.357 OR .44

I have an older S&W 686 .357 tat I love. I have owned a 629 and if it was just a hunting gun I would have a 44, but for a packer I love my .357. I have a 41 Mag also in a 4 5/8" Blackhawk, it's pretty sweet too, the S&W is more accurate but that could easily be me as I shoot the .357 about 5x more than the .41.
 
Alot of people have already said this. What is primary concern for carrying this pistol. Is is bears, cats, yadayada. Next picking the right handgun is very similar to picking out the right bow. It has to feel right. Go to several stores and grope all of the handguns that are 357 or 44. Whichever has that come here to me feeling is meant for you. I have a 357 in a ruger gp100 and I like it a lot. This is my carry along when I go deep into the woods brook trout fishing in the summer months. I have never had to use it, but I am happy it is there.
You are probably quite aware with extended range sessions you could buy cheaper 38 ammo to knock through the 357 saving on recoil and the wallet.
Whichever way you go you will be happy
 
Having shot and owned both for many years, IMHO, the .357 will provide a "sharper" felt recoil with hot loads and the .44 will give you more of a 'push' in the recoil...It's hard to explain until you've been there...

That being said, both are powerhouses in their own right, both can be shot with lighter and more shooter friendly loads, and while the difference in size of a 4" S&W K or L frame or a 4" S&W N frame is negligible, it really boils down to to what feels best in your hand and the intended purpose.

The 2.5" versions are easier to carry from a space limitation, but you will find that accuracy suffers, unless you practice a lot with different positions and targets....

While not in your original post, you might want to look at the one by Taurus called "The Judge"... It shoots either .45 Long Colts, or .410 shells... both are devastating rounds as well...especially if you reload and swage your lead wafers for the .410... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I have a number of pistols in both the 357 and the 44 and if i could own only one it would be my Smith SS 629 with 4 inch barrel . My go to load is the the 250 gr Keith Hard Cast with 9 gr of Unique . This load will handle just about anything you would need a pistol for in the Lower 48, very little recoil and the load is very accurate. So my pick would be a Smith 44 mag.
 
I wish all of you could agree, it sure help me. I think I wiil go with a ruger 357, found and older modle woth the wood and rubber grip that felt much better than anything else I have tried.
 
The number of different guns sold is proof that there will be no agreement.

One thing not mentioned yet is that short barreled magnums (4"), will put out a large fireball in low light, with full house loads. I had my 4" M19 357 changed to 6", much better. Low light is completly different and requires considerable practice.

In my experance with non conceiled cary, I see no disadvantage to longer barrels and many advantages like less blast noise, recoil and fireball.
 
Well, regardless of the Cal you pick. I would advise people not to break into IdBob's home.LOL /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I think it depends on what YOU need the gun for. If you are looking for protection from bears I think the 44 would be the way to go. If you are looking for protection from 2legged animals I think your 38 with +p loads would work fine. If you REALLY need/want a 44 this is a good excuess to get one.

I like the 357 but for big bears it not have the stopping power one will need.

I think WyoSongDog had a good point and should be considered if these laws would include you.
Quote:
I live in Wyoming and do bowhunt elk in some grizzly country. It is now legal to carry a sidearm in Wyoming while bowhunting with the catch being it has to be a legal hunting cartridge. The way that the law is written, in essence, makes the .41 Mag the smallest legal hunting cartridge so therefore the .41 mag is the smallest I can legally carry while bowhunting.



My .02
Mark
 
WyoSongDog and IDBob got it right. I got rid of my S&W 686 357mag for a Taurus Tracker 41mag. All the same reasons they said: legal deer caliber, big enough, lite enough, small enough, etc, etc...

I also have a 44mag, but for my camping/dog walking gun, the 41mag is the only gun I carry. The 44mag is if there are bear even remotely present.
 
I bought a S&W 460 and hated it because of the recoil. I got rid of it, quick. I now own a S&W 44 mag. I shoot 300 grain factory shells out of it and the recoil does not bother me at all. It has a 4" barrel and is not bad for open carry. If I'm in the woods open carry is all I do. I plink with some 240 grain 44 specials, and it is cheap and the recoil is very light. I've owned a lot of 357's and a few 44 mags, and I'm very recoil sensitive. The 44 mag recoil does not bother me at all. If I was shooting some of the crazy loads I know you guys cook up, it may be a different story. I've been really close to one bear in my life(10 ft) and all I was armed with was a fly rod. If that bear would have came after me, I would rather have had a 44 than a 357! Good luck and post a pic of what you get.

Edit- There is no such thing as over kill, If a bear is after your a$$!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Last edited:
Back
Top