How much .357 do you shoot through your .357?

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jmstr

New member
I have a .38special and a .357mag. So, they each get their own diet.

IF I only had the .357mag, I'd probably still stick to the .357mag diet. I have other handguns for cheaper shooting. Heck, 9mm is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than .38special, so I'd go that route if cheap shooting was my only concern.

If I could ONLY have a revolver in a centerfire caliber, I'd go .357mag. I'd then use .38special for daily shooting to keep the cost down and use .357mag for fun/hunting when I could afford it.

however, 9mm is still $2-6 cheaper per box than most .38special, and I have one. Thus, 9mm wins the 'cheap shooting centerfire ammo' category.

btw: only .357 in .357 as I then don't have to keep re-sighting in the handgun for the different POI with the different load strengths. AND no carbon ring in the cylinder to fret about.
 
X

-Xero-

Moderator
I handload pistol ammo. Revolver ammo is simple to reload because it headspaces on the rim, and no issues w/ taper crimp specs like in a semi-auto. Bullets seat to the cannelure and you're done, eyeball, no micrometer required.

I have a Smith Mod. 10 chambered in 38 Spl. A Ruger Security Six chambered in .357 mag. (Also a Smith. Mod. 60 snub in .357). I shoot magnum in the magnums and Special in the Special. But I have the option of loading .38 Spl loads in the longer magnum cases.

Mostly I end up loading +P loads in the .38 Spl -- loads which cross over into the low end of the .357 mag load data. But that's just me, a recoil junkie who likes to shoot big calibers.

I have a .458 Win Mag, and there are no elephants in the area. :D
 
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Webleymkv

New member
.357 was originally developed to shoot through steel bodied cars. Next time I want to shoot my car I will buy full house .357 Remington Magnum as this is the correct name.
Click to expand...

Penetrating car bodies was but one of the original "advertised" uses for the .357 Magnum. Upon its introduction in 1935, then-S&W president Maj. Doug Wesson went on a PR campaign by taking all sorts of big game with the cartridge in an attempt to sell it not only to police, but sportsmen as well. Also, .357 Remington Magnum is not the proper name for the cartridge as Remington was not involved with the original guns (S&W made them) or the first loadings of ammunition (Winchester produced those). The actual full name for the cartridge is .357 S&W Magnum although that designation hasn't been commonly used for decades.

As to the original question, I cannot remember the last time I fired .38 Special ammunition from one of my .357 Magnum revolvers. Both of my .357 Magnum revolvers are used primarily as defensive handguns and, since I keep them loaded with .357 Magnum JHP ammunition for defense, I find it prudent to practice with ammunition that has similar recoil. The only revolver which is commonly shoot .38 Special ammunition from is my S&W M36 which is not chambered for .357 Magnum.
 
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larryf1952

New member
When I first bought my Ruger Security Six, I ran a box of .38's through it and quickly became bored. Since then, I've fired nothing but .357's out of my .357's. I dig the recoil, blast and flash of a handloaded 125 grain JHP that's hitting about 1400fps.

If I wish to shoot .38's, I have 2 snubs that get that duty.
 
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Crankgrinder

New member
I shoot lots of .357s through my 6" gp100 and lots of .38+p too. With the .38s the components go farther, the guns last longer and it too is lots of fun but i still love the flash/bang and recoil i get from my full house .357s. One does not drive their car with the throttle wide open everywhere he goes the same is true for guns at least to me.
 
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pmeisel

New member
Mostly 357, but not all of it full house -- for practice I have some handloads that are about half-way between 38+P and full house 357 that I shoot a lot of, then a cylinder or two of the hotter stuff. That extends practice sessions for me.

I usually only put real 38 in the 357 to indoctrinate rookies, or for warm up for my wife.

I do have some 38 cases that I will put up Skeeter Skelton-style 357 loads in when i have all my 357 cases full.
 
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m&p45acp10+1

New member
Not nearly as much as I will once I can actualy aquire some .357 Mag brass. Since I also own a .38 Spcl revolver I will not load hot loads in the .38 Spcl brass to keep from loading them in the weaker gun.
 
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magnum777

New member
The range I go to most of the time(it is close to my home) does not let you shoot magnum rounds. So I use .38's in my GP 100 when I am there. But when ever I get a chance to go to an outdoor range, an open area where shooting is allowed or I go hunting, I use my .357 rounds.
 
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B.L.E.

New member
I shoot .357 almost exculsively, mostly to keep things simple. If I want .38 special power levels, I load them in .357 cases.
With IMR Trail Boss, I don't even have to reset the powder measure on my press, just switch powders.
 
S

socalboy

New member
A couple hundred rounds of 38 thru my sp101s left a carbon ring that wouldn't accept the slightly longer .357. So it'll be .357 from now on.
 
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Old Grump

Member in memoriam
For 26 years I only shot magnums then after my 3rd trip to the gun doctor to make my gun right again he said sternly while looking down his nose at me, "You don't HAVE to shoot magnums in this gun you know. Well first year after that I switched to a 44 magnum but still shot my old Dan Wesson but I mixed in a box of 38's, following year half my shooting was with 38's in that gun and now it's about 6 boxes of 38's to every box of magnums. Maybe little more or little less but that's what my empty brass containers tell me. Never worry about the carbon ring because I developed the habit of soaking the cylinder in my cleaning oil solution for a day or three then chucking up a 38 caliber brush in my hand drill to clean the chambers of my cylinder.
 
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hunter52

New member
I shoot 357 ammunition in my 357 handguns, with one exception, my S&W model 19-3 2 1/2 in prefers a Nosler 125 JHP over Bluedot at +P .

One way to get rid of the carbon ring left by 38's in a 357 chamber that has worked for me is to flare a 357 case , through trial and error, just enough to scrape the sides of the chamber, then drill out the primer hole to fit on a brush handle and you have a easy to use carbon scraper.
 
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Nick_C_S

New member
I have three 357's (and a .38 snubbie I almost never shoot). Two 686's, and one Python. I shoot the 4" 686 the most. I mostly shoot 38's because loading them is dirt cheap (comparatively) and they're plenty fun to shoot.

The reason why I don't have a .38 to shoot 38 ammo is because they tend to be lighter and have a less balanced feel to me.

In the 4" barrel, I find the recoil of full-power 357's to be a bit much after a few dozen rounds. I'm an old guy these days and get plenty of enjoyment out of shooting 38's. No longer do I need to throw a 4-foot flame every time I pull the trigger in order to extract enjoyment. I shoot what I want to shoot - I am not encumbered by expense. I'm just good with the lighter stuff these days. Don't get me wrong, I usually finish my day at the range with a couple cylinders of the hot stuff ;-)

I load the full spectrum of ammo - from very tame wadcutters to top-of-the-scale magnum loads; and everything in between. All are fun in their own way. That's the beauty of .357's - the range of ammo is unmatched. And the loading process is easy, fun, and less persnickity than semi-auto stuff.

If I could own only one gun (heaven forbid!), it would be a .357. Due to ammo versatility.
 
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old bear

New member
I shoot a majority of hot 38 Special ammo in my S&W K frames, I just don't see any reason to beat the revolver or myself. I do load .357 Magnum ammo for self defense though. In my L and N frames all I shoot is .357 magnum ammo. I really enjoy the snap, and muzzle blast from a full house .357 Magnum round.
 
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BiggDaddyBrown

New member
.357 Mag

Dose any one have an accurate load Data for .357 mag using BlueDot powder loading HSM 158grn HPP bullet, I have 2LBS of BlueDot, and have loaded several loads and still have not found any accuracy at all in this powder, Its a shame that a company pro-moats this powder and it is a flop. What A Disappointment! It would be greatly appreciated if some one dose Thanks. P.S I could Just Make The 2LBS of powder a stump remover :cool:
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
100%. I got tired of cleaning the rings out of the cylinders and stopped using .38 spl ammo. Gave all my .38spl ammo to relatives who had .38 revolvers or who didn't care about .357Mag performance.
 
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bedbugbilly

New member
I have three 357 revolvers - a Python, a Ruger LCR and a Riuger New Vaquero . . . all of them have a steady diet of 38 spl. I think I've bought one box of 357s . . . I just much prefer the 38 spl. cartridge -I love the NV but then I've mainly shot SA most of my life. I do have a Colt Army Special in 38 and a S & W M & P Target in 38 - nice vintage 38s that are a joy to shoot.

Yea, yea . . . I know about the "little rings" . . . that's why I clean 'em when I'm done shooting. :D
 
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