.357 magnum

[tom327]

You all know that ammunition has been hard to come by lately, especially .357 magnum, but I was lucky enough to get a couple of boxes of 158 gr/sjhp rounds a couple of weeks ago after having them backordered for what seemed an eternity.

I don't have time to get to the range often, but today I had a day off and brought my 686-1 so it could taste some magnums for a change. After shooting a box of .38 special, I decided to splurge with half a box of .357. Happy to say, I was getting 3" groupings.

To my amazement, after shooting a couple of cylinders, I turned around an saw a group of 20 somethings with their mouths hanging open. "What was that?" they said. ".357 magnum," I replied.

 

[2hawk]

Yep. We live in non-magnum times.

Good on you for showing 'em how it's done!

 

[M.Cunningham]

Always gets a few looks at the range.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Try some of the 158 grain Buffalo Bore loads that duplicate the original load (158 gr. at 1,500 fps) and see the crowd run.

 

[bigmoneylewis]

I was at the local indoor range shooting some .357 magnums not long ago.
After I fired the first round, I could hear some guy 3 lanes down ask
the rangemaster...
"good god almighty, whats he got down there , a .44 !?"
That made me smile.

Lewis

 

[butchkent]

Yep. All ammo is harder to buy. So better learn how to load your own.

 

[POPPER]

Might sound kind of corny to ya all but I've had a thing for shootin' these noisy, buckin' flame throwing suckers since the first time I shot one many years ago and at age 74 I'm still turning them out on the re loader. and shootin' them every chance I get Been blessed that at my age I can still crank some off occasionally. Everything I carry and everything I keep handy in the house is 158gr 357s' except a 66 I gave ma that has 38+ps so she can handle it better. I prayed to Skeeter to forgive me for puttin' those 38s' in one of my 357s' I think he understands. Lightning hasn't struck yet anyway. Those of you on this forum know I'm a 357 nut job so I better hush. Good shootin' guys" Later! God Bless! Popper

 

[lamarw]

I did not draw a crowd the last time I was shooting my 686-1. I did have someone about 3/4's of a mile from me, who also lives on the lake, ask if I had been firing a cannon. The sound must of really reverberated over the water. I only shoot during the week in the back yard adjacent to 700 acres of power company forest. This way I do not annoy the weekenders and boaters.

 

[THEWELSHM]

Nothing like a 125 grain now and again to keep folks alert

thewelshm

 

[DDDWho]

When I bought my 686 in 1986 I also bought a box of 50 .357 cartridges at the same time. That box still has about 40 rounds left in it. I guess I'm just a puss, nearly everything I've put through the gun has been .38 SPL.
Once upon a time my wife shot it with a .357 round, she screamed and handed it back to me saying "I never want to see that thing again".

It is however in my bed stand loaded with .357s

 

[Hillbilly77]

I heart .357 Magnum.

 

[old bear]

Always gets a few looks at the range.

I always shoot .357 Magnum ammo at my indoor range, and I always get one or two coming up to ask what I'm shooting, and I love it. Of course I always use both ear plugs and muffs.

As most are shooting bottom feeders, if they are polite, I'll ask if they want to put six through it? Some are willing and others not so much.

 

[rwsmith]

At least......

Yep. We live in non-magnum times.

Good on you for showing 'em how it's done!

At least nowadays every rifle cartridge doesn't have to be 'belted'.

I was in the indoor range with my .357 and I heard a few rumblings from the crowd which I thought kind of funny. I didn't shoot it a whole lot though because I don't like being obnoxious. .357s are much better outside where the sound can spread out and echo through the trees.

 

[rwsmith]

I would NOT......

When I bought my 686 in 1986 I also bought a box of 50 .357 cartridges at the same time. That box still has about 40 rounds left in it. I guess I'm just a puss, nearly everything I've put through the gun has been .38 SPL.
Once upon a time my wife shot it with a .357 round, she screamed and handed it back to me saying "I never want to see that thing again".

It is however in my bed stand loaded with .357s

LOL I would not fire a .357 in the house and prefer hot .38+Ps for HD. We are musicians and value our hearing.

 

[amd6547]

I do find it puzzling to read on the net about the terrible recoil of the 357 mag, even in service sized revolvers.
When I owned a 2.5" Model 19, I shot it all the time with magnas and a T-grip...no problem.
Yesterday, I was shooting my 3" GP100. For a while, I watched another club member shoot a 6" Model 28 at 7yds...he was using his range bag for a rest off the bench and was complaining that his shots were all over the paper from the recoil. As I watched him shoot, I noticed his grip...he was holding the grip at least an inch down from the recoil shoulder at the top of the frame, the barrel was really flipping!
I didn't know him, so I didn't give him any pointers. Meanwhile, I was shooting smaller groups, standing offhand at 25yds with my fixed sight 3" Ruger! Even at 7yds, rapid fire DA, I did better.
I have 38's to shoot, my 357 will rarely see any. I really like shooting it.

 

[MikeyB]

Nothing like shooting .357 mags using W296 powder in a low light indoor range. Not so much the noise but the fireball is what gets noticed.

 

[Doug M.]

I did my my last LEOSA qual with 2 guns, a G33 (.357 Sig), and M58 S&W. Since lead loads are prohibited on this indoor range, I had to use full power Gold Dot .41s in the M58. A certain number of indelicate comments were sent my way, and then I used the .41!

 

[Wheel Fan]

I've been seeing a good supply of off the shelf magnums at a couple of gun shops. None at the sporting good stores. One gun shop even had no limit on quantity. Also been seeing a lot of ammo for sale in the newspaper classifieds. Interesting. Yes, I also enjoy the nice healthy skull massaging pop of a magnum and it's destructive force on a bottle of soda or similar 'household item' targets...

 

[SgtLumpy]

No Wimps...

I do find it puzzling to read on the net about the terrible recoil of the 357 mag, even in service sized revolvers...

As do I.

It's just a darn gun. Hang on to the thing and feel the power you're unleashing, I always say. It's not THAT monsterous. And I'm an old geezer with an arm injury and a bad back.

Of course some suggest starting new shooters with an airsoft, then a BB gun, then a 22, then primer only 38s etc.

Heck, shoot the darn thing. Heat that barrel up and it's easier to clean..


Sgt Lumpy

 

[model70hunter]

Not a 357 mag, but. A few years ago I took my 629-4 with the factory port on top of the BBL to check zero for deer season.

They had just put up a sign that said "NO 50 CAL REVOLVERS!"

After the 2nd shot one of the range officers was tapping me on the shoulder pointing at the new sign. I pulled a 44 Mag round out and handed it to him. He said shoot it this time but don't bring it back. I took it back every time after that. No one tapped me on the shoulder.