Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Heavy bullet for 357 Magnum?

Agree.

The FA grip is a blend, so to speak.

It's near perfect, IMO.

That's why I was pushing the smaller frame 97 in .357 for 180 hard cast.

Easy to carry, easy to control, deadly with decent bullet placement.

DF

I'm just the opposite. The high hump behind the hammer on a S&W clobbers the lowest "knuckle" at the base of my thumb inside the web of my hand. I've used S&W grips that offset that a good bit, but not completely, and they come with handling / concealment characteristics that offset any perceived advantage the DA ever had over SA. Not a win .. not for me anyway.

Regarding Ruger SA grips, I'm not a huge bisley fan. I absolutely appreciate the recoil reduction with my .454. However, I've had a couple Bisley .44s and it's a net loss. Yes, there is a bit less perceived recoil. That is more than offset by losing the ability to point-shoot the gun effectively as well as creating a fairly butt-heavy feel I don't like. At .454 recoil levels, take the Bisley grip. At .44 recoil level, give me the smaller Blackhawk / Super Blackhawk (4-5/8" and 5-1/2") grip. I'm not sure yet where the .480 falls. Got it, haven't had time to shoot it.

DF - I haven't shot the smaller FA grip, the only FA I've fired was Ringman's .454. It was a bit peppy. Overall, I liked it, but he had 2 studs added for attaching a sling to the sides of the gun that scuffed my hand under recoil in a fairly disconcerting way. With those gone I think I could have liked it considerably.

Tom

Until your hand heals? I think I shot 7 of those until the webbing between my thumb and first finger said "no".

Naphtali -

As you've laid things out, I'd be happy with a 180 grain lead bullet or similar marginally expanding jacketed bullet. I would not feel any less "undergunned" with a good 158 though. Hornady's factory 158 grain XTP HP load is one of my favorites.

Tom

The 97 in .357 with 180's at full power is a whole different animal than the larger 83 in .454...

It's even fun to shoot; not so much the .454, IME.

DF

Thanks for the clarification Naphtali. Sounds logical and having no experience on bears, I’d go with a heavy lead bullet with as much meplat as possible at as high a velocity as is safe, or your friend can handle, whichever comes first.

I b'lieve you! I had not really considered the .357 angle. When I look at the FA 97 I have been thinking .32 cal, .44 special, or .45 colt. Hmmmm.

And the .357 is a six shooter. Not five.

DF

This is where I'm supposed to label you "enabler" I think?

I'll help DF in the enabling dept - 6 shot 357 FA97

That one is fancier than mine with the octagonal barrel. Those are really nice.

To cap your enabling efforts, tell him how sweet it shoots, even with heavy 180 gr. loads, how controlable it is, etc. etc....

You've about got him there, he's close. Go ahead and close the deal...



DF

Handguns are about bullets and in reality there is very little difference between what Buffalo Bore turns out and what one can easily make at home and even the neophyte will make it lead less if going the lead route.

The NOE 173 Keith is perfectly at home driven at 950 fps. in 38 cases in 4" 38 guns with Longshot powder or past 1,200 with 2,400 powder in adequate strength guns, sans a gas check.

Thje 180 FN by LBT, gas checked and driven to 1,400 in a six inch gun with 18 grs. of Hodgdon Lil' Gun is about all there is on tap in the 357. Like those of yesteryear discovered, the hitting ability of the 38 case wins in precision to the amount of velocity gained on the .10 inch longer case, which with solids is nil. The 180 LBT does make the heavy 357 fly well and still fit in most all 357 cylinders while the 173 Keith does not.

Noise, racket and recoil is primarily a function of powders stuffed into a handgun case; any ball powder after/slower than 2400 requires a bit of concentration that doesn't equate to any amount of velocity gained by using it, unless we are wanting positive expansion from jacketed bullets within certain ranges.

Seems I remember reading that Freedom Arms will void the warranty if you send a FA revolver back with cut top strap from using Lil gun powder. Seems it burns really hot, evidently acting like a plasma torch at the cylinder gap. I would think that would take a lot of shooting. I didn’t Goggle it, probably should have before posting. Check it out to confirm.

DF

Naphtali,

When I read your post, my very first thoughts were that you need to seek out and listen to the advice of IDAHO 1945, aka Dick. He is a true SME when it comes to bears and handguns, having decades of experience hunting them with all manner of handguns in the Rockies. When I scrolled down and noted that he replied, I chuckled, and was glad to see that he had. May on the web often simply regurgitate what they have read elsewhere, and what they read is often information that has been read somewhere else. Idaho1945, has enough handgun hunting experience to fill numerous books and that includes bears of the Idaho/Montana variety.

For more than a decade I have been gently nudging him to write a book!

I would heed his wise counsel.

I have not heard the top strap cutting but, forcing cone erosion was fir sure the origin of the “no warranty” when useing Lillgun

Thanks for that info.

Lil’gun must really burn hot.

DF

300 MP runs close to lilgun in velocity without all the 'controversy' that surrounds lil gun regarding heat and top straps.

I like 300 MP, also a great .22 K-Hornet and Hornet powder.

DF

I have a 4' Mod 28. I shoot hard cast 168 gr SWC over a stout measure of 2400. An outstanding load, very accurate, great penetration.