Mighty .357

[jackandblood]

well thar's your problem right thar', you need a 4" bbl or more.
will help with the recoil and general craziness of that caliber. Course if you're renting, they are alotta fun out of a snub.

.357 makes a great carbine caliber i've read, superior to .30 carbine.

[scarville]

Which model snub, was it an airweight?

Airweight snub + full bore 357 == AWESOME!

The 357 magnum is IMO the most versatile cartridge out there -- especially for a handloading geek. I load 357 cases with everything from a 148 gr DEWC at 900 fps up to a 158 gr JSP that cranks about 2000 fps from my Marlin 1894. There are those who argue the 41 or 44 magnum is better but, to me, that's like arguing Linux versus BSD.

[longhairchris]

I don't think I'd want to shoot .357 out of a snub nose! It's bad enough with my buddy's 4" Smith & Wesson, I much prefer my 6.5" Ruger Blackhawk. 125 gr handloads packed with Win 296, that's the stuff.

Glad you liked it, welcome to the magnum world. Try some through a larger gun!

[Buddhabelly]

I don't think I'd want to shoot .357 out of a snub nose! It's bad enough with my buddy's 4" Smith & Wesson, I much prefer my 6.5" Ruger Blackhawk. 125 gr handloads packed with Win 296, that's the stuff.

Glad you liked it, welcome to the magnum world. Try some through a larger gun!

To me, a 4" .357 is the most ideal gun for a bug-out-bag.

Very reliable, able to conquer all food and foes.

[1JimMarch]

My daily carry piece is a 42oz full-sized 357 (I now live in Tucson AZ). I carry the most balls-out ammo I could find: DoubleTap's 125gr at over 1,600fps . From my gun, I once split a bowling ball in half and sent fist-sized pieces of the concrete core back past my feet from 20 paces out. The guy who owned the backyard range and old balls in question had never seen damage like that from any handgun, ever.

I've got almost 800ft/lbs energy on tap with that load.

Fun fact: in the late '80s early '90s the FBI experimented with that kind of horsepower in the 10mm. The early S&W 10s experienced cracks in the guns, and the smaller and/or female agents couldn't cope with the power levels. My gun and I *can* .

[oghl888]

S&W makes the 627. 8 rounds of 357 or 38 spl in their large frame. Very manageable recoil. I have the PC version and it's a great shooter.

[Bigdaa]

.357, my first handgun. I owe myself another one, no doubt. My wife has the Taurus 66 so I do get to shoot it. It definitely has an epic crack to it and will destroy your ears. I know, mine are!
This is the main gun in our safe that IS loaded at all times. 38+P's as above.

If this gun surprises you, man-o-man, are you in for some major fun!

[desertmedic]

.357 was also my first handgun. Got a 6" Colt King Cobra from an old partner for a steal. .357 out of it is very managable even with the hotter 125 gr. stuff. The heavy barrel and underlug make a world of difference.

[wizard101]

Recoil is addicting. I used to think 357's and 44's had respectable recoil until I got into shotgunning. Firing my first 3" Magnum buckshot loads against my shoulder made me forget about the wimpy handgun magnum calibers. Then I was stupid enough to remove the shotgun stock and inserted a pistol grip. The 357 Mag feels like a 22 CB round in comparison.....

[Quickdraw Mcgraw]

My brothers a big guy who lifts weights...kinda macho....I sent him down the hill with my SP101 an some 125gn full house loads an he came back with split knuckles...respect to the .357mag. Check the Buffalo Bore ammo if ya got a 4" or 6" gun that stuff is BADA**!