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djoem_2007
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Posted: Fri Jul 13th, 2007 08:20 am |
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What do you guys think which is better 44 special or 357 mag. for carry? I would like to have the best impact without simply blowing thru and hitting whats behind target. I want damage. By the way either will be snub nose.
Thanks for the help.
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Collier4385
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Posted: Fri Jul 13th, 2007 10:50 am |
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.357 Magnum
A .357 magnum will hit harder and an efficient JHP will more than enough to prevent overpenetration. I use Remington 125 grain JHP 1450 feet per second, 583 ft/lbs of energy as my home load. I shoot it at the range, so its quite familiar with me. When fired, it does announce "I am a .357 Magnum!"
Downside, a snubnose will be punishing on the shooter, and the powder will not be finished burning by the time the bullet leaves the barrel therefore creating terrific muzzleflash.
Upside: Compatible with .38 special, .38 Special +p, and .38 Special +p+. .357 magnum loads come in a wide variety of power levels from a tame Golden Saber to Buffalo Bore's finest beast killer. 10 out of 10 bad guys hate this round.
.44 Special
.44 Special offers better cross sectional density and is slightly slower than .357 magnum ammo. It is very close to .45 ACP loads.
Downside: sparse ammo, and the ammo found is typically quite expensive.
Upside: Dirty Harry would be proud. .44 Magnum can be also used in a snubby that isn't strictly .44 special. 10 out of 10 bad guys hate this round.
Verdict: Either will do damage without tactical liability with practice and a calm disposition when the moment of truth is at hand. Carry with confidence!
 
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Collier4385
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Posted: Fri Jul 13th, 2007 10:50 am |
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| It also depends on what firearm you are wanting to purchase, and which round you can shoot the best. Rent both and see. Last edited on Fri Jul 13th, 2007 10:52 am by Collier4385
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Collier4385
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Posted: Fri Jul 13th, 2007 10:50 am |
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Internet Hiccup
Last edited on Fri Jul 13th, 2007 10:53 am by Collier4385
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dng
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Posted: Fri Jul 13th, 2007 12:15 pm |
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| I was going to say the same as Collier4385. From what I see around here, .44 special ammo is more expensive and harder to come by. But I am biased, because I have a Stainless .357 that I love to shoot. As far as the rest of what Collier posted, he broke it down very well for you. The only other thing I thought of is that I think you could probably get a .357 a little cheaper than a .44
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Legba
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Posted: Fri Jul 13th, 2007 01:45 pm |
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I ended up getting rid of my .357 altogether because I was faced with the dilemma of why I got a hand-cannon just to end up watering it down by using .38 special ammo to avoid overpenetration. I just use more modestly-powerful semi-auto pistols now, and if I really need to spatter something, I use a rifle. That and the joints in my hands are damaged from breaking too many bones - it actually hurts to use the Dirty Harry stuff any more - so perhaps I'm just jealous that I can't really stand to use them any more. Not the most helpful response perhaps, but that's my experience with them.
-ljp
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ilbob
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Posted: Fri Jul 13th, 2007 04:55 pm |
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I have a Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 spl. It is small, carries only 5 rounds, kicks a fair amount when shot, and the bullets have a tendency to keyhole a bit. It has the advantage of being small, not much bigger than a detective special because a gunsmith cut back the barrel to 2".
I agree its ballistics are similar to 45acp. The cartridge is a proven stopper.
IMO, a high velocity 357 magnum round may well be a "better" stopper, but it is impractical in short barreled guns.
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Collier4385
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Posted: Fri Jul 13th, 2007 05:56 pm |
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My 4 inch Ruger GP 100 shoots .38 special with no recoil. Point and shoot and no muzzle flip. Even under .357 magnum loads, the muzzle flip is easier to control than my .380 ACP. It is a heavy gun and can take a pounding. Easier to reacquire the target and shoot again.
But since you are looking for a snubby, be prepared to experience riding a .357 magnum bareback. Light frame + short barrel +.357 magnum load = tremendous recoil.
I love my .357. If I had only one gun, it would be the one.
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dng
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Posted: Fri Jul 13th, 2007 05:57 pm |
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Collier4385 wrote: My 4 inch Ruger GP 100 shoots .38 special with no recoil. Point and shoot and no muzzle flip. Even under .357 magnum loads, the muzzle flip is easier to control than my .380 ACP. It is a heavy gun and can take a pounding. Easier to reacquire the target and shoot again.
But since you are looking for a snubby, be prepared to experience riding a .357 magnum bareback. Light frame + short barrel +.357 magnum load = tremendous recoil.
I love my .357. If I had only one gun, it would be the one.
Same exact gun as I have. Love shooting that thing!
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Hawkflyer
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Posted: Sat Jul 14th, 2007 01:30 am |
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Unless you just have to have a 2" barrel, you might want to consider a 3" in either of these calibers. Both offer a standard downloaded "Special" round. The .44 special is a lot more effective than the .38, but either produce a lot less noise and muzzle flip than the magnums the guns can handle.
If you look around you can find the Lew Horton variant of the s&w 629, 3", .44 with unfluted cylinder. They are very nice shooters, and they can be carried easily, especially if you are larger than average.
The .375 is also a good weapon, and can be had in a 3", either from S&W or Ruger. Personally I would go with the ruger SP-101 despite the 5 round capacity, as it is a VERY robust design.
If you ever want to use shot in these for dispatching snakes, I would defiantly go with the .44. I have used both calibers for this purpose and the .44 is definitely the way to go.
My personal preference is for the .44. But I have very specific reasons for that choice. As to the cost of .44 specials, I have not had the same problems others have mentioned in either obtaining it or in finding it at reasonable prices, but I may have just been lucky.
Regards
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openryan
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Posted: Sat Jul 14th, 2007 02:52 am |
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.357 without question
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1Shot
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Posted: Fri Aug 10th, 2007 12:09 am |
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357 Mag. in a Smith snubby is smaller than any 44 Spl. Load a 158 gr, JHP .357 mag.
44 Spl in like Charter Arms is more a "field carry" gun. And if you're going to go 44 cal. you may as well go with a Smith 629 in 44 mag. 4" bbl.
You can load a 44 mag in 44 spl. but you can't load a 44 spl in 44 mag. May as well shop for a 44 mag. The Smith 629, 4" bbl is a nice field carry gun.
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hlh
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Posted: Fri Aug 10th, 2007 02:08 am |
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| I have both, and under stress I'm a much better shot with the less recoil of the .357 over the .44 magnum.
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tarzan1888
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Posted: Fri Aug 10th, 2007 03:54 am |
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ilbob wrote: IMO, a high velocity 357 magnum round may well be a "better" stopper, but it is impractical in short barreled guns.
True that a high velocity .357 Magnum round will be a better stopper, but not true that it is impractical in short barreled guns.
Across the board you only lose an average of about 100 fps from a 4 inch to a 2 inch barrel in a .357.
see link.
http://www.stoppingpower.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8004
Tarzan
Last edited on Tue Nov 11th, 2008 05:29 pm by tarzan1888
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PSUDrew
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Posted: Fri Aug 10th, 2007 05:15 pm |
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| .357 magnum. less recoil than .44 mag, ample stopping power, capability to also handle .38 special, ammo is widely available and cheaper than .44 mag. This is a no brainer for me, go with a .357 magnum.
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REDNECK
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Posted: Fri Oct 2nd, 2009 04:34 am |
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I LIKE MY .357 MAG. I CAN PLAY PENETRATION DOWN BY USING A MAG TECH .38 SPEC IN 158 GRAINS FOR PERSONAL DEFENSE. I CAN PLAY IT UP BY USING A HOT .357 MAG LOAD FOR HUNTING. PERSONAL DEFENSE MAY NOT ALWAYS INCLUDE MAN, SO I ALSO CARRY 1 OR 2 SHOT SHELLS FOR SNAKES IN THE YARD OR FIELD. AND USUALLY WHEN I PULL MY DAN WESSON, THE LOOKS ARE ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU REALIZE THAT I MEAN BUSINESS. I ESPECIALLY LIKE IT FOR HUNTING AND CARRY IN THE TRUCK.
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tcmech
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Posted: Wed Oct 7th, 2009 02:03 am |
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| It's kind of hard to go wrong with either a 44 special or a 357 magnum. I would personally take a 5 shot 357 magnum in a light weight frame if that was my daily carry. I have a taurus model 85 ultralite in 38 spl that has a bit of a jump to it with +P loads, but if the feces was coming through the fan blades I don't think I would notice at all.
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kwikrnu
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Posted: Wed Oct 7th, 2009 02:21 am |
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Sounds as if you are looking for a revolver. You don't have to stick with a .357 or .44 magnum or special.
What about a smith and wesson 610 stainless (used can be found in 3") or 310 scandium revolver? They can shoot 10mm or .40s&w.
What about a taurus 905 revolver? 5 shot 9mm 22 ounces.
How about a smith and wesson 625 scandium .45 acp revolver? 6 shot 28 ounces.
Try this website for balistics. It is very informative about different ammo types and what they do out of specific length handguns.
I carry a smith and wesson 327pc a lot and am not impressed with the ballistics of the .357 out of a 2" snub nose handgun. I carry it because it is very light and holds 8 rounds. I've been carrying a 6" .44 magnum lately and I feel more comfortable with it even though it weighs a lot more.
I'm from Tennessee too. I've ordered from Budsgunshop.com (in KY) before and they usually have some good deals and will ship fast.
Last edited on Wed Oct 7th, 2009 02:54 am by kwikrnu
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n15wb
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Posted: Wed Oct 7th, 2009 06:07 am |
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1Shot wrote:
357 Mag. in a Smith snubby is smaller than any 44 Spl. Load a 158 gr, JHP .357 mag.
44 Spl in like Charter Arms is more a "field carry" gun. And if you're going to go 44 cal. you may as well go with a Smith 629 in 44 mag. 4" bbl.
You can load a 44 mag in 44 spl. but you can't load a 44 spl in 44 mag. May as well shop for a 44 mag. The Smith 629, 4" bbl is a nice field carry gun.
One shot, I think you may have it backwards. I wouldn't load a 44 mag in a 44 spl gun, you just might blow it up.
You can always shoot 44spl in 44 mag guns just as you can shoot 38spl in 357 mag guns.
I have a 44spl, 38spl and a 357.
BUT, I carry a .45 lol!! My second choice is my 44spl. I love that gun and the way it shoots.
Cheers,
Bill
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Bikenut
Regular Member
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Posted: Wed Oct 7th, 2009 06:16 pm |
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djoem_2007 wrote: What do you guys think which is better 44 special or 357 mag. for carry? I would like to have the best impact without simply blowing thru and hitting whats behind target. I want damage. By the way either will be snub nose.
Thanks for the help.
Which one are you most accurate with firing in the same manner that you would when in the middle of desperately trying to save your life?
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