So I’m no expert with 10,000+ hours of magnum time. Whitetail I’d just grab the same gun that I’d use for almost anything else I have business with- Remington 700 in 30.06. Yes. I know. .308 is generally better. But when this rifle was new- 30.06 was a military round and cheap and common as .223 or 9mm today. Versatile too. So it’s 30.06 and I’m not gonna redo the damn thing for .308 or buy a new one. Sentimental value and all. We have history. Maybe someday when she is all worn out... but if you want to hunt with pistols... who am I to say not to? Don’t know you well enough to say you shouldn’t. I wouldn’t- unless I was hunting small game- but even then if I went out to hunt I’d bring a rifle. Pistols just got better in my pants or between the seat and the console. Well- where I live now those aren’t really big concerns anymore. Lol.

I appreciate the effort and time that went into your response. As a matter of fact, I have been eyeballing a Ruger Blackhawk. Single action has a special place in my heart, but I'm sad to say the heirloom .45 Single Action Army won't be passed down my side of the family (no bad blood, just that dad's the second son. At least I got some of the rifles).
I might look into .454 for bigger game, but I really like the idea of being able to put .357 and .38 through the same weapon. Anything I should be aware of on that front? I know some 5.56 struggles with .223, and similar problems with "interchangeable" automatics. But revolvers are built different as far as I can tell.

I won’t say there are NO issues or caveats. First be aware we are ONLY talk I gotta revolvers. Loading .38 in a .357 auto loader is another topic. And when I say .38 I am ONLY talking about .38 special (.38sp) or .38sp + (hot .38 special loads) NOT .38 s&w which is a different cartridge and often will fire in a 357 but is too small and can balloon- ruin cases for reloads, and even have a blow out. .38 special is where .357 came from. Same cartridge. Same diameter but thicker case usually (for more pressure.) so it also happens to be a longer round- which also prevents numpties from firing .357 in MOST .38 pistols.

So the .357 will have longer cylinder, thicker cylinder walls, and beefier frame (in general.) In other words- a .357 magnum revolver will almost shoot .38 forever without a frame or cylinder going bad from fatigue. Because it’s a heavy gun- it is usually a little more comfy and quick on the follow up shot running .38 through a .357 magnum. And that’s good because almost every conventional revolver on Earth has by nature, inherent disadvantages in felt recoil to a decently designed auto loader.

The ONLY issues firing a .38 in a .357 magnum really-are that since the bullet is shorter- you’ll get fowling further back than normal. It’s a good idea with most guns worth anything to use quality ammo- and for pistol hunting I’d stick to match grade or good hand loads in the field. But if you run dirty junk ammo through the thing- and especially if you don’t clean it well (shoot it clean it- another good general rule for any gun...) you’ll get carbon build up and you won’t be able to slide a .357 in, or you’ll get it in- but it’ll get stuck. Truly problematic if you use speed loaders as they don’t like it when one bullet drags going in.

The same as the potential fowling- over time- especially with poor cleaning and oiling- but no matter what more or less eventually- corrosion or pitting will happen. With 357 mag rounds you’ll bet it higher on the cylinder- with .38 it’ll be lower. If your cylinder pits down low in the chamber or wears- (and you don’t replace it) you definitely are done putting .357 through it if you know what’s good for you. You may still be able to shoot .38 on that cylinder- combination personal judgment and where/how bad the corrosion is.

But really- that’s it. It isn’t like .556 and .223. All but the MOST steadfast and conservative “bullet on the box is what goes in the gun...” types will all agree that there’s no real reason not to. The only argument really against it- besides maybe “you have to clean it...” or “in 20-40 years you might need a new cylinder...” (which if you shoot a lot happens whatever ammo you use..) would be “why not buy a gun that just shoots .38 and not put any more rounds on the frame and works than you have to...?” That’s it. Perfectly safe and many .357 even include the fact they shoot .38 in the book.

Personally- shooting .38sp+ seems dumb for most folks- might as well shoot .357 for the cost and recoil. But- regular .38sp? The old man’s 9mm? Why not? Especially if you want 2 guns for the price of one. It’s like a .22 or 9mm conversion for a 1911. You just gotta remember if you range train and plink .38- it ain’t gonna short the same on .357.

If you want to spend more than .38sp- you can find or hand load .357 magnum cases with super light loads. That gets rid of the whole “length” thing- but unless you’re hand loading and have cases that are good but you just don’t think should be put through another magnum load- might as well run .38sp.

Not ALL revolvers in .357 mag can run .38- but those are the exception not the rule- usually there’s some silly feature of the gun that stops it. As another plus- many can shoot .38 long colt etc etc- so if you have a rifle like a lever action .38- you can shoot and reload many of the same rounds... though that does get more complicated as far as cycling/extracting... and depends on the gun- the load... blah blah.

I’m with you. Single action, and revolvers... iconic. Sorry to hear about the .45. I understand though. I didn’t get my great grandpas shotgun for the same reasons. But that’s ok. Like you said- you get other guns, and you can start your own legacy of so inclined. The Blackhawk is just a good gun. As always- if you can- shoot before you buy. Rent, make friends at the range, etc etc- there are revolvers some like better than others- but Blackhawk is a good one and has a good name.

Thank you so much for all the little details dumb kids looking for a new toy don't know to think about.
I really like the 2-in-1 route, just because my inner prepper likes the thought of putting two of America's favorite rounds through a single platform to round out my handgun caliber collection.
I even like the maintenance requirements and subtleties that come with it, just because cleaning weapons helps get my mind straight. And frankly, feels fucking cool.

Late to the game here, but I have hunted big game with a revolver. I recommend a Ruger Super Blackhawk or Ruger Bisley Hunter in .44 magnum. Longer barrel the better. A .44 mag will also shoot .44 specials for a reduced load, similar to shooting .38s through a .357, to practice with. A .44 mag is more than enough for white tail, but realized anything over 50 yards is a LONG shot. The Bisley can accept a scope, which is a plus. Practice practice practice! A seated, elbows on the knees, arms outstretched is the best position, or the gun resting on a hood/limb/fence is good, too. Good luck!

If you want to make longer shots and worry about recoil, a Chiappa Rhino might be the way to go (you can get them in a lot of different cartridges too like .40 S&W, 9x21mm, 9x19mm, .357 magnum). Because the bullet is fired out of the bottom cylinder as opposed to the top cylinder, the recoil doesn't go up so much as it goes back into your arm. It doesn't kick as much as you'd think for .357 magnum. Plus they look neat as hell.

It does sound cool, sure as hell looks cool, too. Now I'm just trying to get my hands on a few different models to see what feels best.

Granted they are pricy.

lol. The Rhino is cool. Pricey yes- and you MAY not be able to dual caliber a Rhino if you want it to cycle right. I’ve never shot one- but the low barrel line is a theoretical design plus- and if I had the chance for a good deal- it’s a novel and iconic weapon that I’d like to at least shoot if not add to a collection just for the coolness of the gun- even if I didn’t fire it much.

@famousone- thank you. I hope I don’t come off as condescending. I just wanted to be comprehensive. I agree on cleaning guns. I don’t know why it’s so hard to get some people to strip and clean weapons. Granted- there are some guns out there it is a real chore to break down and dress- but for the most part it’s relaxing and engaging work, and it’s satisfying to know that you’re keeping your equipment tip top and ready to rock. That clean weapon look, feel, and smell... it’s like meditation.

Like meditation, but productive!
And no, you weren't condescending at all, legit you explained questions I didn't even know to ask.

Also- the .44 magnum round is a MUCH more powerful round the .357 magnum and as said earlier- it’s generally going to be a better round for hunting game. .357 is pretty much the MINIMUM a practical or ethical shooter is going to use. The only consideration with .44 asides (subjective) recoil concerns- is cost. .38sp is generally a very cheap round compared to .44sp, and .357 magnum is usually cheaper than 44 mag- a box ain’t going to break you of course- but if you want to plink all day long, most folks will feel the pinch on .44 before they feel it on .38. Overall though for performance I’d favor the .44 as well. I’m not critiquing others opinions- I just wanted to say I didn’t mention the .44 for cost- but not from any bias against it.