there was some 'flame cutting' of the top strap on the M19's. Folks feared it would cut all the way through (never heard of it happening). We continued to shoot them, the flame cutting stopped after a certain point. S&W developed the L frame, we saw the light and started to carry handguns developed in the same (20th) century, i.e. semi autos.

With new bullet designs, "full POWer" loads are not needed to get bullet expansion and penitration. Saves wear and tear on the guns and our wrists.

 

[444]

I have to pick a nit here.
Yes, I believe bullet design has gotten better over the years. Yes, I think you can buy .357 bullets that expand reliably with less velocity than was previously required.
Yes, I think that you have a very effective anti-personel round combining modern bullets loaded at modern velocities in .357 (as effective as a handgun can be).
But, I wouldn't go as far as to say that full power loads are not needed. Not everyone bases all their ammo decisions on it's performance on human targets. There are those who hunt with the .357 for example and want to get every last bit of performance out of the cartridge they can for shots at odd angles, or against large animals, or at the fringes of the cartridges range. There are people who might want to shoot metallic silhouette just for fun with their .357. There are people who plink at long range........................ etc. who want and I dare say, need, everything they can safely get out of the cartridge.