Description
.357 180 Grain Hornady XTP Defense Ammunition- The .357 Smith & Wesson Magnum, .357 S&W Magnum, .357 Magnum, or 9×33mmR as it is known in unofficial metric designation, is a smokeless powder cartridge with a .357-inch (9.07 mm) bullet diameter. It was created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, and Douglas B. Wesson of firearm manufacturers Smith & Wesson and Winchester. The .357 Magnum cartridge is notable for its highly effective terminal ballistics.
The .357 Magnum cartridge is based upon Smith & Wesson’s earlier .38 Special cartridge. It was introduced in 1935, and its use has since become widespread. This cartridge began the “Magnum era” of handgun ammunition. The “Magnum era” began with the .375 H&H rifle cartridge, spreading to handguns with the .357 Magnum.
Though .38 Special and .357 Magnum would seem to be different diameter chamberings, they are in fact identical, as at 0.357 inches (9.07 mm) they both have the same bullet diameter. The .38 Special nomenclature relates to the previous use of heeled bullets (such as the .38 Short Colt and .38 Long Colt), which were the same diameter as the case. The only external dimensional difference between .38 Special and .357 magnum is the difference in case length; this was done to prevent accidentally loading a .357 magnum cartridge in to a .38 Special revolver that is not designed for the .357 magnum’s higher chamber pressure. Case volume was not a factor in the increase in case length as the .38 Special cartridge was originally a black powder cartridge, and the .357 magnum was developed using only much denser smokeless powder.
Much credit for the .357’s early development is given to hunter and experimenter Elmer Keith. Keith’s early work in loading the .38 Special to increasingly higher-pressure levels was made possible by the availability of heavy, target-shooting-oriented revolvers like the Smith & Wesson .38-44 “Heavy Duty” and “Outdoorsman”, .38-caliber revolvers built on .44-caliber frames.
This cartridge is regarded by many as an excellent hunting, metallic silhouette and self-defense round.
The Bullet:
Hornady XTP Bullets feature a performance-improved point that has 6 precise folds to divide the bullet into symmetrical sections and initiate controlled expansion at low velocities while not fragmenting at higher velocities. They expand reliably at a wide range of velocities for a deep, terminal penetration with every shot.
Designed for hunting, self-defense and law enforcement applications, the XTP bullet demonstrates the kind of accuracy that led many competitive shooters to adopt it. Reliable performance makes the XTP the most popular handgun bullet for both target shooters and hunters. But it’s the stopping power of the XTP bullet that has truly built its world-class reputation. From the onset, XTP bullets were specifically designed to expand reliably at a wide range of handgun velocities to deliver deep penetration with every shot.
- Velocity 1,150 FPS
- 100% hand loaded with superior quality and performance
