Why do you love/hate the .44 magnum?

I am definitely not a die-hard .44 Mag addict. I own just one, 7.5" barreled blued Redhawk that was spit out of Connecticut in 1985. I put Pachmayr on it -AND- I set Mag-Na-Port to work on it with a four-port job.

And I absolutely see fantastic use from being able to download my ammo and I find it entirely confounding when others can't understand the draw to it.

I can go to my club and shoot full-house loads, 240gr LSWC at 1,350 fps from a rest on the rifle range and slap my 8" plate at 200 yards. And an hour later, on the pistol range where the steel plate racks are MANY and lots of fun (and 12-15 yards away) I don't break the rules or beat my hands senseless and I don't wreck the plate racks because I'm flinging 240gr LSWC at a clocked 870fps. It is a heap of fun and I don't tire of it.

But really... you can't understand that? You just really don't see it?
 
I shoot silly wets with a super Red Hawk. Love it. I shot one deer and that proved it's plenty big enough for that. I have other guns .

I am a hand loader.

David
 
Versatility, choice of platform and ease of finding ammo are all there in the 357mag and 44mag. You can perform such a wide variety of shooting tasks with either caliber from teaching a beginner to some pretty serious uses. The reason they have both stood the test of time.
 
To read these forums I would think that I'm the only guy in the world who finds the 44 Magnum too much. I don't enjoy shooting it. Painful. So why do I have two of them? One I can almost understand. I bought one because it was a gun I thought I should have. But why did I buy the second one?

But I know that I am not alone in being repulsed by the 44 recoil. I recall the ads in the paper back in the late 1960s:

For Sale- S&W 44 Magnum. Like new. Comes with a box of ammo with one round fired.

I actually saw that ad a couple time. Once the brave soul had fired 3 rounds before giving up. New 44 Magnums were a tough sell. They sat for months at the shops.

Then Dirty Harry opened and the 29s flew off the the dealers' shelves. Couldn't find a new one for 5-6 years. Dealers were getting 50% above retail.

In 1956 the 44 Magnum was "the most powerful handgun in the world." Now there's all manner of 45 and 50 caliber handguns that outclass the 44 Magnum.

I have owned the 6.5" M29-2 since 1986. It has had maybe 50 rounds put through it. A friend offered me the 4" 29-2 four years ago at a price I couldn't refuse. I have put exactly 18 rounds through it. I find the recoil brutal. I bought a set of Pachmayr rubber grips for the N frame. next time I shoot them I'll see if they help.

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Sevens - And an hour later, on the pistol range where the steel plate racks are MANY and lots of fun (and 12-15 yards away)
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Shooting at steel from 15 yards sounds dangerous. Who does that, really? On the range I use we cannot even use metal clips to secure targets. It's just wood, dirt, chicken wire, and railroad ties.
 
I am fond of the .44 Mag, but have a slightly greater love for other cartridges.

For a long time after Dirty Harry came out, (and sometimes still today) you would fine 44/44 deals in the gunshops. A .44 mag, with a box of 44 (out of 50) shells. Lots of people bought one on the hype, fired one cylinder (sometimes less) and said "no way, I'm done with this".

A friend of mine paid $450 in 1976 for one, when the MSRP was $283.50!!

The extra cost saved him two years + of wait.

With full house loads and stock factory grips the S&W 29 is one of the most uncomfortable/painful guns I know.

BUT, drop the load level a little bit (11-1200fps), put on Pachmyr grips, and its one of the finest DA revolvers out there, and while stout, it is not painful, for me, anyway.

I also, don't see the point in making powder puff loads, but something much more than that, but a bit less than full house .44 mag is both very useful, and much more pleasant to shoot.
 
Apples and oranges. Not a reasonable thing to even compare.

BTW, for those who never read a harry book or delved deeply into the story, he actually carried .44 special service loads in his 29, stating that the huge pistol made it a powder puff to shoot while offering the most brutal smackdown he could ask for.

A person really needs both of them if he has even the slightest need for a super powered handgun, it'd be good if both pistols were the same format. If I was ever in BIG bear territory, I'd prefer a .44, but I'd much rather pack a .357 under any other circumstances that don't involve possible contact with rabid grizzly bears.

Most importantly of all, even though I'd carry a .44 for extreme uses, I'm not shooting it for pleasure.

In another segue, the .45 colt and .44 magnum are almost as different as the .357 and .44. wider, heavier bullets, lower velocity, but still similar in performance.
 
"A friend of mine paid $450 in 1976 for one, when the MSRP was $283.50!!

The extra cost saved him two years + of wait.

With full house loads and stock factory grips the S&W 29 is one of the most uncomfortable/painful guns I know.

BUT, drop the load level a little bit (11-1200fps), put on Pachmyr grips, and its one of the finest DA revolvers out there, and while stout, it is not painful, for me, anyway."

I got my 1st 29 in 1976 as well. Brand new dealer let me have it for $350 and I recall retail was $287.50 but we're close.

Drop it down to 1,100 FPS? Isn't that...a 44 Special?

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With full house loads and stock factory grips the S&W 29 is one of the most uncomfortable/painful guns I know.

BUT, drop the load level a little bit (11-1200fps), put on Pachmyr grips, and its one of the finest DA revolvers out there, and while stout, it is not painful, for me, anyway.

I also, don't see the point in making powder puff loads, but something much more than that, but a bit less than full house .44 mag is both very useful, and much more pleasant to shoot.
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I agree that the M-29 or even M-57 is pretty uncomfortable. Add some better grips and it changes things. I have always wondered why there are few loads in the 1000-1100 fps range for the 41 and 44 mag. Those are fairly comfortable to shoot and you still know you're shooting a "magnum".
 
In 1984, I got myself a "Dirty Harry." Yes, because of the movie franchise. Guilty as charged. (Pic: the one on top) I took to it quickly and morphed into a full-fledged recoil junky. 44 Special rounds? Never heard of her :p

Fast-forward 31 years, and other than the occasional couple cylinders full for the novelty of it, the big recoiling 44 Mag rounds do little for me.

I just bought a new 629 Classic (Pic: the one on the bottom); but if it were chambered for 44 Special, that would suit me just fine. I only have 200-something rounds through it thus far; but I can tell you with a high degree of certainty, that about 98% of the rounds going through it are going to be 44 Special.

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My first 44 was a S&W 629 Classic with a 6.5" tube. I have never been bothered much by recoil, and admittedly I kind of like a firearm that keeps you on your toes. I find it fun and like the challenge of making tight groups on the target despite the recoil and blast. One may ask why on earth I practice with full house mag loads.. I'll tell you why: I choose to practice with the same ammo in the cylinder that will be in it when it counts in the field. I DO understand why some folks like to dial it back and customize their loads to their liking, and I pass no judgement on that. I just feel that for my needs, racking up range sessions with down loaded ammo and getting accustomed to the firing and POI characteristics of that ammo won't do me much good when I carry the full house stuff afield.

My second 44 I picked up sort of by accident. Another Smith, but this one a 29-2 in 98%+ condition, 4"bbl, factory combat grips, box, docs, and tool kit. I could not pass it up for the asking price. Took it home for a smidge under $900 OTD for everything. This was 3 years ago. This is the safe queen and I don't carry it very often. It's just an awesomely bada** side-arm in a somewhat compact package. I handload and the Queen gets her own brand, upper midrange charge of AA#9 pushing a 200gr XTP. The lighter boolit isn't quite as thumpy to the hand, but still let's you know it's there. And I don't believe it's as hard on the revolver either, which is good as Smith didn't beef up the lockwork making them more durable with a steady diet of heavier bullets pushed by full charge levels until the -3 revision.

I am kind of a hoarder/collector of things I enjoy. I have a pair of Smith 357's as well, a m19-3, 4"bbl and a 28-2 HP with a 6" bbl. And then there is the 460v with a 5"bbl.. that thing is an animal and it has only had full power 460 mag loads run through it. I have yet to get a m57 in the safe, but it's a glaring blank spot in my modest little collection that I intend to remedy in the future.

I don't really hate any cartridge.. They all serve a purpose and they all are a lot of fun to me. I am 37 years old now and I hope that I don't lose my tolerance of recoil as I get older. Seeing all of the stories here about fellows who in their younger years didn't mind the recoil and now not being able to stand it worries me a little bit. :(
 
Nick, it's amazing what age, maturity, and experience does for you. I have always wished for factory loads that would fall into the special range for 41 mag. Don't really care is there is an official 41 Special, just want the factory loading available.
 
Nick, it's amazing what age, maturity, and experience does for you. I have always wished for factory loads that would fall into the special range for 41 mag. Don't really care is there is an official 41 Special, just want the factory loading available.
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41 is a bit of a specialty caliber (unfortunately, since I love 40's in general) but if you reload you can make a "pussycat" load for it.
 
Bought my first Super Blackhawk in around 1969 . (cost new less than 100 bucks) I have shot the 44 Mag for over 40 years and hope to shoot it more . I shoot a bunch of 240 gr. lead some time 400 rounds or more a week . I run them at 1050 fps and shoot steel most often . I have a number of handguns but shoot the 44,s the most . to say I love the 44 Mag is an understatement .
 
Drop it down to 1,100 FPS? Isn't that...a 44 Special?
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Not close, really. Closer to .44 Mag than .44 Special.

What would a 240gr slug at 1100 fps do to a Charter Bulldog?

I don't do .44 Special and I have none of that brass but I believe even my light .44 load (240's at 870) exceed .44 Special's comfort zone.
 
The 41 mag police load was the intended normal load for the 41 mag revolver when it was first created. My understanding was that the load was not commonly available and police departments that tested the gun used the full magnum loading and found it to be difficult for an average officer to handle.

It's sort of water under the bridge at this point as I don't believe any police departments issue revolvers as a primary gun.

The only lower powered loading that I am aware of is one from GA Arms in what they called a cowboy load at 800 fps (210 gr semi-wadcutter) and a bit wimpy. I believe the police loading was around 950 fps.

I am fully aware that I can reload them to about 1000-1100 fps or so if I choose to.
 
You can shoot 44 special or the equivalent for targets or fun, if you don't love recoil.

You can shoot full-power 44 magnum loads for targets or fun, if you do love recoil.

You can carry full-power 44 magnum loads in bear or hog country, or for deer hunting.

What's not to like?
 
What's not to like?
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Well, same could be said on the .45 Colt :) . Just more so ;) .

Speaking of recoil....
... not being able to stand it worries me a little bit.
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Why is that :) ? When you get your sense ;) , you'll realize that recoil buys you nothing. Not a bit 'fun'. Just hard on the wrists with useless noise and blast and can make one develop a flinch which can affect accuracy. Holes in paper, hitting some steel plates, or a coyote, or a deer, or self defense, or... doesn't care if hit at 1000fps or 1500fps with a 240g+ bullet at normal handgun distances. I personally like to enjoy my shooting sessions! :)

In most .44Spec revolvers you can get to 1200fps (low end of .44Mag territory). In .44Spec circles this is known as the Keith load. But NOT in guns like the CA Bulldog (I have one). Back to 700fps loads for it which is more than enough for SD in town. Know your shoot'n iron... which should go without say'n.... I like the Skeeter load for my 'normal' .44 special revolvers which runs about 1000fps out of a 5 1/2" barrel.
 
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