The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - How does the .357 Sig compare to .357 Magnum?

Marko Kloos · February 23, 2002, 09:45 AM

The .357SIG is designed to launch a 125gr bullet, and its ballistics are roughly comparable to .357 Magnum with the same bullet weight. Once you go 158gr or heavier in .357 Magnum, it's a good deal more powerful than .357SIG.

The advantage of the .357SIG over the Magnum is the more efficient case design...the .357SIG does not suffer the same kind of performance hit when launched out of short barrels. The .357 Magnum is really at its best out of 6" barrels, while the .357SIG does just fine out of short barrels. The .357SIG out of a Glock 33 with a 3.4" barrel will still clock close to 1300fps, even though a good inch of that barrel length is really chamber.

So yes, when talking equal bullet weights, the .357SIG and .357 Mag have closely matched ballistics. Heavy bullets in the Magnum give you an FPE edge over the .357SIG. There seems to be a consensus that the 125 grain .357 Magnum is the top manstopper in that caliber, so I'll take the .357SIG in the same bullet weight.

February 23, 2002, 09:45 AM	#6
Marko Kloos Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2000 Location: Enfield, NH Posts: 5,521	The .357SIG is designed to launch a 125gr bullet, and its ballistics are roughly comparable to .357 Magnum with the same bullet weight. Once you go 158gr or heavier in .357 Magnum, it's a good deal more powerful than .357SIG. The advantage of the .357SIG over the Magnum is the more efficient case design...the .357SIG does not suffer the same kind of performance hit when launched out of short barrels. The .357 Magnum is really at its best out of 6" barrels, while the .357SIG does just fine out of short barrels. The .357SIG out of a Glock 33 with a 3.4" barrel will still clock close to 1300fps, even though a good inch of that barrel length is really chamber. So yes, when talking equal bullet weights, the .357SIG and .357 Mag have closely matched ballistics. Heavy bullets in the Magnum give you an FPE edge over the .357SIG. There seems to be a consensus that the 125 grain .357 Magnum is the top manstopper in that caliber, so I'll take the .357SIG in the same bullet weight. __________________ "The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." --A.E. Van Vogt, The Weapon Shops of Isher the munchkin wrangler.