I carry a 4" 629 w/240gr hollow points and depending on the situation it is either open or concealed. Folks have become so used to seeing little 9mm pieces that when they see the large N-frame it scares the crap out of em'. When the situation calls for concealment, the 4" easily hides under an untucked T. Although having to stare down the barrel of any handgun is not on my list of ' to do', there is no question the 44 is much more intimidating to have to stare into. But, the beauty is, to each their own. All guns are better than none.
if you've shot either, you'll quickly realize you wouldn't want to be shot with either. and they're both awesome. 2 legged creatures stand no chance against either
that's if you even hit the person. So if you miss, the other person won't have to recover and you will have to recover. for personal defense Target re-acquisition is more important. that is why I use a 9mm for concealed carry. more rounds down range accurately then I can with the bigger calibers.
Hell yeah! Even if you miss(and you only have to connect with anything with that kind of power) the muzzle blast and report may stun them(and certainly intimidate as well) depending on range. But everything always sports a trade off so it really comports to what the individual personally prefers. I'm with you. Remember Elmer Keith dropped a large buck deer in Montana many years hence at an incredible 600yds! One shot! Killed a mountain goat at 300yds with a .45 Colt and box-ammo! (Though it took eight trys...well that's still something) The gun's in a whole 'nuther category from lesser arms.
+Chris Halligan I've seen several people that had been shot multiple times with the 9mm that weren't stopped from what they were doing, left the area, eventually got medical attention and never died in my 20 years between the military, fire department and now law enforcement. I would never trust a 9mm to protect my family or myself.
+Neko Devalle He never said they would lol, proper shot placement no one would get up even from a .22 Long Rifle round. example of proper shot placement, the hearth which would undoubtly be an instant kill.
@@jaredwhite489 go look at the quintessential Remington 125 SJHP the expansion is so explosive it would probably stop and so says the "Meat Target". It is why my 44 Magnum Self Defense load is also a light for caliber 180 XTP over full load of H110. High velocities cause great expansion very rapidly dumping mass energy now!
Thanks for the video and the info, Sam. Been carrying a 4” Model 19 .357 for years. Just acquired my first .44 mag about three days ago. 6” Model 29. It won’t be replacing my ole’ Model 19 as my all around utility carry piece, but was a piece I’ve wanted in my collection for years. .38 and .357 remain king as far as I’m concerned for all around utility/security use.
You can kill a black bear easy with a 357 mag..now, if its a brown bear espacially a grizz then your 44 mag wouldnt help stop the beast before it kills you
for defense against a bear they have caliber just for that such as 454 casuill, 50 ae, 500 sw and some others but this video is talking about stopping humans. Any bullet will stop a human but the bullet that causes irreparably damage is the .22 but that won't stop a person in its tracks. but I'm rambling so.
Its inconvenient to carry anything but a pistol when you are digging for clams. I had the .44 so close to me, when I fired it made me deaf for the next few days. LOL C. Hahn
I am a big fan of the .38spl. If financially up to it I can see some advantage to having a .44 and shooting specials through it compared to a .357. For the same or less recoil you can get less muzzle blast/report and still retain good terminal ballistics with the right projectile. In the end I would carry either of those or even a .32H&R with no qualms. The biggest factor would weapon size and ability to conceal.
Like Clint Eastwood said in Magnum Force he shoots a 44 special which is equal to 158 grain 357 wadcutter with less recoil,Clint made the 44 mag popular Model 29
Yeah, I saw the comparison of 357 expanded to 44mag preshot. I would love to a 44 magnum but went with a 357 cause of the price of 44 mag ammo, and the non availability of 44 spl. ammo. Great video!
I see merit in both calibers , I hunt with a .44mag Super Redhawk , 10in magna ported & had massive results of success . 250 grain Winchester Platinum JHP . I carry a Ruger .357mag (Speer Gold Dot 125 grain) as one of my CCL weapons due to it being much easier to conceal & ease of carry . I've been carrying for over 22 years . I'm not going to knock either , both are great , just for different reasons .
Agreed. If you live in an apartment or even in a house with family or where your neighbour's house is close by.. you're risking an unforeseen casualty from overpenetration even with a .357. .. .38 sp +p hollow point is more than enough to drop any intruder. Permanently.
I have a S&W 624 44spl 6" and model 29, 8 3/8". I reload my own carriages so it cheep but what fun to shoot. I carry a 38 5 shot. The 624 is a tack driver. Great video, thanks
like 38s .. hot 44 special is all I have ever shot out of my 629-6 3" … never a Mag ! I have a 7.5" Redhawk for that .. hunting / fun / 44 rifle also .
Thanks for your comparison, Sam. I purchased a Colt Trooper 357 with a 6" barrel in 1965 for use in combat and I continue to carry the 357. I now own a snubby with a 2.5" barrel and another L-frame with a 4" barrel. It's great to have the option of firing the 357 from different platforms and fire 38 special +P as well. In addition I have a 38 special with 3" barrel rated for +P. These serve my needs. The only time I fired a 44 Magnum it was from an 8" Thompson Contender and it felt like I was kicked by a mule. Not sure why.
Haha, thanks. This video is old. I used to have a model 629 with a 6" barrel and with Magtech 240 gr plinker ammo it was fine, but Hornady 300 gr ammo on my hands was like hitting an oak tree with an aluminum ball bat.
+powderpig55 In a self defense situation, bad guys are in motion & sometimes visibility is low. It's not like shooting paper targets. In a high stress life situation, you take the shot however you can get it.
Looking forward to reviewing Sam's presentations on the .41 Magnum. Charter Arms chambers this cartridge now in a Bulldog model. Now that has to be a handfull.
I know a cop who used his 44 magnum to stop an attacker who came out of a bar shooting at him. The officer fired twice killing the BG. One round stayed in the BG and the other round passed thru the BG.
After reviewing your video I agree with your assessment. After extensive shooting a .44 mag Ruger Kodiak 2.7" revolver I can tell you that the recoil from a 200-240gr XTP is not bad, and its stopping potential is high. With expansion and accuracy tests I've done
I agree that the .44 Magnum is an awesome round. It can absolutely be loaded light for target shooting. The problem I have with it as a defense caliber, and this is just me, is that the gun I have, a Model 629 with 3" barrel, is still very heavy. It's just not something I want to be lugging around. That said, I do have a nice leather holster for it and have even fitted it with a big dot front night sight. So the gun is in a carry configuration. I did that just for fun though. It will actually conceal under the right garments. I just prefer popping something a bit lighter like a J-Frame in my front pocket. A reasonable .38 SPL +P load will do well for self defense. Recoil isn't bad at all from an airweight.
Put simply, at 357 Magnum is like having 150lb woman sitting on your face. 44 Magnum it's like having a 300lb woman sitting on your face. A completely different experience
I'm a senior citizen. I have hunted since I was a kid. We learned from experience. What works. In my 357 snobby i shoot' Remington green and white box 125 grain hollow points. In my opinion this is still the ultimate 357 round. For everything. In my 44 magnum. I use Winchester white box 240 grain soft points. Again in my opinion the the ultimate 44 round for everything. Both of these rounds are old school nothing fancy' just get her done rounds.
The real deal is shoot what you can handle. 357 magnums and 44 magnums can both use 38 and 44 specials for less recoil. 44 mags with hollow points is a stopper on everything i shoot with it and with some decent width grip and/or pachmayr grip the recoil like you said if controlable, its just a big bark. Good review
2021 good video i love my 357magnum 6inch barrel running Remington 158 grain hollow point for the house but when backpacking in the Adirondacks its Buffalo Bore 180 gain solid point....God bless America 🇺🇸
I endorse the .357 mag over any cartridge it is my favorite cartridge of all time (Besides the .45 Colt which comes in second), but when it does come down to it a .44 Mag is better only because of the size of bullet. I say if you have two cartridges of the same magnum velocity go with the larger bullet.
.44 mag cost $1 a round , I used to have a lever action 1894s marlin and loved that gun but cost 3 times as much to shoot as my AR-15 . Now I have a 30/30 lever action marlin and it’s like $0.70 a round and more range and power and as for a revolver chambered in that same caliber I see there is one out there in 30/30 😜 My current hunting side arm is ruger gp100 in .357 mag w/4” barrel and I love how well it shoots 🇺🇸
Great video. It's funny you mention Dirty Harry. I believe it was in the movie Magnum Force; another cop asked Harry "what kind of load do you use in that 44"? Harry replies "I use a light special, in this heavy gun it gives me more control than a .357 Magnum with wadcutters". About 30 years ago I knew a State Trooper who had killed two men in the line of duty. They were separate events, both were one shot kills to the chest, using S&W Model 19 in 357 Magnum, using 125 gr. JHP from a four inch barrel. He told me he always aimed for the center of the chest.
It will always be up for debate about Magnum Force. He said he uses light special's, possibly indicating .44 Special, however in that same scene where the rogue cop tried out his revolver, you can tell there's no possible way the revolver would recoil like that with anything less than full house magnum rounds.
Gun Sam, for 38SPL the most efficient bullet weight is 110gr and can be pushed to over 400+ foot pounds of energy with the right powder. That's over 1300+ fps velocity. Puts it in the 40 caliber fpe range. Glad to give you the details if you are interested. 38SPL is no slouch by any measure.
I have seen crime scene photos in my criminal justice class when I was in college. One of the photos was of a man who took his own life with a .44 magnum. Our instructor told us that the man in question shot himself twice at close range before dying. The man had half of his face blown off. The question of the recoil came up and our instructor cleared the air by explaining that the man didn’t fly across the room but he was sitting down. The .44 Magnum is a very capable cartridge and is good for home defense, hunting and sport shooting. For personal defense, I would probably use .44 Special rounds in a revolver with a longer barrel(4-6 inches).
Another reason the 357 beat the 44 was because of over penetration of the 44 round and it didn't always expand 100%. The FBI didn't just use actual shootings, they also worked with the ARMY which uses cadavers for to test wound profiles and effects on body armor. Many people only know half of that test. They don't go out of their way to tell the public that they use cadavers, but they have been since the 1800's.
So overall - 44 mag is an amazing round. If you're going to go hunting get a 44 mag. If you're going to shoot paper get a 357. Roger there good buddy! Thanks for keeping it real! I was wondering what I should get. The 686 Competitor or the 629 competitor. This video made my choice clear. I'll be getting the 686. Mainly because I won't be hunting that much with it, I will be shooting paper :P
I would bet that the .44 mag statistic would be higher than 92% if those people used hallow points and i would guess less than half of those people did not use hallow points.
I'm surprised to find that there could be any question as to the superiority of the .44 over the .357! Yet after some of the interesting details you elaborated on I'm also surprised at how favorably .357 does seem to compare with .44 Rem. Mg. Seen side-by-side,for instance, the .357 is not at all dwarfed by the .44 but you can still see an appreciable difference. Then again my .45 Colt bullets are noticeably larger in dia. than my .44 ammo bullets(.44-40 in my case but they are very close in cal. to .44 mag of course). And bullet type and application is such a science too! They tell us to use the hollow points on human assailants but jacketed soft points or hard cast flat nosed on large game(especially dangerous large game). Nice observation to on how misleading some of these reports can be on percentage performance without knowing the body of data used to back it up or how it may be biased. I heard that Elmer Keith once remarked that bigger was better and faster was also better ,but bigger and faster was best! And .44 Magnum certainly comes out on top. But will .44 kill anything that .357 wont? I wonder.
Gun Sam, I just really enjoy your straightforward common sense explanation of ammo, ballistics, and use scenarios. Good points about the .44 Magnum as a defense round especially with the right .44 Spl load giving you something with more mass/energy than the .38 Spl+P without the recoil of either the .357 or .44 Magnum. Makes me think of getting one for .44 Spl use. I still agree with you though that overall the .357 Magnum chambering in a 4 inch gives you the most flexibility with the broadest choice of ammos using .38 Spl, .38 Spl +P, and .357 Magnum. Thanks again and thanks for subbing as I am subbed from both of mine to you as well. Be Safe and Healthy out there.
I just got my 4.25" model 69 in .44 Mag for this purpose. I really wanted a 4" .44 Special, but I only found the Charter Arms target Bulldog and the way their proportions are they looked silly, so I figured a 4" .44 Mag makes more sense plus I can shoot a few magnums in it if I feel like it.
@@GunSam Ruger as you may know makes some .44 Special only revolvers. I have found it hard to find .44 caliber revolvers right now and currently have been considering either a Smith and Wesson 329 PD which would be too light for shooting many Magnum loads or a Classic series with engraving in a 4 inch, however, I would not be putting it away and would want to shoot it. Only have seen .44 Special ammo right now either in PMC or Sig Sauer JHPs anyway.
Very good presentation; excellent comparison. I also concur that "right load and right gun" are important. (.357 gains speed in a Marlin rifle; ballistics better than .30 Carbine). But books and algebra notwithstanding bear in mind our predecessors settled a continent with whatever gun they could muster. There were no magnums; they even used muzzle loaders and squirrel rifles. They shot well (well placed shots) and they took on bears, buffalo, war parties and marauders. So both calibers are good. Make each shot count. Don't shoot too fast. Respect your equipment (take care of it) and respect your adversary. You'll do just fine. Excellent comparison of these two (actually four) calibers. Good information.
the debate might be open if you buy your ammo, good points to each caliber. but if you reload then there is zero comparison. there is nothing a 357/38spc can do that a 44 cannot equal or better, and a lot the 44 can do that the 357 cannot. 357 is a great round, the 44 just lengthens it out a bit
Hey love the video, had an issue with the 3rd mag verse the 44 mag. I'm new to the ccw, I have a 9mm but was looking for a good home gun for my wife . you gave good info and I appreciate it very much. Thanks and keep up the good work and videos, oh I'm getting a 3rd mag too ! Have a good 1 !
Very helpful video as I have several 357's. Thinking of getting a 44 for home defense. 357 out of a 2" ruger is brutal, hard to get good follow up shot quickly. 38spec+p ,9mm,45 good easy rds to shoot.
Actually neither is the best for self defense. Both, in full power loadings, are over pressure and over powered. With proper bullet design, the 38 Special or 9mm are actually better balance of terminal ballistics and controllability. I particularly like the 38 Special, with a flat point bullet having an 86% caliber meplat(0.309" diameter) as the flat point is much deadlier than most hollow points, due to ripping a large straight tunnel completely thru living flesh. In hunting large hogs I have seen the 1500 fps 125 gr JHP 357 Mag totally fail on big hogs, where the 38 Special 158 gr RNFP bullet at 1000 fps put the big hog down with one shot. The 125 gr JHP 357 Mag failed due to lack of penetration, opening up a nice large impact cavity, but failed to reach the vitals. The 38 Spl 158 gr RNFP (86% meplat) ripped a 60+ caliber tunnel clear thru the hog, hitting vitals, and dropping it almost on impact. It is not a matter of power, but just how effectively the bullet design uses that power to create physical damage. In my 9mm autos,for self-defense, I use JHP's because autos have major problems feeding large flat point bullets. In my 38/357 revolvers, I use the RNFP bullet design for self-defense as well as hunting, because I have seen just how deadly and instantly effective the 80+% meplat RNFP is on large hogs. Even though I love the 45 Colt's (255gr RNFP at 1000 fps, 86% caliber meplat (0.390") INSTANT killing power on big hogs, my favorite is the 38 Special 158 gr RNFP at 1000 fps from a 4" revolver. That 38 Spl 158gr RNFP load is so mild shooting and superbly accurate yet it KILLS big hogs amazingly well! The 45 Colt 255gr RNFP at 1000 fps has much more brute killing power, but the 38 Spl 158gr RNFP at 1000 fps is better balanced as to killing power and controllability so for self defense I'd rate the 38 Spl better than the 45 Colt. With the 158 gr RNFP 86% meplat bullet, I prefer the 38 Special revolver to any 9mm JHP or 357 Mag JHP for self-defense because the killing power is VERY good, the accuracy superb and controllability excellent.
As usual your knowledgeable contribution is nothing short of amazing,6DW! Who would even know half this stuff? You may have put .3Spl back on the map my friend! And to hear that you would take it over Colt .45( though I will say the thing that I love about Colt .45 is that, in my opinion' it packs such a great a wallop even with 750-850fps velocities and you can feel the recoil in your hand assuring you of that). You make me glad I have a .38!(and a .357) though I won't use high pressure loads in my Taurus .38-not stamped accordingly. But much, as you point, out goes to bullet design and construction. My Astra .45 isn't +P either though 1000fps probably would hurt it with occasional usage. Thanks for stopping by.
Heavy N frame makes it slower to get on target. Heavier recoil makes it slower to get back on target. I carry one for hiking but for self defense I choose a .357 mag.
Playn Hardball I have a ruger srh and the heavier weight keeps it closer on point, even with hotter loads. I prefer the extra versatility of the 44, going mild or hot or anywhere in between
boedude that is a very good weapon and I have been eyeing a redhawk lately on Gunbroker myself. Im just saying if you find yourself in a gunfight quarter seconds count. Unfortunately, the object is to drain more fluid from your agressor before they can do it to you. You can manuver/point your weapon faster and have quicker follow up shots with a .357. If your in a static defense then it wont matter much but I carry my handgun for self defense... and in a world of 9mm I need to make my shots count.
that's just it, we are only talking fractions of a second. the chances of your life depending on a half second faster second shot are almost nil. any hit with the 44 will at the very least cause the atacker to pause more than enough time for a follow-up. he may not go down with a shoulder or thigh hit but he will hesitate for a second or two while the body adjusts. and guaranteed he will be draining quickly. if you need more than two then there is definitely a problem somewhere
i keep it simple i have both in 4 inch.. in the 44 mag i run 300 grain jhp xtp.240 jhp.and 300 grain jsp.in the 357 mag i run federal hsjhp 130. 158jsp. and i use a lot of 38 plus p.there both great firearms
I like the. 44 magnum revolver. Great power and versatility. With the right loading and bullet design (XTP) etc. and now with compact snub nose revolvers (Ruger Kodiak, S&W 629 PC) it makes for a great all around gun!
Ok thanks that's what I was leaning towards too, the 357 is just more of a convenience due to the fact that I have a 38 special, but if your life is on the line you'd best pay for what's needed
I wouldn't feel under gunned with a .357 if it's a 12" barrel, especially with a Buffalo Bore .357 mag. That .357 in a 12" barrel should produce as much energy as a 4 or 6 inch .44 magnum revolver.
I just looked up 12" barrel velocities with a standard Federal 158gr .357 and also 12" barrel velocities with a standard Federal 240gr .44 mag, and here are the results: The .357 fires at 1,659 fps for ***989*** foot pounds energy, and the .44 fires at 1,579 fps for ***1,329*** foot pounds energy. That's ***29.3%*** more energy at the muzzle with a .44 magnum.
Buffalo Bore makes an "anti-personnel" (their nomenclature) .44 magnum load which is a medium-cast .44 magnum with a big 180 grain lead hollow point. It would make a wicked self defense load in .44 magnum. Federal also has a 240 grain Hyrda-Shok load in their "Personal Defense" line that should also do well.
I think for edc .357 is better because it's cheaper to practice with. If you are in bear country go for .44 magnum. Or screw it - .454 casull, .500 or .460. Better safe then sorry. Both those rounds are great man stoppers, >90% on FBI stats. Buy what you like more.
YOU CARRY WHAT WORK'S FOR YOU , 12GA CUT DOWN IS MY PERSONNAL BACK UP ..... 357MAG IS MY BOOT GUN ......SHOT ALOT OF 38 SP AND 9MM....... BOTH WORK ......
Elmer Keith said so about hunters using .44 Mag. and his hard lead SWC flat points. And his some what warm loads. See See "Sixguns" by the author mentioned.
He was really brilliant to think of a way with his Keith style SWC's to increase the weight of a bullet, yet still have the same amount of bullet in the case as a lighter bullet. Same pressure but more bullet coming out.
You might claim that he did have a part in the development of the 500 and 460 magnums, I mean if the .44 mag was never created, who would have been the first to dare doing what he did? I bet if he had not lived, the modern super magnums we have today would never have existed.
Biggest reason the 44 mag does not have the big numbers for stopping is mainly because the 44 is considered so grossly over powered for mere human targets that very few ever use it in anti human defensive rolls, that and the brutal recoil in any gun small and light enough to be carried with any degree of comfort and those that can deal with the heavy recoil from the lighter smaller 44 mags out there, that said I fairly often carry my 4 inch 629 in an IWB holster, sure is comforting to know that all that horsepower is there if you need it, but I feel just as good really with my model 60 pro also, the 357 is outstanding to say the least.
+looseballs1966 I get what you're saying. I now carry a SP101 2.25" .357 mag, it has everything going for it, just enough weight to shoot, light enough to carry and 5 rounds so small enough to conceal. But I keep eyeing that 629 performance center snubby. I used to have a 6" 629 and it wasn't that bad, and I imagine that if I reloaded some magnum rounds, probably in a lead HP with something like Trailboss powder, I could get a light load in between 44spl and 44 mag and it would reasonable to shoot, but I can't imagine packing away a 6 round .44 cylinder, might be too fat.
+Sam Man Can't go wrong with the sp101 brother, great little gun will never let you down, I have owned a couple different SP's through the years, just kinda like the way the j frame smith's feel in my hand just a tad better, as far as the snubbie 44, man that's kinda tough call it is right on the edge of too short to make full use of the 44's power potential and the difference of jumping up to like a 4 inch barrel aint so big a jump in both size and weight to rule it out, and retain a bit more of that power potential, my main reason for falling for the 4 incher I carry, not all the time mind you, I live in a very wilderness area of north central Idaho and am way more likely to run into a moose, black bear, mountain lion, wolf, or even grizzly, than a group of armed gang bangers so you are more likely to find me packing my 8 and 3/8th's inch 460 S&W or my 500S&W or my 6.5inch 629 hunter comp, if I am out playing around either fishing or riding the four wheeler, so I have just gotten used to packing a big heavy gun around and where I live no one even gives you a second look if you walk into the grocery store with even the big old 500 in a chest holster, though even when packing that monster I will still be carrying my 340pd and model 60pro concealed, so call me nuts but I figure you pay good money for the damn things might as well keep them on you and enjoy them too LOL, and if you reload and want to try a sweet bullet loading for the 44 mag try looking up Rimrock bullets and take a look at their 240 grain lead semi wadcutter hollow point gas checked bullet, I use that driven by a fairly hearty charge of unique, or even H110 or 296, the unique is a tad better I think in the shorter barrel (tad less flash and bit quicker burn in the short barrel), that bullet is cast very soft but with the gas check you can pretty much drive it as fast as you want, and being soft it will mushroom pretty damn nice but not so much that it will reduce penetration badly if you need to penetrate the hide and bone of some big critter, take care brother, maybe let me know if you pick up the 44 snubbie and what it works out like, let you be the guinea pig on that one LOL.
I agree 100% What people don't know is the 44 Magnum has more recoil and is harder to shoot and recover for a second shot on another target. You can also shoot the 38 special +P and control your shots even more. I will take the 357 magnum over the 44 magnum any day!!! Gunsmith, FFL dealer and shooter!
It's all going to be different recoil depending on the guns used. A 6" .44 mag revolver like used by "Dirty Harry" will have less recoil with magnums than a snub nose .357 Magnum, even in the mid 20 oz range.
Love your video. I too am getting sick of people bashing .44 magnum, recoil, robus, etc, blablabla. Especially laymen who haven't got a slightest knowledge about guns and everything they know about .44 magnum, is from Dirty Harry movie. .44 magnum is a great versatile caliber and you can shoot .44 specials out of it, which in my opinion, is the best SD round out of all .38/.357 combo and .44 magnum as well. Especially if you get some good jhp ammo. It has a mild recoil and a wide diameter which causes alot bigger wound channel than .38/.357 and no overpenetration either, so that's why to me personally, .44 special is the best self defense round against 2 legged critters and a big reason to buy .44 magnum revolver instead of a .357. Just my 2 cents.
I have not done a lot of .44 Special testing, however the one round I did test which was a 165 gr+P Critical Defense .44 Special, had almost no recoil in my 6" model 629. I would say significantly less that a .357 magnum.
Are you wanting a revolver or semi automatic? What uses are planned for it now or in the future? And how much do you plan to shoot? These answers will help to narrow down what a good handgun and caliber is right for you.
I want to have a pistol at home for protection that will have a good stoping power, also I wanna practice in target shooting once a month to become a good shooter. So far, I liked SIG P220 hunter and also SIG P226 legion.I don't know if I wanna have a revolver or semi automatic for the first gun. I really like desert eagle 44 magnum and nighthawk super sport .357 and my budget is up to 5000
If it's going to be mostly for home defense or target shooting, and if you do go with a revolver i'd go with a large frame .357 magnum with at least a 4" barrel such as a S&W 686, S&W 66, Ruger GP100 or similar guns, those are as good as it gets for stopping power and ease of shooting, and of course in a .357 magnum you have the option to shoot .38 special ammo. Lots of ammo options there. In semi automatics there are a lot more variety of guns and calibers to choose from that give you similar stopping power. The Sig hunter definitely gives you some power being a 10mm, but if it were me I might choose the P226 between those two choices because the .40, 9mm and .357 Sig are a little more manageable cartridges, and the .40 and .357 Sig come close to what the 10mm is anyways. Personally I like Glock for auto's, but that's just me.
+Charles van Dijk yep and at that point, it's best to get the gun that has the most stopping power. i.e. the 460 or 500. i really want the s&w 460 v. that gun is overbuilt like old colt overbuilt .
Charles van Dijk 357 or 44 mag are great rounds for hunting.. You can not only carry a revolver in that Caliber, but rifles too.. Same claiber for 2 guns, that is a win in my book.. Im savin for a 44 Lever rifle and Pistol to own my self. Shot them my self, love them
I believe the reference is from Magnum Force where the rogue cops asked what kind of load was in his .44, and he replied "Light Specials". To me I can't say that means .44 Special or light loaded Special magnums. However most people would say when referencing a "44" in general that a Special would mean a .44 Special. However when the young cop shot it the recoil looked worse than a full house 400 gr .44 Mag Ruger only load lol.
Lol thank you for putting it in proper perspective, im so tired of people ACTUALLY believing .357 Magnum rounds have higher stopping power than the good ole clint east wood classic hehe. Whats next? .500 S&W Magnum is not as powerful as a Glock 19 chambered with 9mm hollow points.
The original Thompson/Lagarde tests in 1904-1905, as flawed as the results might have proven to be, was the first serious attempt by the US military to establish the minimum specifications for a "bullet, which will have the shock effect and stopping effect at short ranges necessary for a military pistol or revolver." They determined it "should have a caliber not less than .45." The study went on to determine that the minimum weight of the bullet should be at least 200 grains, at a minimum velocity of 1000 fps. They ended up compromising these specifications by raising the weight to 230 grains and lowering the velocity to 850fps. If you examine the results and the methods used, you will note that they shot mostly live cattle and horses, plus a few human cadavers. As repulsive as it seems to us, one must understand that, at that time, the military was interested in a round that could incapacitate not only humans with as few rounds as possible, but, since all armies of that time relied on the use of cavalry, a round that could incapacitate a horse! The result was the .45 Auto round. No one, from those times to these, ever doubted the effectiveness of the .45 auto round on humans. Having said that, my two favorite revolver rounds for self-defense are the .357 mag. and the .44 special, but with one proviso for the grand old Special: loaded to its' full potential with a well-constructed, relatively lightweight hollow point bullet traveling around 1000-1050 fps. Example: a 240 grain HP .429 bullet travelling 1050 fps has approx. 588 ft./lbs. of energy. A .357 bullet of 125 grains @ 1450 fps has approx. 584 ft./lbs. both weapons, in my experience, with 4" barrels, have about the same recoil. There is, however, one benefit to the Special: Noise! The .44 Special operates at a much lower pressure, therefore, less ear damaging noise when fired indoors, which is something often overlooked by the "home defense" crowd! And it is just as effective as the .45 auto! "Nuff said!"
I agree with the majority of what you say. The main idea id tell everyone to take away from this video is "don't make decisions based on raw statistics. Real world experience is more valuable" Also, slightly off topic but relevant nonetheless. sometimes hollow points aren't the best option. I've seen cases where 38 specials specifically have hit bone and shattered because of hollow points. More specifically shattering on impact with a skull and doing very little actual damage. In which case a solid bullet or lead nose would be a better alternative. Also in that case the larger diameter 44 special would be a better choice. Just food for thought
Correct me if I am wrong, but percentages are percentages in any number. 10% of 100 is 10 and 10% of 200 is 20, but the percentage is the same. Would you prefer to pay 80 cents sales tax on a $10.00 purchase or 40 cents sales tax on a $5.00 purchase?
I definitely prefer the 357 just a better all around caliber. A 6in barrel 357 will bring down just about any animal you run into with the proper load. Now the 38 is definitely not as good as the 9mm, I was a bit surprised by his statement about the 38 special caliber.
@@user-zv2eu1vj4l just basic ballistics. You can look at a variety of ballistic calculators. Also, I'm positive there are plenty of articles covering the 38 vs 9mm topic
44mgn blows away 357 all day long! Stopping power in 44mgn/44spl is better all the way! No comparison! Been 44 cal since 1968. Better all the way, no comparison
I am probably never going to be attacked by a Grizzly bear or a Polar bear. I don't expect to hunt American Bison either. I would feel confident (for self defense) with a 9mm, .38 spcl., .380, .357, .40, 10mm, 45 auto .. so actually A vs B is kind of academic. Many men have been done in by a .32 auto at a crap games .. even a .25 auto!! Or a .22 derringer. Pistols have been made that can shoot rifle rounds (for who's got the biggest .. there are some mighty BIG cartridges).
The 44 mag is lousy for self-defense ... it will blow a hole in the bad guy as well as three innocent people behind him. Put 44 Specials in your cannon and you have a MUCH better self-defense gun, but one that is heavier than a locomotiive.
A 4% percent margin is not that significant in my opinion. A 15% or 20% percent margin would be significant but not 4% percent. In practical terms they each have virtually the same stopping power.
I have a 2" .357 mag for pocket carry on the rare occasion I go somewhere I must conceal carry. I have no doubt about the power of .357 ,even in a snub nosed revolver. I also have a couple .44 mag revolvers. One is a 4" double action that I open carry sometimes(when I'm not open carrying one of my single action .45 Colt revolvers as I do the majority of the time), the other is a 7-1/2" Super Blackhawk. I also have no doubt that .44 Magnum is (quite)noticeably more powerful than .357 magnum.
6 of one and a half dozen of the other.. If you are only going to use it for shooting someone take the .44.... if you actually want to practice with it get the .357 and use .38's. I've shot all three and the .44 mag takes a mediocre shooter and makes him worse. In other words most shooters will develop a bad flinch real quick. Remember you have to be able to hit what you are aiming at. My hat's off to you if you think the .44 mag is pretty easy to shoot. Mere mortals don't happen to share that opinion. If you want to learn about flinching, look at a lot of utube videos and watch when the shooter pulls the trigger on an empty chamber. And I'm not just talking about the goof balls that have a cell phone. Take a look at some recognized shooters like Hickok and watch him shoot a 9mm rifle and flinch when a shot doesn't go off.
+Bo Huggabee Glad to hear you practice trigger pull control. And it may help for that first shot which hopefully hits the mark. Subsequent shots may not reflect that kind of accuracy. I can only speak what I observed over the years on a police firing range. The more recoil the less accurate the shooter became. We started off with .38's ( which was known as the widow maker ) went to .357's then when the b.g.'s started having semi's w/large capacity mag's, we went to 9mm then .40 DAO Berettas. I do find it interesting that the person making this video states he " had " past tense, a .44….. and later says get a .44 mag snubby. I'm not sure what the purpose of a .44 snubby would be but to practice at the range would not be high on my list of fun things to do. And yes, I " had " a .44 as well. When I sold it after many years it had less than a box of shells thru it. To each his own I guess… A .22 is my fun gun at the range. The 9mm's also get a bit of use as well.
Nate Ngzcaz i personally try to let the recoil naturally raise my handgun. then i bring it back down to my aim so i can train my muscle memory for every shot. plus it helps having those old bb gun sights. it's as natural feeling as being a kid with my red rider. once you get used to those sights, nothing else compares .
Nate Ngzcaz .44 Magnum is easy to shoot....compared to .454 Casull, .460s and .500 Magnum. The .44 Magnum is one of the most versatile rounds out there. There are factory loads for all kinds of applications. If you want self defense against people, there are plenty of good 180 grain offerings from Speer, Federal, Cor-Bon to name a few that works well. If you want defense against dangerous four legged threats, Underwood, Buffalo Bore, Hornady, etc. If you want hunting loads, all the major ammunition manufacturers have you covered. If you reload, there is a lot of load data to make your rounds whatever you want them to be. You'd be hard pressed to find a more flexible cartridge. .44 Magnum is one of the few rounds that can do it all and excel at it.
