Let's say that today, 2014, there is a person who is a sportsman who does not handload and he wants a good completely reliable hangun that he can practice with once in a while. He wants to carry it with him on hunting, fishing and camping trips for personal protection from everything from poisonous reptiles to rabid raccoons and predatory humans. He may hunt for small game or, if needed for survival, larger game. He does not want something complicated that requires lots of training and maintenance to ensure reliability. He will keep it as a home defense gun as well.

Perhaps some of us have known such people?

What would we reccomend? Whatever it is, if we are considering it seriously then it is certainly NOT obsolete.

Obsolete works for me. So does Social Security and bifocal lenses.

IMO, the 357 is not obsolete nor in danger.
What other caliber is chambered in J, K/L and N frame versions?

Lest we forget the reputation of the .357 magnum 125 grain SJHP moving at about 1450 FPS from a 4" revolver barrel.

Put questionable statistics and jello tests aside, the actual reputation and legacy of this load as a highly effective defensive handgun cartridge from those who actually used it in combat speak to it's virtues that transend time and are still relevent in the 21st century.

The .357 magnum just works very, very well. It is not peerless, but it has stood the test of time and remains one of the greatest and most versatile handgun cartridges ever made.

JMHO.

YMMV.

They said the same thing when the .41 Magnum came out.

While we are talking about hunting use of the .357 Magnum, let us not forget the exploits of D. B. Wesson during his famous hunting trip used to promote the new revolver. Admittedly, .357 Magnum ammo is not loaded to that level these days.

That said, if you want to shoot the original without dipping into your remaining stash of $250.00 a box of 1935 large primer Magnum ammo, I suggest you keep a few boxes of Buffalo Bore 19C on hand. It is pretty close to the 1,510 fps of the original, with modern chronograph and "real" barrels/revolvers used for the test.

I would argue that there is no game animal alive that is capable of telling the difference between Buffalo Bore's 1,485 fps (4 inch 686 Mountain Gun) and the 1,510 fps (8 3/4 inch ".357" Magnum) of the original.

And, a real plus is that the Buffalo Bore uses a 158 grain JHP bullet instead of the lead semi-wadcutter of the original. Whether this will make a difference to the recipient of this "medicine" is anyone's guess, but it certainly might make cleaning the weapon after shooting a tad easier.

Also don't forget the "overweight" hunting-specific rounds, which use bullets in the 170 and 180 grain range.

While the 44 Magnum may have eclipsed the .357 Magnum cartridge for hunting, ammo makers have certainly not neglected development of newer, more effective rounds for that purpose.

You said this wasn't a revolver vs auto thread but you made the comparison anyway. So I will strike that in support of your argument.

The 44 mag looks to me to be too much of everything for most anything one would want to use it for. The exception would be for hunting.

I've had a 357 of some type for 40 years. Probably the most versatile revolver cartridge out there. Most reloaders who shoot a revolver know that. Recently I downsized to one revolver caliber. I sold my 44's with the associated reloading components and now only have 38's.

Ruger just chambered a bolt rifle in 357 and there is a huge shortage of 357 lever rifles as we speak. So it would seem the cartridge itself is doing quite well.

If a company like Ruger would team up with Federal and build a rimless 357 so it could be used in a carbine like an M1 or M4 it would be very popular.

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That's just somebody talkin.

I live out in the country and carry "something" on my hip most of the time. I might be on a tractor, horse or 4 wheeler or in the pickup. Although I like my 44 Special a lot, for a gun that'll do it all --- I can't beat my 4" 66.

It will outshoot my 40 cals (and my 9mms) and is lighter than my 44 mag or 44 Special. I can reload shot cartridges for it and kill a Coyote "way out there" with 158 grain hardcasts. If I run into someone causing trouble, I'm about as well-armed as I can be. The only times I choose a different caliber are when Griz are about or I'm after Ground Squirrels.

Many years ago, I really learned to shoot a center fire hand gun using a 2 1/2" 19 (which I still have). I wish everyone could have that opportunity.

.357 Magnum is not going away soon.

I have a .44 Magnum, and on occasions carry it. Although it weighs 46 oz loaded, it is not particularly pleasant to shoot, and way overpowered for self defense against two-legged predators.

On the whole, a .357 Magnum, in a full-sized revolver, is about as powerful as most people can shoot well, with enough control, for self defense. Although there are some J-frame .357s, most people draw the line at .38 +P in them.

No handguns and few rifles have real "knock down" power. It's all a matter of shot placement, as long as sufficient penetration is achieved.

I disagree, in my part of the country I can't find 357 magnum reliably the last 3 years. 40 S&W is readily available. Furthermore in terms of Lawman performance, the 40 S&W is the holstered equivalent of the 357 magnum.

Notice the bulk of American Law enforcement over the last century has used a cartridge with S&W stamped on it. They work effectively for human sized targets.

Reminds me of an article on HD with shotguns. For 410, 20 and 12 gauge you use this and that. For 10 gauge, whatever the hell you want. LOL

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_It was love at first shot_

The .357 can be loaded down as well as any revolver and more than most semi autos (without modification). It's a proven manstopper. Maybe a .44 would stop a little better but stopped is stopped in my book. I'm not likely to run into anything bigger than a black bear. If I go to the Rockies I'll get something bigger. IMHO the .357 is the lightest gun that can do anything I'm likely to run into. Besides, I LOVE loading and shooting it.

It's only obsolete to the guys who want a gee-whiz semi-auto with a 500-round magazine!

If the 357 magnum is so "obsolete" then what should we do with the "antiquated" 38 special....whoo-boy talk about over the hill!

I would love to have a model 19 in obsolete 357 magnum. But what do I know I like walnut, blue steel , real leather holsters and them old timey revolvers.
Gary

Crazy talk. The .357 is great. That being said I recently replaced my SD/woods gun with a 10mm. So I understand how a Glock 20 in 10mm can make a better deal than my old M19. But saying that a slow .40SW round will out do a .357 is just ridiculous.

Been there done that. Two years ago on the Appalachian Trail. Large female black bear went all nasty with me. Two Buffalo Bore .357 rounds out of a 6" Model 66-1 took care of the situation quite nicely.

Whomever says the .357 is obsolete is really quite naïve.

Bob

I loaded those 357mag 125grs JHP' s to 1597fps. When my python barked she meant business. She wasn't playing. I did load my ruger 44's to 1450fps. for ccw.

If Elmer Keith was here today he'd be all over this post.

I ccw carried the 357mag in my first ccw years. For most of my ccw life I carried the 44magnum. Now it's the s&w m58 in 41mag.
I have nothing against autos I do own a few. I prefer a magnum revolver.

I have a 350/400# black bear in my back yard. He visits often. If he leaves us alone he can have some corn or fruit from my trees I plant 75% of it for the animals. I was worried with my 145# rottie when my wife called her in maybe the misses wouldn't notice at 11pm if the bear walked in the house. My misses was about 25' from this bear already when she went to get my lab away from the bear. GOD was watching over her sort of speak. He just looked at the crazy lady screaming and walked slowly away. What an awesome sight, what a big bear.

I keep a 12ga pump with slug, 00, slug, 00, slug, nearby just incase my alive bear rug comes in for a snack..

These older revolver calibers will be around forever. Even the 44 Russian is here to stay.

Oh Boy! Another caliber war!!!

My 586 is X ring shooting double action at 25 yds with my personal favorite 125gr JHP hand loads. If that is obsolete I will take it but put it up against any handgun cartridge anytime.
.357 is a great cartridge.
Jim

If I could have only one handgun it would be my model 65 3inch, it will do anything a reasonable person could ask, will shoot .357, .38 special. snake shot and easy to carry and mentioned above if you cannot handle a situation with six rounds of .357, man or animal , I would advise you to spend more range time or stay at home !

I'm kinda partial to my 586-3 6 inch.

Anytime I hear the (fill in the blank) is obsolete, my answer is "stand in front of one while I shoot it at you."

No one has ever taken up that challenge.

Everybody sez I'm obsolete too. I reckon I'll take my 7 .357s somewhere and sulk.

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Eccentric old coot

Hell, I was born obsolete. Doesn't bother me. They know the drill if they can't take a joke.

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Oh well, what the hell.

There is an article by Greg Ellifritz Equipment or Caliber and he found it very stron in comparison to other handgun rounds. The 44mag wasn't listed.

Obsolete? Balderdash! It's arguably the most versatile handgun cartridge extant. Handloading makes it even more versatile. It has a high fun factor as well if one is into light bullet/slow powder maximum flasho-blasto loads! A few years ago, I made up a few of those just for what turned out to be an annoyance factor. 125 grainers in front of W296 in a 4-inch 686. The indoor range at which I was shooting had nothing in the way of sound baffles, some of the other shooters began to cry, and I was asked to leave. I said OK as long as you waive the range fee or charge me for no more than ten minutes. No, I am not buying any of your lead reloads, sorry. This is what I came to shoot. Fortunately for me, they saw it my way. I did pay for the target and backer. Haven't been back. Speaking of obsolete, there's this neat top-break in .44 Russian................ .

Funny to see this post resurrected.

A recent Handloader/Rifle article by (IMHO) a very respected Alaska guide says that both he and his daughter use .357 revolvers as backup. I forget the load/bullet, but what struck me was that he didn't advocate the various larger cartridges.

And these folks hunt really, really big bears. Really big.

And I agree with those of you lovin' the 4" L-frame (and, to be fair, those from Ruger). A handier, more versatile....and reliable....handgun cannot be found.

Well, you went and done it, Dr. Frankenstein! It Lives! (considering this was originally started in Jan. 2010!)

Anyone feeling that there's no room for a .357 Magnum caliber gun in their collection, and those who like the .357 as well, ought to read this. Like this thread, kind of old but still relevant:

My Friend, The .357

I'll never be without one, that's for sure!

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

Back in 1970 or so I recall the cry of: the .45 colt is doomed.
Well it is still kicking just as the .38 special and .357 Magnum. The good ole .41 mag still hangs on also. M-58 / M-57 having great records in both hunting and defense with PROPER loads.
I must admit I shoot .38 specials more than magnums in my .357
My first center fire handgun was a M-28 S&W 4 inch which I still have along with my K/L frames.
There is not much you can ask of the 38/357 that it can not do well. If you need more power grab a long gun.

After back surgery, I really like it when leaving the shooting range even more. Target usually sports a large hole in it. People around you watch round after round hit the dirt at 100 yards in the same place. Clean up the spent brass while sitting at the table. Don't need a broom. I can even shoot .38 if I want in it, which is most of the time all that is needed with a well-placed shot. Military and Police used the .38 for many moons, so why argue about the .357 Magnum? Carrying your shotgun and rifle in the window of your pickup, with a pistol hiding somewhere, may be going obsolete; but not the .357 Magnum.

Agreed. Also does not meet the definition of obsolete:

ob•so•lete (ˌɒb səˈlit, ˈɒb səˌlit)

adj., v. -let•ed, -let•ing. adj.
1. no longer in general use.

Plenty of .357 guns still in general use, from revolvers to lever action carbines. Seems they are still so popular that wallyworld and LGS have problems keeping .357 Magnum ammo in stock.

2. of a discarded or outmoded type: an obsolete battleship.

See above. Plenty of people looking to acquire them and many who own quality .357's holding on to them.

3. (of a linguistic form) no longer in use, esp., out of use for at least the past century: used in this dictionary to indicate that a word has not been in widespread use since c1750. Abbr.: Obs.

Probably over a million still in use.

4. rudimentary in comparison with the corresponding part or trait in related species or in individuals of the opposite sex.
v.t.
5. to make obsolete; antiquate.

[1570–80; < Latin obsolētus, past participle of obsolēscere to fall into disuse, perhaps =ob- ob-sol(ēre) to be accustomed to + -ēscere -esce]

ob`so•lete′ly, adv.

ob`so•lete′ness, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary.

So to sum up, could we say the claim the .357 Magnum is obsolete is basically a load of pasture pancakes?

Just asking.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Fresh! With syrup! :-)

Bob



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

A trained shooter cannot stop 7 threats with 6 rounds, wear the wrong color while making a wrong turn in south central L.A. and you'll wish for hi cap support.

That settles it. My thirteen 357's are now for sale.

The fact that the individual used "knock down power" in regards to a handgun caliber tell me he has no clue what he is taking about.

The 357 Mag. Is tops for versatility. Light .38 special wadcutter loads, +p .38 special and Magnum loads in .357. There is an abundance of revolvers in both single and double action. If I had only one center fire revolver make it a .357 Mag.

The .357 is never gonna be "obsolete", but maybe this thread oughta be...or is. 2010-2015 R.I.P.

I researched the Winchester 351WSL and thought that with a little modification it could be converted to shoot the 357. Not sure if it would be possible but, they are almost identical.

I would love to see a semi-auto 357 rifle.

Col. Chas. Askins told me that he did that very thing. He knew that angry readers write to editors, proving that his material was being read. He was dead serious, too.

Actually, I think he did write that the .30/06 was obsolete.

This very day, I got an Online magazine with a feature saying that the stainless .357 with four-inch barrel is the ideal survival handgun. I tend to agree.

I think you'll get enough responses here to let you know that your thread was noticed.

I read the linked article again, and liked it once more. Skeeter had a way of saying how he felt that kept the reader both informed and entertained. I hope that I did the same in the app. 5,000 articles that I've published, many about guns. Skeeter was one of my mentors.

Gun writers are not usually known for literary ability, but he could connect very well with the average reader of those magazines. John Wootters was a better wordsmith, and he also liked the .357.

Thanks for the chance to read that story again. Yes, I saw where it needed some typos corrected. But the meaning was always clear, and the reasoning lucid, with ample experience stated.

The only thing that needs to be added is to mention some of the best modern factory loads and to update the handloads. That story dates from the mid-1960's and the half jacketed bullets referred to have been replaced in the manufacturers' lines by modern JSP and JHP versions.

A local detective had access to shootings by police in this area using Winchester's 145 grain Silvertip ammo. He said they almost represented overkill. With that in mind, I've avoided using the hot 125 grain bullets that cause accelerated wear on guns, esp. the smaller .357's.

The .357 cartridge is also one of my best friends. Skelton moved in good company when he said that.

I take it that he did not volunteer to be a target of this "obsolete" round?

Agreed. It is my favorite round powerful,controllable , available and versatile...

Lol I love when someone calls .357 obsolete and pushes a .40. The .40 imo is the most not needed caliber around.

At least the .357 mag can be loaded in many bullet configurations and packages.

Plus .44mag ammo is very expensive.

The .357 is not my favorite round, but of all the revolvers I own the only caliber I have more of is the .44 Special....
Man, am I an old timer? ...

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

Who come up with this type of argument? A .357 is more than enough for anything in North America short of a brown or grizzly bear. I have taken several deer, and with .38's in the same gun rabbits,turkey,squirrels etc.
I think the springs and plastic crowd believe in "if you can't shoot well, shoot often". Never ceases to amaze me when I go to the range with my "obsolete" wheel guns the looks I get when I start sitting up my gong targets at 75 or 100 yards, and then start making them ring like a bell.
A few guys will wonder over and ask, what are you shooting, and how do you do that? Have won a few bets with the spray and pray crowd after a friendly wager about the auto's ability to shoot at long ranges. made a few converts along the way. Long live the .357, if I was told I could only have 1 handgun it would have to be a .357,nothing beats its versatility. long live the .357, Thanks Skeeter for the wisdom of your writings years ago.

Good Ol' Hickok never lets me down.



Even he says at around 11 min into vid that if he had to give up all his glocks, guns etc and just had that little .357 mag he'd be very well off and protected. YOu can't say that about a lot of other calibers.

I'll pm my shipping address.

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Let me just say that if 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 don't understand what happened to 1 and 2 and run away in your scenario, then they ought to be pretty easy to deal with . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .