44 magnum - fun or not?!

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If you can find one which is affordable an 8" VHB (Vented Heavy Barrel) Dan Wesson is great. A bit heavy at 9lbs loaded they are very accurate and with 240gr full boar mags have less recoil than most .357s. I also know people who own the Taurus .44s and are very pleased with them.
 
I have several .44 mag revolvers: a 5 ½” SBH, 5 ½” Redhawk, 6” SRH, and a 6” DW744. All are fun to shoot. I tend to be a wuss and load them to mild levels: 250 gr. at 1000 fps. They are powerful enough to get business done without beating me excessively.
As much as I like my .44s, I tend to shoot my .45 Colts more. Just personal preference.
 
I _love_ my 29-2... have been shooting only factory ammo, but I'm getting ready to start loading for it. Can't wait to work up some fun plinking loads for it :)
 
I have a 4-5/8" Ruger Super Blackhawk. I think it's a lot of fun, though I mostly shoot .44 specials out of it. I actually like the Blackhawk's factory grip (not a birdhead style, but more like a traditional plowhandle style). As Stainz described, when you fire the blackhawk, the recoil rolls the gun in your hand and the barrel sticks straight up. It really helps with the recoil management, but it's a little disconcerting if you're not expecting it!

I got the shorter barrel like Stainz because it's more practical (compact) and I plan to mostly shoot .44 specials with it. If you want to shoot lots of heavy .44 mag loads, I would recommend a much longer barreled revolver - this will help a lot with noise, blast, and recoil.
 
I love my 629PP. I have bought, sold, traded and neglected many guns, but my .44 is forever. I liked it a lot before I sent it to the Performance Center with marching orders to "make it as accurate as possible." Since its return the "like" blossomed into true love. I know it's not as strong as the Ruger, so I limit the amount of magnums I run through it, but it is the most accurate handgun I have ever shot (or seen).
Steve
 
I agree that if you are a revolver guy and shoot 357's, you need to also have either a 41 or 44mag to round things out. Personally, the 44 is just about the top of the power rating that a shooter could reasonably say was "comfortable to shoot". That is why I shoot 41mags. I have owned only one 44 and that was a 6" Smith Model 29-2. Really nice revolver. But I prefer the 41mag.
 
Too much recoil

I love the gun, I love the caliber, but I do not love the recoil. Therefore, I only shoot 44 specials.
 
The secret to recoil whether it is handguns or longguns is two fold. The obvious way is to reduce recoil by loading lighter etc. The best way to handle recoil is to find a grip or stock for that gun that fits you the best and helps to channel the recoil how you want it. .44 Magnum can be a very comfortable caliber if handled right. I tried a Hogue Monogrip on my Ruger Redhawk but found that I liked the stock wood grip better. It tends to fit my hand better and I am not constantly repositioning my grip like with the Hogue. I also load my 240 gr. SWC over 16-18.5 grains of Alliant 2400. With the max charge of 20-20.6 grains it is downright unbearable for more than a few shots.
 
Go for the .44 mag. Like most of the others said, you can really handload that thing up or down quite a bit. I have the Ruger Super Redhawk 9.5". It's a lot of fun to shoot but can still be a handful with max loads from a rest. Thats the only time I find it a little stout. I also saw where someone reccomended a .454 Casull. I have the same gun in that caliber. All I can really say is to hold on. It's quite a handfull. It's ironic because just yesterday I posted to see if anyone could give me some advice on porting my .454. I personally need all the help I can get to shoot that gun well. Anyway, get the .44 mag, you won't regret it. Good luck.

Doug
 
...I also saw where someone reccomended a .454 Casull. I have the same gun in that caliber. All I can really say is to hold on. It's quite a handfull. It's ironic because just yesterday I posted to see if anyone could give me some advice on porting my .454. I personally need all the help I can get to shoot that gun well...

Doug
Click to expand...

Never shot ported handgun, but a friend who did shoot ported FA 454 told me that recoil and barrel rise were reduced, but already STRONG muzzle blast became even worse.
 
44 Mat

I currently have the S&W 629 8-3/8 barrel with full length under lug. Mounted with a Leupold 2x scope. It is easy to shoot with full Magnum rounds. 240 grain bullets with 24.0 grains of H-110 or WW 296 powder. Easily shoot a 100 or so rounds at a session with no problems.

Highly recommend the 44 Mag.
 
Rereading your original post gave me another idea. The .44 Magnum chamber can take a wide range of charges, from .44 Russian to Special to Magnum... if you reload. If you want a 'bigger' bore, with some decent possibilities, consider a 625 in .45 ACP. You can buy the ammo anywhere, and commercial 230gr ball ammo isn't much more dear than the reloading cost. Of course, you can load light to heavy there as well. The revolver is rated for the 22+ kpsi .45 ACP cartridge, quite a bit over the 14kpsi SAAMI spec for the .45 Colt. I have a 625JM, a 4" bargain-trove of extra goodies. I reload, so mine gets .45 Colt-ish 255gr LSWC at 880+ fps, over .45 Colt SAAMI speeds, from the 4" barrel in the .45 Auto Rim cases. Some folks get more oomph than that. The larger diameter bullet at a lower pressure generally means a bit less recoil. The added plus of moonclipped ACP rounds for fast reloads really is fun, too. Another 'choice'...

Stainz
 
Seems like I am never without a 44 mag for very long! At the moment I have a Smith 6 1/2" 629 Classic and a recently aquired 30 year old Ruger Super Blackhawk 7 1/2".

When it comes to the 44 mag I like a gun with a little size to it. Both of the 44s I have are not bad when shooting stout 240 reloads with 296 or H110. With the Smith I have even used the 300 Sierra.

By far the worst 44 I have fired in respect to recoil , well - PAIN - was a TC 10" 44 mag. That barrel did not stay with me long!

The mildest to shoot of any 44 I owned was a Ruger Super Blackhawk with the 10 1/2" bull barrel.
 
I have owned several 44mags from a Ruger SBH with a 10 1/2' barrel to a DE right now I have 2 a Redhawk 71/2' and a SBH 4 5/8'. The SBH is a wrist wrencher I plan to have it Mag Na Ported.
If you can live with a SA get the Ruger Bisley model very comfortable to shoot and built like a bank vault.
Redhawk is indestructible and comes with scope rings should you want to mount a scope. Dan Wesson makes the S&W look like a toy probably the most accurate 44 on the market add the fact that you can change barrels in 2 min a big plus
I had a Smith 6'' but it spent more time at the factory that home
This when a british co owned them there QC has improved greatly.Finally the Desert Eagle BIG,HEAVY but like shoot a cap pistol disadvantage can't shoot 44 spc or cast bullets
 
I had an old-model Vaquero in .44 mag (with 7.5 inch barrel or thereabouts)and it was a lot of fun to shoot with factory loads. I actually wondered what the big deal was about the .44's reputed kick (I've never shot a smith or other double-action .44 mag).
 
A six inch and a half 629 classic with .44 magnums is way too much fun. Blast away!

Besides the fun factor, I use it as a training mechanism. With a fairly strong trigger pull and a big bang, it is great practice for getting rid of a flinch on other handguns.
 
I didn't stop to read the other posts, but I will in a while. I just wanted to chime in and say .44 mag rocks! It's the funnest shooting round EVER. Load yourself up an ammo can full of 185 grains and go out to the range and wreak havoc. I'm not sure why anyone should have any other gun. I myself have a SW 629. Nicest gun ever but the two Rugers I sold--a Redhawk and a Bisley Blackhawk-- would also do in a pinch.

I think it's the best round ever.

dave-o
 
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