.357 Magnum VS .44 Special for Rocky Mountains trail gun

[Bob Krack]

Every reply has been pretty close to being right. I am not able to say anything else except that if my personal safety at fairly short range were the primary criteria, the .44 special with a heavy boolit wins hands down.

Bob

[.357MAN]

looks like the 357 magnum fans are comparing loads found on the internet, which favor the 357 magnum by about 100-200 fb. of energy.

And the 44 special fans are speaking from experience, which sound like very hot CB 44 special loads, compared to CB 357 magnum loads. In the case of CB in the 357 magnum, it losses considerable headway, mostly do to the fact that CB cant take the high pressure ( in most situations ) so it needs to be downloaded. And CB in the 44 special can be pushed a lot further than factory loads.

But who is right? I understand both sides, but the question comes down to: what will the OP be shooting in his said guns? With factory jacketed loads the 357 magnum wins hands down for stopping power. But CB hand loads would favor the 44 special. So which is it? what is the OP going to be using?

One more thought: the OP said the 44 is ported, I have no clue what that does to velocity and CB. From what I hear, it's usually up to the particular pistol and the skill of the reloaded to make things work well.

[Old Ironsights]

My 190gr GB boolit raps out of my 2.5" SP101 at 1200fps...

[GH1]

Out of those two guns there has to be one you favor, if only ever so slightly. It may come down to grip size or shape, sight design, or it may have something to do with the holster. Maybe one rides with a little more comfort than the other. Maybe one is held a little more securely. There's probably one that you shoot a little more often, or have a little more skill with. Whichever gun that is, that's the one you need to carry, for in my opinion both will do the job.
GH1

[hamour]

A S&W Mod 27 or 28 in 6" BBL length, loaded with NOE or Mia's 180 gr Flat Nosed bullet on top of a heavy charge of slow powder (H-110 or 2400) will give you plenty of revolver power. If you need more, then get a rifle.

[1Shirt]

Smart folks go with what they can handle, and handle well, and are not afraid of what they are handling. Just my opinion!
1Shirt!

[GLL]

For me it all comes down to geography !
When I work in eastern Nevada, southern New Mexico, or western Texas a 4" Model 686 .357 is fine. When in Montana, Idaho, or Wyoming it is a 4" Model 624 .44Special (or a .44Magnum Mountain Gun)!

Jerry

[Bluehawk]

HI GUYS havn,t been on this forum for a couple of years but IM BACK >
TO me, in this debate , I have to go to the individual guns to make the decision . I believe that BOTH cartridges have a valid place in the original scenario. But the gun and what YOU want to do with it makes the decision .
If your going to small game hunt for survival I like both BUT the 44 has the advantage in the shot shells. more shot and better performance cause you can load bigger shot. IF your looking for a gun that IF your woken up startled in the middle of the night on the trail I want the gun to have the first two chambers loaded with shot capsules with buck shot in them so I can KNOW i'm hitting WHATEVER in the first instance to then pick my follow up shot later .
44 Has the advantage to that also . BUT MOST of the 44s are 5 shot in stead of 6 that is a disadvantage in some instances . MY NORMAL trail gun is a Rossi 3 in Stainless 44 spl 5 shot Its normal load is the Lee 215 SWC bullet loaded to about 1050 fps . Good defense and small game load. I HAVE also 240/250 grain SWC bullets on me for SERIOUS work IF NEEDED . I also have shot capsules loaded for the above mentioned task AND if snakes are in the area I have the first chamber loaded for that.
BUT lately I'M carrying my 4 3/4 Rodeo ( USAF ) in 45 colt does all better .

[Lonegun1894]

I prefer the .357, but the .44 Spl is a great gun too. Carry whichever you shoot better and are more comfortable with. Without knowing the exact reason for carrying it, threats involved, etc, I dont think one caliber has enough advantage over the other to make a difference. As has been said, for general woods bumming use, a .22 is hard to beat, but I would hate to have to defend myself with one against a grizzly, or take deer with it. But also wouldn't really want a .44 for squirrel either. I also have more .357s than anything else, so I am a bit biased. But to be fair, the only .44 Spl I ever had, I still kick myself for letting go when I was younger and dumber. May have only been a Charter Arms 5 shot, but it shot great. The only thing I have seen against the specific guns being asked about that I have an issue with is the .44 being ported, which is a feature I have learned to absolutely hate. But it does have a purpose and if the owner likes it, I see nothing against him using it.

[badgeredd]

If you were limited to one of these two specific calibers, both with 4 inch barrels, which would you choose as a trail/hiking gun in the Rocky Mountains region? Any particular reasons why?

(added after the original post: The .44 Special is a ported gun.)

Thanks

Since you mention your 44 is ported, I am assuming it is of fairly recent manufacture. Consequently, I'd give the nod to the 44 with uploaded hand-loads mainly because of the mass of the boolit you can shoot. I am also assuming you're talking personal protection...again critters 2 and 4 legged with a 240-250 grain boolit will react to the larger mass IMHO. I totally agree that one has to be proficient and comfortable with any gun and in all likelihood the best gun is the one you are MOST comfortable with. I haven't checked energy numbers for both cartridges, but I'd guess they're pretty close. Big boolit big hole gets my vote.

Edd

[Raygun]

I never had much use for a large caliber pistol or revolver in the woods. I've carried most any you can think of under .50 caliber. I have found the .22 lr and 38 special to be the most practical and useful. However, I don't roam the woods where large bear are a threat. If I did, a levergun would be my first choice. If you are looking for versatile, go with the 357 with various 38 and 357 loads which you know the point of impact, from your particular firearm.