Why do you love/hate the .44 magnum?
- Thread starter kcub
- Start date
In the mid '70's I began hunting with a handgun. The NM Dept of Game & Fish dictated the caliber and speed of factory ammo as a basis for making a decision of which caliber you would use to hunt with. The 44 mag was at the top of the list, ( memory straining ) I think it was 357, 41, 44 mag using factory ammo at XXX fps. That was 40 years ago. I have used the 44 mag since then and have never wanted anything else. It does the job and I am very satisfied with it.
RIDE-RED 350r
New member
OK, so I do not own one (yet) and have no hatred whatsoever for the venerable and long lived 45 Colt. And I do not deny that when loaded hot for the tougher Ruger firearms that it is at least just as powerful as the 44mag.
I see some say the 44mag was the answer to a question never asked... On that point I am curious as I am not as informed on when firearms came out that allowed the 45 Colt to be "hot-rodded". Was the 44mag introduced before the advent of firearms that facilitated higher performing 45 Colt?? I want to say they were very close, and my hunch is that the 44mag was hitting magazines and markets slightly before... If that's the case, there certainly was a question asked.
I see some say the 44mag was the answer to a question never asked... On that point I am curious as I am not as informed on when firearms came out that allowed the 45 Colt to be "hot-rodded". Was the 44mag introduced before the advent of firearms that facilitated higher performing 45 Colt?? I want to say they were very close, and my hunch is that the 44mag was hitting magazines and markets slightly before... If that's the case, there certainly was a question asked.
Pond James Pond
New member
Perhaps so, but judging by that answer, I bet the question would have been really, really good!
SecurityGeek
Inactive
Just an FYI - in Magmun Force, Callahan admits on-screen to using a "light special" load in his model 29. I assume over-penetration and second shot accuracy are concerns.
I like the .44 mag because of the range of bullet and load options, and because my uncle carried one as a US Marshall in the 1970's, but I've also never been overly recoil-sensitive. I have noticed that many of the .44 magnum revolvers I've purchased over the past 30 years have come with a partial box of ammo, so I guess not everyone can tolerate the full-tilt loads.
I like the .44 mag because of the range of bullet and load options, and because my uncle carried one as a US Marshall in the 1970's, but I've also never been overly recoil-sensitive. I have noticed that many of the .44 magnum revolvers I've purchased over the past 30 years have come with a partial box of ammo, so I guess not everyone can tolerate the full-tilt loads.
Have you actually tried it? I was a smug 45 Colt guy too but now find my 44 Mags are my best shooters. I should qualify that I reload everything I shoot, so I have complete control of the power. I have 44 Special too, so I can say that the Mags are definitely MAGNUM!!, but not total firecrackers either. I kinda like the drama of shooting these guns and am still strong enough to control them.
Harry does indeed say that in that movie. The scene is on the TARGET RANGE.
Generations have argued about this. IT is unclear if Harry means he uses Specials on the target range AND on the street, or just on the range.
Considering the amount of recoil shown when he is in a gunfight, I would vote for magnums on the street.
Of course, its just a movie...
Also note that Harry favors big powerful guns, even when they are not the best possible choice. In the countersniping scene in Dirty Harry, Harry uses a .458 Win Mag. In the scene it is quite clear the heavy recoil of the rifle slows down his shots, which actually helps Scorpio escape (that time).
black mamba
New member
I think love is too strong a word for an inanimate object, but the 44 mag is my favorite, and I think the best, revolver cartridge around. The ability to shoot a huge variety of both 44 special and magnum factory ammo, wide and extensive availability of reloading components, and in my 40 years experience shooting large revolvers, much greater accuracy than the 45 Colt, make the magnum the best choice. Over the decades I've had 7 or 8 each of 44 mag and 45 Colt revolvers, both single and double action, Ruger, S&W, BFR and Taurus, shooting bullets from 180 to 340 grains, with powders from Red Dot to 4227, and the Colt just does not equal the accuracy of the 44 magnum. Being a much more modern cartridge, the magnum doesn't have the dimensional differences of bore and throat that the Colt has to overcome. If I could only have one revolver, it would be an N-frame 44 mag.
I enjoy shooting .44mag, but don't shoot it often due to expense.
I have .357Mag also, so don't feel a need to load 'down' the .44 for recoil purposes. I actually like semi platform more than revolver-but own SRH and SBH.
I can shoot 50 rounds of factory .44mag ammo and stll have fun at the end-but my accuracy has declined. And i mean powerful. 44mag ammo, but not jaw dropping power. I normally shoot 240gr stuff making either 730 ft/lbs or 900s ft/lbs, with occasional stuff in the 1100s (PP ammo).
Now the Buffalo Bore 300gr rounds, well that is another story.
I have enough other toys that i would just shoot 9mm or .38sp if i wanted that power factor.
If i had to cut back, i can definitely see the appeal of the range of loads for .44mag. I just currently prefer to change the gun to get that drop in power.
I have .357Mag also, so don't feel a need to load 'down' the .44 for recoil purposes. I actually like semi platform more than revolver-but own SRH and SBH.
I can shoot 50 rounds of factory .44mag ammo and stll have fun at the end-but my accuracy has declined. And i mean powerful. 44mag ammo, but not jaw dropping power. I normally shoot 240gr stuff making either 730 ft/lbs or 900s ft/lbs, with occasional stuff in the 1100s (PP ammo).
Now the Buffalo Bore 300gr rounds, well that is another story.
I have enough other toys that i would just shoot 9mm or .38sp if i wanted that power factor.
If i had to cut back, i can definitely see the appeal of the range of loads for .44mag. I just currently prefer to change the gun to get that drop in power.
jackmoser65
New member
I love the .44 Magnum because of its history. Because of the works of not just Elmer Keith but John Lachuk and the rest of the ".44 Associates". Because it was the first serious handgun hunting cartridge. Because Larry Kelly used it to take the Big Five. Sure, I watched Dirty Harry back in the day but my affinity for the .44 has nothing to do with Hollywood.
As far as the .44 retiring in deference to the .45 Colt. Get back to me when I can walk into any gun shop and buy a .45-chambered revolver or rifle and NOT have to worry about oversized chambers and throats. Get back to me when SAAMI accepts .45 Colt +P. Get back to me when the stuff said about "standardized bullets" is actually true. Let me know when .45 Colt guns that are not large frame Ruger single actions or Redhawks can be loaded to their full potential. Because then, the .45 would be as special as the .44 Special or as legitimate as the .44 Magnum. Because right now, I can walk into any gun shop and buy a .44 Special or Magnum and not worry about accuracy or chamber dimensions. I can walk into a gun shop or get online and find a plethora of suitable projectiles for handloading. I can also load a mid-frame Blackhawk, New Vaquero, Colt SAA, USFA SAA or S&W N frame to 1200fps without worrying about it blowing up.
As far as the .44 retiring in deference to the .45 Colt. Get back to me when I can walk into any gun shop and buy a .45-chambered revolver or rifle and NOT have to worry about oversized chambers and throats. Get back to me when SAAMI accepts .45 Colt +P. Get back to me when the stuff said about "standardized bullets" is actually true. Let me know when .45 Colt guns that are not large frame Ruger single actions or Redhawks can be loaded to their full potential. Because then, the .45 would be as special as the .44 Special or as legitimate as the .44 Magnum. Because right now, I can walk into any gun shop and buy a .44 Special or Magnum and not worry about accuracy or chamber dimensions. I can walk into a gun shop or get online and find a plethora of suitable projectiles for handloading. I can also load a mid-frame Blackhawk, New Vaquero, Colt SAA, USFA SAA or S&W N frame to 1200fps without worrying about it blowing up.
Exactly! And without the 44 Magnum, we would have never had large frame .45 Colt Blackhawks to hotrod.
Wheelie_Fan
New member
I picked up a S&W Model 69 last year... and love it, never having owned a big bore handgun, or even fired one - sorta just got it in my head that i had to have me one.. I've run both 44 mag and 44 spl out of it, and find it to be a very shootable handgun with either cartridge. I would imagine the mod. 29 would be even more comfortable than the 69, with full house 44 mag in the cylinder.
Don't get me wrong, 44 mag is pretty stout, and i probably wouldn't bang out a hundred rounds at a range session - but it's not an entirely uncontrollable beast either. The 44 spl is just about perfect from the Mod. 69 and i've found accuracy to be excellent. just my .02, YMMV
Don't get me wrong, 44 mag is pretty stout, and i probably wouldn't bang out a hundred rounds at a range session - but it's not an entirely uncontrollable beast either. The 44 spl is just about perfect from the Mod. 69 and i've found accuracy to be excellent. just my .02, YMMV
I don't believe any of those guns, 45 Colt I presume, has any certification for that level of "1200 fps". It's all due to the culture around these guns. The 44 Magnum, on the other hand, is powerful by design and official specification. There are no legacy guns in that caliber that were never intended for magnum level ammunition. It is those old guns that impairs the world of 45 Colt and has ammo makers marketing mostly to the least common denominator.
BTW the throats on my 45 Colt Redhawk were too tight for lead, so it seems you can't win on the specs being in sync with intended uses. Yes, the throats on my 45 Blackhawk are slightly over. My New Vaquero throats were .451 instead of 452, with consistent barrel leading, and had to be reamed to 4525.
Yes, my 44 Magnums, two Smiths and two Sauer SA, are incredibly accurate, but I didn't buy them new and don't know the gunsmithing histories.
My Henry Big Boy (from pre-Hurricane Sandy factory flood production) in 45 Colt shoots well. Should I be concerned about oversize "chambers and throats" on that gun?
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jackmoser65
New member
I was referencing the .44 Special Keith load.
Virtually all rifles are going to have oversized chambers.
Despite what Jackmoser65 replied, my reading of his post is that all of the guns he listed were in .44mag or .44special, and capable of those types of velocities. But I may have missed the point and his correction seems to indicate I did.
I can't help but note that many gun makers also don't have a certificate that they can accept +P ammo, even if they can. It seems the ultra-power info comes in greater detail from ammo makers than gun makers nowadays.
Looking at Buffalo Bore's website, they have some listings that are interesting.
BB has to be concerned about blowing up a customer's gun. I am willing to accept their recommendations for THEIR ammo, at their velocity/ME.
I know they didn't design the handguns in question, but they are more familiar with the variations than seems normal from mainstream ammo makers.
Two listings stood out in particular:
Heavy .44mag BB ammo, safe for most handguns
And
Heavy BUffalo Bore .44mag +P+ ammo
You should note that Buffalo Bore lists the first one as safe for all [non scandium/aluminum] handguns AND it is 1200FPS.
This is compared to the BB listings for .45Colt +P
BB .45Colt +P deer grenade
Just some info to share...
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I didn't see how 44 Special was pertinent in that context and then associated that list of guns with 45 Colt.
If they are all that way, that says something about its validity, doesn't it? I have a Marlin 44 Mag and thought of it as highly regarded. I have rifles as companions to sidearms in 357 Magnum, 44 Magnum, and 45 Colt. Do all of them have loose chambers?
The First Time I Shot it...
The first time I shot my S&W model 29-2 was at Memphis Indoor Gun Range. I had found a stool to sit on because I wanted to shoot from rest to gauge the accuracy of the gun. I took anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute to shoot each of the six rounds. When I had gotten to the 6th round, I hadn't turned around to notice that a small crowd of people had gathered behind me to watch me shoot. When I fired the 6th round, the concussion/recoil had knocked loose the housing of the motor running the targets up and down the range and it fell and hit me on the head to my big surprise. Of course, everyone laughed and was surprised! It did not hurt me, though.
The moral of this story is that a .44 Magnum is not for everyone. I shot it many times after that first time but no longer have it. And , yes, I am sorry that I sold it! Keep in mind that you can shoot .44 specials in it which, to my regret, never tried.
All of this was about 30 or so years ago when the Dirty Harry gun was a novelty. It has been only 4 years since I had to sell it.
The first time I shot my S&W model 29-2 was at Memphis Indoor Gun Range. I had found a stool to sit on because I wanted to shoot from rest to gauge the accuracy of the gun. I took anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute to shoot each of the six rounds. When I had gotten to the 6th round, I hadn't turned around to notice that a small crowd of people had gathered behind me to watch me shoot. When I fired the 6th round, the concussion/recoil had knocked loose the housing of the motor running the targets up and down the range and it fell and hit me on the head to my big surprise. Of course, everyone laughed and was surprised! It did not hurt me, though.
The moral of this story is that a .44 Magnum is not for everyone. I shot it many times after that first time but no longer have it. And , yes, I am sorry that I sold it! Keep in mind that you can shoot .44 specials in it which, to my regret, never tried.
All of this was about 30 or so years ago when the Dirty Harry gun was a novelty. It has been only 4 years since I had to sell it.
I have a 7 1/2" Redhawk and a 7 1/2 Freedom Arms .454. I use the same belt holster for both when hunting and I can't tell if there is a weight difference. You can sure tell the difference when you fire them though. I love them both, but the advantages of the bigger one on deer has become obvious.
From what I understand, the 460s are on much heavier and recoil resistant platform, and have less recoil than my 454. They are also a lot more gun to carry in the field.
