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.45 Colt or .44 mag? Advice?
- Thread starter SlackO
- Start date
Anthony and the 41 Magnum
Inactive
All of the Ruger revolvers you list are excellent choices. Here is my input...
.44 Magnum versus .45 Colt: .44 Magnum wins in my book because unless you have strong emotional ties to the .45 Colt, the .44 Special is the ballistic twin and will fire in a .44 Magnum revolver. Beyond that, the .44 Magnum will handle everything from self defense to stopping large game with off the shelf ammunition.
If you are going primarily for cowboy shooting (the inclusion of the double action Redhawks suggests that you are not), I would opt for the Vaquero.
For any other purpose I would opt for the standard Redhawk as it gives you the most versatility to perform tasks such as hunting, self defense, plinking, bowling pin, etc. It is also lighter than the Super Redhawk which is optimized for handgun hunting.
If self defense is not a concern and you prefer single action revolvers, then either of the Blackhawks would be fine choices.
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- Anthony (the crazy Italian with a .41 Magnum)
"Civilized people are taught by logic, barbarians by necessity, communities by tradition, and the lesson is inculcated even in wild beasts by nature itself. They learn that they have to defend their own bodies and persons and lives from violence of any and every kind by all the means within their power."
- Marcus Tullius Cicero
.44 Magnum versus .45 Colt: .44 Magnum wins in my book because unless you have strong emotional ties to the .45 Colt, the .44 Special is the ballistic twin and will fire in a .44 Magnum revolver. Beyond that, the .44 Magnum will handle everything from self defense to stopping large game with off the shelf ammunition.
If you are going primarily for cowboy shooting (the inclusion of the double action Redhawks suggests that you are not), I would opt for the Vaquero.
For any other purpose I would opt for the standard Redhawk as it gives you the most versatility to perform tasks such as hunting, self defense, plinking, bowling pin, etc. It is also lighter than the Super Redhawk which is optimized for handgun hunting.
If self defense is not a concern and you prefer single action revolvers, then either of the Blackhawks would be fine choices.
------------------
- Anthony (the crazy Italian with a .41 Magnum)
"Civilized people are taught by logic, barbarians by necessity, communities by tradition, and the lesson is inculcated even in wild beasts by nature itself. They learn that they have to defend their own bodies and persons and lives from violence of any and every kind by all the means within their power."
- Marcus Tullius Cicero
Robert the41MagFan
New member
I need to make a correction for my fellow Latin 41 Magnum connoiseur. The .45 Colt fired from a Ruger can withstand pressures of over 28,000 psi. That put 45 Colt almost in the came catagory as a .44 Magnum. A 260 grain bullet can produce about 1,000 pound feet of energy out the barrel with the right powder. That is some serious firepower from such a old relic at half the pressure and recoil of the 44 magnum.
If you reload, the .45 Colt is the hands down winner. You can make very light plinking loads or if you want to you can load heavier bullets at higher velocities than the .44 mag and do it with less pressure. All the Ruger guns can safely handle the hot .45 Colt loads. I dearly love the old Colt cartidge but, you must be a reloader to get the full potential out of it.
If you don't reload, go with the .44 Magnum. When you include the .44 special loads along with the varity of magnum loads, there is still plenty of different ammo for whatever purpose you need.
If you don't reload, go with the .44 Magnum. When you include the .44 special loads along with the varity of magnum loads, there is still plenty of different ammo for whatever purpose you need.
Thanks for all the great info. I plan on using the gun for target and primarily hunting. I don't reload so it sounds like the .45 LC is out. I was going to ask if the .44 spl could be fired from the mag but that question has already been answered.
Hunting with my .308 has gotten to be less and less of a challenge just like squirrel hunting with my marlin w/4x scope. I now use my SW 617 open sighted for squirrel and rabbit hunting and was thinking of a similar change (thus the .44). I will probably get the Ruger Redhawk w/7 1/2" barrel and scope rings. Hopefully that will bring back the thrill of the hunt!
Thanks for all the advice!
Hunting with my .308 has gotten to be less and less of a challenge just like squirrel hunting with my marlin w/4x scope. I now use my SW 617 open sighted for squirrel and rabbit hunting and was thinking of a similar change (thus the .44). I will probably get the Ruger Redhawk w/7 1/2" barrel and scope rings. Hopefully that will bring back the thrill of the hunt!
Thanks for all the advice!
The Redhawk is an excellent choice for both of those uses. As for the cost of commercial loads, I haven't seen that .45 Colt is all that more expensive than .44 Mag. However, you will find a lot more varieties available in .44 Mag than in the .45. For that reason alone, it is a better choice.