.327 Federal Magnum vs .357 Magnum Ammo Comparison - Ballistics Info & Chart
- Caliber Ballistics Comparison
- 07 Dec, 2018
The following ammunition cartridge ballistics information and chart can be used to approximately compare .327 Federal Magnum vs .357 Magnum ammo rounds. Please note, the following information reflects the estimated average ballistics for each caliber and does not pertain to a particular manufacturer, bullet weight, or jacketing type. As such, the following is for comparative information purposes only and should not be used to make precise predictions of the trajectory, performance, or true ballistics of any particular .327 Federal Magnum or .357 Magnum rounds for hunting, target shooting, plinking, or any other usage. The decision for which round is better for a given application should be made with complete information, and this article simply serves as a comparative guide, not the final say.
For more detailed ballistics information please refer to the exact round in question or contact the manufacturer for the pertinent information. True .327 Federal Magnum and .357 Magnum ballistics information can vary widely from the displayed information, and it is important to understand that the particular characteristics of a given round can make a substantive difference in its true performance.
| Caliber | Type | Velocity (fps) |
Energy (ft-lb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| .327 Federal Magnum | Handgun | 1430 | 450 |
| .357 Magnum | Handgun | 1290 | 530 |
Velocity
As illustrated in the chart, .327 Federal Magnum rounds - on average - achieve a velocity of about 1430 feet per second (fps) while .357 Magnum rounds travel at a velocity of 1290 fps. To put this into perspective, a Boeing 737 commercial airliner travels at a cruising speed of 600 mph, or 880 fps. That is to say, .327 Federal Magnum bullets travel 1.6 times the speed of a 737 airplane at cruising speed, while .357 Magnum bullets travel 1.5 times that same speed.
Various calibers
Energy
Furthermore, the muzzle energy of a .327 Federal Magnum round averages out to 450 ft-lb, while a .357 Magnum round averages out to about 530 ft-lb. One way to think about this is as such: a foot-pound is a unit of energy equal to the amount of energy required to raise a weight of one pound a distance of one foot. So a .327 Federal Magnum round exits the barrel with kinetic energy equal to the energy required for linear vertical displacement of 450 pounds through a one foot distance, while a .357 Magnum round exiting the barrel has energy equal to the amount required to displace 530 pounds over the same one foot distance. As a rule of thumb, when it comes to hunting, muzzle energy is what many hunters look at when deciding on what caliber of firearm / ammunition to select. Generally speaking, the higher the muzzle energy, the higher the stopping power.
Again, the above is for comparative information purposes only, and you should consult the exact ballistics for the particular .327 Federal Magnum or .357 Magnum cartridge you're looking at purchasing.
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14 Comments
I’ll take a higher speed, lighter weight bullet, over a slower, heavier projectile, all, day, long!!! A 100-grain, 25 caliber (25-06), Nosler Partition bullet, fired from a fully powered 30-06 cartridge, will literally blow away the standard 30-06 165-grain round. No comparison. I’ve dropped everything from elk to moose to antelope to caribou to feral pigs with that round.
It wasn’t Isaac Newton, but Albert Einstein, who sorted all of that out! Einstein was the one who came up with the formula E=mc2.
But I digress.
Here’s an opposing thought – I would love to get .327 Federal Magnum because it likely doesn’t have the severe kick that .357 Magnum has. Not only easier to shoot, but also a lot easier to get the next shot lined up quickly.
But I can’t find the ammo anywhere, except via mail order. So I’m not ready to invest $700 in a .327 Ruger revolver when I can’t find ammo for the gun!
Could I please be included on your email list… thanking you in advance.
I seriously doubt anyone shot properly with a 327 could tell the difference between it and a 357. One more round is exactly that one more shot. The diff in recoil is notable. I’ve five 357s and three 327s. I like them both.
This article never mentions no weight of bullets tested, so no comparisons can be applied.
i have the Ruger sp101 327 magnum and I love to shoot coke cans, beer cans, and maybe one day mexe-cans but the .327 is really more fun to shoot with 32 SW long wad cutters. with the 32 SW wad cutters you dont need hearing protection and i do not scare the piss out libtards walking their dogs in the conservation area. You can not go wrong with with Ruger 327 revolver. The older i get the more i like softer shooting rounds. I also like the .22 revolvers using 22 shorts. my SW 317 air light .22 will destroy all kinds of full cans also. The .380 LCP is almost too harsh now nasty muzzle flip loud as hell. the 380 is the same length as the .22 LR but man not fun to shoot and i scare the libtards walking their dogs. i hope you enjoyed my bourbon write up of plinking in the woods in the peoples republic of Cape Cod.
the best cans are red coke cans they blow up so fast.
you know that .32 caliber and .357 caliber is not that big of a difference. The Ruger SP101 in 327 mag is a great revolver and so much fun to blast cans with. I have not tried .32 shorts in it yet and Where I go to kill coke cans is a wooded area that has huge lake size depressions and hikers…. so i like to shoot quietly and the SW long .32 wadd cutters are perfect for blowing up coke cans.
a perfect combo is Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon straight no ice or mixers prior to blasting coke cans. when the round hits the can and it flies up in the air and goes inside out it is glorious. The best part is i am shooting down into a hole and all the muzzle blast and bullet goes thru the can into the ground. ( I am worried about panicked libtards hearing me though) ; so I keep my fun blast session short! To about 18 to 24 rounds then i bike out fast. I it is best when its 39 degrees raining and absolutely miserable out so the population is thin when i do this. A stainless Steel Sp101 is easy to clean and the rain will not tarnish it. the .32 wad cutters are quiet and low power and so damn accurate. 30 yards down hill of course. with a iron frying pan as a back stop. i hide it under the leaves. the frying pan only gets a hole when i miss the can which is only twice in a 100 rounds. so yeah get a Ruger SP101 327 mag and use wad cutters in .32 SW long. Dont forget the bourbon larceny Barrel proof. Im going to have a head ache tomorrow……. UGGH!
this read was every enjoyable. I dont have a .357 but i have 6 9 MM pistols and they seem to make the same size hole as the .357 and carry 17 … SHHH its not popular to have high cap rounds mags in MA. Our governor who should be arrested for taking care of illegal aliens wont approve high cap pistols. I want the baretta cheetah that scar face used.
I just went out with a flashlight to kill a pabst blue ribbon 20 oz can with a 327 magnum using federal 85 grain 327 magnum and it was one shot down hill into the hole my daughter was holding the spot light. and it shredded the beer can. ( i needed hearing protection for that one) not much recoil and the muzzle flame was not too bad. at night with a 4 shots of Larceny barrel proof. it was a total blast. the pabst blue ribbon can was destroyed. and the round past through the cast iron frying pan after killing the beer can. wholly crap this round is so hott! federal 327 85 grain is very loud and very powerful shoot down into a hole in case OF THE BULLET BOUNCING? riccochett?. im too wasted on larceny bourbon to know the how to spell but wow Ruger SP101 with federal 327 85 grain ammo is really fun to shoot.
next week I going to buy an old 44 magnum S and W 629 3 inch barrel and try out 44 special on Sapporo beer cans and maybe even a coke 2 litter plastic bottle. guys this goes great with larceny barrel proof bourbon whoooo!!!!
hey just shoot down into a hill and make sure that round does not fly out and hurt some one. RUGER SP101 327 magnum
anybody looking for a great revolver can not go wrong with the Ruger Sp101 in 327 magnum.
I like gentle soft .32 S and W long. but with the federal 85 327 magnum loads the damn thing is amazing, ( it is really f—-ing loud with magnums though.I have to worry about upsetting any hiker/ dog walking libtards that may be 2 miles out in the woods. I am not even sure doing what I’m doing is legal but damn its fun.
catching a buzz from larceny bourbon and blasting cans with this 327 magnum revolver is great fun.
Ya Know marijuana is legal in MA but im not sure blasting coke cans with a revolver 2 miles in the middle of nowhere is ok. If there is a safe place where i can not get in trouble, ( please help me) out door place where I can shoot all kinds of targets and blast stuff and get buzzed while doing it. just shoot down into a place where the round wont bounce and fly into a house or something bad, I would love to just rent a room and blast shit with my revolver collection.So many rules and restrictions really sucks on Cape Cod. cant we combine bourbon tasting with revolver shooting/ turkey shoot add a live band and good food?
In door ranges really suck!!!! usually the guy near me is using a cannon that is making my head go poof. too bad in door ranges are the only place to shoot guns with out worry from a legal perspective.Shooting in the middle of the conservation area down into a hole, at night, in shitty weather is the only true enjoyment. I am sure there isn’t any over zealous law enforcement or libtard who complains about gun shots when I go out and do this. However in the highly unlikely event i do get stopped by the over zealous barney fife when i am blasting cans and killing my liver with excellent bourbon…. WTF am I gonna do then?
AM I the only gun loving redneck in Massachusetts/ Cape Cod ?
anybody looking for a great revolver can not go wrong with the Ruger Sp101 in 327 magnum.
I like gentle soft .32 S and W long. but with the federal 85 327 magnum loads the damn thing is amazing, ( it is really f—-ing loud with magnums though.I have to worry about upsetting any hiker/ dog walking libtards that may be 2 miles out in the woods. I am not even sure doing what I’m doing is legal but damn its fun.
catching a buzz from larceny bourbon and blasting cans with this 327 magnum revolver is great fun.
Ya Know marijuana is legal in MA but im not sure blasting coke cans with a revolver 2 miles in the middle of nowhere is ok. If there is a safe place where i can not get in trouble, ( please help me) out door place where I can shoot all kinds of targets and blast stuff and get buzzed while doing it. just shoot down into a place where the round wont bounce and fly into a house or something bad, I would love to just rent a room and blast shit with my revolver collection.So many rules and restrictions really sucks on Cape Cod. cant we combine bourbon tasting with revolver shooting/ turkey shoot add a live band and good food?
In door ranges really suck!!!! usually the guy near me is using a cannon that is making my head go poof. too bad in door ranges are the only place to shoot guns with out worry from a legal perspective.Shooting in the middle of the conservation area down into a hole, at night, in shitty weather is the only true enjoyment. I am sure there isn’t any over zealous law enforcement or libtard who complains about gun shots when I go out and do this. However in the highly unlikely event i do get stopped by the over zealous barney fife when i am blasting cans and killing my liver with excellent bourbon…. WTF am I gonna do then?
AM I the only gun loving redneck in Massachusetts/ Cape Cod ?