41 Mag vs. 44 Mag

I had a 41 mag and got rid of it.
I have two 44 mags and love them to death.
With the 44 mag, you have a wide arrange of bullets and loads to choose from.
I did not feel much difference in the shooting of close loadings.
The 41 may be hard to get bullets for. The 44 mag is easy to get bullets for.
Just my thoughts. :)
 
I'm guessing you don't handload.
You just want a good 'big-bore' to have fun with: no hunting, no self-defense capability, using store-bought ammunition.
Best and most economical choice, as well as the most versatile one, would be a Ruger Blackhawk .357. Also shoots .38 Specials, no bad recoil or blast with most loads if you get a longer barrel. They are really nice in Stainless.
Leave the .4xx cannons to those who need them, for whatever reason, whether real or psychological.
Don't get a Taurus. The quality just isn't there.
 
41mag vs 44mag

I have owned a S&W 41 mag w/7 1/2 inch barrell for over 10 years. The recoil is very close to the 44's. There are factory loads available, just recently bought a box of Remmington shells at Gander Mt but they were expensive, $79.99 for 50 rounds (2x that of most 44mags).
 
I have a S&W 629-6 with the 6", half lug barrel. It can be seen below in the crappy pic:

1000155b.jpg


So far, I've shot the cheapest thing I can find locally through it, Fiocchi 240gr semi-jacketed flat points. These aren't anywhere near the "hot" end of the .44 magnum spectrum, but they were fun to shoot.

I have no experience with shooting a .41, but I was pleasantly surprised when shooting the 629. Recoil was there, but it wasn't bad at all. I was actually pretty accurate with it, and didn't feel like the recoil was hampering my shooting at all. In fact I was having a hell of a time blasting away. I didn't notice the blast being any worse than my .357.

I have a pair of Pachmayr Presentation grips that I put on for shooting it. They cover the backstrap and fit my hand pretty well, though they do make the reach for the DA trigger a little long. The SA reach is just right, and since this is mostly a range toy, that's perfect for me. The Eagle grips in the picture are just for show, they make for one good looking gun IMO.

I recommend the .44, since the ammo is much easier to find and you also get the ability to use .44 specials, which a very close ballistically to .45 ACP. Shoot the right ammo and they can be a ton of fun.
 
My 44 mag has a has a 7 1/2" barrel and its in my blind when I deer hunt for a back up. My 41 mag has a 4" barrel and Pachmayr grips. It is the carry gun if I am walking in the woods or desert and might meet something inimical to my well being. Both shoot to the same point of aim at 50' and 100 yards. Both feel the same in my hands shooting and I really doubt that anything shot with either gun is going to notice the difference between the 210 gr bullet or the 240 grain bullet when the shooting is close up and personal. I know they won't be able to tell the difference between .410" and .429" or the difference in velocity.

I can only say if you can only have one I would think about the use. If carry is important the 41 might be more desirable, if versatility, the ability to shoot hot 44's and then 44 spcl, The 44 is the winner. Comes down to which gun makes you giggle more when you have it in your hand. As for me I'm keeping both, shooting both and using both.
 
I prefer the 41 mag. But unless you have a fair amount of experience shooting both, I doubt you will be able to tell the difference. As said above, I doubt the deer or whatever could tell the difference either.

Overall ammo cost and availablity, the 44 gets the nod. Those Remington loads have always been just about the most expensive 41 mag ammo you can buy and to top that off, buying it at Gander Mt is even worse. I have a couple boxes of Remington that I bought at Gander Mt, but that was before the big price run up and I knew that the price was going up, so I bought what they had on the shelf.

When things normalize, you can get 41 mags at GA Arms for a fair price. Right now, they are having trouble filling orders due to a component shortage relative to demand. Things will change.
 
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Dunno about perceived recoil between the two calibers since I've only owned 44 mags, but I always read that a bear shot with a 41 mag would go down swearing he was hit w/a 44.
 
Check out post #23.

Yet again, a first time poster has resurrected a thread from 2004.

You are responding to a 6 year old thread.
 
It's an old thread BUT Im sure somebody scrolling through is thinking about asking the same question.

FWIW: The .44 is the way to go.
 
I'm using 20gr of H-110 in my 41mag. I'm using 23gr of H-110 in my 44mag. I can't tell the difference in the muzzle blast. On the subject of recoil, I've owned both calibers in S&W and Rugers for 40 years. The Smith 44s had terrific torque compared to the 41s. I could shoot the 57/657s all day in 6". After 150 rounds in a 6" 44, I was ready to rest. The Ruger Blackhawks/SBH/Bisleys are quite comfortable in either caliber.
 
Check out post #23.

Yet again, a first time poster has resurrected a thread from 2004.

You are responding to a 6 year old thread.
Click to expand...

How many people posting here today were privy to this thread in 2004. How many times a year do we get a "Help me cure my flinch problem." thread. Some things just stay topical, we can't all be old dinosaurs. :D
 
It's an old thread BUT Im sure somebody scrolling through is thinking about asking the same question.
Click to expand...
Maybe...but that's why there is a search function.

The OP has long since made his decision and moved on...and maybe died of old age by now. :rolleyes:

My points being that

a) this first time poster/5-6 (or more) year old thread phenonenon is one I see regularly and have never understood and
b) most of us like to read (and comment upon) a current discussion, not one that is six years dead and buried....
 
from post #6:
"The 41 does not have anywhere near the versatility in regard to bullet selection and bullet weights as compared to the 44. In the 44 I have used 180 , 200 , 220 , 225 , 240 , 265 and 300. The 41 is most commonly used with 170 and 210 grain bullets."

Things have changed in 6 years. Double Tap and Buffalo Bore offer 230gr, 250gr and 265gr loads for the .41 Mag to add to the traditional 170 and 210gr loads.
 
Yet again, a first time poster has resurrected a thread from 2004.
Click to expand...

Missed that. But always good to discuss the two calibers. I do agree with DWfan above, there are a lot more choices now in 41 mag, but how many actually take advantage of all the choices anyway in just about any caliber? You have you regular loads and you pretty much stick with them except for occasional experimental sessions where you test other stuff or you have a special use in mind.
 
I, for one, sorta like these kind of lingering old threads, particularly if the topic, like the one in this one, interests me. You get kind of a cross-section of answers that have morphed somewhat over time, and even from time to time offer some new information that pertains to changes that have taken place. In this thread, some important changes have taken place in the span of 6 years as pertains to ammo and handgun availability for the 41 mag. As has been pointed out, most of this could have also been found with the search function, but that's o.k. No harm, no foul. jben
 
I own two 41 mags a Old and a New Model Blackhawk Ruger and a Old Model Blackhawk in 44 mag. I've killed more deer with the 44 but I've owned it for years where I just got the two 41s. After firing the 41s why I've owned a 44 I'll never know. Much less recoil with about the same knock down power. As far as getting ammo just load your own, it resolves all the problems.

Just my ideas on the subject.
 
orionengnr said:
Maybe...but that's why there is a search function.

The OP has long since made his decision and moved on...and maybe died of old age by now.

My points being that

a) this first time poster/5-6 (or more) year old thread phenonenon is one I see regularly and have never understood and
b) most of us like to read (and comment upon) a current discussion, not one that is six years dead and buried.
Click to expand...

You're more than welcome to ignore the thread and move on, yet you posted to it twice to complain about the necromancy. Bored today?

Chris
 
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