.357 V.S. .44 Mag Recoil?

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Judas530

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Hello everyone, I have had two expiriences shooting the .44 mag. The first time was in a 7-9 inch Ruger blackhawk or superblackhawk not sure and no clue what the loads where. I instantly fell in love with this caliber and planned it to be my next purchace. The next time was a very different expirience. I shot a 7ish inch barreled redhawk. I had a heck of a time controlling my shots with 180gr rem ammo and left the range with a sore web on my shooting hand and was very turned off.
I am now in the market for a new trail gun to take with me while pig and blackbear hunting in California. I have narrowed it down after months of research to a 4" gp100 and a 4" .44 magnum redhawk(the new model). I thought about a single action after my first time shooting one, but i just dont feel comfortable not having a double action incase of tweekers or a pissed of bear or boar. My question is what would you guys get if you where in my shoes? I know I always have the option of getting a shooting glove.
 
Do you need to use non-lead ammo?

Most pigs are in Condor country.

If all I were planning to shoot was 180s, I'd go with .357. No need for the bigger gun to do that. But 240 grain LSWCs are a great .44 load.

Those are all some heavy guns for the trail. 629 will save a lot of weight, especially if it's a backup gun.

More info?
 
357 vs 44

Felt Recoil, in my opinion has alot more to do with the firearm than the caliber. I have owned and fired both SA and DA 357's and 44's. I can tell you the worst recoil of either was out of a Titanium Taurus 357 snub nose, but I bought that gun to be carried alot and fired only when REALLY, REALLY necessary. My 7 1/2' Superblackhawk on the other hand was a dream to fire.

I say go with what feels most comfortable for you. Black bears can be taken with a 357 and shot placement will have alot more to do with dropping the bruin cleanly than caliber. Both the Redhawk and the GP are excellent choices, but if your favorite firing revolver is a SA, I'd stick to what you can conrol well and enjoy shooting. More importantly than anything else, practice, practice, practice with whatever you buy to ensure you are both safe and proficient. Just my $.02.

"Lets Be Safe Out There";)
 
heavy loads in the GP 100 feel real snappy but they hardly hurt. Shortest .44 mag I have is a 4 5/8" Super Blackhawk, loaded with 240 grainers and a max charge of 2400, recoil is very managable but a lot heavier that than .357 loads. As bullet weight increases in the .44 mag, so does recoil. Part of the "greatness" of a .44 mag is that versatility. 180to 310+ grainers from mild to heavy, the .44 is just an all around better gun for your intended purposes. That said, I love my .357's too.
 
No im in northern Ca so lead is fine. 329 is out of the question, I really dont wanna deal with that light of a gun in .44 mag. I will be using it at the range so i think that light of a gun would be unpleasant.
 
I think MPCO hit it on the head. The problem was the exposed backstrap thumping the web of my hand. Would a grip with a covered backstrap or a shooting glove alleviate this or is that just the way a redhawk will always recoil.
 
629, not 329

Whole different animal. 629 is all stainless; it's just a good deal lighter than a Redhawk, a real plus for a trail gun as opposed to a gun intended specifically as a primary hunting firearm.

Rugers are HEAVY (but I do love my Super Blackhawk).
 
I have a pair of SPR in 7 1/2" I find there recoil to be a little snappy but I have not experienced any sore hand web. I also own a GP100 and a Security six in .357 both of these guns are fun to shoot. The security six can leave a little pain in the web after extended shooting sessions. A shooting glove may help eliminate some of the felt pain and rubbing caused by recoil. You may also look into grips from pachmyer or hogue. I do not have any experience with a 4" SRH but the gp100 or security six would make you a fine hiking gun. The blackhawk and bisleys have a slimer grip that may be fitting your hand better that made it more comfortable to shoot.
 
My question is what would you guys get if you where in my shoes?
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An old Redhawk. :)

I am sure the new ones are very nice, but I like the wood grips and the shape of the grip frame.

To me the .357 recoil is sharper than the .44 and the .44 is heavier than the .357, in general.
 
To me the .357 recoil is sharper than the .44 and the .44 is heavier than the .357, in general.
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Depends on the load, and the gun it's in.

High-velocity 180 grain .44 loads can hammer like hot .357s; medium-velocity but powerful 158+ grain .357 loads can be pussycats in a full-size gun.
 
Given equal weight and grip congifuration, a .44 will have more kick.

Remember, M1 X V1 = M2 X V2.

A 158 grain bullet at 1350 fps from a .357 will score 0.94 sfp.

A 240 grain bullet at 1500 fps from a .44 will score 1.6 sfp.
 
Porting can greatly reduce recoil. My Taurus .44mag Raging Bull is one of most comfortable revolvers to shoot.

View attachment 95315

The flash is directed up and left and right of center.

The load is Corbon Hunter 260gr. BCHP
 
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Of the choices offered, I might opt for the 44 maggie. Its not that the 357 is a poor choice. Its just that for a trail gun, the 44 is more versatile. You can load it down with mellow 44 spc, or load it up with 300+ grain fire breathing hunting loads. For semi-hazardous game like black bear and wild hogs, its nice to have the hefty punch of a 44.
That being said, I think that either will do the job if you do yours... follow your instincts.
 
I read an article in a gun magazine (I want to say it was Shooting Times)...many years ago (probably back in the early 70's or so).... by a very well known writer, and for the life of me I cannot think of his name, but, he had a large bear encounter (a charge) and all he had was a .357 Mag (he was actually out scouting for an upcoming deer hunt). Anyway, as I remember how he told the story, the last shot he made on the bear was point blank and into the bears ear! That killed the bear! But, He said that the five previous shots at the bears head after inspection of the animal, only glanced off the skull, and the bear kept coming. He was injured in that attack, from the bear running him over I believe. He swore up and down that he would never carry another .357 afield. I know that large bears have been stopped by the .357, so, I would not dismiss the cartridge, but everytime in my life I have thought about buying one (always wanted a Python) that darn story pops into my mind. If somebody here remembers that story and its author, I would sure like to hear it from someone with a memory better than mine.........I have always carried the 44 Magnum afield, and also use one (a snubbie) for CCW....As most know, it has taken every large dangerous game animal in the world, is very versatile, and easily controlled by "most" shooters. For me, its the most powerful handgun that I can handle and be consistant with.
 
A 44 will recoil a LOT more than a 357, especially with the heaviest loads. In my opinion, if you had trouble with 44 mag recoil in a 7" barreled Redhawk, you should not get a 44 Mag. That is a heavy 44. If you get a Smith Mountain Gun in 44 you are going to think you died and went to h#ll when you pull the trigger on a stout load.
Get a Ruger GP100 or a Smith 681 or 686, practice, and stoke it with some heavy hitter 357s.
 
The only problem I have with the porting is that it increases the volume. In an indoor range it is a problem. I don't have the problem outdoors, however.
 
Get the GP-100 in .357 magnum. There are lots of 600 ft/lbs loads, American Eagle being one of them. The .44 magnum will destroy your wrist in the long run.
 
Given equal weight and grip congifuration, a .44 will have more kick.
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Yes. The .44 with a hot 180 grain load will, however, be noticeably snappy. With a hot 240 grain load, it will recoil harder, but it's a tad slower and spread over time. More energy, less velocity.

All of that said, the Blackhawk with a heavy .357 or Super Blackhawk with a heavy .44 load are still not a big deal to shoot. A shorter-barreled 629 or 686 will slam your hand a tad harder.

You've really got to try a few guns and loads to get a good idea of what they all feel like.

And even for a given nominal load (240@1300 or something) different powders can feel different.
 
I have a S&W 29-10 and was having magnum sore hand also. I ran across a video from S&W which showed I was gripping the revolver too high, trying to reduce muzzle rise. The video showed a much lower grip and intentionally letting the muzzle rise. I gave it a try and was amazed at the difference. It even made shooting those hot Rem 180gr enjoyable. No more sore thumb.
 
I had a S&W 629 .44 Mag Mountain Gun with a 4" unshrouded barrel. Even with that barrel, the thing weighed a ton when packin' it around the woods. I also hated the recoil and concussion of the .44 Mag. I sold it and bought a S&W 386 SC .357. Even though this gun only weighs 18.5 oz., I find it more pleasant to shoot with magnum loads than the .44. This is just my perception. The biggest advantage is that it is easy to pack around because of the light weight. It also happens to have a 7-round cylinder. The biggest advantage of the .44 in your particular case is that a very angry black bear would be more apt to respond to it than to the .357. Good luck!
 
By the way....I do not shoot full house 44 Magnum loads in my guns "all the time". My "standard" load is a 250 grain Keith, and 10.0 grains of Unique, for a thousand fps or so. I have taken two deer with that load and it does a fine job, as it would on any like sized game animal...would be a good self defense load as well for "man sized" game, and is a great round to practice with....I do shoot the full house loads on rare occasion, and carry them when the need arises.
 
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