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Common uses: Self-Defense, Hunting, Target
| Type | pistol (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 158gr Winchester Super-X JHP (X3574P) |
| Muzzle velocity | 1235 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 535 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.17 |
| Case length | 32.8 mm |
| Overall length | 40.4 mm |
| SAAMI max pressure | 35000 PSI |
| Common twist rate | 1:18.75" |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1235 | 535 | -1.5 |
| 50 | 1118 | 439 | -0.1 |
| 100 | 1034 | 375 | -5.6 |
| 150 | 972 | 331 | -19.3 |
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own firearm.
The .357 Magnum is a benchmark revolver cartridge with a reputation for versatility, thanks in part to the fact that any .357 revolver will also safely fire the shorter, milder .38 Special. It is a proven defensive and law-enforcement round, valued for reliable expansion and penetration, and it remains a capable medium-game and handgun-hunting cartridge on deer and hogs at moderate ranges. Recoil and muzzle blast are stout compared with the .38 Special, and terminal performance falls off past roughly 100 yards, so it is best regarded as a short-to-medium-range cartridge. It also enjoys a strong following in lever-action carbines, where the longer barrel meaningfully boosts velocity and extends its effective reach. Decades after its introduction it stays widely available, chambered in a broad range of revolvers and carbines, and popular for self-defense, hunting, and target and range use.
Introduced by Smith & Wesson in 1935, the .357 Magnum was the first cartridge to carry the "Magnum" name and was created by lengthening the .38 Special case slightly so the higher-pressure round could not be chambered in weaker .38 Special guns. It grew out of experimenters like Elmer Keith loading the .38 Special to heavy pressures in robust revolvers, with Phillip B. Sharpe and Smith & Wesson's Douglas B. Wesson working alongside Winchester to standardize the cartridge. It was developed in part to deliver deeper penetration against automobile bodies and early body armor of the era, and its debut helped launch the entire line of high-performance revolver Magnums that followed.
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