SAA 1873 clone in 45 LC or .357?

[ilikegunspdx]

Looking at 7.5" SAA clone and wondering what people feel is more fun to shoot, .357 or 45 LC. Not interested in .38SP or any other length of pistol. Have 45 LC gun that shoots cowboy loads and I like 45LC but it does seem anemic in the 250 gr 750 fps cowboy loads. Let me know what you think. Thx!

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[Longwalkhome]

I like the 45 Colt, I did own a 357 and the muzzle blast was just too great. I know I could have shot 38s but I kinda went more historical with the 45. I load a 250 grain lswc with 8.5 of unique and enjoy shooting it.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Nothing anemic with a 250 grain lead bullet around 750 FPS...worked well from 1870's on-wards...
'Couse many loads of the time were around 800 - 1050 FPS or so.

Both cartridges are excellent...
However...both are spendy and hard to find in my neck of the woods.
Since you already have a .45 Colt revolver...maybe go for one in .357 Magnum...?
Andy

 

[aasbra]

My Dad has both with a longer barrel (6.5" or 7.5"). I prefer the 45 Colt; that is the route I would go. But I handload so feeding it wouldn't be too much $. And a load similar to longwalkhome is perfect in my book. Stouter than the store bought Cowboy loads I've fired, but not too hot either.

 

[Longwalkhome]

Factory 357 is running around 66 cents a round and 45 Colt is 92 cents. I wouldn't be shooting much if I didn't reload.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Nothing anemic with a 250 grain lead bullet around 750 FPS...worked well from 1870's on-wards...
'Couse many loads of the time were around 800 - 1050 FPS or so.

Both cartridges are excellent...
However...both are spendy and hard to find in my neck of the woods.
Since you already have a .45 Colt revolver...maybe go for one in .357 Magnum...?
Andy

You are correct not anemic in terms of terminal ballistics. I was thinking anemic in terms of shooting recoil (for the cowboy load in that heavy gun anyway). Thx!

 

[Knobgoblin]

Can almost always score .357 on the secondary market. 45lc seems to dissappear quick if it's a nice price.

 

[oremike]

Get a Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt and load'er up until it hurts and then back'er down a scouch.

 

[Bobbygun]

Get a Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt and load'er up until it hurts and then back'er down a scouch.

Not very scientific Mike. But then, that's exactly what I would do. I expect more outta you though.

 

[Certaindeaf]

If you reload you can load either for about the same price. If you don't reload and want to shoot, get the 3/8" bore.

 

[oremike]

Not very scientific Mike. But then, that's exactly what I would do. I expect more outta you though.

Lol, you got to remember a Blackhawk in 45 Colt was the first gun I started re-loading for at the ripe old age of 23.

 

[fstdraw]

As you know, .45 Colt can be loaded from mild to wild! I load down for new shooters so recoil is light. I load heavier for myself but comfortable. I also load hot for my .45 carbine with 250 grainers and find the power and knockdown ability more than adequate.

My vote is .45!

 

[Mark W.]

Get a Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt and load'er up until it hurts and then back'er down a scouch.

Blackhawk is more on the Remington pattern then Colt.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Blackhawk is more on the Remington pattern then Colt.

Looking only at pietta/uberti/cimarron clones. Damn Taylor's and Co has me on the fence with their temptations...

 

[2506]

If you're buying a Ruger go with 45 Colt; any other manufacturer go with .357

You can shoot any and all loads of 357 and 38 spcl through any manufacturer's offerings. If you don't roll your own this is the best choice.

Reloading manuals have a "Ruger Only" 45 Colt section for a reason.

 

[CLT65]

I like the 45 Colt too, load it just like Longwalkhome. I have a Cimarron Pistolero that I've shot the heck out of; it's a favorite. I can't imagine not casting and reloading for it, as I've proably shot a good 800 rounds through it, if not more.

I love .357 Magnum too, but I prefer shooting 357 in my S&W model 28. Both are excellent calibers. Both are good choices.

 

[Oro]

I'm going to get left of the decimal and say it's not the caliber you should focus on, it's the lenght.

I've had a lot of SAA's over the years and I for me, I only love the gunfighter lenght, 4 5/8" or 4 3/4".

45LC is a great cartridge - presumably as long as you have another gun in that caliber or reload for it. The ability to shoot .38 Special out of the .357 chambering is fun. We did that on Memorial Day just past, too much joy (by everyone who got tired of the SAA grip frame giving them a kick in the A33 with the 357 rounds).

Get a gunfighter length in .357 ,go have fun. Feed it 38 and enjoy. Load 357 for scary woods use. Or not. 'Nuff said.

 

[OldBroad44]

Looking at 7.5" SAA clone and wondering what people feel is more fun to shoot, .357 or 45 LC. Not interested in .38SP or any other length of pistol. Have 45 LC gun that shoots cowboy loads and I like 45LC but it does seem anemic in the 250 gr 750 fps cowboy loads. Let me know what you think. Thx!

If the issue is which is more fun to shoot, I would go for a good DA revolver. I hate loading a SA revolver. I love reloading DA revolvers. I prefer the shape of DA revolvers. With the right grip, its like the 629 was born in my hand. SA revolvers feel a bit awkward in my hand, though I can shoot them as well as DA. I also love shooting DA revolvers in DA mode. However, this is strictly a matter of personal preference. There are plenty of folks who prefer SA revolvers. And some folks can fire them about as fast as DA revolvers. Many a SA revolver gets carried for SD, and in many cases ya better not challenge the guy carrying one to a contest unless you like losing.

As for whether the 45LC can do what you need a handgun to do if limited to cowboy loads of 250 grain and 750 fps. Well, let's see. That's 312 ft lbs. A Buffalo Bore .38sp +P 180 gr Outdoorsman is 562 ft lbs. So yeah. The .45 colt cowboy loads you describe are anemic. The .357 mag loads I'm familiar with run from about 400 ft lbs up to about 680.

However @Andy54Hawken says the cowboy era hand loads were running about 800-1050 fps. Ahhhh. Up to 612 ft. lbs. Very similar to the high power Buffalo Boar .357 mag 180 yr bear load in power, in a much fatter load. And fatness matters. Best of all this load is very similar to my .44 sp carry load, which is a Grizzly Cartridges 260 gr. 950 fps WFNGC with a Cast Performance bullet. This load is 521 ft. lbs. Here's what this load looks like:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1001465493?pid=915418

44 SPECIAL 260gr WFNGC - Grizzly Cartridge, LLC

Caliber: 44 SPECIAL Bullet Wt: 260gr Bullet Type: Wide Flat Nose Gas Check Velocity: 950 fps Rounds: 20 M.E.: 521 ft lbs. Made in the USA: Yes Recommended for: Hunting ...

grizzlycartridge.com

This load carries a very hard cast bullet with a wide meplat (flat part of tip) designed for maximal penetration without mushing or breaking. The sharp edges of the meplat mean the bullet is more likely to go straight through without deflecting on heavy bones like a bear skull shot from the front or a deer or elk shoulder. A review I read says it can go through 6 feet of pine boards. I figure at ordinary handgun ranges its going to go clear through a bear, bear skull deer or elk with a broadside or shoulder shot and most of the way through a deer or elk or bear shot from the front . And your .45 loads if they are 250gr loaded to run at 1050 ft lbs, are 110 more ft. lbs and have a fatter bullet. I think such a .45 Colt load can do about anything you need to do with a full size handgun in North America provided you used a super hardcast bullet with flat roundnose or semiwadcutter (such as Keith style) design. Furthermore, its going to do it with a subsonic round that does not make your ears ring for half an hour if you loosen a shot without hearing protection while hunting. And in full size guns this load will be easy to shoot one-handed with either hand, a characteristic that many experts on SD against bears and cougars consider critical, as attacks can happen so fast the victim may need to shoot the animal with one hand and arm because the animal is chewing on the other.

So the properly hand loaded .45 Colt can do whatever you need to do. You really need something more, such as the .45 +P, the rough equivalent of the full power .45 mag loads, if you are shooting out beyond 50 to 75 yards I would say. (And those load levels make my ears ring after a single shot fired without hearing protection. And I can't control them with one hand.)

I consider the appropriate .44sp or .45 Colt load a much better deer hunting load than any .357 mag. Problem is, if the deer is broadside you really need a JHP .357 mag load. A bullet designed for penetrating goes right through, and the narrow bullet may not do much damage, so the deer may run off and maybe die hundreds of yards away. However, if you hunt with a JHP load and the deer presents with a front quartering shot, the JHP .357 bullet often can't get through the shoulder. A standard 180 yr .357 mag bear load is what is needed. It can get through the shoulder and lungs and shatter bits of bone into lungs. A JHP won't do. So I found myself having to pass up some shots depending on what bullet type I was carrying. Furthermore, with JHP .357 bullets I'm not optimally armed for bear SD. A JHP is a round nosed bullet, and may not penetrate a bear skull in a head shot from the front. It may deflect. So I would rather hunt with a non expanding bullet such as the right .44sp or .45 colt. These are fat enough so you do a lot of damage without depending on expansion. You can take a deer in a much wider selection of presentations. And while hunting deer, you are also always loaded for bear.

So I think the question really is which gun you would enjoy shooting more.

 

[DunRanull]

Looking at 7.5" SAA clone and wondering what people feel is more fun to shoot, .357 or 45 LC. Not interested in .38SP or any other length of pistol. Have 45 LC gun that shoots cowboy loads and I like 45LC but it does seem anemic in the 250 gr 750 fps cowboy loads. Let me know what you think. Thx!

With the 7.5" barrel I would personally go with a .357... the longer barrel with absorb much of the .357 explosive <crack>. It's a powerful round designed for a long barrel.. OTOH the .45 Colt can be loaded up to pretty hot levels approaching the .44 mag. It isnt a .44, but some loadings approach that level. Even a slower .45 Colt at .45acp levels is nothing to sneeze at.. Years ago I went for the Ruger .45Colt/.45acp convertible revolver..
Good luck!

 

[Yarome]

I will throw a card in the 45LC hat. No point adding much to the valid points already given... I agree.. so I'll just say, "mild to wild" about sums it up nicely in my book.

Edit: Oh yeah... and I do prefer the Cimarron to Uberti. I own both (actually 2 Cimarron's) and it's not so much that they shoot so widely different, but just on price point you really get a lot more bang for your buck with the Cimarron... so a Uberti... I just have to think, "why?". Asthetics and fitment isn't "that" incredibly different or as critical to me when you're talking 2-3 times the price.

I don't know if it's still the same, but at the time I acquired mine, many of the cimarron internals were produced by uberti but also from US parts and assembled in the US. Kind of in keeping with the historical element of the firearm itself, that fact was more of an allure too over a purely Italian import. The "sentimental factor" I guess.