The .357 Magnum: The Best Carbine Cartridge (What do you think?)

There quite a few different companies that manufacturer lever-guns out there on the market, but the video below is not about them. We’re talking about the .357 Magnum cartridge and it effectiveness as a carbine round.

While the .357 magnum is a great pistol round, not that many people are familiar with the fact that it is also a great carbine cartridge.

The . 357 Magnum carbine is a very effective defensive firearm and with proper load selection will be a good choice for deer-sized game at modest range.

In general, At rifle velocities the cartridge performs very well out to 75 yards, its performance becomes more modest between 75 and 125 yards. Like the . 44 Magnum, the . 357 can be sighted to shoot comfortably out to 125 yards.

The best barrel length for a 357 Magnum Rifle is 16″ for the round to reach maximum velocity. Shooters that plan on using only iron sights often opt for a 20″ or longer barrel on a 357 Magnum rifle because the increased sight radius gives the rifle greater accuracy at farther distances.

In a rifle of sound condition with a barrel length of 16-20”, the potent little . 357 Magnum is capable of achieving velocities of 2100 to 2200fps with 125 grain bullets, 1800 to 1900fps with 158 grain bullets and 1700 to 1800fps with 180 grain bullets.

When you boil it all down, it all depends on what you are most comfortable with, don’t you think?