Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby hard h2o on Mon May 01, 2017 11:13 am

When you try to find any tool to take care of multiple tasks you are going to have compromises somewhere.

Just a matter if deciding what is most important and where you are least willing to compromise.
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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby Holland&Holland on Mon May 01, 2017 11:21 am

hard h2o wrote:When you try to find any tool to take care of multiple tasks you are going to have compromises somewhere.

Just a matter if deciding what is most important and where you are least willing to compromise.


The act of carrying a handgun for self defense is in and of itself a compromise.
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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby OldmanFCSA on Mon May 01, 2017 11:37 am

38 Special, 357 Magnum, 357 Maximum = this would be my choice for a play rifle/revolver combination.

44 Special, 44 Magnum = excellent IF power is required.

I shot a 10.5" Ruger 44 Magnum in IHMSA competitions and shot several 40's in my younger years when my eyesight was better.

But my favorite was a Dan Wesson 357 Maximum with the proper vented barrel/shroud for shooting other classes.



To each their own.
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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby Seismic Sam on Mon May 01, 2017 4:48 pm

Sigfan220 wrote:Coonan, Desert Eagle, LAR Grizzly. Two 357 mag pistols are still in current production, both MN companies. Just saying there was more than 1 pistol designed for 357mag. I'm probably missing a couple too. But yeah the rim does limit it.

Also in response to the BFR post. Yest they will do bottle neck, 30-30 is a standard cambering. They have also done 22 hornet and 218 bee in the past both of which have a shoulder.


Ah crap, you're right!! I forgot about the original DE, and REALLY forgot about the LAR Grizzly..... :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:
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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby crbutler on Mon May 01, 2017 11:00 pm

Most versatile cartridge to me is the 12 ga shotshell. Pretty much self explanatory. Gamebirds, targets, small game, and with buckshot and slugs, big game. Not optimal for thick skinned game, but that is a very limited subset.

Most versatile rifle .375 Holland and Holland mag. Safely and humanely kills any game animal in the world and is reasonably available and affordable. May be more than you need, but as Ruark said, use enough gun. Exterior ballistics are pretty much that of a .30-06 so it will do pretty much anything. Recoil is pretty mild by my standards, and anyone can be trained to tolerate it if they want to be so trained.

Pistols are by definition a compromise. If you are talking in terms of all uses for a handgun, .22 LR. There have been dangerous game animals driven off and even killed with it. It has been used as a self defense piece...I think at one point I was told the vast majority of homicides were with it. It's cheap, ubiquitous and can do everything you ask a handgun to do. It's not optimal for most roles, but if you are looking at a handgun you have already made some compromises...and if your specific need is something, specialize to that need.

so, no the .357 magnum, as good as it is, is not the most versatile cartridge.

If you want to be pedantic, the best caliber in sporting arms is .725". (12 ga bore, which has been used in pistols (Howdah and common old smoothbore types) rifles (both black powder and to some extent rifles...both bore rifles (old bpe guns) and approximately the .700 nitro. If you include overbore shotguns (some hunting guns) it gets to 20mm which is also common as cannon, as well as shotgun. Sorry, I couldn't resist the low hanging curve ball there....
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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby crbutler on Mon May 01, 2017 11:03 pm

Seismic Sam wrote:
Sigfan220 wrote:Coonan, Desert Eagle, LAR Grizzly. Two 357 mag pistols are still in current production, both MN companies. Just saying there was more than 1 pistol designed for 357mag. I'm probably missing a couple too. But yeah the rim does limit it.

Also in response to the BFR post. Yest they will do bottle neck, 30-30 is a standard cambering. They have also done 22 hornet and 218 bee in the past both of which have a shoulder.


Ah crap, you're right!! I forgot about the original DE, and REALLY forgot about the LAR Grizzly..... :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:


Didn't wildey also chamber their short lived auto in .357 mag as well? Heck, I'm probably the only one who has all three of the above.... I don't have a widley but I've looked!
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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby linksep on Tue May 02, 2017 7:47 am

I'm not asking about the most versatile rifle cartridge, or the most versatile handgun cartridge.

Hypothetically if you could have any number of guns in any styles you wanted...but they all have to be chambered in just one common caliber.

12ga is a good choice that has a lot of potential, but doesn't make a good EDC caliber.

.22 s/l/lr/m (any of the above) gives you a huge number of choices for guns but lacks range and power.
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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby hard h2o on Tue May 02, 2017 11:14 am

linksep wrote:I'm not asking about the most versatile rifle cartridge, or the most versatile handgun cartridge.

Hypothetically if you could have any number of guns in any styles you wanted...but they all have to be chambered in just one common caliber.

12ga is a good choice that has a lot of potential, but doesn't make a good EDC caliber.

.22 s/l/lr/m (any of the above) gives you a huge number of choices for guns but lacks range and power.


So if I am understanding correctly what round can do the most. One round for EDC, match competition, plinking, trap, skeet, sporting clays, biathlon, dangerous game, big game, medium game, small game, upland bird, waterfowl, home defense, zombie apocalypse, varmint control...

The range is from 12 ga to ,22 short.

Is that the question?

I will answer with 3 rounds. One handgun, one rifle, and one shotgun.

.45 ACP
.30-06 Springfield
12 Gauge
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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby Ghost on Tue May 02, 2017 11:21 am

Uffdaphil wrote:I guess it depends on what you include in defining versatility. Every caliber has one or more weak spots. .357 comes up short in range, mag capacity and not easily suppressed. .300BLK is not concealable or always readily available. 9mm lacks range and punch for huntong.

But I gotta say my 1892 lever .357/.38 with cowboy action job is a decent compromise for a lot of uses. If I absolutely could only have one caliber it would have to be 5.56.


I'd take Grendel before 5.56 or 300BO, bullets from 90 to 160 (suppressed) and great performance from short barrels.

But when I think of 357 I think of this

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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby crbutler on Tue May 02, 2017 12:17 pm

I think you missed the pedantic part

Caliber and cartridge are not synonymous.

If you mean cartridge, it's the 12 gauge 2 3/4 shell. Yes it's not great for everyday carry, but a break action pistol sized gun is doable. Hunting birds with a .410 doesn't work well Especially with nontoxic shot.

I suppose an argument could be made for a 20 gauge but waterfowling it's definitely not a good choice.

Of the number of rounds I fire other than practice or games in a year, it's 12 ga 3.5" first (hand loaded, closer to3" loads) then 12 ga 2 3/4, then (last year) .375 h&h, then .330 Dakota, then .22 rim fire, and then I did shoot 1 round of .45 ACP from my carry gun to dispatch a cat where it was not supposed to be.

If I look back a few years only the one time was a rifle or handgun round highest and that was .223 on a year that I went prairie dog shooting and lucked into a hot town.

Depending on the hunts one rifle cartridge may be more predominant than last year, but that's how it goes for me. No handgun predominant round would be in #1 unless you add in gun games then either 9x23 or .40 becomes close to 12 ga 2.75, and then 20, 28, 410, .22 rf, .223, .308, and .45 Acp jump in before the 12 ga 3.5" in that order.

so from a practical standpoint the pistol cartridges are nonfactors in versatility for real world usage unless your sole reason is ccw for self defense, then you don't need versatility, you have selected a specialized item as the prime concern and want something optimized for that that can serve somewhat in other roles.
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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby Holland&Holland on Wed May 03, 2017 9:49 pm

linksep wrote:I'm not asking about the most versatile rifle cartridge, or the most versatile handgun cartridge.

Hypothetically if you could have any number of guns in any styles you wanted...but they all have to be chambered in just one common caliber.

12ga is a good choice that has a lot of potential, but doesn't make a good EDC caliber.

.22 s/l/lr/m (any of the above) gives you a huge number of choices for guns but lacks range and power.

Well then, no, you could not be more wrong.
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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby linksep on Thu May 04, 2017 7:38 am

Oh for #%&@$ SAKE! No wonder this board is dead.

Sorry I tried to start a discussion.
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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby Holland&Holland on Thu May 04, 2017 8:08 am

linksep wrote:Oh for #%&@$ SAKE! No wonder this board is dead.

Sorry I tried to start a discussion.


What, you don't want opinions on your question, or only ones that agree with you.

I think your question has been well answered. I assumed you were asking is .357 the most versatile handgun cartridge. I happen to think it is. But you seem to be wondering if it is the most versatile cartridge period. That is like asking if a Honda 750 is the most versatile vehicle. Works fine until you need to haul lumber from menards or winter....

What do want?

I think CR answered your question. 12 gauge period.
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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby photogpat on Thu May 04, 2017 12:27 pm

linksep wrote:Oh for #%&@$ SAKE! No wonder this board is dead.

Sorry I tried to start a discussion.


You seem surprised by this. Why is that....
Nothing to see here. Continue swimming.
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Re: Is .357 Magnum the most versatile modern caliber?

Postby hopkins on Fri May 05, 2017 6:37 pm

DO NOT let anyone talk you out of the .357. It can use the .38, .38+, and a wide variety of .357 loadings. As a rifle you can get even better performance than from a revolver. I would choose a revolver over a pistol because they are a whole lot easier to load for and less picky about ammo. I have taken squirrel and ground hogs with a Smith mod 66, deer with my T/C, and a short bbl 357 is fine for EDC. You are the shooter, and it is you that has to be satisfied with the decision.

I would stick with a caliber that has been around long enough to have developed a faithful following such as the .357, and one that I know will be around in plentitude in the future such as the .357.
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