THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

by Brad Fitzpatrick

.357 MAGNUM

Benefits: Ample power; small revolvers can be chambered for the cartridge; also fires .38 Special ammunition.

The .357 Magnum, which debuted in 1935, is the more potent younger brother of the .38 Special. The .357 uses bullets that are the same diameter (.357 inch) as the .38 Special, which is understandably confusing to many shooters. In fact, the only difference between the two rounds is that the .357 Magnum case is slightly longer (about 1 8 inch) than the .38 Special case. This design prevents .357 Magnum cartridges from fitting in .38 Special chambers, and that’s a good thing. The .357 Magnum is loaded to higher pressures than the .38 Special, and as a result velocity and energy levels are higher with the .357 Magnum. Most factory .38 Special loads top out at about 1,100 fps while .357 Magnum rounds propel bullets of the same diameter and weight about 300 feet-per-second faster. Muzzle energies for the .357 Magnum are about twice that of the .38 Special.

With that added velocity and energy come added muzzle blast and recoil. A full-sized .357 Magnum with a five- or six-inch barrel is manageable for new shooters, but short-barreled .357 Magnums can be a real handful. But here’s a bit of good news: revolvers chambered in .357 Magnum can shoot .38 Special loads without issues for low-cost, low-recoil practice. The .357 Magnum offers enough power that it can be used for hunting deer, though it’s considered at the low end of the effective big-game cartridge spectrum and ranges should be kept relatively close. It’s also a favorite round for bear defense.

.40 SMITH & WESSON

Benefits: More power than a 9mm; more capacity than a .45 ACP.

The .40 Smith & Wesson was designed for law-enforcement officers. It’s actually a shortened version of the 10mm Auto (more on that later) and was set to replace the 9mm when the latter was deemed unreliable for threat-stopping. When it was released in 1990, the .40 S&W’s numbers were impressive: it could drive .40-caliber bullets ranging in weight from 115 to 200 grains at velocities up to 1,400 fps, which allows it to generate muzzle energies on par with the .357 Magnum. The cartridge’s smaller diameter allowed .40 S&W service and carry guns to hold a few more rounds than competing .45 ACP models, so the .40 S&W became popular with law-enforcement professionals and the shooting public alike.

Improvements to the 9mm have helped that cartridge steal the spotlight that the .40 once occupied as the go-to service round, but that doesn’t mean the .40 S&W is washed up. There are still plenty of guns chambered for this cartridge and lots of ammunition options. Ammo for the .40 S&W ammunition isn’t as cheap as 9mm, but it’s still relatively affordable. In full-sized duty and target guns the .40 S&W is manageable to shoot, but it packs noticeably more recoil than the 9mm. Very small, light .40s are easy to carry, but with full-house defensive loads a lightweight .40 is a handful, especially if your customer isn’t a seasoned shooter. Still, the .40 S&W is an effective option for personal defense, and it’s a good choice for protection against bears, especially in areas where grizzlies are absent.

 The 10mm has become one of the most popular firearms for defense against grizzly bears, mainly because it provides plenty of stopping power in a streamlined semi-auto design that’s lighter and handier than any big-bore revolver.

10mm Auto

Benefits: Power to stop two- and four-legged predators without punishing recoil; suitable for hunting; more power and capacity than .45 ACP.

In the 1980s when law-enforcement agencies (specifically the FBI) were looking for a replacement for their 9mm service weapons the newly minted 10mm Auto was the heir apparent. There’s no doubt that the 10mm offered plenty of stopping power, but it turned out to be too much of a good thing. Not all recruits could handle the 10mm’s setback, and to worsen matters there were production issues with early 10mm pistols. Smith & Wesson and Federal decided to shorten the 10mm’s case and reduce the recoil and muzzle energy. In doing so, the .40 Smith & Wesson was created, which effectively stole the 10mm’s spotlight.

The rise of the .40 S&W almost meant the death of the 10mm, but this cartridge was too good to go away. During the decades following its release the 10mm grew from a niche cartridge to widespread popularity. It could propel the same 180- and 200-grain bullets as the smaller .40, but it did so faster and produced muzzle energies of around 600 foot-pounds. Today SIG, Springfield Armory, Kimber, Colt, Ruger, Smith & Wesson, and several other manufacturers offer 10mm semi-auto pistols, and there are lots of ammunition options.

It’s definitely not a gun for beginners, but most shooters will, with a bit of practice, learn to manage this round. It’s powerful enough for hunting big game like deer at moderate ranges, and it produces less recoil than the popular .44 Remington Magnum. Over time, the 10mm has become one of the most popular firearms for defense against grizzly bears, mainly because it provides plenty of stopping power in a streamlined semi-auto design that’s lighter and handier than any big-bore revolver.

.45 ACP

Benefits: Plenty of stopping power; lots of firearm and ammunition options.

The .45 Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP) is another creation of John Browning. After it was released in 1904, the .45 ACP saw service in several conflicts including World Wars I and II, the Korean War, Vietnam, and others. It was (and is) popular with law-enforcement professionals, and there have undoubtedly been more custom 1911 pistols chambered in .45 ACP than any other round.

The military chose to use 230-grain .452-inch .45 ACP ammunition that left the muzzle at a velocity of about 830 feet per second, a combination that produces about 350 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. Current .45 ACP loads stick fairly closely to that formula because, well, it works. You can expect to find .45 ACP ammunition ranging from 185 to 230 grains on average, and you can expect to pay slightly more per round than you would for 9mm ammunition and about the same you’d pay for .40 S&W. Right now, most target ammunition costs between 50 and 75 cents per round.

but this is where the recoil-sensitive customer gets off the bus. The .44 Remington Magnum is a potent hunting and bear-defense round, but it isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s the brainchild of Elmer Keith, the enigmatic gun writer of the mid-twentieth century who liked big-bore rifles and handguns and didn’t think the .38 Special or .45 Colt had enough hutzpah for the serious shooter. Keith was one of the driving forces behind the .357 Magnum in the 1930s, and he gave the .44 Special a similar treatment in 1955 by extending the case, increasing pressure, and using the same bullet (actually .429 inch, though “429 Magnum” doesn’t sound very sexy). Smith & Wesson and Ruger jumped on board to provide revolvers, Remington standardized the ammunition, and the .44 Remington Magnum was born. A few years later the Clint Eastwood film Dirty Harry arrived in theaters, and the .44 Magnum became a pop culture sensation.

The .44 Magnum can push a 240-grain bullet at velocities over 1,500 feet per second. That equates to over a half-ton of muzzle energy, plenty for big-game hunting and bear defense. But here’s the catch: revolvers chambered in .44 Magnum also fire .44 Special, and the .44 Special is a pussycat compared to the Magnum version.

.454 CASULL

Benefits: More potent hunting/predator stopping round than the 44 Magnum; also fires .45 Colt ammunition.

The .45 ACP is not a beginner’s gun, but when shooting a full-sized all-steel pistol weighing around 40 ounces this broad-shouldered but relatively low-pressure and velocity round is manageable and is certainly easier to shoot than a 10mm of equal weight. With its larger diameter bullets, the .45 ACP can’t match the magazine capacity of the 9mm Luger, the .40 S&W, or the 10mm, but it packs quite a punch.

.44 REMINGTON MAGNUM

Benefits: Dual purpose hunting/bear defense cartridge; most popular big-bore revolver (so more options); can also fire .44 Special loads; Dirty Harry panache.

Heretofore, we’ve discussed cartridges that, with a bit of training and gun of appropriate weight, the average shooter can likely master,

In 1958, Utah gunsmith Dick Casull decided to one-up Keith’s .44 Magnum by lengthening and slightly modifying the .45 Colt to create his own round, the .454 Casull. In the 1980s, Wyoming-based revolver manufacturer Freedom Arms began offering single-action revolvers chambered in .454 Casull, and they earned a cult following. By 1997 the cartridge was SAAMI (Sporting and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute) standardized and Ruger began offering it in the Super Redhawk double-action revolver.

There are a handful of factory .454 Casull hunting loads, most of which are loaded with 240- to 300-grain bullets between 1,500 and 1,900 feet per second. That equates to a tonand-a-half of muzzle energy and a flat-shooting round that, in experienced hands, is suitable for large game like elk and moose to moderate ranges. But, as you might imagine, recoil and muzzle blast are pretty fearsome, and ammunition isn’t cheap, either. You can expect to pay between $2 and $3 each time you pull the trigger on your .454. The good news, however, is that .454 revolvers will shoot .45 Colt ammo for light recoil, low-cost practice.

I’ve shot the .454 Casull, and it’s indeed a handful. I’ve never been inclined to hunt large game like elk or moose with a revolver, but the .454 Casull is where I would start. It’s also a superb bear-numbing round, offering plenty of punch to stop even the largest ursine at pointblank range.

500 SMITH & WESSON MAGNUM

Benefits: Unrivaled stopping power.

If you’re seeking a handgun that hits like a howitzer, then the 500 S&W Magnum is the answer. Firing half-inch-wide bullets ranging from 300 to 500 grains at velocities between 1,400 and 2,000 feet per second, the 500 (which happens to be the largest handgun-specific caliber in the world) produces well over a ton of muzzle energy. This cartridge first appeared in 2003 in S&W’s monster X-Frame revolver, which, when chambered in 500 and equipped with an 8 3⁄ 8-inch barrel, weighs nearly four-anda-half pounds. All Smith & Wesson 500 revolvers come with a muzzle brake, but recoil and muzzle rise are still quite dramatic. This is not a revolver for anyone but the most seasoned handgun shooter.

Despite its prodigious power, the 500 isn’t awful to shoot if you’ve learned to handle a hard-recoiling handgun. It’s suitable for hunting even the largest game like bison, elk, moose, and bear, and because it hits with the same authority as a medium-bore centerfire rifle the 500 puts a dramatic end to even the most dedicated grizzly bear charges. Revolvers chambered in 500 S&W Magnum will also shoot 500 S&W special ammunition, which is lighter than magnum loads and is available from Cor-Bon, but the 500 is still a specialized gun for experienced shooters who need lots of power and know how to handle it. Neither 500 revolvers nor 500 ammunition is cheap, but if you really want to

The Other End

At the other end of the recoil and performance spectrum you’ll find the .22 rimfire. The .22 Long Rifle (also known as .22 LR) is the most common ammunition in use today. The round is available in a variety of bullet types for hunting and competitive shooting as well as high-volume plinking and personal defense. It’s also inexpensive, which adds to its popularity. Here’s how to help a customer find just what they need.

When most customers ask about .22 rimfire ammo, they are, in nearly every case, asking about .22 Long Rifle ammo, so that will be our focus here. The wide variety of .22 ammo, with its different bullet weights and different bullet types, can cause some customer confusion. Bullet weights range from 20 to 60 grains, though the most common weight is between 36 and 42 grains. Bullet types are solid round nose, solid flat nose, and hollow point (versions of which are both round and flat nosed). A 40-grain bullet could be considered a standard weight for solid-point bullets. Hollow points typically weigh a bit less than 40 grains.

Like soda pop, .22 ammo comes in a wide variety of grades, ranging from cheap, off-brand stuff to high-end match-grade packages. Less-expensive .22 ammo can be bought in bulk, literally buckets of it. However, this cheaper product runs dirty, meaning the customer will have to clean their firearm more often in order to prevent misfires and jams. Cheap ammo is best reserved for high-volume plinking and training. Inexpensive .22 ammo is also good to acclimate shooters to the feel of the firearm; as they gain experience they can move up the .22 rimfire food chain with more specialized cartridges for competition, self-defense, and hunting.

There are also variations of the .22 platform. The .22 WMR (Winchester Magnum Rimfire) is a bulked-up .22. If the customer is interested in the .22 WMR, let them know they need a firearm specifically chambered for it; the ammo will not run in a gun designed for .22LR. Match-grade .22 ammo is used in competition and hunting when consistent performance is required. With .22 rimfire target ammunition, there are numerous choices for small-bore handgun and rifle shooters—in fact, almost too many. From weekend bullseye shooters to Olympic athletes, .22 Long Rifle target match-grade ammo from manufacturers such as Federal, CCI, and Eley sets the standard in consistency and performance. Some competition .22 ammo uses a flat-nose projectile designed to cut through the air as it pulls the center of pressure forward to aerodynamically stabilize the projectile, thus increasing downrange accuracy.

Rimfire hunting cartridges use either a hollow point or segmented bullet that zips along at muzzle velocities in the range of 1,330 fps to 1,260 fps. Most .22 hunting ammo cartridges use a bullet weight in the range of 32 to 38 grains. Some lightweight bullets have a velocity close to 1,600 fps. CCI’s Stinger is a good example. These hunting rounds need more velocity because they often need to travel longer distances across an open field to dispatch a woodchuck or prairie dog.

A recent development is .22 ammo specially created for self-defense. Federal Premium’s Punch Personal Defense rimfire loads, for example, use a nickel-plated lead-core bullet propelled at extreme velocities and engineered to minimize expansion to hit critical penetration depths through short-barrel handguns.

In my opinion, the .22 LR is not an optimal load for self-defense, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be used in self-defense situations. The main advantage of this self-defense ammo is the lack of recoil. Recoil-sensitive customers interested in pursuing this path should look for a round that has a muzzle velocity over 1,000 fps out of a short-barrel pistol. Punch achieves 1,070 fps through 2-inch-barrel handguns.

Specialized .22 ammo is used for specific situations. For example, .22 shot cartridges, such as those available from CCI, are loaded with No. 12 shot. In essence, this round acts like a mini shotgun, creating a pattern the size of a paper plate at eight feet. And that makes it a perfect candidate for killing venomous snakes and vermin.

Subsonic .22 Long Rifle ammo offers reduced noise levels when shooting with a suppressor. Most .22 Long Rifle subsonic ammo uses a 40- to 45-grain round-nose bullet with a muzzle velocity from 970 to 1,000 fps.

 Rounds fired from the 500 Smith & Wesson Magnum hit like a howitzer. This ammo is for experienced shooters only.

Tell the customer that rimfire firearms, just like their centerfire bigger brothers, will prefer one brand of ammo over another. The nice thing about .22 LR ammo is it doesn’t cost a lot to determine the best load for the gun. Have them purchase different loads from different manufacturers and tell them to test the accuracy of each. They’ll also want to assess function in a semi-auto, especially any failure to feed or eject issues. — Robert

Sadowski