[schapman43]

I am going to pick up a Single action Ruger Blackhawk and am trying to decided between the .45 Colt or .44 Mag. Are there any advantages to the 45 Colt?

[WheelMan]

If you reload you can do lots of things with the .45. If not you're not going to have a harder time finding ammunition, especially hunting type loads as most .45 is aimed (pun only slightly intended) at the Cowboy crowd. Of course I reload and have a .44 so you just never know :)

There's lot's of info on this subject both here and at TFL

[C.R.Sam]

Terrible question.

Should have both.

Sam

[schapman43]

I do already have a Redhawk in 44 Mag

[Poohgyrr]

AFAIK, the .45 Colt can do anything the .44 Maggie can, and even more if you have a pistol strong enough. It doesn't suffer from the bad name "magnums" sometimes have with the general public. The .45 Colt ctg has a lot of history. Of course, if you get the .44 maggie, then later on you might discover the joys of the .44 Special; another truly great round.

[schapman43]

This article by John Linebaugh made up my mind. I'll go with the 45 Colt.
http://www.sixgunner.com/linebaugh/gunnotes.htm

[Jim March]

If you can find a 45ACP cylinder for it, a 45LC gun is thus easily set up for double-caliber. At that point, the non-reloader is in very good shape for plinking ammo costs.

There's also some sources for cheap low-powered lead reloads for 45LC, as it's commonly used in CAS/SASS. Check better gun shows.

[tiberius]

Get the .45 Colt and get the extra .45 ACP cylinder to go with it....and get now! :)


That said, I have a .44 Vaquero and love it. I used to have a.44 Super Blackhawk with the old square trigger guard and it chewed the heck out of my hand......thus the Vaquero.

[caz223]

I've been arguing this point for almost a year now.
I have one of each, and I guess I chose the wrong gun, not the wrong caliber.
I need an acusport bisley, I guess I'll figure out which caliber when I actually cough up the money.
Actually, I'd like it in .41 mag, and I wouldn't even consider the other two.
Or a SBH hunter in .41 mag with the bisley grip.

[usp_fan]

schapman43,

I like the .45. It tend s to do the same things the .44 does (like punch really big holes in things) but at lower working pressures for similar power levels. This translates into lower recoil, and less abuse to the launch platform.

caz223,

My accusport bisley is by far my favorite shooter in any caliber. Mine happens to be in .45. Even with very heavy bullets pushed by max charges of powder, the recoil is not punishing.

Great looking too.

--usp_fan

[Rascal]

Hi all,
New guy here, and I have a question.
Everyone tells me that I should not rely on my .357 when it comes to bears (black bear), so I'm thinking about going to a .44mag or maybe a .45ACP since they are both pretty big rounds. Which one would you choose? the .45ACP or the .44 mag.
OH! one more thing. Nice site! lots of very good info.:)

[KMKeller]

Rascal - 44 mag hands down.

[schapman43]

Definately dont use a .45 ACP for bear unless you dont mind being its next meal. You wont get enough penetration with it. Go with the .44 Mag!

[TallPine]

Which one would you choose? the .45ACP or the .44 mag.

Just for your information Rascal, the "45 Colt" mentioned in this thread is a totally different cartridge than the 45 ACP

Maybe you realized that, or maybe you didn't ....?

[Rascal]

Hi TallPine,
Thanks for the correction, actually I didn't know that. :D

Well I will take all you fine folks advice and see about finding a .44 mag revolver.
My old Python has a 6" barrel, but I was thinking about getting the .44 mag in a 4 or 5 inch barrel( easier to draw strong arm), how much velosicity is lost out of the .44 mag at 4" as opposed to 6"?
Thanks for the great info.

[TallPine]

Rascal, the 45 Colt (sometimes call "Long Colt") can be loaded up to 44 magnum levels or better. It is a rimmed revolver cartridge as opposed to a a "rimless" (flush rim, actually) semi-auto cartridge.

The 45 Colt bullet is slightly larger in diameter than the 44 mag. Actually, the 45 Colt and 45 ACP bullets are the same diameter, but usually a different bullet design is used.

As was said earlier, the 45 Colt is better if you handload, but the 44 is cheaper and more available on store shelves.

So for a "bear gun" the 45 Colt (loaded to "Ruger pressures") and the 44 mag are about equal. But the 45 ACP is pretty weak in comparison.

NOTE: The higher pressure loadings of the 45 Colt are ONLY safe in modern Rugers and a few other revolvers, and the Winchester and Lever action rifles in that caliber. The original 45 Colt loads are probably about equivalent to a 45 ACP.

[Dr.Rob]

Unless you handload and own a Ruger the 45 can't touch the 44 magnum. (ok thats a sweeping generalization , but mostly true)

You won't find +p++ uber colt loads on the shelves at walmart, and truthfully many 44 mag loads are cheaper than 45 colt loads.

Still the 45 Colt is a grand old cartridge with plenty 'o man stopping smack-down.

[rock jock]

Rascal, the 45 Colt (sometimes call "Long Colt") can be loaded up to 44 magnum levels or better.
When you say .44 levels, are you taking into account the loads from Garrett, or handloads that are this hot? With my 9.5" barrel, Hammerheads from my SRH are in excess of 1450 ft/lbs of energy.

[TallPine]

rock, I wasn't getting anywhere near that technical

just trying to explain in general to someone who thought all colt 45s were the same

[rock jock]

OK. Fair enough.

[.45&TKD]

Would a CZ-52 work better on bears?

[Frohickey]

Definately dont use a .45 ACP for bear unless you dont mind being its next meal. You wont get enough penetration with it. Go with the .44 Mag!

45ACP is just fine for bear... koala and panda. :D

[stevelyn]

Rascal,

For bears the very minimum you should be looking at is the .44 Mag.
For ammo I would go with a load using a heavy cast bullet.
Federal has a handgun hunting ammo line called 'CastCore' utilizing heavy cast bullets available in .41 and .44.
Also check out Garrett Cartridges and Buffalo Bore.
For bears and other large furry critters, deep penetration is preferable to expansion since you may have to defeat heavy shoulder bones or make frontal shots. In which case you want the bullets that can enter the chest or head, maintain their integrity and come at the stern. Expansion isn't necessary since you are going to be punching a .44 caliber+ hole to start with.

[RWK]

CorBon makes a 200 grain standard pressure (non +P or +P+) .45 (Long) Colt round that produces 1100 FPS muzzle velocity and 537 pounds of muzzle energy. It provides superior accuracy when fired from my Smith 625-9 Mountain Gun (last weekend I was routinely cutting “clover leaves” at 15 yards). With an excellent DeSantis holster and a Kevlar lined belt, this N Frame is concealable and comfortable when carried all day.

[schapman43]

Well I went from having my mind definately made up on going with a .45 Colt to going back the other direction. I ended up putting money down on two Ruger Acusport Bisley Super Blackhawks in .44 Mag. These look and feel sweet. They look just like those offered in .45 Colt and .41 Mag. I cannot wait to pick these up. I also put money down on a Marlin 1894SS in .44 Mag which sould compliment the six shooters nicely :)

[Smoke Rizen]

I carried a sawed off pistol grip 12 ga. slung for fishing Alaska. This year I've worked up a load for my 45 L.C.s I use a 335 gr. gas checked hard cast lead over 20.2 gr. H-110 in Starline cases.(Starline and P.M.C. Cases run about 6-10% heavier than say W.W. or R.P.) That way I have the same vol. and pressure. I shot up to 21.5 gr. but, 20.2 seems to be the most accurate in My guns. One is a 4-5/8 barrel,the other 5-5/8 both are Vaquero's Bisley frame. I would caution You to start at 19.2 and work up watching for signs of excess pressure,and only in heavy frames like the Rugers,and T.C. s. I haven't chronoed yet but You can split log's with them. Smoke Rizen

[djl4570]

I have .44 Mag Blackhawks and .45 Colt Blackhawks, and .44 Mag N frames and .45 Colt N frames. I've loaded both and enjoyed the flexability of .45 Colt more than .44 Magnum. In a strong frame such as a Ruger Blackhawk I've loaded .45 Colt to near .45 Win Mag velocities using 240g Sierra's, 250g Nosler and Hornady's and 260g Speers. These same loads worked very well in my Marlin '94. There are some gotchas. Check used brass to make sure any old baloon head cases don't get mixed in with the modern solid head stuff. You have to store the hot loads in a separate box with a bright orange sticker on it reminding you not to fire these in grandpa's second generation SAA. I wouldn't fire the really hot stuff in a S&W either.

Some .45 Blackhawks come as convertables. If you get the Blackhawk in .45 Colt I am told that Ruger will fit a .45ACP cylinder to it for you for a fee of course and you have to send the gun so the cylinder can be fitted.

[Gunhamr]

I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 mag that has withstood the ravages of time and many hot loads. Failed to mention that it is an old three screw model. Wouldn't trade it for anything new. Also have a Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt & .45 ACP with the two cylinders as factory original.
Love them both. The .45 can be loaded to mighty impressive velocities and with the proper bullet, read that Keith style SWC with plenty of flat meplat and you have a bear stopper. Should be cast hard, either 18 to 20 on the Brinnell scale. As stated above, you need penetration, not expansion.

I have loaded the .44 mag to 1800FPS with the proper bullet but this bullet would not be appropriate for bear load. This was the old Lyman 429303 mould cast of lynotype and lubed with Alox 2138/beeswax in a 50/50 mixture. Must be a pretty impressive round because I gave some to my son-in-law who was an undercover Narc. agent at the time and he shot the manifold off a Beechcraft dope smuggler trying to take off after unloading a cargo of dope in Texas. Pointed bullet so no good for bear.
Might add that this same load penetrated a bullet-proof glass that the dept. of safety was testing for bank teller windows. Nothing they had tried up to that time had penetrated. Just gave the son-in-law 50 more rounds when he was here in July.