The 357 Magnum and 44 Magnum are two of the most iconic rounds in American history.
Developed for similar reasons by the same individual, it’s no wonder why these rounds have many similarities. But they aren’t without important differences – foremost among them being their power.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 44 Magnum and the 357 Magnum to choose the better cartridge for self-defense.
44 Magnum vs. 357 Magnum: How Different Are They?
The 44 Magnum, which is a wider, longer cartridge, is far more powerful – over twice as powerful than the 357 Magnum, depending on which two loads are being compared. Elmer Keith created the 357 Mag. He also played a crucial role during the development of the 44 Magnum, which he regarded as his greater success. Like his earlier creation, the 44 proved itself effective for hunting medium game with a revolver or lever-action rifle.
Before we continue, we must bring the 357 SIG to your attention.
The 357 SIG is not loaded with a true .357" bullet. It instead seats a .355" (9mm) bullet in a necked-down 10mm case (giving it the same bottleneck case common to so many rifle bullets). Despite sharing similar names, the 357 Mag and 357 SIG aren’t interchangeable and must not be mistaken for one another. For a full breakdown of that pairing, see our 357 SIG vs. 357 Mag comparison.
44 vs. 357 Recoil
Neither of these cartridges is known for its lack of recoil. When “Magnum” is the name, you can assume it’ll treat you to a healthy kick (with some exceptions, foremost being the 22 Magnum, which isn’t feisty).
Four factors determine how much recoil a cartridge generates on ignition: muzzle velocity, propellant weight, bullet weight, and firearm weight.
The 44 Magnum ammo often has higher muzzle velocity, more propellant, and a heavier bullet than 357 Mag. These factors grant the 44 Mag significantly stronger recoil, even though revolvers chambered for it are typically heavier.
The 44 Mag generates roughly 18.5 foot-pounds (ft-lbs) of recoil. The 357 Mag’s average 11.5 ft-lbs of recoil isn’t insubstantial (for context, the smaller 45 ACP has only around 4.5 ft-lbs of recoil). Even so, its recoil is dwarfed by that of the 44 Magnum – a cartridge with so much kick that most consider it impractical for defense against two-legged (i.e. non-ursine) threats.
Now we can see why these guns are often so much heavier than others. The added weight helps make handling them more manageable.
The winner of the recoil section is the 357 Mag. Its recoil isn’t gentle by any means. The 44 Mag just happens to kick harder.
Trajectory
These wheel gun cartridges weren’t designed for long-range shooting. Their trajectories past 50 yards are pretty unimpressive.
The 44 Mag’s trajectory is slightly flatter: the natural product of its heavier, faster-flying bullet. But at the end of the day, the difference just isn’t big enough to declare the larger round’s trajectory “better.”
357 Mag vs. 44 Mag Accuracy
The accuracy of a round depends on the bullet type, shooter, barrel length, and firearm.
For instance, my grandfather can outshoot me using his Ruger 357 Mag revolver. But when we switch to his 1911, I can outshoot him. Ultimately, no one round is more “accurate” than another. It depends on too many variables – including “Who’s shooting the cartridge?” – to say so with any real certainty.
With that in mind, most people report greater accuracy out of the 357 Magnum. Why? Its lighter recoil, which accompanies less muzzle flip and prevents the shooter from flinching in anticipation of ignition: two reasons why it facilitates faster accurate follow-up shots.
357 vs. 44 Stopping Power
Ask anyone who carries a 357 or 44 Mag why they do it. Odds are their answer will include the phrase “stopping power.”
If you ask them what this means, they won’t give you a scientific definition. They’ll probably answer something along the lines of “bigger cartridge equals bigger injury to threat; bigger injury threat equals better outcome for me.”
But with today’s ammunition technologies, bigger isn’t always better. Smaller yet highly effective bullets for defense exist. Furthermore, shot placement counts for a lot. A good hit with a 22 LR will prove more effective than a miss with a 44 Mag.
A well-placed shot is not as easy to land when your life is on the line as it is at the range. That’s why most people opt for the larger round: compensation for suboptimal shot placement.
The 44 Magnum and 357 Magnum were designed to hit much harder than their respective parent cartridges, which they do.
The 44 Magnum’s larger bullet will punch a wider hole in its target. It will also hit it a lot harder. Sure, the 44 Mag carries a higher risk of over-penetration, which can endanger innocent bystanders, but it boasts substantially greater stopping power than its shorter, weaker competitor.
Continue reading 357 vs. 44: The Big Magnum Revolver Round Debate on Ammo.com
https://ammo.com/comparison/357-vs-44#hunting-with-44-mag-vs-357-mag
