Written in a SHOOTING TIMES Handgun Review article:

The key to what I call the "shootability" of today's heaviest power handguns is their application of recoil management technology, primarily in the area of grip configuration and muzzle brake/compensator applications. For example, I do not consider guns like the original-design Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum four inch, with its light-profile barrel (by today's standards) and hard-checkered wooden grips, or the relatively lightweight Ruger Super Redhawk .454 Casull with its unported barrel and noncushioned wood-insert grips to be particularly "shootable." Both are very good, very functional tools, but after about three rounds fired in succession, you want to put them down. On the other hand, you can shoot guns like the Taurus Raging Bull .454 Casull with its rubber shock-absorber grip insert and heavy-profile full-lug barrel with integral muzzle brake or a Magnum Research BFR .475 Linebaugh single-action revolver with Pachmayr grips and a good aftermarket muzzle brake all day.

After reading the above, and other considerations,

I did break down and buy a Taurus to yesterday.

I bought a 454 Casull 8 3/8" barrel Raging Bull...

I also found out the Raging Bull in 6.5" 454Casull is NOT approved for sale in Frikken Yuppy Bastreed (S. Cal, Sac, and S.F.) Kalifornia!, only the 8 3/8".

They had a Ruger SRH 454 long barrel 7.5" length at the gun shop, and it was pretty nice, but it didn't quite feel right to me. The trigger was pretty decent, maybe a little to easy, as dry firing it almost felt like I didn't know when it was gonna release, or released to soon.

But the Taurus felt like a form fitting glove, smooth as silk in the action, and the trigger was superb. Not to easy, and I could feel right when it was going off, then crisp as a fresh graham cracker.

I wanted the 6.5" barrel, but when I held the 8" it really had a nice balance. With the huff and puff of the 454Casull, I figured having that extra 1.7/8" of extra barrel would make it easiyer to master.

It would be different if it felt barrel heavy but it doesn't, not one bit to me. This made the 6.5 (in .44 mag) feel a little barrel light, and the 8 just felt better.

Another item was rasing the gun to firing position. The Bull just seemed to come right up on site for me. The Ruger SRH was not as easy for me to pull up and line up on site. Because the rear site seemed higher, then looking to the front site was not as a straight line as with the Bull.

Viewing down the Bull's sites and barrel is an easy straight shot, and I could line up the sites much faster. But just pointing the Bull seemed easy. I think I could learn point of aim well with this Handgun.

I'm sure I could quickly get used to the Ruger, but the grip, balance, and overall feel was better for me with the Raging Bull.

I'm going to design a semi tacticle lower hip holster for this baby. As a kid I was heavy into leather work, and I still have alot of my tools.

Yes it's long, but it just doesn't feel that long, and with the right, positioned holster, and lots of practice, I know I will be able to draw this baby as quik as a 6.5". With the fine balance and longer barrel... once I get it drawn even point shooting this handgun will defintately be learnable.

I've read reviews and post on forums that the SRH that size in 454 kicks damn hard, and some shooters replace the grips right away. The grips did not feel comfortable in my hand. It may have been a good shooter also, but not all of them are. Everyone that has a Bull posted, and the magazine reviews written report they are very very accurate.

So that's my decision for a backup/hunting bigbore.

Come on and let me have it, with the yay's and nay's on my decision,

I'm a big boy, I can take it..............

Marlin, not sure what the going charge is now because I have been a gunsmith most of my life and always did my own. Been retired for a while and only work on friend's guns now. I also put in 42 years with United Air Lines.
Rugers are not hard to do.
I had a trick I did on Colt single actions and a few Rugers. You never want to remove metal from any with a half cock notch because the end of the trigger would break off by falling in the half cock notch. I would soft solder a thin piece of brass on the hammer below the full cock sear surface. I would then file this down to get the pull I wanted with no creep, then polish the sear surfaces with a knife edge ceramic stone. A little action lube and I had a great trigger. Easy to put back by removing the brass and if too much is filed off, new brass can be put on. Have to use a copper iron to solder. Doesn't hurt a thing. Never want to reduce the trigger spring much on these because you need to ensure the trigger is pulled enough to clear the half cock.
Reducing the trigger spring on a new model Blackhawk is tricky too because the transfer bar has to stay up long enough for the hammer to hit it or you can get misfires or hangfires. I prevented this on mine by making a longer transfer bar that just covers the firing pin at full cock. Unless you REALLY know what you are doing, it is best to leave springs alone. The best aftermarket spring kits work ok, because they are faster allowing some weight reduction safely.
The SRH usually just needs a little polishing and maybe stoned a little. Never change the angles. Sometimes a little action lube on the sear surfaces and then shooting the heck out of it will fix it. The lube can be put down in the gun with a lttle stick

Most versatile hunting caliber??? Well, I really like the .44 Special, a lot, and pick it. But counting, I own more .357's than any other caliber. With NEI, RCBS, or whoever making custom dies, and the right firearm, I am really confident that any animal I'll hunt < !--color--> for can be taken with a .357. (Plains Antelope don't count) And I'm confident that a properly loaded .44 maggie or Special will harvest the same animals. Dittos for the .45LC, etc... Now, I don't go to Alaska or Africa. If I ever get to hunt there, I will be really happy to say I am wrong and eat crow. And if I ever get to justify a custom revolver or Contender in one of those special calibers, I will again be really, really happy to change my opinion of the most versatile caliber...

Years ago, before we had a 7-11 on every corner, an old family friend would go out in the country with his .38 Special. He came home with a deer to feed his family. I do have opinions, and I also have a difficult time arguing against success. I don't argue against .357's.

I'm simply not around bears anymore, and for them I want a rifle or slug loaded 12 Ga anyway. Handguns for big bears?? Sometimes I kinda think one round in a 5 shot .38 is all I need; to fix it so I won't worry about any big bears.

Best.............

Marlin, you made a good choice! As I said, anything from a .41 up is a good choice, just depends on what you like. I shot a friends Taurus and it was extremely accurate. Actually, no gun maker in this country makes a dud revolver anymore and Taurus will equal or better some made here at triple the money.
By the way, I clicked on the Ford bikini girl and saved it to my documents and put a little picture of her on my desktop. Now I can watch her all day. Almost as good as touching off a .454!

Bfrshooter,

Enjoy the Ford bikini girl, but try to get some work done instead of staring at her all day.
Fordfreak

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!!

Marlinlover, you did good, if the gun fits, buy it! Ultimately what got me hooked into the SRH was shooting my buddies 454 and later 480 7 1/2's. I didn't care for the aesthetics of the SRH, but I could shoot it, and thats what counts.

I do have a few Taurus firearms, and they make a good product at reasonable prices. Perhaps if I'd shot a bull, I would have ended up going that route, but I've yet to get a chance to shoot one.

THanks Paul,

When I get it home, I'll let you know how it shoots.

It fit in the store like a glove, but won't be totally sure until I live with it of course.

I'm putting together a tacticle style thigh holster. I got a hold of an Uncle Mikes "SideKick" belt holster, and I'm going to sew a lower strap, upper strap, and then a strap going up to my belt with a belt loop. All adjustable.

This will put it right where I need it, comfortable, and out of the way. I'm not exactly a small guy (5' 11" @ 235lbs) and I think carry will be ok.

I'm not going to scope it, it's staying an iron site gun. After all the feedback I got about the 6.5" barrel and the amount of recoil it does have (which is still good for a 454 Casull I'm told), I think it was a good move getting the 8 3/8", for really putting in a lot of time needed to get good with shooting this handgun, as I plan to practice daily.

I ordered a bunch of stuff from Midway... brass, gas checks, Lee 45 Colt and 454 Casull Dies, .452 sizing die, Lee factory crimp die, Lee 300gr and a Lee 230gr molds, and a shell plate conversion for my Dillon 550B.

I like Lee dies- they work great on my Dillon as well as my single stage press of course, and the molds are great as starters because of the cost. When I truly know what iron molds I want, then I'll seek them out.

It's going to be fun.

Hi All,

What is according to you the most versatile caliber?

For hunting,reloading,shooting,...

My vote goes to .45 Colt, easy to reload, cheap guns chambered in this caliber, good bullets selection,good accuracy,...

Which one is yours?

I agree with BER007, the grand ole 45 Colt. I can use mine for cowboy action shooting, self defense, small game hunting (with light SWC loads), and big game from deer on up. My Ruger is a converted 5-shot 45 but the stock Ruger 6 shot will cover 99% of my handgun needs.

A close second is the 44 Mag, with (for me) the 357 Mag a distant third. IMHO.

Good shooting all....RW

I would have to reverse the order and put the .44mag out in front by virtue of factory loadings available. Given factory available ammo, you can do anything from plinking to self-defense to hunting small critters to hunting big critters.

I suppose that a case could be made for the .45 Long Colt if you're talking about reloading, but I think that an almost equal weighting should be given to availability of factory ammo to do the same tasks.

I have to vote for the.45 colt too

I'm with B Koes, I like the 44 RM. I might be kind of biased, though. I don't own, and have never shot a 45LC

Bill

My vote is for the 44 Mag. I prefer a TC Contender for deer hunting, and my Redhawk for other chores.
Greg

I would say 44RM.Nothing wrong with the 45LC but I prefer S&W 629 and it isnt available in 45lc.I have single action 44 but I cant shoot it nearly as well as the Smith.

It's got to be the .45LC. From mild plinking loads to hunting loadings well exceeding the .44mag the venerable .45 does it all.

My vote is for the .44 Mag by virture of an earlier posted fact, comercial loads. The .45LC is a great round too, and if you handload there's not much to pick between the two. Heck, pick up both

Everyone will freak at this, but my vote goes quickly to the 38/357 revolver. Got two choices of ammo. TONS of ammo everywhere. Pistol will shoot anything from gallery loads up to something that easily stops deer sized animals on down. Easy to handle. Super accurate. Not too much recoil for hardly anyone. Economical.

Do I need to go on?

If you're looking for Mr. VERSATILITY in a pistol, this is where it's at. Are there other great pistols? Sure! But that wasn't the question. We are talking versatility...not most powerful or "what's your favorite."

OK, that's my thoughts on the subject.

Pecos My thoughts to that the 357/38 is the way to go. A lot more people can handle a 357 sized gun then a 44 size one.

I agree with Pecos. I like the 357mag in a 10" TC Contender with a 2x Leupold scope. I have .360 round ball loads for small game, 158's for plinkin and varmints and 180-200's for deer. Brass is everywhere, bullets are readily available and that case doesnt consume TONS of powder!! About the only thing better would be to punch this barrel out to Maximum and then it would be a major deer slayer....

Factory what?

My vote is for the 45 Colt first and foremost.

If we are talking versitility, one can load a 200 gr lead SWC to 600 fps for a gallery load, a 200-230 gr HP to 800-900 fps to match the 45 ACP(one of the best fight stoppers ever) and then load a traditional 255gr Hard cast to 950 fps to match the original load.

Yes you cowboy action shooters, the original 45 Colt shot a 255 gr lead bullet to 900-950 fps. Not the squib loads you guys use for your matches.

Anyway, this original load is great for hunting anything from a cotton tail for the camp dinner pot to full size mule deer.

From there we can take a 328 gr WLN and drive it to 1350 fps from a 7.5" Ruger and hunt anything on the planet with a well placed shot.

If we want more then my favorite load is a 355 gr WFN driven to 1250 fps. This is the load I carry in my 4 5/8" Blackhawk for bear protestion in the back country of Montana. There isn't a bear alive that this load won't punch through.

With the 45 Colt in a modern gun, we can accurately use bullets ranging from 185 to 360 grains, and at velocities from 500 to nearly 1600 fps from a 7.5" Ruger.

The only other round that I would say gives the 45 Colt a challange is the new 480 Ruger. Its only limit is a limited amount of guns and a short past. My 480 Ruger in the 7.5 SRH will do every thing the 45 Colt will do and then alot more but we'll have to see if it stays around long enough to prove itself.

The 44 Rem and the 454 Cas. would be tied for a very distant third place.

Good Shooting!!!!

50

For me versatility means I can find ammo almost anywhere, as well as making my own for a myriad of purposes. That rules out .45 Colt and, especially, .480 Ruger.

.357 hands down, no contest!

OK,

38 Spl. / 357 magnum . . . First of all the brass is all over the place, cheap, easy to find. I have gallons and gallons of range pickups.

It's a roll crimp, headspaces on the rim. That makes it easy to reload. No real micrometer needed. An excellent handload can be done by "eyeball" on the spec, seating, crimping.

I have a S & W (no politics, pre-sellout) . . . heavy frame Model 13 I think. 4" bbl, same frame as the .357 magnum. It's chambered 38 Spl. ported, trigger tuned, Pachmeyr presentation grips. Easily manages magnum loads (Hodgdon HS-6), 158 gr. LSWC, no "tuning" OAL for feed or seating, etc.

Accurate as hell, pretty powerful. I use this as a carry gun in the field (one of about a dozen). Single/double action. When I empty the cylinder, the brass is right there. No looking all over the range for the stuff. Also, it doesn't get banged up and dirty from rolling/bouncing across the range like semi-auto ammo.

I have a Ruger Super BH . . . 10.5" bbl, stainless. It's an excellent gun, nice caliber, easy to reload. I have 200 rds from circa 1988 that I'm still reloading. Sometimes they split but most are still going strong. It's a nice caliber, but I'd not carry it for a defensive sidearm. Same for the 44 Spl and the 45 Colt. Nice, but the 38/357 is more versitile.

Two other sidearms in this 38/357 cal that I have are the S&W Mod. 60 stainless snubby in .357 and a Ruger Security Six in .357 . . . six inch bbl.

I have 32 ACP, 9mm, 9mm Makarov, 45 ACP too. I like the ol' "38/357" for versitility.

[ 10-04-2002, 12:04: Message edited by: Genghis ]

The question was "what is the most versatile handgun caliber."

Most of you have simply listed your favorite, and then gone about justifying versatility after the fact.

There is no question that the most versatile handgun chambering is the .357 Magnum revolver.

The .357 Magnum can be used effectively for hunting game up to and including deer.

When it comes to self defense, the .357 Magnum 125 grain JHP continues to hold the one shot stop record for handgun cartridges, notably ahead of the 44 Magnum and any of the auto pistol chamberings. With over 500 one shot stop stats on record, the .357 Magnum 125 grain JHP continues to enjoy an unbelievable 97% one shot stop record. The best of the big bores is actually closer to 90%, due to bullet construction and overpenetration issues.

The .357 Magnum can use the .38 Special round, one of the most commonly found handgun cartridges in the world. Finding ammunition just about anywhere in the world should never be a problem, should your "undepleatable stock" of ammo and loading components ever become, well, depleated!

The .357 Magnum can be adapted to fire other cartridges in a pinch, such as the .380 and the 9mm. Of course it will fire the old .38 S&W, and other similar rimmed cartridges.

The most common handgun bullets are in this caliber, so loading components are going to be the easiest to find, and the easiest to afford.

When it comes the versatility, the .357 Magnum revolver simply can't be touched!

Dan Newberry
green 788

I would have to go with the 44 mag. My custom Ruger SBH is the one I shoot best. Nothing wrong with the 357 either. I just like the bigger bullets.

To pick the handgun round that is the most versatile, we need to realize just what can and can't be done with a handgun.

Nowadays this is damn near anything we want with the new magnums and great bullets.

To pick which is the most versatile, we need to see which round has the ability to cover the widest range of uses THE BEST.

For those living in the bigger cities with no need for a large bore handgun to protect against wild game or even large domestic animals at times, I would agree that the 357/38 Spl is one of the all time greats.

BUT!!!

For those of us that actually hunt large game with a revolver, game heavier or tougher then deer, the 357 is at best marginal even in a full size revolver with a 7.5" barrel.

When it comes to defense against two legged vermin, I will conceed that the 357 Mag was few pears with its 125 gr HP at 1500 fps, but very few people can handle the extreme muzzle blast of this load to be very accurate with it.

This is why all the law enforcement agencies are going with the smaller less intense semi-auto rounds, that and the higher number of rounds, which has basically led to lower quality marksmen in my opinion.

Anyway, yes the 357 is the king of this relm, but how would a 230 gr Gold Dot traveling at 950 fps do out of a 4 5/8" Ruger from the 45 Colt. This is a potent round that will end any fight just as quick as the 357 but because no one has documented this load, the 45 Colt is not though of as a defensive round.

So for defense, I say the 357 is a great round but the properly loaded 45 Colt is very close indeed, in fact there is a Speer 200 gr factory load for the colt that is great for defense.

Now lets step up to hunting deer size critters. The 357 with a very good 158 gr bullet will do the job out to 50 yards or a bit more as will the good 170-180 class bullets. They will do but are by no means great. The 357 simply lacks the bullet diameter and bullet weight to be a great deer hunting round.

Take a 255 gr Hard cast driven between 1000 and 1500 fps which the 45 Colt will easily do in a six shot Ruger and there is simply no comparison. Even at the 1000 fps level, the 45 will drive cleanly though any big bodied whitetail or Mule deer, and also will be quite effective against elk and black bear.

So for hunting deer size game, the 357 is adiquate but marginal while the 45 Colt is great.

Now we get into the serious stuff, things that most hunters will never have the need for but for those of us that do, we really depend on our revolvers.

Say your elk hunting in the Paradise Valley in Montana and have just knocked down a beautiful 6x6 bull, as you as dressing the bull out you hear(if your lucky) the brush rattle next to you and old Mamma black bear or Grizzly hear your shot and are coming in for the gut pile. This is becoming a very real problem in Montana.

To bad your 300 Mag is setting 20 feet away from you, as the big sow charges to drive you off her free meal, what would you rather grab onto, a 357 with a 180 gr Hrd cast driven to 1200 fps at most or a 45 Colt with a 355 gr WFN going 1350 fps.

There is only one answer if you want a chance to tell this story to your kids.

There are also many of us that simply want to use a revolver as our number 1 firearm for big game hunting. Everything from coyotes to Moose, the 357 will cover about 1/2 the total game correctly while the 45 Colt will easily handle all game in North America, even the big bears.

As far as factory loads go, true the 357 has a million different loads but there are very few that are suitable for big game hunting and of those, you will only find them in major sporting good stores. Hammer a 300 pound whitetail buck in the front shoulder with a 125 gr HP designed for self defense and you better be one hell of a tracker. Shoot the same buck with a factory 255 gr lead bullet from a 45 Colt driven to only 900 fps and the buck is yours.

Anyway, we handload to make our ammo MORE VERSATILE, thats the point, so how can you take that out of the equation.

If you live in a populated area, then the 357 Mag could definately be the best choice, but in the west here in Montana, while the 357 is a great and well used round, it won't save your but in a real fight with a critter that would just as soon eat or stomp you to death, this is where the 45 Colt really shines.

I will give up that the 357 is the king of defense, in fact my two concealed carry handguns are the Sig M245 in 45 ACP and a 4" Taurus M608, eight shot, ported 357 Mag loaded with the 125 gr Speer Gold Dot to 1450 fps. Of the two I really couldn't pick a favorite.

For everything else, the Stainless 4 5/8" Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt is the handgun I carry, which is about 75% of the time.

For the entire range of handgun uses, the 357 leaves alot to be desired, in fact I feel it maybe one of the more speciallized revolver rounds on the market, best limited to defense and small to medium game hunting.

Just my $20.02 worth,

Hope I didn't ruffle any feathers but there are many more uses for revolvers than most handguns know about.

Good Shooting and Hunting!!!

50

I agree with Fiftydriver on his points that the 45LC is more versatile than the .357 Mag. At which point I go back and say that you can so the same stuff with the .44 mag and do it with factory loads.

The 45LC doesn't have readily available ammunition that I would want to use as my "bear away". (Mind you that I just don't have any need for this currently, but we're talking the hypothetical here anyway). On the other hand, I could use a nice hot 240gr load and be pretty adequate for the task at hand. Better yet though would be to stuff a 300gr cast bullet in a hot load.

Heck you can even get a "hot shot" load for the .44 mag to use for birds and pests.

We're all talking about cartridges that have stood the test of time with the .44 mag being the "new kid" in this conversation between the .357, .44, .45LC. The .44 and .45 can be handloaded to levels very close to each other and that makes this discussion somewhat difficult. As a result, I don't see how you could deny the .44 mag it's spot at the top based simply on range of ammo available from the factory compared to .45LC.

My opinion. For hunting the .44mag because of the plethora of factory ammo. For self defense, the 40 S&W. My wife can handle the 40, and I can keep the gun unloaded away from kids, yet pop in a magazine in about a second and be ready to go. Of course I could put 44S&W Silvertips in my Anaconda and she could probably handle it, but it is still quite a handful. Besides, just owning one pistol is kind of boring!

Hell, I guess I missed out on some of the criteria here when I foolishly suggested that the .357 Magnum was the most versatile handgun chambering.

Now that I understand things a bit better, the most versatile handgun chambering is, without a doubt, the .500 Linebaugh!

Although there is an outfit making a 45-70 revolver, which could be a contender!

Sorry about the mistake...

Dan

how come no one mentioned the .41 mag it will do damm near anything the .357 or .44 will do. Not my pick my favorite round is the .45 but the .41 does it all.

97% one shot, stop record for the .357 w/ the 125 gr. HP ? Don't make me laugh.
Most street shootings involve preps high on drugs. Often nothing, not even a load of OO buck, will stop these guys unless it's a CNS hit.
When it comes to shooting through car doors and window glass, the .357/125 gr. load falls on it's face.
My vote for the round that will do the most jobs is the .45 ACP out of a 1911. None of the big frame wheelguns will conceal like a 1911.
In the big frame wheelguns, I like the .44 Magnum. E

Emericus - What you say is true enough, but you've stepped off the reservation and are talking police/combat guns. And that isn't the topic.

I'll vote with you on the .45ACP as the best combat pistol...but never most versatile.

I'll take the .45 myself for a self defense pistol. The .357 125 grain stats are from the Marshall/Sanow studies. Those folks have collect data from thousands of police and armed citizen shootings. The .357 125 grain JHP simply stays on top, ahead of all other pistol chamberings including the larger magnums.

Ballistic gelatin tests tend to show why this is. That bullet penetrats an ideal 7 to 9 inches and then violently expands, dumping the entirity of its 500 plus foot pounds into the human adversary. Other handgun cartridges either overpenetrate, or they don't have enough energy to expand the bullet.

The .357 125 grain JHP has become the personal defense handgun cartridge by which all others are judged. The .357 Sig cartridge was designed because of the demand for .357 Magnum 125 grain performance in an auto pistol. The Virginia State police now carry .357 Sig pistols.

I've read a wealth of information on this subject, but in recent years I've become more interested in rifle accuracy.

For what it's worth, the current leader in the .45 ACP is the 230 grain Federal Hydra-Shok, with something less than twenty shootings on record, but with an incredible 100% one shot stopping record at this point in time. Will it ever achieve the lofty status of the 125 grain .357 JHP? Who knows, but so far, it looks like the best choice for 45 ACP shooters. That's what I keep in mine ...

The only proof of any concept is the practice of it. You can crunch numbers which may seem to prove that a certain rocket will fly. But unless you launch it, you'll never know.

Bumble bees shouldn't be able to fly, but alas, they do!

And regardless of velocity, energy, and all the other numbers, we know that in about 489 of 500 odd cases, the .357 Magnum 125 grain JHP has produced one shot stops on human adversaries. Perhaps the ones it didn't stop immediately were on drugs, I don't have that data. But the cartridge's "king of the hill" status when it comes to personal defense isn't debatable.

Take care to all,

Dan

Well If you don't mind I want to stirr the pot a little. I vote for the 445 supermag. before you make fun just listen. You can shoot 44 specials 44 mag and when you want to go to africa or alaska you got the 445 supermag. What else do you want. But this is provided you handload. If not then I would vote for the 44 mag. Nope there is not really any difference between the 44 mag and 45 colt. Both are great rounds and can do it all and have done it all. but I just like no love the 445 supermag.

Brian

"What is according to you the most versatile caliber? For hunting,reloading,shooting,..."

Hate to pull a Clinton but the engineer (NOT the politician) in me asks:

Define "versatile". You have mentioned hunting, reloading, shooting - well, shooting covers EVERYTHING. Honestly, not picking on your choice of words, but "versatile" covers a lot of ground.

Formal target shooting - bullseye, IDPA, IPSC, silhouette, informal plinking, self defense, concealed carry, open carry, small game hunting, medium game up to deer, big game up to elk, biggest game up to elephant, factory ammo availability, reloading components, on and on.
Obviously NO one handgun caliber can cover it all.

But my vote would go for the .357 Magnum and it's co-conspirator the .38 Special as covering the largest amount of those areas. Widest availability of factory ammo and reloading components of just about anything in the world. .38 Specials are legend in target shooting. The .357 is a proven self defense load and far easier to control than most anything else that is as effective. It can be had in very easily concealed small revolvers or long barreled hunting revolvers, 4" carrying revolvers and everything in, around and between. About the only thing it won't cover is the big and biggest game. But please remember that when it first came out in 1935 it was used for everything up to and including grizzly so it WILL do the job. It just ain't the most perfect thing for those fringe areas.

Try a concealable .44 or .45 - they make them, ever shot one? They teach you what recoil is all about. Ever try a concealable .454 Casull? Ever try to shoot a deer with a .32? Ever try target shooting with a .45 Long Colt? I certainly can be done but why are all those bull barrelled .38's winning trophies - haven't seen too many .45 Colts at the Bianchi Cup match.

Obviously a .357 Mag. is not perfect for everything, I'm just saying that it, and allow me to cheat a bit by including the .38 which is perfectly at home in a .357 chambered firearm, IS perfect for a lot of the areas. And sitting in the middle ground as it does just like a .30-06 does in rifles, it is probably the least wrong for those areas on the fringes of it's capabilities.

Jim in Idaho - I agree totally. I just don't think there is a pistol alive that has MORE of the desirable qualities than the 38/357 combo.

All the other guns have some good qualities but I don't think overall versatility is really one of them...at least by a reasonable definition of "versatility."

Again, "versatile" doesn't mean just ft lbs of energy. We need to factor in lots more things to qualify as versatile, including availability of the gun. What good is a particular gun if no one can find the thing or its ammo to buy? Versatile needs to be a gun anyone can walk into any decent gun store and get it and the ammo over the counter IMHO.