Your Opinion on 38 spl. Vs 357 Mag

[stevieray54]

Thinking of buying me a snubby 2 1/2 for carry and snake killer. Is the 357 that much more gun power than a 38 spl for this kind of use. I know for the deal of LE i would want all the power i could get.
Give me your thoughts

[DFWPI]

You can shoot 38 out of 357, but not 357 out of a 38

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[TexasRough1256]

I carried a ruger 357 with snake shot for a few years before I bought my judge with the 410 and 45LC. You cant go wrong with either or.... but to answer your question, 357 hands down. Its better to have more than less

[texag93]

357 for the option of shooting 38sp or 357.

[Artos]

I shoot 38+p's in my 442...I think all your rat shot will be 38 special or even loaded lighter??

I carry a 4" with the first round of rat shot & 357 in the remaining. That 357 in a snub is gonna be really loud.

[DRT]

I have two. Both airweight 5 shot models. One is my wife's pdw. Shrouded hammer, recoil manageable and I have one for the lease and a pocket backup to my regular ccw.
I've shot pigs in a trap with a .38 and it is more than adequate for killing them. Up close belly gun, great round. Also the snake/rat shot rounds will shake loose if you carry a full complement of them for snakes and keep the cylinder from rotating. I add a drop of super glue to mine to avoid this.

[tigerscowboy]

Get a 357 and leave your options open forever.

[bwssr]

CCI makes some rats shot in #4

[txpitdog]

Depends on the actual gun. If you get a Ruger sp101, then get 357 for the reasons stated above. If you want something lighter for easier carry, then a 38+p is more than capable. The s&w 442 is nearly perfect as far as cost/weight/power. The 38+p ammo these days penetrates as well as the best 9mm, 45, etc. 357 will always be more powerful, but in a PDW the recoil is something you’ll likely never shoot 357 anyway.


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[M16]

I'd get a lightweight .38 special for what you are gonna use it for.

[RJH1]

Airweight 38+P will be nice. Tend to be considerably cheaper than like models in 357 which is nice and a 357 in the little guns can be pretty raunchy. Many if not most people that buy a light weight 357 shoot a cylinder full and that is about all they want. Also the 357 loses a lot of power when you go to the 2 inch gun, it does still beat the 38 but the margins tend to be closer. If you feel the need for big power in the 38, Buffalo bore makes some loads that will get you there, but you probably wont like them as they have enough recoil to be fairly unpleasant too. The old lead hollow point 158 grain+p load is pretty sweet. As are full power full wadcutter loads. And the fact that the guns weigh 15 or so ounces is very nice too. My favorite is the 638, but there are other great options too. If you were looking at a 4 inch steel gun i would say to go with the 357, but not in the snubby.

[Bowyer]

357 Mag from a snub is just painful, even 38 +P hurts to shoot in a snub.
I carry a 38 special snub and load it with +P ammo for self defense but practice with light 38 special hand loads.
I like 357 but not in a small pocket sized gun.

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[MetalMan2004]

I love my SP101 .357. I will say, I added Badger boot grips and it tamed the recoil much better then the stock grip.

[El Paisano]

I have the SP101 in 357, but only shoot 38 out of it for exactly what you described. I can't imagine shooting 357 out of it, much less a lighter revolver.
By the way. I modified my grips by adding a strip of leather from the back of the trigger guard to the bottom of the grip. It is glued on and also a strip of inner tube around it. With that mod, it points exactly where I look. I tried several different after market grips and could never find anything that worked nearly as good as my home-mod.

[texaspacker]

If you have a friend with a 357 magnum ask him if you can shoot it regardless what barrel length.
Shoot some 38 special.
Shoot some 357 magnum.
Don't bother with 38 +P.
You will answer your own question.
IMO if your dead set on a 2.5" barrel go with a 38 special.
A 357 magnum is one of the few hand gun rounds that "needs" a 6" barrel because you loose a lot of mussel velocity compared to other calibers. A Lot! Then think about all that mussel energy "shock" when it's "compacted" into a 2.5" barrel that will be hard & painful to handle.
IMO all "snub nose" revolvers are a waste of money. Get a pocket semi automatic because it will be easier to carry and most of the time weigh less.
Semper fi.
God bless!