Woods Gun

[earplug]

Consider a 38 spl. In a survival mode its not to hot to shoot small game and with a decent cast SWC it will kill large game.
If your trying to live off the land etc. and legal issues are not important a 38 will work for most needs.
A alloy model 638 weighs less about a pound. a model 60 with a three/four inch barrel would be almost ideal.
Yes you can shoot .357 in the newer guns. If you think your going to swap out rounds while chasing rabbits I want to watch.

[Whistler]

Consider a 38 spl. In a survival mode its not to hot to shoot small game and with a decent cast SWC it will kill large game.
If your trying to live off the land etc. and legal issues are not important a 38 will work for most needs.
A alloy model 638 weighs less about a pound. a model 60 with a three/four inch barrel would be almost ideal.
Yes you can shoot .357 in the newer guns. If you think your going to swap out rounds while chasing rabbits I want to watch.

In my experience SWC (semi-wad cutters) are a low power round designed for target shooting. It will expand very little and typically has nominal velocity to begin with. There are higher velocity SWC available (around 1100FPS) however due to limited expansion they would not be my first choice for large game.

Federal 125gr JHP in S&W 686 4":
.38 = 923 FPS
.357 = 1436 FPS

A .357 (except the new aluminum frame .38s) weighs about the same as a comparable .38 and are roughly the same size. You should not shoot a .357 in a .38, even it it could stand the much higher pressures the .357 COAL is greater (1.550" vs 1.590)" and will usually prevent the cylinder from rotating in a properly functioning revolver. Example 125gr JHP sample load data - .38=15600 CUP vs .357=41200 CUP. Typically if a .38 revolver will chamber a .357 it is either substantially worn or has very loose tolerances, e.g.; cylinder gap. The disadvantages of a .357 over .38 are primarily recoil and muzzle flash. There may be a slight accuracy loss when using .38 in a .357 due to the slight gap between the bullet and the forcing cone as well as the lower velocity.

If you know what you put in it (and direction of rotation) doesn't take a lot of time to pull the hammer back partially and rotate the cylinder a couple rounds.

Or you could practice until you can do this (see :31 sec mark).

[CapLock]

I vote 357 as well. I usually shoot 158 grain WFN bullets hand cast with love, in 38 special cases. I do load these to 38+P levels. Penetrates old rock hard 4x4's with ease. Won't do 8 inchs but close. Wide Flat Nose explodes milk jugs of water like no 38 should. I'm confident in the power.

Gun is a Smith&Wesson 2.5 inch 686+ 7 shot. This gun ammo combo makes head shots on rabbits possible out to 20 yards. Probably the most accurate pistol I've ever owned. Doesn't seem to mind the jump.

Everyone has their taste, and this works for me. I tried my 1911 with a rail one year and it let you know it was there. Felt like a boat anchor by the time we got back to camp. Was the last trip out of camp for that gun.

[Danimal]

Deleted

[Whistler]

Man that video is nuts. I doubt that I would ever get to that level, but here's to tryin'

I have shot several 38's and a couple .357's over the last few years, and I have to say that the new light weight ones kick my ass. Normally shooting .45 or 9mm from my semi-autos I can shoot all day, but I shot one of those Ruger LCR in .357 and I was done after 20 rounds. My wrist hurt and it felt like my thumb was going to fall off. And I know what that feels like being that I nearly tore it off in 2008 and needed 2 surgeries, 6 pins and a plate to hold it all together. I would like a solid 4" or better steel frame gun if I am going to be at all accurate and reliable with it.

I think if I practiced for 10 years or so I still couldn't load that fast in my dreams.