Author Topic: .223 or .357 ???? (Read 1059 times)

cgturner7 · « **on:** November 20, 2009, 12:27:23 PM »

As I wrote a few days ago, my .243 is defective and will be sent back to H&R. I figure while it's there I might as well get another barrel

My question is .223 or .357? It will be mainly a rifle for my sons- used for plinking and varmints. I don't handload so I'm wondering if the .223 might be the way to go. And, no, I can't afford both

Which is cheaper, .223 or .38/.357s in factory ammo? Thanks for the help. It's great knowing I can come here and get truthful, honest answers without being ridiculed.

Feddog82 · « **Reply #1 on:** November 20, 2009, 12:42:00 PM »

If you get the .223 Barrel you can shoot WOLF steel cased ammo and that is very cheap. Since you don't reload then it does not matter that the casings are trash after you shoot them. That is the way I would go since the WOLF 55gr FMJs are great for plinking and you can buy other commercial ammo for varmints.

JW307 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 20, 2009, 12:45:22 PM »

Don't get me wrong, I love the .223 cartridge. My .223 ultra shoots great, but in my opinion your .243 will do everything a .223 can do and then some. I would say go for the .357 to fill a different niche.

Jake

canon6 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 20, 2009, 01:04:02 PM »

My first instinct is to say go with the 357.However 223 ammo is by far cheaper. Doug

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #4 on:** November 20, 2009, 02:24:16 PM »

243 with light bullets will do more than the 223. 357 will shoot 38 specials as well as 357 mags and be pretty cheap to shoot. Kinda addicting, get ready to start hidin' money to get more.

DP

fr3db3ar · « **Reply #5 on:** November 20, 2009, 03:02:04 PM »

I'd say 357 as well, since you already have a 243. But i guess it really depends on how far you want to shoot the varmints. Your 243 already covers 223 duty IMO since you don't reload.

cgturner7 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 20, 2009, 03:40:52 PM »

My next question- Is the .357 mag a deer-getter or should it be reamed to max?

fredster22 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 20, 2009, 03:51:37 PM »

It will do well in own form at reasonable ranges with good loads. Go for it! Fred

Jimbo47 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 20, 2009, 04:23:36 PM »

I've owned all three and the .223 is cheap enough to shoot a lot if you don't reload, which is the advantage over the .243, which can do more than the .223 for as far as the size of the animals you can take, which is an advantage if you want to use it for deer.

The .357 mag can be used in it's present form firing .38 special ammo, as a fun gun to plink with and inexpensive way to practice, and it makes a perfect small game rifle with the .38's or it can be loaded up with some quality .357 Magnum ammo for taking deer under 100 yards.

It can be reamed to .357 Maximum, and you can buy those cartridges on line also, so you don't have to absolutely be into reloading to have one.

I would say having the .243 you really only need to get the .357 mag to have your bases covered.

Spanky · « **Reply #9 on:** November 20, 2009, 04:29:17 PM »

The 357 offers versatility that the 223 just can't match. From tin cans to deer the 357 will serve you better.
The 357 hands down.

Spanky

zoner · « **Reply #10 on:** November 21, 2009, 02:49:43 AM »

if i had to choose between the two i'd say 357 magnum.....

Couger · « **Reply #11 on:** November 21, 2009, 02:55:01 AM »

Quote from: cgturner7

...... my .243 is defective and will be sent back to H&R. I figure while it's there I might as well get another barrel. My question is .223 or .357? ...... And, no, I can't afford both .....

Can't you beg, steal or borrow the $$$? Even from (Santa?) or Mrs. Claus?

Twas me I'd also pick the .223 first (for a maximum-versatile Handi battery), but if somehow you also managed the .357 barrel you would NEVER loose money on it!

Odin · « **Reply #12 on:** November 21, 2009, 03:10:07 AM »

Now if you sons are going to use it “mainly” for plinking and varmint, .223 is what I would chose. Especially if shooting varmints at 100 plus yards out. As said before, there is plenty of low cost .223 ammo around. I still have trouble locating .38 or 357 magnum ammo in my area.

bigvarmnt · « **Reply #13 on:** November 21, 2009, 05:06:26 AM »

If you don't use the 243 for deer or serious long range coyote hunting and don't reload, you may not shoot it more than 20 shots a year. If you want varmint and target get 223. If you want target, plinking and close deer get 357.
OK you can shoot varmints with 357. And some places deer can be taken with 223.
If all above is true, get a 223 and 357 barrel fitted if available and sell the 243 in the classifieds. I WILL have all three. But I reload!
"It will be mainly a RIFLE for my sons-used for plinking and varmints"
Good Luck and Have Fun!

BrianB · « **Reply #14 on:** November 21, 2009, 05:20:29 AM »

I'll second what several have already said. Considering you already have a .243, the .223 seems awfully close to duplication.

I would go with the .357. .38 plinking loads like wadcutters are cheap and fun. In my area, you can purchase remanufactured loads that are a good bit cheaper than factory.

Also, if you ever decide to get into reloading, .38's are about as easy and cheap as they get. I buy brass here from a range by the pound. About 550 cases, which last just about forever, cost $15.

You also have the option of reaming to Max, which adds even more versatility to the gun.

With the .243 and .357, I'd say most of your bases are covered, unless you decide to hunt something really big like elk or moose.

yukondog · « **Reply #15 on:** November 21, 2009, 05:36:04 AM »

Like already said your 243 will cover anything the 223 will do and more,I would go for the 357 if you can get one.

wreckhog · « **Reply #16 on:** November 21, 2009, 06:14:01 AM »

Disagree. If you reload FMJs, .223 is cheap to shoot. If you buy factory, .223 is cheap to shoot. The .243 will outgun the Max in most scenarios.

spikehorn · « **Reply #17 on:** November 21, 2009, 10:01:49 AM »

My buddy has a 243 and switches between light bullets for varmint work and heavy bullets for deer. he uses factory ammo and just has to adjust the scope up or down depending on what wieght he is shooting, so as has been said that covers 223 duty. the 357 is just plain fun, and I have taken numerous deer with mine. The farthest shot was 134 paces and I'm 6'4" double lunged him and blew out the drivers side shoulder. He dropped right there, and that was with winchester white box 125 gr jsp. go with the 357 you won't be dissapointed.

cgturner7 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 22, 2009, 08:33:46 AM »

Was at Bass Pro yesterday to see Santa. Ran upstairs real quick to check ammo prices to see if that would help in my decision. I found 2, yes two, boxes of .38 Special ammo and just one box of anything in .357!! The pistol ammo section was pretty much bone dry, the only exception being plenty of 9mm ammo. There did happen to be plenty of .223 ammo. Is this normally the case or did I miss a big pistol ammo sale? I'd hate to get the .357 barrel and then not be able to shoot it.

spikehorn · « **Reply #19 on:** November 22, 2009, 09:44:25 AM »

try walmart for the winchester white box 38 and 357 think they also have 40 round value packs in 223 55gr fmj

jlwilliams · « **Reply #20 on:** November 22, 2009, 11:00:13 AM »

As much as I love my .357, I'll say .223 for your intended use. It's a great target/ plinking/ round and a good varmint round. Good hollow point varmint ammo isn't cheap, but you can get good cheap rounds for the .223.

A case of .223 isn't as cheap as it used to be, but it will sure go further in a Handi than it would in a Mini 14 or an AR.

As far as not getting both, just look at this as which one you will be getting this year. Say what you will right now, but I'll bet that in two years time you will indeed have both. That's just the way it seems to go with these things.

mike@nds · « **Reply #21 on:** November 22, 2009, 12:16:23 PM »

.357 all the way.

Pistol caliber Handi's are very fun.

And with the right ammo they can be really quite, which is good for kids and Ladies. Good luck getting "quite" factory .223 ammo.

Squib · « **Reply #22 on:** November 22, 2009, 05:54:29 PM »

sorry to hear you don't reload!

that being said, if you know someone who can, .357 can be pushed to almost 2,000 fps from a handgun with a 10inch barrel, check Hodgdon: H-110 data

think about that out of a longer barrel, versus a .223 from a shorter barrel than the load is probably designed for.... you're getting spitzer ballistics but not the speed to really milk that advantage, the .357 will give you double the mass and way more frontal area-no it's not for shots past 50yds by any stretch of the imagination but with a fmj I bet it would go through just fine (if fmj is legal, it's not for deer hunting in missouri) but a hollow point up close (in 25 and probably farther will be devastating--it's not a question of power but a question of whether or not the bullet will hold up upon impact-- it is a hell of a varmint load I promise you!!!)

here's what I do for a taurus 608 4" ported, I load up starline nickel brass with federal small pistol magnum primers, 21.4-21.5 grains of powder H-110 pushing a 125 Hornady XTP... it's disgusting how powerful that is from a short barrel, I can only imagine what that does from a barrel over a foot long.... I just don't know if the bullet would even hold up for a close up shot but it'll frag for me out of my 4" in a two liter at 25yds, completely blows up the bottles which a hp 308 won't do (it's not more powerful but it TRANSFERS more of it's energy to the target) so I know it'll be adequate for "varmints" or human beings/social problems. I've also tried that load with berrys double struck .357 plated hollow points, they do NOT fragment like that on soft targets and they're cheap, but berry's says not to push them past 1200fps so it's probably not a good idea to put them out of a rifle with a max load. Also if you drop the charge down to about 20.8 that's probably okay (I have to if I want to hit anything reliably, the gun has an insane muzzle flip with the extra half grain). I know you don't load but if you have any friends who load, try it. Make sure it's someone reliable though, H-110 is a super finicky powder that doesn't ignite and burn properly if it's not a full load and from minimum to max is only about a grain of powder in most cases so either it will hang-fire or blow up your gun if you're not right on. ..... that's probably not reassuring but I'm not gonna give you the good without the bad. You gotta start loading eventually but in the meantime don't believe .357 isn't semi-magical, you just gotta put the right "fairy-dust" inside the cartridge and top it off with a good bullet. Seriously though, it's a varmint round if it's going fast enough, which it can.