Chapter II, .41 Magnum vs. .44 Magnum

A

Ala Dan

Member in memoriam
O.K. Guy's and Gal's, Not to douse flames on
our .357 Magnum follower's; as we all know
the capabilities of that fine cartridge; but considering the fact that the .44 Magnum is
very versatile, much like that of the .357
Magnum in that you can fire the milder .44
Special's and/or .44 Magnums; which caliber
do you prefer, the .41 or the .44 Magnum and
for what reasons.

My very 1st magnum caliber handgun was a beautiful Smith & Wesson Model 57, 4" blue
encased in the maghogany box. Also, it was
the first caliber I reloaded for, dating
back to about 1973.

In the lean years of non existant S&W Model
29's, the model 57 was more extinct. :D One
virtually had to go on the "black market" to
obtain either. Every now and then one might
find the M&P version, the fixed sighted model
58 in .41 Magnum; but they were scarce also.
Now, that brings me around to the topic of
discussion; given the choice of ONLY these
two caliber's, which do you prefer and why?
Also, if you care to give us the make and
model of either; that will be fine; as I
know we have member's who prefer S&W's, Ruger's, Taurus, and even Colt's. Would
love to hear all opinion's on this subject.
Thanks in advance,

Best Wishes to All,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
Own a set of ss 5.5" Redhawks in 41, 44, and 45LC.

Prefer the 41, 'cause I already blowed up my 44.

Less recoil in the 41, less bullet selection, but adequate for any lower 48 non-grizzly.

(really really like the 45 with 300g XTP's at 1309fps, but speedloaders are hard to find! USPSA, you know....)


-------------------------------------------

"all my mistakes are factory mistakes"
 
.41 ALL THE WAY!

The .44 is really only .429.

I cast my own bullets, so that ain't a problem.

I don't have to make up for a deficiency in manhood by having the biggest dog on the block.

Dirty Harry actually carried a Model 57. They couldn't find a Model 29.


Yr. Obt. Svnt.

------------------
Fred J. Drumheller
NRA Life
NRA Golden Eagle
 
Sorry Guys, .41 is a nice round but try to go down to Wally World and get a box of ammo for it. Heck not even Kieslers has any Ammo in .41 Mag. I would have to go with 44. It is more versitale because of being able to fire .44 special through it and the fact that every major Ammo manufactuer loads.
 
.41 magnum all the way. Two Md. 58s customized by C&S. Two Marlin LA carbins .41 magnum. I don't need the most powerful, just the best. As to WW they don't carry .28 guage shells either.

Cheers,

ts
 
My choice of the two is the 41 its a great whitetail round. Being a reloader I can down load for a enjoyable day shooting or crank it up for hunting. I can be downloaded (I think a fullhouse load would be pretty powerful in a house) for self defense. But I've always heard never use a
handload for a self defense round due to the fact if you would happen to go to court the lawyers would use that fact against you ??

Actually the Smith 41 is my favorite handgun.

BUT if I could only own one handgun it would be a Smith 29 44 Mag. with a 5" barrel. The barrel length is legal for deer in my state. And if you're not a reloader you can shoot 44 Spec. for a pleasent day at the range. Or the 29 loaded with the 44 Spec. makes a great self defense round.

Shooting boxes of full power 44 mag. loads is not a great experience. Years ago I was chronographing 44 Mag. loads through my DW 44 and a Magnaport Stalker (boy was that Stalker a great piece of work). To put it mildly my hand hurt and I had the worse headache. Shooting off the bench with a scope each time I fired the concussion would smack me in the face. About the only worse handgun to shoot is my TC Contender chambered for 444 Marlin.

My choice would be the 44 Mag. loaded with H-110 and topped off with a Sierra 240 JHP for whitetail. Or for self defense a 44 Spec. with a good HP bullet. Never really looked into who and what makes a 44 Spec. round.

Turk
 
Forty-one Magnum is special for those of us that know that bigger is not necessarily better. That this cartridge is more than capable of downing any game in North America. A cartridge made for those individuals that know that the best ammunitions are made by hand, for that is the only way to exploit its true power. That any handgun in 44 is stronger in 41 Magnum. It will shoot flatter, more accurately and penetrate deeper than its larger brother. It has everything needed to make it a great caliber, except the ego.

Robert

vcomp41_med.jpg


[This message has been edited by Robert the41MagFan (edited June 17, 2000).]
 
I've owned both and prefer the .41mag. It's neat for all the reasons already stated. I really enjoy shooting it in my S&W Mountain Gn.
I dont think it is worthwhile arguing over which is best. The biggest need I've seen in hunters is to be able to shoot well. Most simply dont practice much and arent as serious about it as they should be. I wish some would stay home rather than wound animals they should have greater respect for.
That's my two bits worth.

Dave
 
I'm a big fan of the .41 Mag. Have a Mdl. 57 (Deacon Deeson Bear Hug Grips) and a Marlin 1894s lever in .41 Mag. What a great combo! Shoots flatter than a .44 but, in the field, on a practical level, hits as hard. Easier to come down out of recoil too.

Several years ago, I killed a 400 pound black bear with one shot, my reload, with the Mdl. 57. I've killed one medium mule deer with the rifle, one shot, about 75/80 yards. They work for me.

Oh, by the way, I have a Mdl. 29 (6 1/2" bbl) and a Ruger S.B.H. in .44. I almost never shoot them anymore. I'm also a big fan of the Ruger B.H. in .45 L.C., with my reloads. That will do the job, too, out in the field. FWIW. J.B.
 
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