# 44 mag vs. 357 mag.



## mort777 (Sep 7, 2010)

Looking for protection to carry in the woods (sm. bear, cougar, people) when we go fishing and hiking. I live in Washington and venture over towards Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.

I have ruled out the Judge and was just going to get the 44 mag. but Im thinking about .357 for my wife provided it will still be useful enough as a defensive weapon for the animals that want to eat me.

Currently looking at S&W 629 4" or a newer Tarus Tracker. Im thinking 300 gr. for the 44 mag. when in the woods and a light 44 special for target, the wife, and home defense. I have never shot 44 special so I dont know if there is a huge difference.

Looking at the S&W 686+ or GP100 in the .357. I get one extra round in the 686 and can shoot .38 for my light load but I'm not sure about a defensive round for bear or cougar.

Any thoughts??


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## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

Go with the .44 mag! I like Ruger when it comes to revolvers, but to each their own. The 44 specials I have fired have been very pleasant to shoot. Would say your wife would be able to handle them with no problem. The 300gr in the full mag loads will be a little rough though!


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

You would be hard pressed to hit a spruce grouse with a Judge. Same for snakes... why are you shooting them anyway? Are they chasing you? LOL

Get a .44 and be done with it.


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

Another vote for the 44 mag, and the S&W 629 over any other IMO.

huntin1


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## Bigfootisreal (Jan 24, 2010)

I have carried a S&W 629 .44, a 10mm Glock, and a .357 for my sidearm when deer hunting. I have killed deer with each caliber and they all reached the same state of deadness really quickly. I love the smack down power of the .44 and the 10mm, but I am shooting the .357 more than any of them just out of pure enjoyment. And, because of the extra practice I am getting, I am more confident with the .357 than anything else. Maybe it's a little less manly, but I have a feeling being really proficient with a "marginal" bad-critter-killer might be more effective than having a high horsepower weapon in hand that you haven't reached the "point and shoot" natural ability with because you haven't shot it as much. Just a thought. Again, all of them are gonna make the bad critter equally dead if the shot is placed right.

My wife and kids shoot the .357 when we go up to the cabin or to the gun club. Since I hand load, it's nothing to shoot a couple of hundred rounds in a weekend at pop cans down at the sand pit. If anything bad ever happened around the home front with regards to unwelcomed company coming by to visit, I am pretty sure anyone needing to use the .357 to say "go away" could do so without needing to think about the tool over the task.

Again, this is just my opinion that has been formed over the last several years of using these hand cannons. I think the ultimate answer is to use the handgun that you are most comfortable with and will give you the confidence to focus on the task at hand. If I knew I was finally going to meet Bigfoot face to face and he was going to get torqued at me for taking his picture to provide proof of his existance once and for all, I think I would opt for the 10mm if I needed to cap him. That combination of bus-stopping power and high lead capacity does tend to shift the odds in the favor of the one carrying it. When I am out calling coyotes and need to keep an eye out for those big cats that the MN DNR still insist do not live here, I am quite sure the .357 will help me out in hand-to-paw combat. I also keep it in hand when walking through the brush out west and need to pay attention for the snakes. I load the cylinder with alternating loads of bird shot and bullets.

See, handguns are to men what a purse is to a woman. You need a different one for every occasion. Forget having to make this difficult decision and just buy 3 of them.

I hope this was helpful.


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## mike landrich (Jul 5, 2008)

Go with the 44. The 44 special loads are mild and easy to shoot. The high power loads you'd want for bear defense are stout, but you'll be shooting at close range anyway, so the point and shoot reaction will be there. You don't need to be a sniper at 6 feet, you just need to hit "minute of bear". The heavier bullets in the 44 will do a LOT more damage than will any bullet in the 357.

Just a thought. Have you considered a 41 Rem mag or 45 Colt (aka Long Colt)? Both are outstanding rounds and have some advantages over the 44. The 41 is flatter shooting and the 45 is a much larger bore (.451 vs .429). The 45 can be loaded way down with Cowboy Action loads and very hot with Cor-bon or the like in modern ammo.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Another vote for the 44. I have shot a lot of 44 special loads and they are very close to the 45 auto.

I have shot a half dozen deer with each. One doe took three rounds to the chest at 50 yards and still traveled 200 yards when hit with 158 gr out of my six inch 686. The 44 mag even with light loads put them down much more decisively. If you were pressed into using a 357 for bear I would use the 180 gr. We can talk deer, cougar, people, but the game changes when you mention bear. The difference between the 357 and 44 mag is extreme. 
When hunting deer with the 357 I used very hot hand loads. I have shot deer with 240 gr cast and nine gr of Unique with the 44 mag. It's my cottontail load, but drops deer faster than my best 357 load. With low velocity (most handgun) loads frontal diameter is very important.


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## mort777 (Sep 7, 2010)

Thank you all for your input. After considering all the options. Size, wife, concealment, weight and size to pack while in the woods, I decided to go with the SP101 3" w/crimson and shoot the 180gr. Its not the 44 I really want but with finances the way they are right now I can only get one and this fits the bill on more fronts than a big 44 so it will have to weight for later. Thanks again!!


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## mike landrich (Jul 5, 2008)

Did you price a 44 special? Its cheaper to shoot than a 44 mag and still packs more punch than the 357 mag


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