Why do you love/hate the .44 magnum?

I don't care much about the 44 magnum cartridge at all. I've owned three or four magnum guns over the years and probably didn't fire 50 magnum rounds out of all of them.

I don't own a 44 magnum anymore. I do have a Taurus 431, 44 special that scratches my 44 itch.
 
I fired what was probably one of the first .44 Magnum Rugers and thought it was too much gun for me. I have never changed that view, though I have fired quite a few since.

Jim
 
What, no 429 magnum comments yet? :D


My first shot out of a 44 was a hit on a ram at 200 meters. The next two out of three rounds did the same thing.

That was the same day I was trying my 454 SRH on steel critters.

I was a very advanced shooter by that time and I had no real interest in the 44. I still don't. My 45 Colt will do whatever I would do with a 44 and if I want more I reach for the 454.

It's a fine cartridge but carries no appeal for me.
 
"...Saw so many slightly used at shows years ago that..." Every time any "Dirty Harry" movie ran on TV, sales of Smith 29's went up. Nothing sells like stuff seen in movies.
Don't love or hate the .44 Mag myself. Just more stuff I desperately need more. Would have a Super Redhawk though. For no apparent reason other than it fits my hand. And it's big. HAHAHA.
 
I am and always will be a.45 Colt person. The .429 Mag is ok, but it doesn't have the draw of the .45 Colt for me. Simple as that :) . I feel my .45 Colt will do all that needs doing anywhere in the world I happen to be. Yes, I have a couple .44Mag revolvers, and the 50th Anniversary Ruger BH flattop is my favorite when I do shoot .44Mag. Plus I can load it down (I am a reloader) for plenty of pleasant shooting too.
 
The .44 mag at full power is enough gun and enough recoil to bring a "Wow" factor and a smile to the face of most any American male no matter how big they are or how tough they think they are. Yet, with the right gun and grips they are also very enjoyable to shoot. Some of the finest revolvers also happen to come in .44 mag.
 
I am and always will be a.45 Colt person.
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My exact sentiment.
I have three 44 mag revolvers and hardly ever shoot any of them.
I have five revolvers in 45 Colt and shoot four of them a large percentage of the time, the 5th one is an actual Colt unfired and I plan on keeping it that way.
 
I really like the .44 for several reasons. Simple to reload, to make shooting affordable. Versatility from light .44 spl loads to full-house .44 mags. Plenty of power to do whatever job you need a handgun to do. Have a 29-2 and a Ruger SRH and both are more accurate than I am. I shoot in bullseye competitions with the 29 frequently and its accuracy and trigger make me a better shooter.
 
Never understood the logic behind buying a .44 & loading it down, or shooting Specials through it. :)

If I don't want to shoot full .44 Mag loads, I shoot a different caliber.

Just me.
Denis
 
dpris said:
Never understood the logic behind buying a .44 & loading it down, or shooting Specials through it.
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Same reason people buy cars and trucks that can do 150 to 200 MPH and only drive them on the street where the max speed limit is 70 or 80 MPH at the most. Any puny little 4 cylinder can easily handle that. However, MANY people find that it's fun to have the capability to far exceed the typical limits if you ever want to use it! ;)
 
My marksmanship is better with a 44 Magnum than any other. I have tried to figure why, but it is definitely the case. The barrel lengths are 5-6 inches, so that would be part of it.
 
After Dirty Harry, the .44 Magnum gained most of its popularity with handgun hunting.
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That is probably true as a general statement. But, handgun hunting has been a common gun magazine thing for a long time and many people want a challenge. The same is true of archery hunting.

Many hunters carried a handgun. But they didn't use it as their primary gun. That has changed somewhat.

As Dpris said, I don't understand people downloading 44's, 41's, 45's and so forth to powder puff levels. Just pick another gun in a smaller caliber. I however can see moderate power levels as being something very appealing to magnum handgun shooters.
 
I almost jumped on a a deal I saw on a stainless Ruger Super Red Hawk. It would have gone great with my stainless GP 100. I do not have anything else chambered for .44 magnum and I frankly have no need for that round. Based on the price of feeding it and the fact I have no NEED for it, I passed on a great deal. It was really hard to pass up and I think it might have made a great range toy. Oh well.
 
I don't hate the 44 , I just never had any use for it.

I got a Ruger 44 in a trade one time and never even fired it before I sold it off.
 
I've got lots of guns of lesser caliber than .44 mag.

But watching the faces of new shooters as they hit the paper at 50ft with a SBH .44 magnum is reason enough for me to use low power loads.

One also has to concede that there is a mystique about the .44 magnum which is hard to resist.
 
I started shooting it when I was 12 years old... loved the power and the accuracy. I don't think I shot Specials out of it until at least 22 or so. That is the short story why I love it... want an even shorter one; Dirty Harry. [emoji41]

Still have the 629-1 that I first started shooting (father gave it to me), and will never sell it.
 
Never understood the logic behind buying a .44 & loading it down, or shooting Specials through it.
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The beauty of reloading is you can download to whatever load you want to use. Simple :) . I don't shoot .44 special cases in my .429 magnums. I use .44Mag cases. Why? Because I 'can' load my .429 mag down to whatever power level I want. Why subject yourself to all the noise, blast, and recoil in the first place? That is absolutely no fun what-so-ever for general purpose shooting. Secondly, you can have one gun that does it all from 600fps to 1400fps.... Just like the .429s big brother the .45 Colt. Wonderfu!!!! Why buy separate guns if you don't need to? Again simple logic ;) . For me, I like my .429 240g SWCs to run about 1100fps. That is more than comfortable for all day shooting and sub-sonic, yet is a good woods load too. isn't is great to have choices?
 
Never understood the logic behind buying a .44 & loading it down, or shooting Specials through it.
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I have a powerful cordless drill.

Sometimes, I don't want to turn my screw-head into iron fillings, but other times I want to drill through concrete or steel.

I certainly don't want to buy two drills.
 
For me a 44 mag in a handgun was just a tad too much too handle to really call fun--so I replaced my SBHH with a 41 mag which is easier and more enjoyable to shoot as a handgun.

HOWEVER--I reload and the 44 mag is one of my all-time favorites to reload for--simplicity itself and offers a huge range of possibilities. AND--I have a 16" lever carbine in 44 mag which IMHO is the best platform for the 44 mag, I shoot full-power loads and it is truly a joy smacking something hard--and very accurately with that wide frontal area at 100 or more yds.
 
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