.357 magnum

Not "one of the most powerful bullets in the world", but still not bad. You won't be feeling too good after being shot with one, that's for damn sure. Even though it's called a .357, it uses a .38 bullet with a slightly longer cartridge case (so you don't blow up a .38 gun by trying to shoot .357's through it) and a lot more powder to propel it with, making it better than a regular .45 and definitely better than the .38 it's based on. .38's can be fired through a .357 in case you're a pansy, or a woman and you can't handle the recoil, or if you're just target shooting and you don't want to spend the extra money on the bullets. Also used to refer to a gun firing that kind of ammo. Not everyone knows if the guy is carrying a Colt Python or a Smith and Wesson model 19 or whatever the fuck.