Taurus M44

R

Red Label

New member
I picked up a Taurus M44 .44 mag in stainless steel last weekend. The price was right (a bit over $300 NIB). It has a 3" barrel, so it is definitely a snubbie to me.

Feels okay in the hand, though after 50 rounds the space between my thumb and first finger was starting to get sore. It is not ported. But I have grown used to shooting my compact .45 ACP, so recoil only seemed a bit more brisk and "stiff" to me. I was amazed that it didn't kick more.

This is my first .44 mag. It fit my requirements because it is short and powerful (and cheap). I needed small revolver in the minimum caliber for griz for backpacking. I could not find any pre-agreement (or post-agreement for that matter) S&W .44 mag with a barrel short enough. I would have been okay with a 4" barrel, but no larger.

Anyways... though my experience is limited, I believe Taurus to be a decent gun for the money. So, after all these disclaimers (yes a Taurus is good enough for me, yes I am comfortable with a short-barreled .44 mag as a backup to my can of pepper spray, etc...) here are my questions:

1)Any advice or technique on improving accuracy with this gun (in addition to putting thousands of rounds through it)?

2)Until I begin to reload (soon I hope), any advice on the best factory loads to buy for use against bear?

And I'm sure I'll have more as time goes on. Thanks a bunch...
 
1) More shooting......first. Time will tell if mechanical adjustments are required.

2) Cor-Bon (unless you want to pay more?).
 
Thanks weshoot2. I figured the Corbon would be good stuff. I was looking in a handguns mag the other day at a ballistics table and saw that one of Remington's .44 mag loads will go 1600 fps at the barrel and produce 1575 fpe. Wow! Anyone know which load this is? I believe it was a jacketed soft point.
 
Thanks BAD. I will check those Federal cartridges out. The ballistics table in the magazine said that those were for a revolver with either a 4 or 7" barrel ( I can't remember which on that one ).
 
Red Label; How the heck did you get a NIB M44 with a 3" barrel? I'm jealous! I know Taurus made them a couple years ago but I thought they dropped them from production. I wanted one but procrastinated to long. As said, practice makes perfect with a hand cannon. I'd just try to shoot the tightest groups possible at seven yards. Any confrontation will be up close and personal anyway. For ammo, as mentioned, I'd go with a hardcast design of some kind. I stomp around the woods with a 41 maggie and Federal's 250gr HardCast hunting load. They come in 44 mag also. Recoil will be a bit stout but nothin's free. My Taurus 415 41 maggie will be in anyday now:). Well, good shootin' and have fun this summer in the woods. Best Regards, J. Parker
 
Hi J.Parker. I got it at a gun show. Came with the box and all the paperwork. Really checked it out, and it appeared to be unfired. The dealer said that it was some kind of promo or something. So I don't know if it's several years old NIB, or a specialty deal (probably the former). It is nickel-plated.

I actually like the small-frame, ported, stainless .41 mag Taurus like yours better. I looked at a couple and almost bought one instead. I like the ribbed grips too. But I figured I'd better go with the .44 mag because the whole reason I wanted it was for a back-packable revolver capable of at least making a griz think twice. I have wrestled with this for some time, and I wish Taurus made the 415 small-frame style in a .44 mag. I know that the .41 mag would be the next caliber down on the handgun list that I'd use for bear, but I figure it's better to go UP the list for bear, rather than down. I'd really rather pack my Winchester Defender 12 gauge with an assortment of 8 slugs/buckshot. But it's just too much to pack around...

Has anyone out there developed hand loads for the .41 mag that approach .44 mag loads for knockdown?
 
And nickel-plated to boot? Must be a nice lookin' gun. Can't help ya with handload questions 'cause I don't do it myself. Sounds to me like you got a great "trail" gun at a great price. Best Regards, J. Parker
 
It is a nice lookin' gun J, but I have been thinking about replacing the rubber grips. Maybe the ribbed kind, or maybe even some wood or fake ivory. I suspect I'd do well to stay with the rubber though in the interest of recoil dampening.

The one thing that bugs me about the nickel plating is that you have to wipe it down good after shooting because the powder burns are clearly visible on the cylinder. The first time I shot it I was afraid that the burns were permanent, but with a little scrubbing they come off.

Ahhh...It is so nice outside and I'd rather be shooting it right now. And I have to drive about 20 miles to shoot, so I will probably have to wait for the weekend...
 
Hi Red Label: I see you're still working on your bear battery. I've moved to Cody since we last discussed weaponry. As you know, there are so many griz around here that bear defense is far more than an abstract idea.

We seem to have made some similar choices in weaponry. My favorite is a Benelli M1 rigged up with an 18.5" barrel and ghost ring sights. It looks like my best load is going to be the 3" Brenneke slugs.


As you say, though, a shotgun is too much to lug around all the time. My bear handgun is a Colt Anaconda 4". It's a bit heavy, but that helps with recoil, as do the Decelerator grips. My chosen load is the W-W 250 grain Partition Gold. The steel cap on the back section of the bullet holds together for great penetration. These are superbly accurate in my gun, always keeping six shots in 1" at 12 yards. As others have said, the Federal 300 grain Cast Core should also be a good penetrator.

I saw on the news that someone got cuffed around by a bear in Jackson, resulting in minor injuries. Looks like they are coming out of hibernation.
Good Shooting, CoyDog
 
Hey there CoyDog. Always working on the bear battery. Hopefully I will never even see one in the wild, but if I do I will be as prepared as I can be. Of course, my first line of defense is a can of pepper spray. And I hope that would be all I'd ever have to use. I've been reading some good bear books. More that I learn about the griz, the less that I ever want to have to shoot at one. They are a beautiful, intelligent animal that deserves respect and maybe even admiration. As long as they leave me alone, I will leave them alone. But if one threatens me or my loved ones (or anyone else near me for that matter), then I will have to defend human life. I sincerely hope that never happens...

Congrats on the move to Cody. Many fine childhood memories there. Me and dad used to pack my 870 Wingmaster with slug barrel with us when we hiked up the Nort Fork of the Shoshone River. That was my best Christmas present ever. Got it when I was 12. The bear situation was not even close then (early 80's) to what it is now.

My dad still lives there -- right under the majesty of Carter Mountain and overlooking Buffalo Bill Reservoir. Brought up his Taurus .41 mag the other day. But he doesn't get into the hills much anymore -- it's for the human kind of predator.
 
Better Trigger Pull?

I just installed a Wolff reduced power hammer spring in combo with the reduced power trigger return spring and it is now a very nice pistol. The double action is sweet as can be. All for under 10 bucks. PAT
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top