.357 Sig, Can't find info

[longball]

I have been searching this site all night for information/thoughts about the .357 sig but can't find much outside of one of DocGKR's stickys.

http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19887

What I am looking for is more information about the benefits and drawbacks of this round and the performance/availability/function of 9mm conversion barrels (Glock 32 and M&P). I apologize if this has already been discussed. If it has I couldn't find it.

[kmrtnsn]

What do you expect from .357SIG?

Have you priced .357SIG ammunition?

Have you checked the availability of .357SIG ammunition?

Have you compared it ballistically to 9mm and .40S&W?

[DocGKR]

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=22265

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=43709

[longball]

What do you expect from .357SIG?

Have you priced .357SIG ammunition?

Have you checked the availability of .357SIG ammunition?

Have you compared it ballistically to 9mm and .40S&W?

I expect it to be something a little more suited for carrying as a backup when hunting, hiking, and/or camping in the event I run onto an ill tempered bear or a big cat. Something that I could take a small deer with if I wanted at close range. A caliber that I could use for fun and an added challenge on feral hogs who are starting to invade some hunting spots. Something that I would feel comfortable with carrying to and from those hunting/hiking/camping spots as a self denense weapon so I don't have to pack 2 handguns around. And something in the same platform as the G17or M&P9 that are my EDC guns.

Yes it is expensive and hard to find.

I have looked at some charts and compared it to some other calibers and realize that the differences may be negligable but I am certainly no expert in this category (or in anything really) so I wanted to gather some opinions of some of the more knowledgeable folks here.

For my stated purposes would I be better off with a 40, 45, or either one of the 9's I carry now?

[kmrtnsn]

I carried a .357SIG for several years. We referred to it as a "9mm magnum", jokingly. It is essentially a hyper 125gr 9mm bullet. Compare it against a 155gr. 40S&W in terms of performance, cost, and availability of an alternative training round in the same caliber and tell me if the difference between the two justifies the cost premium of .357SIG. I don't think so.

Brand Load Mass Velocity Energy Expansion Penetration BPWPC TSC OSS AIT
Gold Dot JHP 155 1275 559 0.76 13.0 822 5.9 48.5 (est) 88.9% 7.7
Gold Dot JHP 125 1385 532 0.68 16.5 616 6.0 45.0 (est) 91% 8.8

[longball]

Thank you both gentleman. I havent made it through both threads provided but that that appears to be the information I was looking for.

Sorry I had to start a new thread for something that was already discussed. Every time I try to use the search function I got an error message that said I had no connection.

[kmrtnsn]

Palmetto State Armory

Ammunition - .357 Sig

Winchester .357 Sig

.357 Sig
Winchester Q4309
125 Grain FMJ


$23.95 per 50 round box



Read More / Order Winchester .357 Sig

Winchester .357 Sig
Personal Protection
125 Grain JHP

$31.95 per 50 round box



Read More / Order
Fiocchi Extrema Ammunition
.357 Sig
124 Grain
Hornady XTP Jacketed Hollow Point

$26.99 per 50 round box
Prvi Partizan Ammunition

357 Sig
125 Grain
FMJ Flat Point

TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK

[kmrtnsn]

Ammunition To Go.

50rds - 357 Sig Speer Lawman 125gr. FMJ Ammo $29.95
IN STOCK!
50rds - 357 Sig Federal American Eagle 125gr. FMJ Ammo $29.95
IN STOCK!
500rds - 357 Sig Federal American Eagle 125gr. FMJ Ammo $294.95
IN STOCK!
50rds - 357 Sig Winchester USA 125gr. FMJ Ammo $28.95
IN STOCK!
500rds - 357 Sig Winchester USA 125gr. FMJ Ammo $284.95
IN STOCK
50rds - 357 Sig Speer Gold Dot LE 125gr. HP Ammo $29.95
IN STOCK!
500rds - 357 Sig Speer Gold Dot LE 125gr. HP Ammo $294.95
IN STOCK!
20rds - 357 SIG Hornady Tap LE Close Quarters (CQ) 124gr. HP Ammo $16.95
IN STOCK!
20rds - 357 SIG Hornady Tap LE Close Quarters (CQ) 147gr. HP Ammo $16.95
IN STOCK!
20rds - 357 Sig Hornady 124gr. XTP Hollow Point Ammo $15.95
IN STOCK!
20rds - 357 Sig Hornady 147gr. XTP Hollow Point Ammo $15.95
IN STOCK!
20rds - 357 Sig Corbon 115gr. HP Ammo $26.95
IN STOCK!
20rds - 357 Sig Corbon Pow'RBall 100gr. Ammo $25.95
IN STOCK!
20rds - 357 Sig Corbon Performance Match 125gr. HP Ammo $14.95 $13.95
IN STOCK!
6rds - 357 Sig Glaser Blue 80gr. Safety Slug Ammo $13.49
IN STOCK

[Fail-Safe]

I've shot feral hogs and loose windshields with both heavy and mid-weight 9mm JHPs(Ranger Ts and Speer GDHPs), and with .357sig(GDHP), and have yet to see a difference beteen the 2 cartridges.When you do your part, and choose a good JHP that will do its part, the difference in all the common self defense calibers isnt big enough to fret over.

In your position, I'm either making the jump to .40S&W or maybe a good .357mag, .41mag revolver.

[Suwannee Tim]

I bought a SIG P226 in 40 because I had picked up so much brass at the range it made sense. I love the oddball stuff and the 357 SIG certainly fits that bill. I located 5K pieces of once fired brass for a good price and that in hand bought a 357 SIG barrel. If I had not found a large cheap lot of brass or had to buy factory ammo there is no way I would own this caliber. Too expensive and, other that the different factor, I don't see what is to be gained over 40. A little less recoil maybe but more blast. It is more powerful than 9mm, by a pretty good margin, Speer shows a 9mm 125 at 1050 fps 364 ftlb and and a 357 SIG 124 at 1350 fps and 506 ftlb, which is a 40% increase. That's enough difference to make a difference.

I've shot feral hogs and loose windshields with both heavy and mid-weight 9mm JHPs(Ranger Ts and Speer GDHPs), and with .357sig(GDHP), and have yet to see a difference beteen the 2 cartridges......

I've shot squirrels with 22 LR and with 30-06 and both cartridges kill them stone dead so I don't see much difference between the two.

Seriously, 40% is enough difference to make a difference, if you have a solution to the ammo cost issue.