Aztex Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Hi, About ready to buy into a pair of Uberti El Patron's but have the option of .357 or .45LC I am leaning towards the .357/.38sp as it is half the price! I'm not equipped to be reloading right now and don't want to make that investment quite yet. I'm torn because .45LC seem more "cowboy" but if I shoot 100 rounds a week it would cost me ~$160 more a month to be a "cowboy".... Of course I want to get a matching rifle as well. I love my 1894 Marlin .44 but that ammo is in the $40/50 rnd range too... I'm at the stage I need to be shooting to get better and have more fun so am strongly leaning towards the .357... What do you think/suggest? Thanks, Aztex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-BAR #18287 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Get the .357. If you feel you have made a mistake later on, it will be easier to sell than the .45. I have revolvers and rifles in both calibers and enjoy shooting all of them, but I use the .357s loaded with .38 Specials more often than the .45s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Barleycorn, SASS #76982 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Anyone who gives a shooter grief about their choice of caliber for SASS matches is just bad behavior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurricane Deck 100366 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I'd go 357 and shoot 38 specials for the reasons you've stated. you can put more lead downrange for the same buck. As an added plus, when you get into reloading (which you will.. you will..) 38 pills are cheaper than 45 pills. Especially if you end up casting then yourself. It also takes less powder and the brass is cheaper. I will say this: I seem to get more reloads out of my 45 brass than I do my 38 before it starts to fail, but it's not a large enough number to 'move the needle' Sure, 45 is more "cowboy" I suppose, but the reality is, both will clang steel. The more miserly you can do that, the more TIMES you can do it. More you practice, better you get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurricane Deck 100366 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Anyone who gives a shooter grief about their choice of caliber for SASS matches is just bad behavior. Agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Shoot .38 spls. If you are not reloading, and you are budget driven, the cost of .45 Colt ammo will drive you to not shoot as much as you want. Almost no one moves from .38 to .45 Colt. Lots of folks start in .45 Colt and move to .38's to save ammo or even reloading costs, and reduce recoil. And this is coming from a dyed-in-the-wool .45 Colt fan who will never shoot a .38 spl gun except to troubleshoot someone else's gun. Good luck, GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Shoot .38 spls. If you are not reloading, and you are budget driven, the cost of .45 Colt ammo will drive you to not shoot as much as you want. Almost no one moves from .38 to .45 Colt. Lots of folks start in .45 Colt and move to .38's to save ammo or even reloading costs, and reduce recoil. And this is coming from a dyed-in-the-wool .45 Colt fan who will never shoot a .38 spl gun except to troubleshoot someone else's gun. Good luck, GJ I agree. I shoot 45 Colt because I want to. I had everything to reload 45 Colt from the get go. Mary shoots 38/357. 38s will be less expensive and easier to find if you're stuck buying "store bought". Keep in mind some categories require 40 and larger caliber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aztex Posted September 22, 2015 Author Share Posted September 22, 2015 Thanks, That sounds unanimous! ! Aztex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Greetings and Welcome I shoot 38's almost exclusively for the following reasons: Guns are a bit heavier which holds on target a bit better (smaller hole in the barrel) Inherently lighter recoil which can be made lighter still with minimal effort and minimal side effects (blowback, dirty innards on the rifle, occasional squib type loads etc) Brass is easier to find and generally cheaper. Bullets are mostly easier to find in lighter weights and generally cheaper. Use less powder per round which means I can shoot more per pound of powder (valuable when supplies get lean) I can fit 600+ 38's in a coffee can and only about 400+ 45's in the same can. Makes for more efficient storage for those (like me) who don't have a lot of space to store things. I don't worry about getting brass back cuz it was cheap enough to begin with that a few more or less is not going to break me. (less worry at a bigger match = more fun!!) If I was forced to buy factory ammo generally more choices and cheaper for 38's than 45's. (at least around here) Others will chime in as well Regards Gateway Kid Big thing though, is buy whatever floats your boat and don't worry about what others think you should have. Sounds like you are putting some thought into it and will eventually come to a decision that makes YOU happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD Trampas, SASS # 55781 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Go with the 357, shoot 38's out of it, if I had to do it all over again I would start with 38's, I started with 45's and still shoot 45's. I have all the guns in 38 but only shoot them maybe once a year, I have many componets in 45 to just drop it, so I shoot the 45's. As some of them have said, cheaper to go 38 than 45 and also easier to sell guns in 38 than 45, trust me on this Your choice though, but you can't go with 38's. All for now JD Trampas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost Trail Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 For the vast majority of CAS shooting, getting a .357, shooting .38's or .357 should be good. Pinging a steel plate doesn't take much. But if you get into shooting any type of 'reactive' targets, it may not be enough. Shot the "Jackrabbit Stampede" at Six Gun Justice last Thursday and the .38/.357 some folks were using just weren't quite enough to get the rabbits to jump. Maybe with full loads rather than Cowboy loads it would have been different. My preference is .45 Colt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Dave Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I agree with the rest. When I started I had the same decision and chose 357s shooting 38 specials. The way I like to put it is that in the end it doesn't save me money, it allows me to shoot more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Aztex, WELCOME! "Its not the caliber of the gun that makes a Cowboy but rather the caliber of the man shooting the gun". It appears you are trying to justify buying the .357's. Go for it. I started out with .45's for rifle and pistols. Then switched to .38/.357 for my rifle and pistols. NOW, in the past 3 years I have been shooting .45 pistols and .32 rifle and enjoy both. I sold off nearly all my .38 supplies and guns. Buy what you want NOW and then buy other stuff later if you want. There's plenty for everyone. ..........Widder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrel Cody Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 OR you could buy a pair of .44-40 Smoke wagons instead and shoot BLACK POWDER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Slim SASS #24733 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Sounds like you need to start reloading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Solo Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I started off with 45s because they seemed more Cowboy. Then I started shooting a lot and switched to 357/38. Glad I did. It is way cheaper to reload 38 than 45. That means you get to shoot more. Wouldn't switch back. Oh, I do bring the 45s out in the winter after the close of the big match season. They are fun to shoot. I use the same 200 grain bullets in my 45 Colts that I use in my 45 ACP Wild Bunch rounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Jeemes Kelly Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Hi, About ready to buy into a pair of Uberti El Patron's but have the option of .357 or .45LC I am leaning towards the .357/.38sp as it is half the price! I'm not equipped to be reloading right now and don't want to make that investment quite yet. I'm torn because .45LC seem more "cowboy" but if I shoot 100 rounds a week it would cost me ~$160 more a month to be a "cowboy".... I'm a relative newb, but I'd go with the .357's. I have single action ,44 and .45, but my wife and I both use .357's for matches. We're talking hundreds of rounds per match - forget about practice (if we did that). Even if you reload, the price of components is a lot less for the .38 spl. than .45 LC. If you don't reload, good luck even finding lead .45 Colt factory ammo, most places. Then, good luck paying for it. On the other hand, .38 spl. lead semi-wadcutters can still be found at fairly reasonable prices. To be honest, you better start reloading. I don't think it's at all practical to try to shoot cowboy with factory ammo (and I have spent years shooting IDPA, GSSF and USPSA with factory ammo). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yakima Red SASS#13539 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 For years I have preferred to shoot the historically correct calibers in BP. However I have found physical limitations to this as of late. Arthritis rears its ugly head in cold weather. I would say use what works well for you. There is a real monetary advantage to shooting .38/.357. I recommend getting into hand loading. Save all your brass for now and buy components as you go. There are a lot of willing cowboys out there to help. Go buy one of the name brand hand loading books, read the whole thing to get you started. Ask lots of questions, there's plenty of help here. Attend a few matches and see what others are using. I know they will help find what fits you best. Welcome and good shooting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noz Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 One thing that has not been mentioned : I recently went from 44-40 to 32-20 to 38 special. The 32-20 is no longer in the stable. My 38 special 73 went down at my last shoot and I was required to finish the match with 44-40. I DISCOVERED THAT I HAD TO RE-ACQUIRE THE SIGHT PICTURE FOR EACH SHOT WITH THE 44-40. I do not get enough barrel bounce with the 38 for this to be a problem. Point of discussion is that I am not fast but I'm a lot faster with the 38 than the 44-40. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Hombre Sin Nombre Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Well if you are shooting a 44-40, then the sight picture should be hard to acquire, as only BP should be belching out of that thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Whiskers Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I started out with a 66 in 44-40 because other than the original Henry it was the 1st chambering in a Winchester lever action rifle. Added a pair of OMV's and a 75 Remington, then a 73, All in 44-40. At the time I wasn't reloading but being an FFL holder I could buy factory Winchester or Ultramax Cowboy ammo at my cost; about $12 per 50 round box by the case. When the dealer's price got up to $28/box case lot for either I sold the 66 and the OMV's and went to 38/357. Bought a GW2 another 75 Remington and a 73 in 38/357. I was able to buy factory reloads for about $45/1000 rounds. I finally started reloading when the price of that ammo got up to $135 range per 1000 rounds. Reloading the 44-40 isn't cheap, but I still shoot them once in a while. Reloading 38's is about 1/3 less cost and I can shoot more. Less powder, smaller bullets are cheaper, primers are cheaper per/1000 (small vs large primers) and brass is a ton cheaper and easier to get. I'd guess if a poll was taken there'll be more 38 shooters than all of the other calibers combined. Cheaper and easier to find guns, cheaper to shoot and all of that translates into more shooting for you. Buy what you want and go have fun. That's the whole idea of why we do this, to have fun and meet really great people as a side bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frio Kid, SASS #31915 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 If you ever decide to shoot Classic Cowboy you will need 45LC. Once you get brass there are vendors who will reload for you if you don't want to do it yourself. If I never pull another reloading leaver it will be too soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I'm torn because .45LC seem more "cowboy" but if I shoot 100 rounds a week it would cost me ~$160 more a month to be a "cowboy".... Howdy I wish I had a dollar for every new shooter who felt he should shoot 45s, because they are more 'cowboy', then eventually traded them for 38s. Forget 'more cowboy'. Do what you think you have to do. I believe at this point 38s far outnumber 45s in CAS, for exactly the reasons you state. I shoot a variety of calibers, mostly 45 Colt and 44-40, with Black Powder, but I have been reloading for years. If you don't reload, shoot 38s. It will be much cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck Bisley Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 When I started about a decade ago or so, I went the .45 path because, to me, it was more cowboy. If I had it to do over again... I'd be shootin '38's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Hombre Sin Nombre Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Howdy I wish I had a dollar for every new shooter who felt he should shoot 45s, because they are more 'cowboy', then eventually traded them for 38s. Forget 'more cowboy'. Do what you think you have to do. I believe at this point 38s far outnumber 45s in CAS, for exactly the reasons you state. I shoot a variety of calibers, mostly 45 Colt and 44-40, with Black Powder, but I have been reloading for years. If you don't reload, shoot 38s. It will be much cheaper. I have two friends that are inching their way slowly toward this game. I tell them the exact same thing you said, even though I shoot the same calibers as you. One of them probably will go the .38 route, but the other is a huge western movie aficionado and says that 45's are more cowboy. I think he expects me to reload for him. I think I'll make him buy a couple of boxes of 45 colt factory ammo the next time he goes shooting with me and see if he still feels the same way after he pays the tab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anvil Al #59168 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Aztex, WELCOME! "Its not the caliber of the gun that makes a Cowboy but rather the caliber of the man shooting the gun". It appears you are trying to justify buying the .357's. Go for it. I started out with .45's for rifle and pistols. Then switched to .38/.357 for my rifle and pistols. NOW, in the past 3 years I have been shooting .45 pistols and .32 rifle and enjoy both. I sold off nearly all my .38 supplies and guns. Buy what you want NOW and then buy other stuff later if you want. There's plenty for everyone. ..........Widder What he said. Unless you are going to be shooting Classic Cowboy. I see no reason to go .45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyatt Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 The eternal question.................no wrong answer Buy, go shoot, have fun..........buy more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleepy Floyd Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I took my wifes 357/38 rugers and her 73 rifle out to the range the other day. I also had my 45c stuff. The 38 spl felt like a BB gun compared to my 45's. All in all it's your choice. Try before you buy. That said. I'll stick with my 45's. S. Floyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Just order a pair of each. Could be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lead Friend, SASS #53635 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Sooner or later you are going to end up with more than one caliber anyway so it doesn't matter what you start with. I started with .45s because I thought it was more cowboy but lately have been enjoying .357s (in which I shoot .357s because my rifle likes them better). I'm faster with the .357s but not by much, mostly because I'm not that fast. You don't have to get it absolutely right the first time. It's lots of fun playing with different guns and different calibers and there are lots of pards here on the Wire and elsewhere who will love to sell or trade fun and interesting items. Finding the right caliber/combination is often a process, not necessarily an event. Welcome, and enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixgun Sheridan Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I have a 2nd gen Colt SAA in .45LC that used to belong to my father. It rarely ever gets fired simply because the ammo is too darned expensive (I don't reload). When I bought a Cimarron SAA to use as a shooter it was a .45ACP/.45LC convertible, and I use the .45ACP cylinder almost exclusively. More recently I bought a Uberti '73, and while I'd have loved for it to be in the original .44-40 chambering again I had to go with what is easy and cheap to find... .357 Magnum. I've shot .38s through it, but the recoil and report is like shooting a .22 so I usually fire the .357s instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667 Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 Shoot what makes sense for you. I have a good friend who started shooting cowboy a few months after I got started. He asked me (considering my great wealth of experience of course) what guns to buy. I said, first decide what caliber you want to shoot, and then I started making the case for .38 Special. He said, "I want to shoot .45 caliber" and I replied, "so shoot .45 caliber" and he's been throwing those big slugs downrange for over five years. I chose .38 Special. I had been handloading that caliber for years, and components are cheaper. More bang for the buck. We both have fun and we're still friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Bill Mathewson, 37826 Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 I discovered that I have elevated lead level in my blood. I have been trying to determine the source of the offending lead exposer. I am down to two possible exposers points. Brass cleaning and actual shooting time. My lead level climbed when I went from shooting around 700 rounds per month to 1200 rounds per month for the last three months. I shoot .45LC. As anyone that shoots .45LC can tell you the round has more blow by than most other rounds used in CAS. I am considering switching to .38s to reduce blow back exposure. I am also changing my brass cleaning operation to include better ventilation and dust control. Buff Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Jeemes Kelly Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 I am also changing my brass cleaning operation to include better ventilation and dust control. Buff Bill Going off topic, have you tried wet tumbling the brass? No dust, since it's in water and sealed in a water-tight container. At a recent IDPA match, my brother-in-law said he got a rotary rock tumbler at Harbor Freight, for $50 and now tumbles his brass in water with stainless steel pins. I tried it and it is WAT better than my walnut shell dry tumbler. My brass looks like it's new. If you deprime first, it even cleans primer pockets and flash holes. There are plenty of videos and instructions on youtube, for tumbling with the Harbor Freight tumblers. They have a single-drum and a 2-drum tumbler and you can also put other containers, like old plastic powder cans and orange juice bottles on it, as tumbler drums. I got a 3 lb. bag of pins on Ebay for about $20-22 shipped. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pAqQE7OVmk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan Disorderly Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 I went 357/38 and shoot 38s - 357 brass is dear in price. friend went 45LC. Expensive. He's got dies and will be reloading this winter for next year, but still a good bit more costly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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