The .357 Magnum

Some good grousing there, mak, and compared to the "Middle of the road .454", the .357 ain't a bad plinker in a full sized frame revolver.

Al, I get the impression, when discussing various cartridges, that the 357 belongs in the same category as say-the 44 American. I've had people make it quite clear that the original magnum is just not magnum enough.
I often wonder when it was, exactly, that deer started to wear body armor. I mean for decades, the fave deer cartridge was the 44 WCF, aka the 44-40. If these days a 357 with premium bullets just bounces off, then they must have access to some pretty good kevlar.
Lets not forget that the 38's of various origin can and will do quite well in 357 guns.
America is aging, and with that aging comes a fessing up of capabilities. Realistically, most handgunners can master recoil up to level of the 44 magnum in full sized guns. Go beyond this point, and the bullets go every which way except where they should. I do believe that Mr. Taffin himself has stated in print that he no longer has fun shooting the monster magnums. If we live long enough, I dare say this fate awaits us all. But hey, what's the big deal? The 357 will handle just about anything you will need to on this continent today, and it does not come with a scar on the forehead from the front sight!

MAK;
I get what you are saying. It seems that the same people who chuckle about the 357 are the ones who try to promote the .40 S&W and the 9 mm. I had a grand old Herter Powermag .357 when they first came out. I was in college and could barely afford the $40. It was accurate and powerful. A very well made revolver. However, the blast was atrocious. Even with earplugs it was like having needles jammed in my ears. So, I eventually sold it and bought a Ruger Super Blackhawk. I found the blast was much easier on the ears. Just my personal reason, but no realistic person can disparage the power of the .357.
 
Mike

Mike,You won't get any disagreement from me in regards to muzzle blast.
I guess what it boils down to is that there is no perfect cartridge. The same chemical magic that turns smokeless powder to a gas and makes magnum cartridges possible is also responsible for that bell ringing bang.
I COULD go into the dubious results of NFA regulations which consider gun mufflers-referred to by the movie geniuses as "silencers"-actual firearms, which makes them generally unavailable, which has resulted in all kinds of hearing loss for many decades, but we all know that politicians, who make up these rules, are pinheads willing to prostitute themselves to any interest if it is backed by cash and corruption.
Why people back them is an unending mystery...
Anyhow, we do have access to electronic hearing protection these days. I have yet to actually try any of it, due to the high price of entry, but reports I've heard suggest the better examples are indeed a step forward.
Ultimately, the trade off with any cartridge is real and personal. Even after years of shooting, I still find raw muzzle blast annoying and concentration breaking, but I guess I've lost enough hearing that a simple set of earplugs are all I need to cut the noise to a tolerable, and even enjoyable level.

I know, MAK. I keep looking at the electronic gizmos, but most of them are bulky, so I stick with my trusty old Silencios. Problem is, as I get older, my ears get hairier and the Silencio silicons tend to slip.
I have always thought, though, that the bigger bores give more of a boom than a crack.
Mike

I've thought about the electronic jobs for years,  but somehow a gun or good holster always seems to shoulder in ahead of them. To me the .357 has a nasty crack loaded up,  and the bigger bores don't. So when I'm smart I wear plugs under muffs for the full house .357. Wish I were smart a little more often. Lately, too, I've been loading down for fun shooting, around 1100 fps, .38/44 territory, minus the very sharp crack. Others may disagree,  but that seems like a pretty serious load for most situations. 
 
Right now, between sentences,  I'm admiring a very nice 4" 28-2 and thinking about my upcoming retirement on 6/29. Three 4" N-frames and a good El Paso holster they all fit. A K-22 for rimfire precision. Pre-summer has finally hit the Oregon Coast Range and the road hunters won't be out for more than three months. The old pickup is getting measured for a two extra tanks. Then there's the Cascades,  and then the Central Oregon high desert, then Eastern Oregon. A nice pad and a good bag.
 
What do you think? A .357?  A .44 Special? .44 Mag?  Think I'll take 'em all.
 
Geez, I'm glad we have these choices. As long as we live, let us not lose the right. 
 

If 629 is your retirement date, there seems like only one obvious choice, only question is barrel length!
Anyway, congrats or whatever you are suppose to say under these circumstances.

Yep, that's the date. And congrats is good.  Thanks. Time to test out some 4-inchers, I think.

Hello Mak,
though I love my .44 Special very much, I take my hat off to you and your words concerning the .357 Magnum. My second handgun was a S&W mod. 65, 3"tube  and I carried it at least 8 years as a backup gun when hunting roebucks, red deers and wild boars here in Germany. I sometimes needed the sixgun as a finisher and two times as a stopper, when I was following a wounded boar  through the  brush while down on my knees with the rifle on my back.

When it comes to penetration  a n d  stopping power, the .357  Magnum does the job as long as - quite natural  - the shooter does so.

Always good shooting !

TomHunter

M27 was my second handgun and my first Smith. Since then there has been several. Today I have a j-frame and a Ruger flat top in 357. But no matter what else I may have, there will always be a 357. BTW, I don't aspire for for anything much bigger than a 44M with a full load of fuel.