[chetrogers]

I was thinking of getting a .357 revolver for plinking and home protection but i wouldn't mind a .44 mag but my question is do they make ammo that i could use in the .44 mag for home protection that wont go through my wall and into my neighbors house ect...Thanks for your time

[Preacherman]

Basically, no... Even a fragmenting bullet like the Glaser Safety Slug will hold together if it hits a sheetrock wall at a reasonably straight angle. It'll have enough potency to go through several such walls, and injure someone on the other side.

The same, of course, can be said about any worthwhile defensive caliber. Given modern construction, any reasonably well constructed bullet can penetrate several walls (provided that it doesn't hit studs, beams, etc. on the way through). Best way to stop over-penetration is to hit the bad guy!

Shotguns are also notorious for over-penetration. One of the best results, surprisingly, is the good ol' 55gr. .223 hollow- or softpoint. These have been demonstrated to have very little likelihood of overpenetrating a BG, and will often slow up and stop in sheetrock walls too - there's very little bullet mass to deal with, so the momentum is lower than with a heavier bullet.

[chetrogers]

i have a 7.62x39 "sar 1" but not anything in the .223 caliber..But hey it would give me a reason to buy a Mini-14 :).. Mite just have to get a .45acp...Thanks for the reply

[coldshot03/04]

44spl

[stans]

If the revolver is sticktly for plinking and home defense, get a good quality 357! The recoil is easier to control and the ammo is less expensive. You can even shoot cheap 38 Specials though a 357. The 44 is a great caliber for hunting and certain types of target shooting, but it is not a great defensive weapon and can be a bit much for a plinker.

[Hal]

- - Federal Hydra Shok - -

.44 Rem Magnum 240 gr @ (factory rated 6" barrel) 1180 fps

Compare this to the Federal Hydra Shok .45acp

.45acp 230 gr @ (factory rated 5" barrel) 850 fps
OR
The Federal Expanding FMJ in .45acp
.45acp 200 gr @ (factory rated 4" barrel) 1030 fps

The 230 gr .45acp Hydra Shok has an excellent track record, and it ofeten referred to here in the context of the "defacto ideal SD round", so it's probable the same bullet, 10 gr heavier and marginally faster, is going to perform @ the same level.

For "plinking" I load a mid sized charge of Alliant 2400 (~ 15 to 16 gr) powder under a 240 gr swaged lead (Hornady) bullet giving ~ 1100 fps,,,wonderfully accurate, the dry lubed Hornady coupled with the slow buring 2400 give no leading, and the cost is roughly half of what the cheapest factory .38sp.

[Al Thompson]

If you get the .44, you can use .44 special loads. I have a couple of boxes of the Blazer 200 grain Gold Dots for that purpose.

What's your primary use of the handgun?

[Tamara]

Most .44 defense loads have relatively low sectional density (165 and 180 grain loads) or are fairly slow-moving .44 Special loads, like the 200gr Gold Dot.

Definitely you want to avoid using 320gr hard-cast grizzly manglers for home defense... ;)

[Dr.Rob]

I've fired some 240 gr hydra shocks out of my 44 mag... yikes! Flash, recoil, boom! You could certainly scare someone with it. Penetration was far less than "hunting" bullets but its still a full power load.

[Sean Smith]

Tamara,

What, no hard-cast 1,200 ft/lb hammerheads for home defense? Wuss!

:neener:

Danny Vermin: I got something to stop him.
Dutch: They made it for him special. It's an eighty-eight Magnum.
Danny Vermin: It shoots through schools.

[RustyHammer]

.44 Mag "shot" shells? But, what's the point?

Bottom-line: Don't miss!

[chetrogers]

I have never used shot shells in any gun could maybe somebody explain them a little better to me? ..Is it just like a shotgun shell type setup "LIttle bb's"

[russlate]

They are sold as snake loads. Take a cylindrical plastic piece open on one end, fill with small shot, put a plug in it and load it plug down. the plastic protects the bore of the gun, the rifling shreds the plastic but it stays together til it exits. CCI makes them in both calibers in boxes of 6 roounds.

There are 44 rounds in special and magnum made that are appropriate for home/business defense. A 44 lead hp, for example.

There are also prefragmented round by Glaser, Mag-Safe, and others that will hold together until they hit, then disintegrate.

Look around for yourself, and you'll find that if they make what you want in one caliber, they'll also make it in the other.

If you have the option, go with the 44spl/44mag over the 38spl/357. A 38 158 gr. full wadcutter at 800 fps should do the job. And a 44 240 grain full wadcutter at 800 should give you the same only with half again more energy.

If you pick the 357 with 125 gr. out of a 4" or longer barrel you'll have unsurpassed stopping power. If you pick the 44 then you can equal it. Me? I use a 41, the middle road.

[Mikul]

A 240gr bullet doing 1,100fps is going to penetrate A LOT! The lighter weight bullet is going to penetrate less at the same velocity, but is more likely to expand if it is a hollowpoint.

Corbon sells a cartridge with a 165gr bullet traveling at 1,150fps for .44 Specials or the same bullet traveling at 1,300fps for the .44 Magnum. These sound like reasonable loads for self-defense.

By comparison, ProLoad (a company whose 9mm self-defense rounds are just phenomenal) offers a 200gr Gold Dot doing 900fps for .44 Specials or a 200gr Gold Dot traveling 1,050fps for .44 Magnums. The magnum load is extremely similar to their .45 ACP load (200gr Gold Dot at 1,030).

These both make sense to me, and I will eventually test these cartridges out for my own gun.

In the mean time, I don't feel too bad with 180gr lead wadcutters traveling at 950fps.