.357 Magnum - Would it pass through?

[2nd Shot]

If you're set on .357, the answer may be more power and speed, not less. Look up the well proven 125 grain .357 magnum loading... Well respected and field proven.

You have 2 (or any combination thereof) ways to get ____ kinetic energy to the target: Heave a heavy bullet at a lower velocity, or fling a lighter bullet at higher velocity. Big and slow it out - all of the very best penetrators in any caliber are heavy for caliber, right? So that leaves you with the lightest, fastest extremes. Even to the point of fragmentation (Glaser safety slugs come to mind as an extreme example).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.357_Magnum Have a look for yourself - you'll notice that with the exception of Quik-Shok fragmenting ammo, the .357 loadings that produce the least amount of penetration AND largest permanent cavity in gelatin are the 125 grain loads. The key is using the energy in a way most useful to you for the circumstances.

Just one thing to remember: Don't miss - even a shotgun full of birdshot will easily punch through at least 1 interior wall with ease, and probably more.

[PRCABR4Christ]

"usually heavier bullets travel at lower velocities, therefore will penetrate less.".

Go do your homework. Lighter bullets are faster but lose their energy faster. That's why Garret Slegehammer loads for big bears are heavy for caliber. Standard .44 mag is 240 grains. Garret loads are 310 grains.

Done my homework...I agree they lose energy faster, that's pure physics, but if you lose 20% of your velocity, the heavier JHP projectile will penetrate less than the lighter FMJ...if it was me I would go to a heavier slower round rather than a lighter faster round, YMMV

[kayaker]

Done my homework...I agree they lose energy faster, that's pure physics, but if you lose 20% of your velocity, the heavier JHP projectile will penetrate less than the lighter FMJ...if it was me I would go to a heavier slower round rather than a lighter faster round, YMMV
:

[Samtech79]

Just my off topic two cents... A shotgun with a few bean bags is ideal for HD. If they are still willing to attack after three or four bean bags... let them try some buckshot.
I wouldn't want to unleash any .357 inside my house. Muzzle blast, children, dead intruders, etc... too much hassle, too much head and heart ache.

[Cokebottle]

if you're concerned with over penetration you might want to consider .38 rounds instead of .357

Overpenetration is not the issue.

You WILL NOT hit your target with every shot.
5 shot revolver, you'll be lucky to get one hit under duress.
That's 4 shots hitting a wall unimpeded.
JHP tend to "plug" with drywall and act like FMJ.

Basic gun safety... know your backstop and what's behind it.
You can't safely plan to shoot willy-nilly around your house in the event of a threat.
You are not trained to "clear" your house.

Determine in which direction(s) you can fire with minimal risk of a bullet harming another person's property or body.
Plan your home defense strategy around keeping yourself and your intruder in positions that force him to be in that place in order to get to you.

In my case, it's the bottom of the stairs.
I can "safely" fire through my living room/dining room front to back. NOT side to side or back to front.
Upstairs, I can "safely" fire again, front to back, and front to side on about a 45 degree angle.
My only "safe" back to front direction is down the stairs. Missed or overpenetrated rounds would impact the front door, or the concrete outside of the front door (since I'm shooting at 45 degrees down).
Ricochet could be a problem, but that's a risk that I have to accept.

So my defensive position will be at the top of the stairs.
Anything downstairs is not worth dying or killing over.
To get to me or my wife, the threat must move into the "Fatal Funnel" of the stairwell and traverse that 20ft with no cover, while I have plenty of cover at the top of the stairs, and access to all of my guns and ammo without moving across the top of the stairs.

[Cokebottle]

besides, no one in their right mind is gonna rush you if you've got that in your hands.

Tweakers seeing you in between them and items they can fence for their next fix are not in their right mind.

Anyone in their right mind would not attack a cop.
A good friend was thrown through the windshield of his patrol car by a perp.

[Cokebottle]

What weight bullet are we talking about? A heavier bullet should penetrate further than a light bullet. A .357 Mag with 125 grain (light weight) bullet is less likely to go through than a 158 or 180 grain.

I don't think I've ever seen a commercial .357 JHP load lighter than 140gr... most are 158.

125gr is .38spl territory.

[Cokebottle]

Just my off topic two cents... A shotgun with a few bean bags is ideal for HD. If they are still willing to attack after three or four bean bags... let them try some buckshot.
I wouldn't want to unleash any .357 inside my house. Muzzle blast, children, dead intruders, etc... too much hassle, too much head and heart ache.

This has been discussed until faces turned blue.

We'll just leave it at: "Dumbest comment of the week on Calguns"


Bean bags and rubber bullets are NOT appropriate for civilian personal/home defense. You are opening yourself up to major liability exposure, not to mention the high probability that you will be KILLED by an armed intruder while you are ****ing around clearing out 4 beanbags and loading the 00 buck that you should have used in the first place.

[Cali-Shooter]

Tweakers seeing you in between them and items they can fence for their next fix are not in their right mind.

Anyone in their right mind would not attack a cop.
A good friend was thrown through the windshield of his patrol car by a perp.

Ouch, hopefully he recovered from that attack and that that perp's been brought to justice.

[DonP]

I'm thinking a single round would be most realistic in most a non-TV/movie confrontations. With the recoil from my gun, I do not see myself firing off multiple shots in rapid concession.

Stopping the intruder at the door seems best to me, in my layout. Protecting my wife, kids and self are highest priorities, for me anyway.

[HowardW56]

if you're concerned with over penetration you might want to consider .38 rounds instead of .357

[Cokebottle]

Ouch, hopefully he recovered from that attack and that that perp's been brought to justice.

I would assume that the perp was subjected to some "summary justice" prior to being brought before a judge.
My friend had only been on the force for 5 years or so. Spent the next 20 driving a desk taking statements from rape victims.
Finally got out from behind the desk and into Vice and then Narc his last 5 years before he retired.

Retired on full disability because of his knees.

[Oceanbob]

Another off road idea...

.357SIG

It usually runs at 125 grain and is speedy at around 1300 FPS.

US Air Marshalls use them because they don't travel far once they impact a target.

I bought a barrel of another Cal Gunner recently and I was surprised how easy they feed (bottle neck, don't really need a ramp..haha) and how zippy they are.

Be well,
Bob

[elSquid]

I don't think I've ever seen a commercial .357 JHP load lighter than 140gr... most are 158.

125gr is .38spl territory.

???

125gr 357 Magnum was long considered "the load"; when folks talk in awe of the 357's 'stopping power' [1], that was usually the weight that they were referring to. 1400++ fps makes for a smartly moving round.

It was the issued load for CHP and other agencies way back when...

-- Michael

[1] Cough, cough.

[den888]

I would be very concerned about over penetration in your case. If you had to discharge your weapon, you could possibly injure someone else.