Is the .357 Magnum obsolete?

I have owned more revolvers chambered for the .357 Magnum than for any other cartridge. This, despite the fact it is not my favorite round. I suppose it is because so many great revolvers have been made for it.
I look on the .357 as a "jack of all trades-master of none." As a hunting gun, I prefer a larger bore. For a defensive gun, there are better options. But it is certainly a capable cartridge. A strong case can be made that a .357 Magnum revolver is the most versatile handgun available. I have no plans to discard mine.

"I have the same revolver in .45 ACP, and it always hits point of aim with any 230 grain load. So there's no reason to experiment with anything else. And I love it"

+1 me to.

I think in a Colt SAA clone the .357 is superb. Vaquero size platform is a bit on the bulky side imo.

I almost started a separate thread on this. My GP100 6in. stainless is by far the most satisfying handgun I have ever shot. I shoot .357 (as opposed to .38 special), usually Fiocchi 142 gr fmj rounds, and for whatever reason I shoot this gun consistently more accurately than any other revolvers or semi-autos that I own or the many guns of friends that I also shoot. My satisfaction is not just due to the better (at least by my humble standards) accuracy on my part, but also to the feel of the gun and the overall shooting experience. For the record, I replaced the Hogue grips with the original Ruger rosewood / rubber grips which fit my smallish hands well.

So for me, not only is the .357 magnum not obsolete, but it is my favorite caliber / gun combination. I do know that the .357 in small light revolvers can be more of a chore than a pleasant experience to shoot.

Jim

The .357 magnum is definitely Not! I repeat Not! obsolete.

My favorite cartridge, period.

I love my 45 Colt NM Blackhawk, and my SBH Hunter 44 mag, and my 629 44 mag, and for some purposes they are a better choice for me, but for pure shooting fun, reloading fun and general woods carry nothing serves me as well as my .357 revolvers.

Is Sex obsolete?

WestTex said:

Is Sex obsolete?

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It is, if you're the Miss America (non-)pageant... :mrgreen:

(Apparently REALLY important, it's been in the news the last few days...)
:roll:

Sounds like a consensus, and I'm glad of that because, I have more 357 mag handguns than any other caliber, plus my lever gun. What else can a guy ask for?

It is not popular, but I don't think that it ever was. It is not obsolete, but it is nearly forgotten by the young folks. Even when .357's were police issue, there must have been a lot of cops using .38's in them. A .357 can buck, and roar, and make a loud POP!

Not everyone can deal with that, but for those of us who want stopping power in a gun, the .357 is still relevant. And I think it will be that way 50 years from now, the round will hold its own. One reason? It can knock a goon flat, right onto the ground, and that is a selling point.

Chuck Hawks has the 125 JHP, as a 96% one-shot-stopper, you can't get much better than that.
https://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_power_chart.htm

Not in my house. I still have a 4 5/8" Stainless Blackhawk that sees occasional use. I went through the auto craze with 1911s and Glocks. I recently purchased an SP-101 with 4.2" barrel. That is now my farm and woods gun. I liked it so much, I bought a 2.25" barrel version to use as CCW. Absolutely love both of them. The snubby is now my EDC. With 5 in the cylinder and 2 more speedloaders, I am adequately armed for my area. I figure that a 140 gr XTP at 1125 FPS would do the job as well as a 9mm.

1. Wheel gun is a real gun.
2. .357 is so versatile it's arguably the revolver-world equivalent of the 30-06 in the rifle-world.

On a side note, I found it funny that two posters in this thread felt the need to minimize the .41 mag.......
seriously folks?
:roll:

The 41 mag is a good example of a nearly obsolete cartridge. It's still a good intermediate hunting cartridge for those who want more punch than a 357 but aren't comfortable with a 44 or larger. But for a lot of hunting it's being supplanted by the 10mm. Yes the 10mms doesn't have As much punch but it has more than the 357 and is a native semi auto cartridge.

Will the 41 survive? IMHO yes! For those who want it for revolvers it doesn't have any real competition. But with more folks going to pistols and pcc it's appeal is limited and it lacks the versatility of the 357 and the 44.

DGW1949 said:

The .357-Mag is a good round which has been chambered in a lot of good guns. That said though, I personally don't have a use for it, nor do I find it enjoyable to shoot. In fact, I find it down-right obnoxious.

At any rate, all of my "357's" get feed .38-Spl ammo, and always have. Even the ones, which due to circumstances beyond my control, I was forced to carry for brief periods during my police carrier...So, just to answer the question at hand; No, I don't think it's obsolete. I do however, understand why it's not the big seller it used to be.

DGW

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I agree. I have virtually no use for the cartridge. The .38 Short Colt, .45 ACP, and .44 Special (and even the .32 H&R Magnum) do everything I need.

I shoot thousands of rounds in USPSA, ICORE, Steel (shooter vs shooter) and Bowling Pin (shooter vs shooter) competitions; well, I did until this past year when I had a bout with cancer. And as a field/trail/hunting cartridge, the .32 Mag does everything I need, up to and including coyotes.

Same for CCW. I don't believe the "big boomers" are necessary.

And I'll venture a guess that many, MANY .357 Mag lovers don't shoot it that much due to the excessive noise and recoil. Just a guess.

Just purchased another SP101 in 357 mag for the wife. Wanted something Gumby proof and deadly if needed.

I find your stand to be specious. The real test of an obsolete or unsuccessful cartridge is if factory loads are,available. There don't seem to be any in 32 mag, as for the 32 short I get hits for men's shorts not ammo. Yes the 357 is over kill for some things. I use the 38 special mouse loads for shooting skunks in the basement, but not for hunting. I don't have a problem with specialized competition calibers/loads but they are largely irrelevant. I used to be very successfull with my 7mm 08 pistol in metallic silhouettes. When have you last heard of it as a pistol cartridge?

I agree that the 45ACP is a better auto pistol round-that's what it's designed for. As for the 44 special it's a great alternate to the 44 mag.

Is the .357 Magnum obsolete?

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Not by a long shot, no matter what a few internet posters think.

I have several, including a 30 year old 6 inch GP100 that is very accurate (very load too). Just got an SP101 for the wife, but she shoots 38's. Has a bit of recoil with magnums. It will be arounddddddd!

I typically consider obsolescence to be largely an evolutionary force, so I would absolutely say, as a law enforcement tool, .357mag is wholly obsolete. It has other applications, however. For me personally, I'm not one to often recommend .357mag as a defensive weapon, for a myriad of reasons regarding the cartridge as well as the revolver platform launching it. For hunting, I also highly recommend against .357mag.

So despite owning a dozen or so .357mags, in my personal, subjective opinion, it really is one of the more irrelevant cartridges in the shooting sports world.

Obsolete like a V8, a toaster, a belt knife, or a good dog that barks at noises in the dark.

Obsolete much like single action revolvers and lever action rifles are obsolete.