Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns The 357 Magnum

I have often felt like a good 357 magnum revolver was essential in a person's battery. I have owned a 3/4 ton truck load over the years, and only regret parting with a 3 inch Model 66, and a 5 inch model 27.

The cartridge is a rock solid performer, but it does not come with a free lunch. The recoil and muzzle blast are substantial. Anyone who has touched one off can vouch for that.

One of the first firearms I bought for my son was a 4 inch Smith and Wesson 686. I still believe that a man should own one, BUT, I can't say that I enjoy shooting the 357 magnum.

My latest 357 is a Ruger. GP100 with a 5 inch barrel. I believe it is a dealer exclusive, and not a regular catalog item. It should be strong enough to shoot any kind of magnum handload out of, if the need arises, but truthfully, I'd rather shoot a stout 45 colt.

What are your feelings on the 357? Is it still viable?

About like yours. Owned many; kept none. It's one of the most versatile, but it doesn't do anything as well as others and the negatives are stark enough to have it always go away in place of a couple other cartridges that fill various roles better (IMHO).

Were I restricted to one handgun only, ever, the .357 would get a far more serious look.

So it appears that the 357 is like a 30-06 rifle.

I don't care much for the '06, either.

The .357 has taken some big doe venison in my circle of hunter friends.
The bullets offered today , by Hornady & Barnes, are surely all better than the 158 LRN. of yesteryear.
As a personal defense weapon , the choice is high cap autos , but none except the .357 SIG , is gonna do any better than a couple of 140 gr. HP. slugs to center mass.

With a Smith or Ruger, you mentioned above...
You will not be undegunned in the field 《 cept' for Bear , & riled up Moose》


Silver bullets by Oregon Trail. (180 gr.) are great for loading.....
Not a loader? Cartridges by Double Tap, & Buffalo Bore, will give you... everything you need.

Glad I held on to my 8" Colt Python .... still nice, but a shooter..... nonetheless....... not gonna sell it to no one, # best to pull it's trigger once in a while.

Some are just stuck in the past. I got 2 myself and doubt I will ever be without them. They are just to versatile to be written off.

A lot of us around here remember the days of few choices in the defensive handgun market, but good 357s where plentiful and a lot of us started copping with a whelel gun.

I carried a 4 inch 66 in my first policing job. I didn't feel all that under gunned in those days, but there are a great many choices these days, that make me wonder if the 357 is still as versatile as it used to be.

Always viable. Not essential but certainly a good choice for almost everything. If you're a survivalist type it's just a great caliber to have because it's so darned prolific, especially when the 38 is added in. One of the best calibers.

Boring as hell. I seldom shoot one.

Doubt I'll let my 686+ go. Put it on my hip today before going down into Indian country, but it was printing a bit much for the clothes I was wearing.

Guess I baby it a bit. Shoot mostly .38's through it. Lot more than full load .357's. Doubt I'll wear it out any time soon.

Like you, CT, I've had a bunch of 357's, but don't own any now. There are a few like one of the stainless Security-Sixes or Model 66's that I've owned and wish I had back, but I have generally moved on to the 44 and 45 Colt in revolvers and 9mm and 45 ACP in semi-autos. I don't feel like I'm missing out by not having or shooting a 357. But.....now that I think about it....................

I have to own one, it matches my 16 inch 1894 in 357.

On the other hand, I absolutely adore the 38 Special, which is about all the 357 revolver gets fed.

I've also owned a few of them. Interesting how our outlook has changed on them over the years. Now down to two, a 5 screw pre-27 with 5" barrel, just because I like 5" N frames, and a Colt original Trooper.

The Trooper normally stayed in Dad's tool box at work. One day three mean drunks started demanding service at Dad's garage, and grew belligerent when he declined. The Trooper was retrieved and the drunks suddenly became sober and polite, remembering business elsewhere. It shoots well and deserves better grips than I have on it.

In its original loadings the .357 was famous as a decisive fight stopper. I expect it would still do that today, especially in a large frame revolver, with original spec loads. Could also work for deer hunting with the heavier modern bullets. In one cylinder you could load snake loads, defensive loads, target loads, and heavy game loads - and the gun would function just fine, unlike an autoloader. And you wouldn't have to hunt your brass after shooting it.

I'd like to have a 6" Python, but not enough to justify the cost. I found a long time ago I can shoot a 1911 faster & more accurately than any DA revo - and obviously capacity is higher.

I have 3, a 4" Mod 66, a 4" Mod 19, and a 2" Mod 60. Versatile as they come, with the different ammo choices available between 357 and 38, but I find myself not shooting them much any more. If I was limited to only having 1 handgun, the 66 would get the nod.

Some may argue the value of the 357, but there is no denying the versatility of this cartridge in this gun, a S&W 686+, 7 shots of compact killing power...

I have several .357's but I rarely shoot .357 Magnum. Why? Because it is simultaneously too much and not enough. Too much recoil and blast in typical guns (6" and below)--I might as well use a 44 Special if I need power. And if I need serious downrange power in the .357 bore, I can get that with my .357 Maximum without having to lean on the powder measure and accelerate wear on my guns with hot loads of spherical powders.

The .357 is a great round and I will never be without one (or two, or the dozen or so I've accumulated) but my .357 revolvers will see 1000 38spl's for every round in magnum brass. That includes the 173gr Keith load in 38spl brass I use in my S&W M27's given the short cylinder length.

I've had a few, just have one now, a 4" Security Six.

I suppose what I like about it is you can load it up, load it down, load it with snakeshot, load any bullet profile, it works.

I also like it because you don't have to chase brass. That's especially nice when there's snow on the ground.

I've been enjoying mine with 170gr Keith SWC over 5.0 gr Unique, in 38 Spl cases.

I've owned 2, a 4 inch and a 6 inch GP100, I traded the 6 inch off in 89 IIRC and still have the 4 inch, but haven't shot it in several years.

I presently own three 357 Magnum pistols and couldn't imagine not owning at least one, love the 357

I own a fair bit, a couple of old Ruger Flattops, a Security Six snubbie, a 3" SP101 and a 4" M66. All only see 38 Special's, sometimes +P's. If I want more thump it comes via diameter.