What do you put in your Magnums? Magnums? Something less? Or Both?

[Chrisj357]

Standard velocity 38s in my Mdl 19, two 581s, 686 and Sp101. Shooting magnums unnessarily, just so you can say ya done it is asking for eventual degenerative arthritis of the hands and wrists. If there is a serious reason for shooting a magnum in a pistol I will. I keep several boxes around the house. I also shoot a lot of magnums (mid-range loads) in my two lever guns that are chambered for 357 magnum, simply because they feed better and don't leave a lead ring in the chamber.

degenerative arthritis.........well its been 30 years. Ive shot mostly .357 magnum, a little 44 magnum and some .500 magnum lately. I suppose I should be glad I can still type this message huh? Give me a break.......If one is gonna get degenerative arthritis one is gonna get it no matter what you do or do not shoot.

Shoot away my friends, have fun and dont worry about saving those fragile hands, thats just too funny. Shooting .500 Magnum loads is just what you need to make those full power "DANGEROUS" .357 mags feel like a pop gun.

 

[jspick]

Chrisj357,
I do not know your age but your reply sounds like it is full or testosterone and youth.
I use to think I was tough as nails and could do anything. I didn't understand what the older guys were talking about, but now I am there I wish I wasn't so hard on my body when I was younger.

Be kind to us older guys. You have a right to your choices and to do as you want as do those of us who do differently than you. And should state them openly here. Just don't ridicule us older guys with more experiance and age than yourself.

Remember us old guys do not care to get in a fight to prove how tough we are----we will be loaded with MAGNUM loads and just blow the other guys butt away. We are just to old to fight!

John

 

[Chrisj357]

Chrisj357,
I do not know your age but your reply sounds like it is full or testosterone and youth.
I use to think I was tough as nails and could do anything. I didn't understand what the older guys were talking about, but now I am there I wish I wasn't so hard on my body when I was younger.

Be kind to us older guys. You have a right to your choices and to do as you want as do those of us who do differently than you. And should state them openly here. Just don't ridicule us older guys with more experiance and age than yourself.

Remember us old guys do not care to get in a fight to prove how tough we are----we will be loaded with MAGNUM loads and just blow the other guys butt away. We are just to old to fight!

John

Im not trying to ridicule anyone for their shooting choices. I just found it rediculous to say shooting .357 magnum will cause degeneritive arthritis. Some may prefer less recoil, some may like it. All Im saying is do what you like and if you reach old age and have arthritis and can no longer do what you like......at least you have done it when you could. Ill be 53 years old in June 2012, that may be young, may be not so much anymore. I started shooting guns regularly in 1977 when I entered the military and joined special forces. I bought my first personally owned weapon in 1981 (.357 Magnum) and still have that gun plus a couple more.

My hands work just fine even though they have adapted to the recoil of the .500 magnum round of late.

Thats why its so funny to think that the .357 will......you know

Peace

 

[Nemo288]

The Redhawk: pretty much all magnums as it loafs with them and
puts em on target every time.
6" 629: Mostly lead these days at 900 fps.
4" 629 Mountain Revolver: a mix of 200 gr XTP full house and
same bullet under 11 gr Universal. Also some lead loads at 750.
All in magnum cases.
I am 62 and have arthritis. I have never found that to be a problem.
I have yet to need the wrist brace I see some of the fellas wear
at the range. I have one. Luckily have not needed it yet for shooting.
I do use it for weight lifting.

---
Nemo

 

[DeMilled]

I am a reloader and have my choice of what to run through my revolver and I just plain like full house .357 magnum. I shoot cast bullets and like the noise and smoke I get from them.

My wife shook her head at me, she was grinning though, when I put about 50 rounds into a mud hole shooting at the mud and gnats.

I like the recoil, smoke, noise etc. associated with .357 mag. and I just plain have fun "blasting away".

I use Speer Gold Dot .357 magnum ammo when I carry a .357 pistol.

Since the age question was raised I'll share that I am 33 years old and lift weights a few days a week.

 

[Stainz]

I have .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum chambered revolvers only because the choice, availability, and price of such is far better than in their respective fare in 'Special' offerings. The only 'Magnum' revolver that I shoot regularly with hot loads is my recent 632 Pro in .327 Federal Magnum. While my 629's have seen some real Magnums, other than under test at S&W, my .357 Magnums have never launched anything more stout than a +P .38 S&W Special. My self defense loads are 200gr Gold Dots in .44 S&W Special and 158gr LHPSWC's in +P .38 S&W Special. My Magnum cased loads are mild - a reloading choice.

I guess I got the desire for a big boomer out of my system with my early production .454 Casull SRH, traded away over seven years ago. I had developed severe CTS problems, by then, by turning thousands upon thousands of small objects by hand on a wood lathe, making gripping a handgun laborious at best. Things haven't gotten better - but I have adapted by going to 'more fun' to me - plinking. I was sixty over three years ago when I finally bought a .22 LR revolver (4" x10 617) - a great aid for those days when you want to plink and your CTS, pinched nerve in the neck, and arthritis in the hand all conspire to make such an endeavor memorable, if even possible. The rest of the time I shoot what I want from my cf revolvers simply because, well, they are mine and I choose to do so. If you choose to shoot ear splitting Magnums, have fun!

I do get a lot of pleasure shooting more frugal, in cost and recoil, big-bores - like .45 ACP's and .45 Colt's - even from my recently acquired Governor. I cheat there - I put some .500 Magnum grips on mine!

Stainz

 

[Mule88]

Since I have several to choose from, my magnums get magnum loads, if I need to download I just use .44 special or .38 special designated guns. But a one gun person, id load to what ever level I need at the time.

 

[Dadsnugun]

I've got a .44 mag that I load with magnums when I'm camping or something like that, "just in case". But I never shoot magnums for fun anymore, my wrists are just too tore up for that nonsense. That, and price, was the reason that I decided to go with a model 64 for my new house/truck gun...but if I can find a screaming deal on a S&W .357 I might try .357 again, plus would always have the option to relegate it to .38 special for practice.

ETA - Also, I agree that shooting magnum loads doesn't "cause" degenerative arthritis, but neither does it make it feel any better when the range time is through.

 

[Sunkist]

i reload so I have lots of choices. If I shoot anything less than 1000fps my point of aim has to change because the .38's always group higher. I prefer to shoot point of aim so I stick with mag loads ranging from the 1000fps 158SWC to full boat H110 or Blue Dot loads with 140JHP's.

 

[blackpowder30]

I have several magnum revolvers and several magnum rifles. I shoot only magnums. My favorite gun to shoot is a S&W 629-7 from the Performance Center. Whata hoot. Purchased a Savage 111 Long Range Hunter in .338 Lapua last week. Can't wait to get it scoped, then to the range.

 

[redhawk444]

I handload all my ammo and shoot it over a chronograph, so I just find a load I like that will generate 1250 fps with the standard heavy bullet in that particular caliber and that is my magnum ammunition.

For the lighter loads, I usually shoot heavier for caliber cast bullets loaded to 1000 to 1100 fps.

If I want to go lighter, I break out the specials and let it go at that.

Works for me....

 

[Cold_DeadHands]

I shoot 125 gr. Remington Golden Saber Magnums out of my 340PD. I tried the 158gr loads and have to say it's brutal to say the least. The 125gr ammo is not much worse then 38 special +P.

 

[enfield]

I typically carry .38 +P's in my 65 & 66, with magnums in the speedloaders.

But not always.

 

[zeke]

Mid level loads in the 44 mags (180 jhp @ 1250 fps from 4 incher), standard 357 loads in the larger 357 mags (n frame and L frame), mid range loads in the smaller 357 mags (19,66,60).

Helps being a handloader and reloader.

 

[blujax01]

I will "download" Magnum cases to lower velocities so that I can practice the feel of the handgun without top end recoil.

But I never shoot shorter cases ammunition in a longer cases cylinder. I do not want to deal with the extra cleaning chore.

This.

 

[GF1]

For me, my Colt Python and S&W Highway Patrolman see nothing but Magnums. I put in the gun what it was designed to shoot, nothing less.
If I want to shoot .38 Specials or +P I shoot a .38 Special (which I probably shoot often than anything).

Magnums, to me, are for Magnums. Same thing with my .44 Magnum Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk...I don't care for .44 Specials in that gun, Magnums are more fun to shoot.


Way I see it, if you're going to carry, handle and shoot as bulky a gun as a Magnum usually is, make it worth the while.

+1. The point is a deeper one to me, however. I find I have more confidence in myself and my guns if I always practice with the loads I hunt with and use in the field. I always use the same loads as well.

This familiarity is a subconscious thing - I always know where the guns will hit at various ranges, how to hold (how much front sight to hold up, etc.), know that if I do my part they always hit where I want them to.

 

[brucev]

For me, my Colt Python and S&W Highway Patrolman see nothing but Magnums. I put in the gun what it was designed to shoot, nothing less.
If I want to shoot .38 Specials or +P I shoot a .38 Special (which I probably shoot often than anything).

Magnums, to me, are for Magnums. Same thing with my .44 Magnum Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk...I don't care for .44 Specials in that gun, Magnums are more fun to shoot.

Way I see it, if you're going to carry, handle and shoot as bulky a gun as a Magnum usually is, make it worth the while.

I have always shot .38 Special as the normal round for both my .38 and .357 Mag. revolvers. If I want more power, I load up with .357 Mag. ammunition. But for range use, etc., I just don't need the flash/bang drama of the magnum load. It has been many years since I owned a .44 Mag. When I was shooting them a lot, I used .44 Mag. brass loaded to maybe 1,000 FPS or so... more than a .44 Special, but not much. Using 240 gr. SWC bullets, such loads would do everything that needed doing with my guns. JMHO.