Need advice: .357 Magnum or .45 Colt

[fastbike]

Folks,

Have decided to add a lever gun and SA revolver to my collection. Primarily for target shooting. Do not currently expect to hunt or cowboy with either, but you can never tell. I do my own reloading.

Can't decide between .357 Magnum and .45 Colt. I suspect there is plenty of versatility to either, but what is your advice? Why that choice. Thanks in advance.

[Castaway]

If target shooting (informal plinking?) is your goal, either will serve you well.  You'll find the 357 cheaper to reload based on the cost of bullets.  At the risk of raising the ire of some devoted 357 fans, the 45 Colt will give you the added flexibility to hunt with should you choose to in the future. 

[Mikey]

fastbike - if you are going with a single action revolver in 45 Colt, be aware that loads you develop for a rifle or carbine may be too hot for the revolver - that said, you may ind yourself developing different loadings (hotter for the rifle/carbine, milder for the revolver) and if they are confused with one another you may have problems.  The single action revolvers (older 1873 style) still aren't really strong enough to handle steady diets of hotter loadings that you could use through your lever gun while hunting.

This said, the 357 may be a better choice and you may be able to settle on just one loading for both revolver and rifle.  You can believe that the 357 has enough ooomph to handle whitetail from either firearm. 

I believe both cartridges are a lot more versatile today than in years past.  The 45 has a wide range of bullets and loading available but again, if you are using a cowboy revolver then milder loads are called for.  The 357 is extremely versatile with a very wide range of bullets avialable.  HTH.  Mikey.

[fastbike]

Thanks Mikey, I've been thinking along those same lines. While I can certainly develop different loads, that kind of defeats the purpose of matching caliber and is just a big problem waiting to happen. I suppose I could eliminate this issue by sticking to an old Vaquero or a Blackhawk, but I kind of like the looks and feel of the Uberti Cattlemen and the Navy Arms Gunslingers w/ Wolff springs and hand timed cylinders. I'm really getting these for fun shooting. I do think the 357 can do what I want with plenty of versatility. I was checking one of my reloading manuals and noted that there are some 200 grain loads for the 357 at some impressive fps without being max loads.

fastbike - if you are going with a single action revolver in 45 Colt, be aware that loads you develop for a rifle or carbine may be too hot for the revolver - that said, you may ind yourself developing different loadings (hotter for the rifle/carbine, milder for the revolver) and if they are confused with one another you may have problems.  The single action revolvers (older 1873 style) still aren't really strong enough to handle steady diets of hotter loadings that you could use through your lever gun while hunting.

This said, the 357 may be a better choice and you may be able to settle on just one loading for both revolver and rifle.  You can believe that the 357 has enough ooomph to handle whitetail from either firearm. 

I believe both cartridges are a lot more versatile today than in years past.  The 45 has a wide range of bullets and loading available but again, if you are using a cowboy revolver then milder loads are called for.  The 357 is extremely versatile with a very wide range of bullets avialable.  HTH.  Mikey.

[Keith L]

If you can decide you are a better man than I am.  I wind up with both.  But thats not to bad either.

[fastbike]

I'm trying to prove to my wife that an old dog can learn new tricks. Losing the battle since I just looked at a couple of used 357 and 45 colts for attractive prices.
The pair could fit. This is where I tell myself that I'll just sell the one that I don't shoot as much, but that usually never happens.

If you can decide you are a better man than I am.  I wind up with both.  But thats not to bad either.

[Keith L]

"This is where I tell myself that I'll just sell the one that I don't shoot as much, but that usually never happens."

Most of the time when I sell a gun I wind up wishing I hadn't.  So now I am just keeping them.  Some day my kids are going to have a pretty nice collection...

[pathfinder]

I've had both in SA revolvers & rifles, I went the 45 Colt.

The 357 is very versatile, inexpensive to shoot and is more capable than most give it credit for.

I still have a 44 too but a majority of my bullet $ goes to the 45 Colt.  To me, it's just more fun and there are a few other perks too.  My 1894CB feeds every .452 bullet style I've tried including "Keith style" SWC.  Not so with the 357 & 44.  My 45 Colt is the least finicky of the three.  It shoots almost anything pretty well and some great. Because of that I several loads that shoot well in both my Blackhawk and my 1894.  Not the case with the other two. 

[fastbike]

Actually, I did end up buying a Puma M92 Carbine in 45 Colt and a Uberti 1873 Cattleman, also in 45 Colt. Have also accumulated about 800 new cases, Oregon Trail Laser Cast bullets, etc.

Love the M92. Handles and points like a dream. I've only shot factory Winchester Cowboy loads so far and they were a bit underwhelming.

I've had both in SA revolvers & rifles, I went the 45 Colt.

The 357 is very versatile, inexpensive to shoot and is more capable than most give it credit for.

I still have a 44 too but a majority of my bullet $ goes to the 45 Colt.  To me, it's just more fun and there are a few other perks too.  My 1894CB feeds every .452 bullet style I've tried including "Keith style" SWC.  Not so with the 357 & 44.  My 45 Colt is the least finicky of the three.  It shoots almost anything pretty well and some great. Because of that I several loads that shoot well in both my Blackhawk and my 1894.  Not the case with the other two. 

[pathfinder]

I'm not a big fan of "cowboy" loads.  They soot up the cases and the loads I've tried less accurate. 

For most of my shooting I load to the Colt Max pressure data.  That gives me 8-900fps in the Blackhawk/Vaquero and 1100fps in the Marlin with 255gr SWC.  Good accuracy too.

Both guns shoot a little better at higher pressure.  My most accurate BH load scoots the 255 gr swc out at 1100 fps. The Marlin like pert near anything in the 1100-1400 fps range.

[fastbike]

I'm working my way up. I've loaded some 200 gr LRNFP w/ 6.4 gr Titegroup which seem a bit stronger than the factory cowboy loads, but I thought the Titegroup was still fairly sooty. I'm going to try some loads that should give similar results as your Marlin loads. I will probably end up w/ two separate loads since I have an Uberti SAA to go along w/ the Puma 92. I'm probably going to try some Ruger loads in the Puma.

I'm not a big fan of "cowboy" loads.  They soot up the cases and the loads I've tried less accurate. 

For most of my shooting I load to the Colt Max pressure data.  That gives me 8-900fps in the Blackhawk/Vaquero and 1100fps in the Marlin with 255gr SWC.  Good accuracy too.

Both guns shoot a little better at higher pressure.  My most accurate BH load scoots the 255 gr swc out at 1100 fps. The Marlin like pert near anything in the 1100-1400 fps range.