.45 Colt vs .44 Mag

[USSR]

You get .45ACP velocities and power out of a .45LC.

Only when you load it to .45 ACP levels.

Don

 

[EnsignJimmy]

You get .45ACP velocities and power out of a .45LC. you get twice that out of an average loading for the 44 Magnum. If you're going to use it for hunting, and you feel you have an ethical responsibility to produce a quick, clean kill then you should naturally gravitate to the 44 Magnum.

Sure, if all you stick to are lightweight bullets and standard-pressure loads, then yes, the .45 Colt will only produce .45 ACP ballistics.

Mind you, the .45 Colt, in its standard-pressure clothing, can beat the .45 ACP. It's fine for whitetails and similar-sized game at handgun hunting distances.

Of course, when people talk about .45 Colt versus .44 Magnum, they're really talking about "Ruger-only" loads in the .45 Colt.

 

[murf]

all pros and no cons. can't go wrong with either one. get the new model. most old models will be, well, old (and expensive). choose whatever you shoot best. suggest using a solid for hunting.

murf

 

[Prosser]

For a more practical approach:

Pick the one that comes in a gun that fits your hands properly.
Either caliber can be loaded hot enough to make grip fitting critical to your
enjoyment of the firearm. If the grips are too small, you won't be able to hit anything with the gun.

 

[captainjoe]

You bring up a good point. Suggest that regardless of whether to go with 44 mag or 45, that grips are looked at. I decided at the end of the day to go with the Bisley grip as it made my 335 gr at 1200 fps to be easier to dispatch than with the plow handle. Again, this is a Chevy versus Ford decision, but an important one if you are going to shoot heavy loads.

 

[Bula]

You get .45ACP velocities and power out of a .45LC.

Not true. My acp's can't push a 270g Keith SWC to 1200+ fps, or a 255 rnfp to 900 for that matter.

But my 45colt's CAN push a 200g cast SWC to 850 fps with ease.

 

[murf]

or a 395gn lrn at 1000fps!

murf

 

[Cop Bob]

Answer is simple.... or Is It?

If you do not reload....

44 mag... why, greater versatility in avaiable ammunition.. any thing from mild 44spls, to full house 240 gr, mangle-em loads..

45LC, you HAVE to settle for factory ammo that is loaded to pressures safe in 1870's vintage revolvers... not a great option.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

If You DO Reload:......... Either gun is great, you can get a 45LC to flat out ROMP!!! and the 44.. well it can be loaded up or down to suit you..

Both have a good bullet selection, both work very well with a wide number of powders.

I own both, in Single and Double actions, I have carried both calibers on duty in Double actions.. This means that I would, and have staked my life on both of their performance capabilities..

For me the nod goes to 44 Mag, only because of cost and availability of components... once fired 44 mag cases are always easy to find.. But wait! With the advent of Cowboy Action Shooting, the 45LC is making a strong come back in component availability.

It is How you say.... Coin Toss....

Bottom Line, either is a great choice for a handloader...

 

[Ruger4Life]

Just looked at the testing results and research that John Linebaugh posted on his website on the .45 Colt, using Ruger revolvers. Very impressive and very thoroughly researched. I am a believer now.

Throughout my life i have always bought into the hype that the .45 Colt cartridge had thin case walls, could not handle higher pressures that the .44 magnum could, and was inferior to the .44 Magnum. Elmer Keith, Ross Seyfried and others wrote as much. Not so.

Turns out that hot and heavy loads that were fired in other revolvers BESIDES modern Rugers could not handle the pressures. The cartridge case is not the culprit. Oversized cylinders on some .45's and the tensile strength of older cylinders were the problem.

Apologies for the misinformation that I posted earlier.

Still a .44 fan though.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Apologies for the misinformation that I posted earlier.

We've all been guilty of passing something on that isn't correct because we've heard it repeated so many times we start believing it. No sweat.
And there's certainly nothing wrong with being a .44 fan. It's as popular as it is for a reason. Because it's awesome. I'm a .45 fan, but nostalgia probably plays a significant part in that.

Turns out that hot and heavy loads that were fired in other revolvers BESIDES modern Rugers could not handle the pressures.

Yep. They're called Ruger only loads for a reason. There are a few that can handle the heavy stuff, but they're way more expensive than Rugers. Freedom Arms can handle anything a Ruger can, but you can buy 3 or 4 Rugers for the price of one Freedom Arms revolver. Of course the T/C Contender or Encore can handle it if you don't like wheel guns.

 

[CraigC]

Ross Seyfried and others wrote as much. Not so.

I think you'll find that Seyfried is a very, very strong proponent of the .45Colt in strong guns. He penned an article on his trip to Africa after Cape buffalo with his Linebaugh custom Abilene slinging big 360gr LBT's. He might even be more responsible than most for getting the results of Linebaugh's work with the cartridge and its potential out to the masses.

 

[Ruger4Life]

Maybe so, but that's AFTER Linebaugh made Seyfried a believer in the potential of the .45 Colt. On Linebaugh's website he records the range session that he and Seyfried had together. Interesting reading.

 

[EnsignJimmy]

We've all been guilty of passing something on that isn't correct because we've heard it repeated so many times we start believing it. No sweat.
And there's certainly nothing wrong with being a .44 fan. It's as popular as it is for a reason. Because it's awesome. I'm a .45 fan, but nostalgia probably plays a significant part in that.




Yep. They're called Ruger only loads for a reason. There are a few that can handle the heavy stuff, but they're way more expensive than Rugers. Freedom Arms can handle anything a Ruger can, but you can buy 3 or 4 Rugers for the price of one Freedom Arms revolver. Of course the T/C Contender or Encore can handle it if you don't like wheel guns.

Dan Wesson .45 Colt revolvers will handle the hot stuff too. There are also the custom five-shot propositions from gunsmiths like John Linebaugh. But, as you said, all of these are expensive and rare. Any of the .454 Casull guns, and the S&W 460 XVR will shoot "Ruger-only" .45 Colt as well.

For a while, Taurus offered their Raging Bull in a six-shot .45 Colt chambering; and there's also the Colt Anaconda. At least one writer asserts that these can be hot-loaded; but I wouldn't push them past Speer's definition of "Ruger only" which stops at 25,000 CUP. Nor would I push a Smith and Wesson 25-5, or 625 Mountain Gun past this level.

Every other .45 Colt revolver out there is standard-pressure only.

 

[CraigC]

Interesting reading.

Indeed! Here's some more on the subject. I surely miss Seyfried's writing from Handloader.

http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/article.cfm?tocid=321&magid=24

 

[Smaug]

44 Mag was my choice too. Fewer variables to contend with.

Also, since a 240 gr. Bullet is enough to take down anything, who cares that 45 Colt can handle heavier bullets?

One thing that hasn't yet been mentioned is that the velocity advantage of the 44 Magnum means it is easier to shoot well; flatter trajectory.

It may be true that in a revolver, that chamber is what contains the pressure, but thicker brass still lasts longer than thinner.

Reloading is quite gratifying for 44 Mag. and assume also for 45 Colt. If you're like me, you'll end up shooting 10x as many "Light Specials" in magnum cases than these heavy magnums everyone is talking about.

Get the model with the good scope mounting option. You lose a lot of accuracy potential shooting irons. There are those who can shoot amazingly well with irons, but those same people would do even better with a scope. If you get the Hunter, you still have the option of irons. But if you don't you've made it harder on yourself to mount a scope, should you decide to go that route.

Have fun!

 

[CraigC]

...who cares that 45 Colt can handle heavier bullets?

It can't, that's pure myth born of Linebaugh's articles. Linebaugh and most other experts claim the 360gr .45 as the heaviest practical bullet in that chambering. It has a sectional density of .252 and it stabilizes well in the Ruger's 1-16" twist. Which is comparable to a 330gr. .44 at .255, which can be driven over 1300fps. However, the Beartooth 355gr can be pushed to over 1200fps, safely, in any six shot .44Mag with enough cylinder length. Which includes Ruger's single actions. It also stabilizes well in Ruger's 1-20" twist and has a higher sectional density at .274. Which, by the way, is comparable to the king of penetrators, the 430gr .475 at .271.

So all the stuff about the .45 handling heavier bullets better is incorrect.

 

[Bula]

Man CraigC, that is a great looking pistol. I'd really love to get one of those Bisley Hunters...

 

[CraigC]

Thanks! Sweet shooter too but has a tendency to group into two and three shot clusters. The bottom cluster on the right target is actually three shots.

 

[bayhawk2]

The original author of this thread says he is looking for a "hog gun."
I think this thread got away from that and became a "My gun is bigger
than your gun".Yep.My post got there also.Both guns,with factory loads,
will more than take care of hogs.B/H

 

[Slamfire]

Both guns,with factory loads, will more than take care of hogs.B/H

Yes, based on some of the things I was reading, I was getting the impression that a hunter needed a 20mm Vulcan to put a hog down.

There is no doubt in my mind that a 44 Mag is more powerful than a 45 LC in standard loads, yet even a .452 250 grain bullet going 850 fps will sail all the way through a hog (at least that is what I have heard), so that should be totally adequate.

The 44 Mag is a great round, kicks like heck, but if you want horsepower recoil is something you have to live with.

Pick the revolver you like. Both are great choices.

I think the 45LC is a better self defense choice, if you are thinking dual purpose.

 

[Hunt480]

If you don't reload get the 44. If you do reload still get the 44. its the best performer by a mile IMO

 

[fmcdave]

I love my .45LC pistols (S&W 625-6, Ruger Super Blackhawk. However, if I was hunting wild pigs...I'm thinking I would go for a 44 Mag. Those critters can tear you up bad if they get close enough.

 

[Smaug]

CraigC: you quoted me correctly in the quote box, but then misquoted me in your summary. I said "45 Colt can handle heavier bullets" and you summarized what I said as "45 Colt can handle heavier bullets better."

I prefer 44 Magnum too, but let's at least give credit where it is due. 45 Colt can handle heavier bullets.

 

[Smaug]

If you don't reload get the 44.

I would say these are BOTH poor choices for the non-reloader. Around here, 44 Magnum and 44 Special are both about $25 a box of 50. I reload them for around $9 a box, and I don't even cast my own bullets. AND they're more accurate.

 

[CraigC]

The original author of this thread says he is looking for a "hog gun."
I think this thread got away from that and became a "My gun is bigger
than your gun".Yep.My post got there also.Both guns,with factory loads,
will more than take care of hogs.

Where is the pissing contest folks keep referring to?

45 Colt can handle heavier bullets.

Uh, no, it can't!