DUBSY Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 where does this ammo land on the power/recoil/fireball spectrum? I bought it to try in a possible gun purchase. My first .44. I'm guessing it's mild. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collim1 Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 (edited) Those .44spl loads will be pretty mild out of an all steel 4” or longer barreled revolver. I shot some 240g .44 spl handloads at ~900fps the day before yesterday. They were .45acp+P recoil level. I was shooting a 6” S&W 629. The Armscor is advertised as 240g at 1100fps. Recoil is subjective, but out of an all steel gun I would think they’ll have a seriously satisfying bang, but will be quite pleasant to shoot. Knowing what gun you’re looking at would be helpful. Some of the backpacking and guiding guns are pretty short barrels and lightweight which can dramatically increase felt recoil. Edited August 31, 2018 by Collim1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUBSY Posted August 31, 2018 Author Share Posted August 31, 2018 Ruger redhawk 5.5” 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collim1 Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 (edited) 7 minutes ago, DUBSY said: Ruger redhawk 5.5” Neither one of those should be unpleasant if you’re hands are injury/arthritis free. Even most of the Walmart .44mag offerings are relatively mild out of a gun like a 5.5” Redhawk. Recoil is very subjective, but I’ve always had a big smile afterwards and no pain from any of the Remington or Winchester Walmart Offerings You ever get the urge to knock your socks off pick up some Heavy Buffalo Bore. Those are loaded to the .44’s true potential and are quite hot compared to most of the available factory ammo. Edited August 31, 2018 by Collim1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUBSY Posted August 31, 2018 Author Share Posted August 31, 2018 I’m gonna follow someone’s advice and work my way up slowly. I’ve been shooting a lot of .357 lately Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collim1 Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 .44 mag is my limit. I’ve turned down the opportunity to shoot some of the .454, .460, and .500 offerings. If I had to pick a handgun for bear country it would be a .44 mag with Buffalo Bore solids. I’m not subjecting my aching hands to anymore than that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borg warner Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 the 44 sp4ecial load is rated at 980 fps 383 ft/lbs of energy and the 44 mag load at 1100 fps 644 fpe. Depending on barrel length, the ballistics for the 44 special load are about average for a 44 special 180 grain defensive load and compared to the 44 magnum are not all that spectacular on the power/recoil/fireball spectrum and fired out of a Ruger Super Blackhawk or 4" S&W model 29 or 629 would be quite mild. In comparison, Hornady makes a 44 Special 180 grain XTP load that develops 1000 fps and 400 fpe while most 44 special defensive loads use the 200 grain bullet. Underwood makes a 190 grain lead JHP load for the 44 Special that develops 1150 fps 558 fpe and that's the hottest commercial load available in that bucket weight available but it's still a mild load out of a full size gun compared to the 44 mag. And the Armscor 240 grain 1100 fps 644 fpe 44 mag load is a pretty mild load as far as the 44 magnum goes considering that most 240 grain 44 mag load do about 1175-1200 fps and Hornady Custom offers a 44 mag 240 grain XTP load at 1360 fps 985 ft/lbs. A reloader can load the 44 mag down to 44 Special ballistics and can come real close to matching the 44 mag using the shorter 44 Special case but if pressure levels are kept within 44 special specs there's a limit as to how hot you can load it. I started out reloading for the Charter Arms and the limitation was always show much recoil I was willing to tolerate befor3e I even came close to exceeding pressure limits and 1000 Fps was about as High as I wanted to go with a 180 grain bullet These days my 44 Special is one of the 2 3/4 inch Lew Horton specials and I like a load using 200 grain XTP's traveling at about 1000 fps out of that gun. I've been reloading for both 44 mag and 44 special since the mid 1970's and they are both very easy cartridges to reload for and the differences between the two are very similar to the differences between the 38 special and the 357 magnum. The shorter cases will develop the same velocities with one or two grains less powder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borg warner Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 42 minutes ago, DUBSY said: Ruger redhawk 5.5” The weight of the Redhawk will absorb a lot of the recoil of even the heaviest 44 mag loads The Hogue grips for Ruger Redhawk ate also more comfortable and absorb recoil better than the factory grips. https://www.amazon.com/Hogue-86000-Rubber-Ruger-Redhawk/dp/B0002ILQJ4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Ryan Posted September 1, 2018 Share Posted September 1, 2018 (edited) Why in the world would someone buy a 44 magnum, then buy 44 mag ammo, and then load them down to 38's to shoot it all the time? I just don't get that. Edited January 12, 2021 by Jack Ryan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted September 1, 2018 Share Posted September 1, 2018 14 minutes ago, Jack Ryan said: Why in the world would someone buy a 44 magnum, then buy 44 mag ammo, and then load them down to 38's to shoot it all the time? I just don't get that. If I was looking at Ruger revolvers and thinking there was any chance I might EVER want to do that, I'd start out with a 45 LC/ 45 ACP Redhawk instead of 44mag. It's called options. I own a 2.75" .500 Magnum ES snubby. Hot 700gr loads can be literally a wrist breaker, or doubletab head remover, nothing you will want to shoot on a regular basis. I have plenty of low recoil 350gr (re)loads making it much more pleasurable to shoot, or having others trying it out. Could I have gone with a .44 Magnum or 460XVR snubby? Sure. But in that case I wouldn't be able to ever shoot a .500 Magnum. I'd rather have the option. It always draws a crowd at the range... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G19 DB Posted September 1, 2018 Share Posted September 1, 2018 2 minutes ago, crockett said: It's called options. I own a 2.75" .500 Magnum ES snubby. Hot 700gr loads can be literally a wrist breaker, or doubletab head remover, nothing you will want to shoot on a regular basis. I have plenty of low recoil 350gr (re)loads making it much more pleasurable to shoot, or having others trying it out. Could I have gone with a .44 Magnum or 460XVR snubby? Sure. But in that case I wouldn't be able to ever shoot a .500 Magnum. I'd rather have the option. It always draws a crowd at the range... Yup. Joint pain tends to have us shooting lighter loads as we get older. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crockett Posted September 1, 2018 Share Posted September 1, 2018 Just now, G19 DB said: Yup. Joint pain tends to have us shooting lighter loads as we get older. My left wrist, which I broke many moons ago and has some titanium bling inside, started acting up this year. I think twice before shooting a hot load. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUBSY Posted September 1, 2018 Author Share Posted September 1, 2018 (edited) 10 hours ago, crockett said: It's called options. Though I’m new to the .44 game myself, there is always a group of people at the range shooting it. Some I know personally who have found a combination of gun/ ammo they find pleasure in shooting. Judging by how much ammunition they go through it can’t all be T-Rex killers. I do know most of them reload. And they’re a diverse group. Men and women of varying ages Edited September 1, 2018 by DUBSY 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norton Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 (edited) I own two S/W 629's. One is a 6" the other a snubbie half as long. I load .44 specials for the snubbie. I will shoot an occasional .44 mag out of it, but even down loaded its not pleasant. The 6" pretty much only mag loads. I will say the 6" 629 in .44 mag is the most accurate handgun I own. At least in my hands. I also load and shoot the .45 Colt. If I need hot loads, I will turn to the .44 mag. Trying to load .45 Colt to .44 mag ballistics levels seems like a really bad idea to me. I rarely buy .44 mag ammo, but have in the past. That's how I accumulated my cases for reloading. Most of my cases are Remington, and I found those rounds to be about has hot as I wanted for a range session. Edited September 2, 2018 by norton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUBSY Posted September 3, 2018 Author Share Posted September 3, 2018 On 8/31/2018 at 6:53 PM, Collim1 said: Neither one of those should be unpleasant if you’re hands are injury/arthritis free. Even most of the Walmart .44mag offerings are relatively mild out of a gun like a 5.5” Redhawk. Recoil is very subjective, but I’ve always had a big smile afterwards and no pain from any of the Remington or Winchester Walmart Offerings You ever get the urge to knock your socks off pick up some Heavy Buffalo Bore. Those are loaded to the .44’s true potential and are quite hot compared to most of the available factory ammo. I couldn’t tell much difference in noise level but the cowboy action stuff really made a lot of smoke. It felt a little hotter too. Didn’t notice much muzzle rise either. Is .44 not known for that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dric902 Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 44 mag is very versatile. Plinking to barn burning. 44 special level wadcutters are great on small game. Speer makes a Gold Dot in 200 grn 44 mag that does right at 1000 FPS. I carry it in a 629 snubbie . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boogieman Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 I've hunted with my Super Redhawk for decades. Most of my shooting is with thermonuclear handloads. It really isn't that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borg warner Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 3 hours ago, Dric902 said: 44 mag is very versatile. Plinking to barn burning. 44 special level wadcutters are great on small game. Speer makes a Gold Dot in 200 grn 44 mag that does right at 1000 FPS. I carry it in a 629 snubbie . That's the Gold Dot Short Barrel Personal Protection 44 Rem. Magnum load. Speer rates that load at 1075 fps out of a 4 inch vented test barrel. I reload for both 44 special and 44 mag and I can either load the 44 magnum down to 44 special levels or load the 44 special UP to 44 mag levels with 180 and 200 grain bullets. I have a Lew Horton model 24 with the 3 inch barrel and the roundbutt grip. I load 200 grain XTP's so that they chronograph right between 950-1000 fps. https://www.speer-ammo.com/en/ammunition/gold-dot-short-barrel-personal-protection/44-rem-magnum/44-mag-200-gdhp-short-barrel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dric902 Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 13 minutes ago, Borg warner said: That's the Gold Dot Short Barrel Personal Protection 44 Rem. Magnum load. Speer rates that load at 1075 fps out of a 4 inch vented test barrel. I reload for both 44 special and 44 mag and I can either load the 44 magnum down to 44 special levels or load the 44 special UP to 44 mag levels with 180 and 200 grain bullets. I have a Lew Horton model 24 with the 3 inch barrel and the roundbutt grip. I load 200 grain XTP's so that they chronograph right between 950-1000 fps. https://www.speer-ammo.com/en/ammunition/gold-dot-short-barrel-personal-protection/44-rem-magnum/44-mag-200-gdhp-short-barrel The Speer does 1000 FPS from my 2 1/2 great carry load, very accurate. I pulled one, but that offhand at 10 yards. For me that’s great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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