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.357 magnum vs. .44 special for defense

90K views 53 replies 46 participants last post by  Waveform 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Just wondering, which of these is better and more foolproof for self-defense? I love revolvers and have one of each, but the Charter .44 special is my favorite. It shoots better and is lighter and feels better in my hand. I can shoot it way more accurately and I like the round better.

I have a .357 magnum and it's fun to shoot too but I'm debating selling it for another .44 special or a .45acp

Is the .357 more reliable man-stopper or the .44? I'd trust the .357, but I also feel like it's so much faster that it could just go right through whereas the .44 is slower and makes larger holes. Hopefully never need to know this for real, but which is a better weapon? From just me firing both, I prefer the .44 spl.
 
#32 ·
I own both 44spl and 357 revolvers and I shoot them equally as well. Therefore I'd choose the one that begins with a 4 for SD. Yes, Virginia, size does matter. YMMV.
 
#36 ·
Just wondering, which of these is better more foolproof for self defense? I love revolvers and have one of each, but the Charter .44 special is my favorite. It shoots better and is lighter and feels better in my hand. I can shoot it way more accurately and I like the round better.

I have a .357 magnum and it's fun to shoot too but I'm debating selling it for another .44 special or a .45acp

Is the .357 more reliable manstopper or the .44? I'd trust the .357, but I also feel like it's so much faster that it could just go right through whereas the .44 is slower and makes larger holes. Hopefully never need to know this for real, but which is a better weapon? From just me firing both, I prefer the .44 spl.
The more accurate one, the one that's fits and feels best is the one to carry. As far as a man or animal stopper there's nothing wrong with the 44 spec. .357/38 ammo is more common and usually easier to find. So keep both.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 
#39 ·
I agree with mtnman , choose the one that you're most comfortable with and can shoot the best . Yes , the factory 125 grain jhp in the 357 definitely has a very good track record as a self defense round , but if you're more comfortable and shoot better with the 44 special then that's what I'd use .
Also , don't know what you're shooting the 357's out of but I would feel better with 6 rounds instead of 5 . May need to consider that too ?
 
#40 ·
For starters, all handguns suck when it comes to stopping a human, but it's difficult to carry a shotgun or rifle all of the time.

Second, with just the criteria of .357 vs. .44 Special - the question is a bit of a non-starter.

The .357 mag does have a very good track record in actual shootings and there are a few rounds that stand above the rest in terms of effectiveness (the 125 grain, semi-jacketed, semi-waddcutter hollow point made by Federal comes to mind). Even when fired from a short barreled revolver that round has proven to be a good performer.

The .44 Special is no slouch but it does have one major drawback. Factory ammunition for .44 Special loaded to SAAMI specs is rather weak. That doesn't mean I want to be shot by a .44 Spl. it just means the .44 Special doesn't reach its full potential with factory loaded ammo and not all guns will tolerate 44 Special rounds that are loaded above SAAMI specs.

Now, as I said earlier, the question is a bit of a non-starter. There is far more data available for shootings involving the .357 Magnum than what is available for the .44 Special. (A lot of the data comes from police involved shootings in the 1970's and 1980's)

Both of those rounds are credible SD cartridges and the guns may be a larger factor than the cartridge in that decision. The cylinder on the .357 can be smaller diameter for the same number of rounds as the 44 caliber cylinder and that might be a consideration for a CCW.
 
#41 ·
I've shot tons of rounds through an sp101 2.25" using 125 gr hornady. It was a hell of a lot of fun to shoot, except it was just hard for me to be accurate. And I always shot high with it. I haven't shot .357 out of my Smith 19 yet, but definitely looking forward to that.

My Charter Bulldog 44 I've shot probably 100 rounds through and I get tight groupings and much less recoil. I love a big bore, I always envisioned for self defense using my weapon at a few feet, and I sleep very well knowing my bulldog is close. I like it so much I'm getting another. Ammo is slightly tricky with it, I'm using 180 grain Hornaday hollow points, but I want to try higher grain to test it out. Bottom line for me is that I love the .357 it's a great self defense round but handle the bulldog better and I subscribe to the idea that the 44 would have less penetration and therefore bring a threat down quicker. Maybe just me, but that's my thinking.
 
#42 ·
Can't CCW where I live but around the house I have GP 100's with 38 special Golden Saber +p loads...If that won't do it then it's probably not doable.
 
#43 ·
Just wondering, which of these is better more foolproof for self defense? I love revolvers and have one of each, but the Charter .44 special is my favorite. It shoots better and is lighter and feels better in my hand. I can shoot it way more accurately and I like the round better.

I have a .357 magnum and it's fun to shoot too but I'm debating selling it for another .44 special or a .45acp

Is the .357 more reliable manstopper or the .44? I'd trust the .357, but I also feel like it's so much faster that it could just go right through whereas the .44 is slower and makes larger holes. Hopefully never need to know this for real, but which is a better weapon? From just me firing both, I prefer the .44 spl.
Hands down, comfort with what you are shooting is a major factor in accuracy...delivering rounds on target. Since delivering rounds on target is the #1 concern in a self-defense situation...sticking with what you're comfortable with is important.

The .44 Special is a good, solid, reliable cartridge that'll serve you well in just about every situation. The more I consider 'mass' to be an important aspect in a self-defense round, the more I would consider the .44 Special to fit in that category (read below.)

Here's the manufacture that I have purchased from in the past...they make some nice set-ups for various calibers and they have a great reloading program if you save your casings:

.44 Special Sample Packs

the 357 has an unchallenged reputation fr 1 shot stops. 357 125 grain has 40 years of real world records ann no cartridge exceeds it for 1 shot stops.
I CC'd an SP101 (and occasionally, a GP100) in .357 magnum for 15+ years when I first started carrying. I liked it...I was comfortable with it...I trusted it...etc.

When I started playing around with different calibers in 2004-05...that's when I sort of got away from the revolver to the semi-auto's...initially going with .357SIG as it 'matched' (was close to) .357 magnum's ballistics!

In 2010 I picked-up an Alaskan in .454 Casull and was introduced to 'big bore' revolvers...which are AWESOME!!! In 2012, I picked-up my second .45 acp pistol...and things sort of transitioned from there. Now, my focus is on 'mass' rather than on 'velocity' and the big bore pistols sort of fit that bill for me.

I really like the .45 Colt...especially the +P version (it's a nice intermediary round between .45 Colt and .454 Casull) which fits the bill for many situations.

The .44 Special is similar to the .45 Colt...and both are more that adequate home / personal defense calibers!

I'd say stick with what you are most comfortable with!
 
#52 ·
Having owned the Charter Arms Bulldog pug, it's a unique handgun. Mine weighed 21 ounces. With 44 Special, it's kicks like a mule on steroids. I had to buy 3 boxes of ammo and force myself to shoot it enough to get used to it. Keep in mind I cut my handgun teeth on a S&W 29 44 magnum.

The Ruger Sp101 in 357 weighs 25 ounces. Far easier to shoot even with full magnum loads. There are low flash 357 rounds if you look around. Or just use 38+p.
 
#54 ·
Caliber vs caliber threads often degenerate into dull barbs going back and forth and don't really accomplish much. This one is nearly 4 years old and was conjured back from the dead so let's close it out. The OP hasn't been back in over 3 years and at least one member who posted in the thread has passed away. If folks really want to start another similar discussion then just start a new thread and take a fresh run at it.
 
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