.38 Special vs .357 Magnum — ballistics compared
Median and range from 13 loads of .38 Special and 14 loads of .357 Magnum in the pointMoA database — drop, drift and energy computed by the app engine under the same conditions.
Reference conditions
Zero at 25 m, line of sight 20 mm above the bore, 15 °C, 1013.25 hPa, 50 % humidity, wind 4 m/s from 3 o'clock (full value). Muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient from the manufacturer's data sheet; the velocity was measured in the manufacturer's test barrel — a shorter barrel gives less.
What the numbers show
- At 100 m a .38 Special bullet is 47.8 cm below the line of sight and a .357 Magnum bullet 23.5 cm (medians).
- Drift in a 4 m/s full-value crosswind at 100 m: .38 Special 8.3 cm, .357 Magnum 11.5 cm (medians, downwind).
- Energy at 100 m: .38 Special 305 J, .357 Magnum 523 J (medians).
- Bullet weight in the database: .38 Special from 90 to 158 gr, .357 Magnum from 110 to 158 gr.
Drop to 100 m
- .38 Special: median and middle half of 13 loads
- .357 Magnum: median and middle half of 14 loads
The line is the median drop; the band holds the middle half of the loads in the database — a quarter of them fly flatter than its upper edge and a quarter more steeply than its lower edge. The full range is in the table below. Zero at 25 m; the dashed line is the line of sight.
Median and range
Median, with the range from the lowest to the highest value among loads with complete data below it.
| Quantity | .38 Special | .357 Magnum |
|---|---|---|
| Bullet weight (gr) | 15890 … 158 | 158110 … 158 |
| Muzzle velocity (m/s) | 274213 … 366 | 387343 … 485 |
| Drop 25 m (cm) | 0.00.0 … 0.0 | 0.00.0 … 0.0 |
| Drop 50 m (cm) | -6.7-13.2 … -3.5 | -2.6-3.5 … -1.0 |
| Drop 75 m (cm) | -22.4-43.6 … -13.3 | -10.3-12.9 … -5.3 |
| Drop 100 m (cm) | -47.8-93.1 … -30.3 | -23.5-28.4 … -13.6 |
| Drift 100 m (cm) | -8.3-23.9 … -4.4 | -11.5-14.1 … -6.6 |
| Velocity 100 m (m/s) | 248168 … 293 | 321304 … 376 |
| Energy 100 m (J) | 305136 … 416 | 523391 … 559 |
The table is indicative: it is computed from catalogue data under reference conditions, not from your barrel and your lot of ammunition. Verify the trajectory on the range before relying on it.
Load by load
Every load on its own, with weight, muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient — on the calibre pages.
Other comparisons
The pointMoA app
Your load from your barrel — in the app
A catalogue median is a starting point, not your trajectory. In the pointMoA app you compute the trajectory for your own firearm and ammunition, check your zero with the zeroing assistant on a photo of the target and save the result in the log — no account and no Internet connection.