Do You Have .357 and .44 Mag Both?

[Blaine]

I have a J Frame SS Centennial that I'll certainly keep loaded with defense ammo, and a 50th Aniversary BlackHawk that I'll keep and not shoot too much, but I have a 629, a SBH, and an 1894 in 44mag that are my go to pistol rounds......I can't see having both, except for the heck of it....I'm opening a can of worms, because I know most of you guys like the .357, but I find a loaded down .44 with a 300gr hardcast, about 1000 fps or so, MUCH more pleasant and harder hitting than the .357....and not so dang loud

[Warhawk]

I have both. But I did get out of the 45 Colt game a few years ago. I decided that the 44 Mag and 45 Colt were similar enough that the 44 would do everything I need.

[jdad]

Blaine,
I agree 100%, in a rifle. I load my 44mags as light as 7gr of HP38 under a 240 LFP. It's just under 1000fps. I also will bump it up a little under 1400, with 16gr of 2400. I shoot 125gr HPXTP's, in my Model 27, around 1300. I'm not a real recoil junkie anymore.

[piller]

My .357 is on loan to my parents so that they have a big bore handgun which they can handle. I have the .44 Mag, the .45 Colt, and the .480 Ruger at home. I like each and every one of the calibers. They are all 4 close enough that I could do fine with only one, but why limit the fun? The .45 Colt is a Ruger with a .45 ACP cylinder with a 4 5/8 inch barrel and it is as handy as you could ask for. The .44 Mag is a Ruger Super Blackhawk with a 1.5 to 4 power scope, and is a great hunting handgun, and the .480 is a 7 1/2 in barrel Super Redhawk and it is a perfect mate to my Rossi Model 92 in .480. Now, I need to get another .357 and a levergun in .357 and increase the fun.

[Sixgun]

Blaine,
You and I ain't no spring chickens, so........dang it, we can have both---plus all the other calibers inbetween

Coming from the "old school", I too, am a believer in big bullet--low velocity. My 2" 629 Tunnel Rat will literally jump out of my hands with smokin' loads,.....so..........it gets fed a diet of a 200 gr. Lee at 1100, or about the same as a hot 45 Auto.

The 'Smith 642 is my "always gun" but I do feel a tad better with a 1911 or the 629.-----------Sixgun

[Booger Bill]

BlaneG, without trying to be a smart butt, I could probley outfit several platoons with some of everything! Were I to go through life again I would really own less than I do. Probley I could get along with a good .22 for cheap fun and plinking, a J frame smith .38 for my pocket defense, and a nice .44 special or .45 colt for my trail and belt defense gun. That said I own 4 .357s too. Now that I am on the down slope of life with a lot younger wife I have a huge collection of guns I seldom or never use and am worried she wont get 20 cents on the dollar of what they are worth!

[2ndovc]

Jack,
Sweet revolver!!!!

Blaine,

I have two .357s and four .44s. I can live w/out the the 357s but
for me, life as far as I'm concerned would be over without my .44s

To me the .44 magnum is the .30-06 of the pistol world.
load it down to Girly loads and all the way up to "WTF was that".

The 1911 that my Dad bought me when I graduated HS and the
S&W 29 that my Uncle gave me will be with me 'till the end of my days!

jb

[damienph]

I have both, and enjoy both. I don't see why having one would keep you from having the other. I have two Super Blackhawks in 44 magnum and in 357 I have a 4" S&W 686, 2 1/2" S&W 66, 6" Dan Wesson Model 15, and a 4 5/8" Blackhawk.

I wouldn't be able to decide which one to get rid of.

[O.S.O.K.]

Well, yes, yes I do. Revolvers and leverguns. Every red blooded American (and Canadian, Australian, New Zealander... did I get them all?) should

[Blaine]

I absolutely want a Blackhawk with the .45acp cal...... And one of those double action Charter Arms .45acp if they ever do it...they been talking about it for several years...I also need a Winchester 94 in .44 to go along with the 1894 Marlin in the same calibre (a little limey lingo, there)

[Blaine]

You and I ain't no spring chickens, so

Pfffft...speak for yourself....Me and Jack Benny are 39, by Gar....

[Hobie]

I have 'em all but my favorites are the .45s, followed by the .44s and then the .22s (which are actually used/shot more) and then the .32 H&R or .32 S&W Long and then the .38 Special (but I most often have a .38 Special on me) and THEN the .357 Mag. HOWEVER, if I could only afford one it might well be the .357 Magnum. It was a .357 Magnum once upon a time in that era when I could only afford one revolver.

This one is just like that first one (which was sacrificed for the divorce)...

[Don McDowell]

I've had both in addition to 45's, problem is I usually end up trading off the 357 or turning it into a 44 special.
If I ever come up with a good Ruger Security six or Colt trooper in good shape, I promise I won't trade,sell or convert them no more.....
Honestly tho the thing I find I like about 357's the best is shooting 38 special.

[L_Kilkenny]

I'll go against the grain here for some odd reason. I have no wish for a big bore. Yes, the .45 colt, .44 special and sometimes the .41 mag have some draw for me but there just isn't anything that "I do" that can't be handled with a .357 or smaller. Just like it's bigger brothers, blast with the .357 can be managed with moderate loads, recoil is a teddy bear and it's cheaper acrossed the board. Guess .357 is what I have and I don't have much ambition to go any farther.

My .357 of choice is a twin to Hobie's. Have a hard time imagining better for me.

LK

[Birdman]

I have five 357 revolvers and two Marlin 357 leveractions. I have 2 Redhawks, and a 1894 Marlin in 44. I like both calibers and shoot them all. I probably have more than I need, especially in 357, but I live in America so I can. Living in Illinois if I have to settle for one caliber it would be the 357 combo, if I was in an area with bigger critters it would be the 44 combo. Where ever I am, I would always keep my S-W 617 and Henry Golden Boy combo.

[RIHMFIRE]

I have them both in rifles and wheelguns
winchesters and S&Ws
theres a wide range of loads for both...
and they are darn fun to shoot...
I carry the 44 mostly due to the bears...
but I carry the 357 with 38s during turkey season....
and I really enjoy long range plinking with the 357/38s

[madman4570]

Got a .357 Colt Magnum Carry 1st Ed. (cool little safe queen gun,only made em very short time) and a S&W 629 .44 Mag(really like that gun) How do you pick? Both are a couple of the best calibers going.(I say have both calibers)
Course I like my Ruger Vaquero in .45 Colt too.
It never ends------they are all needed.

[rodeo kid]

I have the following: In .44mag a Colt Anaconda and a Winchester 94. In .357 a Colt Python, a Ruger New Vaquero Bisley, a 1894 Marlin, and a Puma/Rossi 1892. God Bless.

[C. Cash]

Yep, I have both. My Security Six with the 2.75" barrel groups better than most of my handguns, and it was my Dad's so I'll always love it. But, my first love was the 44 Mag. SBH...still tops and has been toted just about everywhere I've been. Feel much more comfortable in bear woods with the 250 Keith load. It's equal(or superior?) is the US Arms Abilene(Riverhead Mfg.) though. Superb in every way but I like the hammer on the Super a bit better. Most loved 44 has to be the Flat Top. Nothing else in my pistol arsenal carries, points or has the history like the Flat Top. It's the best of all of them combined.

[shooter]

I did have both. I didn't need both. The .357 is a great cartridge for certain applications. I like it. Just not as much as my .44's and .45's. I had a Blackhawk in .357 but traded it in on a custom Vaquero .45 Colt. The main thing I didn't like about that gun was the longer barrel. I would absolutely LOVE a Ruger Security Six in stainless with a 4" bbl.

I guess I don't really NEED both the .44 mag and .45 Colt, either, as they both basically serve the same purpose......but since when did it ever have anything to do with need? Go with what you like, for whatever reason you like it.

[2X22]

I have both! Also 41's and 45's.

So far this year I've put a little over 13,000 rounds through my .44's. None through the 41's or 357's and less than 50 through one of the .45's.

Plus on Monday I filled my buck tag with a 44 Marlin Cowboy and a cast bullet.

Did I mention I love .44's?

2x22

[gak]

I don't need but have both. To make matters "worse," I've got discreet .44 Specials in the middle. The .357's are largely .38 plinkers and urban HD/SD and desert (5000 feet and lower) dwellers, the .44 Mag specialists above that--especially north of the 40th or so parallel--and the .44 Sp. doing relief duty on the hip in both altitudes Truth be known, the .44 Sp's are the most interesting and enjoyable to me and get the most attention nowadays, especially that I get less out to target or plinking in current times, and likely what I'd keep if forced to choose one caliber/cartridge and ammo/components not an issue. The .357 Montado's a gem too though and certainly gets the do-all practical nod especially when store-bought ammo availability is taken into account. It and a DA 3" Smith 65 go with me just about everywhere. And so it goes!

[1894c]

Done the .44 mag thing, both levergun and revolver. Realized after several years of shooting the .44 mag revolver that I was pretty lousy with it, didn't mind the recoil, but was not very accurate over 25 yards and in-the-end I didn't enjoy it--sold my .44 mag revolvers and my 1894 SS in .44 mag and went back to the .357 Magnum.

After reading an article by Paco Kelly titled the "Heavy 357" I was hooked and convinced that I wasn't under-gunned, limited in range, but not limited in effectiveness.

link: http://fiveshot.org/backissues/paco/357+Heavy.htm

I now enjoy the .357 mag, this is where I started and I'm glad that I returned--I now have a Ruger SP-101, a Ruger GP-100, and a Marlin 1894c in 357 (see photo below). I've talked to a number of people who own a .44 Mag revolvers, but do not spend much time in shooting them--I think many, if they were honest, fall into this camp (by the way I used to shoot my .44 mag revolvers 2 times a month, about 50+ rounds--I now shoot the .357 every week).

[Stan in SC]

The .357 seems to me to have a very sharp and harsh recoil and I find it uncomfortable to shoot.I do not get the same impression in a .44 magnum if that seems possible.You would think that a larger caliber has the worse recoil.
Due to this fact I do not own any .357's anymore.I do own a .44 magnum Super Redhawk and a Smith&Wesson .38 special.I find both of these pleasurable to shoot.

Stan in SC

[missionary5155]

Good morning
I did have both... But in 1981 sold off the .43 mag caliber to get into .41 mag and then added the 45 Colt. Mike in Peru

[wolfdog]

I have both, but prefer the 41 mag to either, if I could get a good deal on a long gun in 41 mag I would probably get rid of both.

[jackruff]

In 357 magnum I have a Ruger SP-101, a Ruger GP-100, and a Marlin 1894c. In 44 magnum I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk and a Marlin 1894ss. The only blued one in the bunch is the 1894c. Made in 1980 it's the best-looking of the bunch.

[Idiot]

I have both, and 45 Colt.

Like Warhawk, I'm flirting with the idea of getting out of the 45 Colt business though. I hunt with 357 Magnum and both of the big bores, but for hunting find myself grabbing the 44 Magnum most often. And before I invest waaay too much in the 45 Colt, to only do what the 44 Magnum already does, I'm thinking about aborting that venture.

Hobie: That is one nice Security-Six. I own more of these than all my other brand 357 Magnums combined. They are the peak of the 357 Magnum mountain. And, believe it or not, I still think the 357 Magnum is the most useful handgun cartridge in existance. Everythings a compromise, and the best compromise to do it all, is the 357 Magnum.

[Boreman]

I have both,the 44's and 357's in rifle and matching SA of the same caliber.But I ask,why limit yourself,I also have 45's,44-40's and 22's in matching rifle and SA calibers.
That is part of the FUN,the are all fantastic to have enjoy and shoot the #$$%@^&&&# out of them !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Super Blackhawk
Blackhawk's
Vaquero's
Single Six

[AJMD429]

For CCW, .44 Mags are kinda big to conceal easily, and could be used to taint a jury by painting your self-defense shooting as a 'Dirty Harry' wannabe thing, BUT if your 'field gun' is a .44 Mag SA, DA, rifle, or carbine, you certainly can get a .44 Special for the CCW and have a gun in the same caliber.

For .357 as a CCW gun, it may hold more or carry better in a given size, but WILL be much louder, and likely unpleasant to practice with vs. a .44 Special (depending a bit on grips, etc.), but in the longer guns .357 is powerful enough for whitetail, and at least the Marlin version is significantly more compact than their .44 Mag 1894 is.

Either will do. If lead prices go through the roof, .357 may be better, but if that happens, maybe the savvy reloader would do better with a .45 Colt, and use saboted smaller bullets (or pea-gravel, or whatever) when necessary.

[C. Cash]

For CCW, .44 Mags are kinda big to conceal .......

You should get your hands on an original Ruger Flat Top sometime Doc......they are pretty compact. As to the 44 Mag. Dirty Harry thing I'm thinking a handloader has the advantage. The Keith load should be about all a guy would need and I would think would be much preferable to the hotter stuff. If put on the spot you could testify how you used reduced loads for defense, while you could used the Garrett Hammerheads eh?