The Classic 357 Magnum

[jsh]

First center fire wheel gun I had was a SW 19. Still have it. It was a carry revolver I bought from a city cop buddy of mine, carried more than it was shot.
Second wheel gun was a colt peacekeeper. Bought it cheap, sold it for $50 more than I gave for it a year later. Wish I had it back now just to sell for what they bring now. It never did impress me for accuracy.
I have amassed several GP 100's in the past few years. They have all made me happy with overall performance. I was just thinking I should swap out the 19 for a GP match champion with adjustable sights..........still thinking that one over.
The 35's have seemed to be a pleasure to work with when digesting cast bullets.
Some say it is smallish for deer. I have found 180's to do the job very well. My IHMSA shooting mentor offered his FA right at a year ago so I made the jump to that. Minute of chicken @ 200m. Pilot error on the first outing, 38x40 still a respectable score IMHO, cast LBT 200 grain GC.
My SS 10"TC barrel is as boring as the FA.
Marlin lever gun is right on the heels of the last two. Eats everything I feed it very well as long as I pay attention to OAL, soon to fix that.

The 158's +or- a few seem to be what most folks like. I have found the 170+ when pushed to be enough better that I prefer them. I push them fairly hard. The TC barrel just seems to love it, the harder it is pushed with a 180ish bullet. The marlin carbine is the same way.

I will admit to having neglected shooting them the past year or two. But then again all of my shooting has been neglected.
I may be one of very few that dislikes 38's in my 357's. The 38's may start off good but as the shooting starts the accuracy goes away. I have went to somewhat reduced loads in 357 cases and results were on par for what I expect in the accuracy department. So now I shoot 38's in a 38 and 357's in a 357.
With the price of rimfire ammo I have all but switched to center fire. Thus my interest in the single seven. That goes along with the reduced load 357 and the 38's. May cost me a wee bit more but have performance over and above any 22 rimfire.
Jeff

[dougader]

I've always thought everyone should have at least one 357 mag. My first was a Taurus 66 with a 6" barrel. That thing was remarkably accurate, but I wore it out in short order.

Traded it in on a 6" GP100, and now have settled in on an old model Blackhawk I will never sell.

I, too, have been using the 327 Single Seven more lately but also the new 480 SBH. I reckon it's time to take the old classic out for a spin on my next trip to the range.

[grizzly]

I have a Rossi 92 in .357, a Coonan Classic (awesome gun) and just bought a Ruger LCR .357 for a carry gun. I think the .357 is hard to beat as an all around chambering and is excellent for defense.

[sal]

My first sixgun was a 357 Blackhawk 6 1/2 barrel. Jt said everyone should have a six gun Mundunized, so off to Bob Munden to be customized. My oldest son got that one. Next is a 58 Highway patrolman that went to my yuoungest Son when He graduated the Highway Patrol academy, then his wife got my S & W Mdl 19 2 1/2" because she liked it. I now have a three screw 5 1/2 that Dick's Son slicked up the action and narrowed the front sight this last summer and I'm keeping this one. I shoot this last one a lot.

[sixshot]

Several years ago when my 4 boys were young & my eyes were good we were spending the weekend hunting ground squirrels north of town. I had a little fanny pack & a backpack for my ammo & I carried two handguns, one was a model 41 S&W Target, the one with the 5" bull barrel. The other was a 6" Colt Python with a trigger that broke like frozen lettuce & shot like a bench rest rifle. In those days I could shoot offhand really good & the first day, switching off between the 2 guns about 50/50 I killed 183 ground squirrels. My ammo was just Federal bulk in the model 41 & in the Python I used 5.5 grs of Unique with the Keith bullet. A full grown ground squirrel when its standing is about 2-2 1/2" wide & I shot a lot of them that day out to 60-65 yds, all offhand. Between the 5 of us we shot over 800 that weekend & never covered 3-4 miles walking.
I shot that old Python so much my son Shane completely rebuilt it when I sent him to Gunsmithing School at Colorado School of Trades in Lakewood. Sadly its one I had to finally sell, along with many others to keep him in school but it was well worth it.
A good 357, with either 38's or 357's is a fine choice up to medium big game, including deer if you're careful, just don't ask it to wear big boy pants when you walk out the door. I just gave a 3 screw to one of my grandsons' & he will shoot it a lot & hopefully pass it down when the time comes.
The Ray Thompson #358156 is possibly a better bullet but gas checks give me the staggers so I stick with Elmer & I've never been sorry.

Dick

[bulasteve]

Gotta admit I've ignored the bore too. Was given a Colt Pol. Pos. .38 and then a BH NM SS  .357. I load enough to have ammo on hand in case. The Colt is tired, and the BH being a NM is heavier than my 44's ! A mid-frame .357 would start to make some sense for the field. If I was more into D.A's, the SP101 and the GP100 are certainally worthwhile platforms.

[tullymars]

My first centerfire was a Colt Trooper mk111 that I never learned to love. A Python was bought new about 1973 and lived here until just a couple of years ago when their prices went too high to pass up. Have owned several other .357s over the years but am down to just 2 at the moment.A few years back I bought a pair of the 50th Anniversary flat tops. Got rid of the .44 but the .357 was too sweet to part with. I'm having trouble posting pics a the moment but it wears a pair of Dick's Holley grips, has started turning Plum on the frame and loading gate and has an action nicer than anything in my safe. When I want people to think I can actually shoot I grab that Flat top. The .357 has always been a favorite of mine and after playing with the .475& .500 it is almost like shooting a rimfire. LONG LIVE THE .357.
At the moment I,m even contemplating going a further step backward and am lusting for a K38 Smith as a dedicated plinker.I've got lots of .38 brass and can load it about as cheaply .22s at their current prices.

[contender]

Well, I have always seemed to keep a 357 of one variety or other since I got my first one back in the mid 70's. Currently,,,, I have several. It's still a very comfortable & viable round to use & recommend to most. I kinda look at my 32 cals & my big bores (454's & 480 etc,) as more specialty calibers. But the average shooter is still served quite well with a 357 mag.

[jefats]

Jan 25, 2016 15:26:47 GMT -5 nolongcolt said:

Never really been a favorite of mine either but have owned more than a few. Only one currently is a Ruger Security Six Liberty model with short barrel as a house gun. Though due to another thread, I am looking to replace a long ago sold M27 with 5 inch bbl. I have a beautiful carved Threepersons holster from El Paso waiting for it, as soon as I find the right one. What never did interest me is a single action in that cal. I did own a couple of Blackhawks in .357 but probably never would again.

M27 with 5" barrel and Roy Fishpaw French Walnut grips.  Doesn't get out of the safe much.  I generally reach for the 4" Mountain Gun (7 shooter) or OM flattop short barrel SA when I want to play with the 357.  Still a real nice cartridge, not to be sold short.

[robrcg]

 I have 5 of um and really enjoy the cartridge. Likely because I got started on K frames 19 & 66. Loaded with 38 Specials they have been great for my beginners ready to move up from 22s. I have a light weight S&W 386 SC/S that is perfect when on extended hikes or fly fishing. That said, I doubt I will get more. My next two projects are (another!) 45 Colt and a 500 Linebaugh. 

By by the way jefats, that revolver is fabulous looking wearing Fishpaw grips!

[sixshot]

For many, many years when I'm fishing I've always carried my OM 357 shorty. The light weight of the OM, even with 5 rounds of Elmers finest makes it easy to pack all day in my Rob Leahy Chesty Rig. I don't like wearing a belt holster when fishing because I'm always walking through willows or sagebrush & thats hard on a holster & handgun stocks. The Chesty Rig keeps the gun centered on my chest & up high above my waders if I'm wearing them.
An old model, even with 5 rounds loaded probably weighs less than a new model empty. You could say that Barranti is an old model & Fermin is a definite new model! I carry a nice heavy load of 13.5 grs. of 2400 with the Keith slug because I never know when I'm out on a mountain stream when I might run into a badger, skunk, coyote or even some unwanted people, they are out there now days & can be pretty rude. Most have Utah license plates!
Another thing about wearing a belt holster & chest waders is getting your gun out, its really hard if you need it. I'm getting off track a bit but back in the very early 70's I was in very deep snow in mid November, this was back when the season ran through the rut here in Idaho & we killed some monster bucks.
I was leading my horse down a steep incline after spending a couple of hours hunkered over a nice warm fire. It had been snowing hard & once it lifted I knew the deer would be up & moving.
As I dropped down the steep incline I could see deer beds everywhere, I could smell them, they had been waiting out the storm right below me but I didn't know it. As I eased along trying to keep from falling down I saw the top 1/3 of a deer laying in a bed in the deep snow about 40 yds away. I dropped the reins on my horse & reached for my S&W 44 magnum stoked with 250 grs. of Elmers finest, backed by 21 grs of 2400, a load I've shot all my life. I couldn't get the $*@!($% gun out! I was wearing a pair of rubber chest waders & my gun was on my belt. I had to undo the straps, then the waders fell right to my feet, now I can't move. I ease the gun out, come up to a good 2 hand grip & ear back the hammer. The deer, a doe, was just laying there, thinking she was hidden. 26 year old eyes can see pretty good & I let the trigger break & when the gun came down out of recoil.... nothing, she was gone, how could that be? I looked around, but couldn't move, I'm trapped by my own waders around my ankles. I holster the gun, pull up my waders & untie my horse & just stand there trying to figure out how that deer could get out of sight so fast. There's pine tree's all areound & lots of snow but it doesn't seem possible, even for a deer. I start walking over there & in that bed is a dead deer with most of its head gone, it had just laid back in the snow. Probably more luck than skill, I could only see 2-3 inches of body but the head stuck up a bit better & Elmer found his way home. Don't wear chest waders with a belt rig!


This is my OM shorty 357 maggie, the rock came from the Salmon River, polished smooth by over a hundred years of running water. A neighbor lady painted the bear on it for me.

Dick

[mcquade]

I still have a lot of love for the .357. I have a few but my old 681 is deadly.

[cherokeetracker]

I was shooting my Model 27 5" barrel just yesterday. It sure doesn't look like Jefats either. ( that's a beauty) I do need to pull out the 3 screw again.
What has made it tough for me is,, when I need to go to the river bottom I am going to grab the 45 or even my 44 mag. Hunting specifically for small game has been something of the past. We just don't seem to have the small game we used to.

[sixshot]

In 1967 during my time in the Air Force in Texas I did a great deal of damage control on the small pests in the area around Sherman, Texas. Either my bow or my 4" S&W Highway Patrolman was my constant companion & a lot of critters got lead poisoning from that little 357 along with some help from Elmer & 13.5 grs of 2400.
One day 3 of us had permission to hunt a friends place & we were looking to do a little pest control when I spotted a raccoon sitting up on a limb about 25 feet up a tree. I just had field points but I managed to run one through him using my trusty Bear recurve bow (compounds were just starting to appear about that time) the arrow went through his side & pinned him to the tree but all it did was make him mad.
After about 30 seconds of fighting he pulled the Microflite fiberglass arrow out of the tree & hit the ground running with us right on his tail.
He ran about 30 yds & went into a hole in the bottom of an old dead tree that was about 15 ft. tall. The tree went up about 10 ft. & then forked into 2 different limbs. We looked around & found a big branch & wedged it into the 2 limbs & started twisting & finally broke them off. After rolling one of them over next to the main tree I could just barley stand on it & see down inside. There in the bottom was one mad raccoon. One of my buddies found a long pole & I started whacking him on the head, trying to force him out the bottom where we could get him. All of a sudden he growled & jumped at the same time & just missed my face, I fell off the log onto my back, it scared the heck out of me, he almost got me in the face! I'll never forget the sound of that growl coming out of that hollow tree, it sounded like a rocket, another few inches & he would have got me.
Now I was mad, the guys were laughing because I fell so hard so I got back on the log, stuck my model 28 down the hole & gave him 6 rounds of Elmers finest, that seemed to have a calming effect on him & we dug him out the bottom hole. Thats me carrying him & my bow in 1967. The 28 is on my hip.



Dick

[dougader]

What a story, Dick! You really should write a book, even just a compilation of hunting and outdoor stories would be great!