Any good 41 or 44 spc ammo?

[epijunkie67]

I own several revos in .357 and enjoy being able to use 38 spc as an option. I've been considering getting something in .44 or .41 but haven't seen much in the way of .44 special or .41 special ammo. What's out there? There really doesn't seem to be much out there for the .41. Should I just avoid this caliber?

 

[unspellable]

41 & 44 Special

The 41 Special is a wildcat, you'll have to roll your own. I wouldn't consider this a drawback. My revolvers don't even know what factory ammo looks like. If shooting from a 41 magnum chamber, I'd skip the 41 Special altogether and just put up light loads in the 41 Magnum case. (Shouldn't say I would, that's what I actually do.)

As for the 44 Special, there are quite a few factory loads out there. Of late it has been regaining some of its old popularity.

I run 44 Special cases in my 44 Special revolver and light loads in 44 Magnum cases for my 44 Magnum.

 

[unspellable]

41 & 44 Special

The 41 Special is a wildcat, you'll have to roll your own. I wouldn't consider this a drawback. My revolvers don't even know what factory ammo looks like. If shooting from a 41 magnum chamber, I'd skip the 41 Special altogether and just put up light loads in the 41 Magnum case. (Shouldn't say I would, that's what I actually do.)

As for the 44 Special, there are quite a few factory loads out there. Of late it has been regaining some of its old popularity.

I run 44 Special cases in my 44 Special revolver and light loads in 44 Magnum cases for my 44 Magnum.

 

[epijunkie67]

Problem for me is that I don't reload. And if I did there would still be the question of bullet selection. I can get all kinds of rounds for the .357 in a variety of grain weights and HP vs FMJ configurations. And I like having those options when I'm deciding on pistol/rifle combo carry. But even in .44 mag I don't see as much variation. With the .357 I can shoot tons of cheap .38 and 38+p to plink with or upgrade to the good stuff for defense or hunting. I was hoping to do that with .44 also have only found 3 or 4 different .44 special rounds to date and don't relish plinking with .44 mag.

Of the .44 spc and .44 mag out there which ones should I look at?

 

[Bacon]

Depends on what you are looking for. A good home defense round is the Hornady 180 gr. XTP in .44 Special. That's what I use.

For general shooting CCI Blazer has a 200 gr. JHP .44 Special that is reasonably priced. There's other manufacturers but that's what I like.

Or you can run lite loads in a .44 Mag.

Steve

 

[lawboy]

Junkie, the comments here are all right on. However, the basic problem you seem to be having is that the big bores are more costly to shoot than the .357 bore and you are correct about that. They are not cheap to shoot factory ammo in and cost more to reload for than the .357. Like everything else, there is a mean level of cost associated with owning and using these guns. If you cannot afford that cost, don't buy one.

 

[caz223]

I started out loading .41 mag, I have no idea how I could have afforded to shoot it had I not started reloading for it as soon as I had enough brass....
There are ammo makers that sell lead loads for .41 and .44, loaded light, and on the cheap.
.41 special is as rare as hen's teeth.
Georgia arms used to sell .41 mag lead loads for about $12 a box, IIRC.
They've raised their prices recently, but are still pretty reasonable, prolly somewhere around $15 a box.
But you can load XTP-HP 210 jacketed at full power using all the best components for around $11 a box, $10 if you shop around.
And you can load all sorts of other variations for a lot less.
I suspect that if you loaded lead plinking rounds for .41, you could load them yourself for just a tiny bit more than name brand new ammo for .38 special, maybe even less....
If you absolutely aren't going to reload, maybe you know somebody who does, and could work out a trade, bartering and reloading keeps me up to my neck in brass, helps out my friends, and they trade their used brass, range pickup brass, etc.
Barter if you can, it sure beats paying the long dollar.

 

[epijunkie67]

Like everything else, there is a mean level of cost associated with owning and using these guns. If you cannot afford that cost, don't buy one.

Sorry lawboy, I think you misunderstand. The problem isn't one of money, the medical degree fixed that a few years ago. It's a question of options. I've never reloaded so I can't "load a light .44 mag". I was just wondering about the availability of factory ammo since you don't see nearly the diversity that you do in the .357 round. Counting everything from .38 through maxed out .357 there must be 40 or 50 different factory loads available. When I looked at .44 I'm finding maybe a dozon or so and only a handfull of .44 special.

I'm just trying to get a handle on whats out there. I like to use .38+P as a single load for both my revo and my lever action for just plinking around and didn't really see anything in .44 that compared to that.

 

[Majic]

Well you won't find a +P .44Sp. In fact there aren't a lot of .44sp loads compared to the .38sp. You can find the Cowboy loads which are lightly loaded or the light bullet medium velocity .44mag loads.
The .41mag will give you the least choices of them all. It's strictly a handloaders cartridge.

 

[chaim]

It is true there aren't as many options in .44mag/.44spl and .41 mag as .357mag/.38spl. There are simply more .357mag revolvers out there so there is more incentive for manufacturers to put out more choices.

Still, in .44mag there are quite a few choices. You may only find a few at local stores in .44mag and fewer yet in .44spl, but if you buy online there are many options. Even at stores you'll find light .44spl cowboy action loadings, "regular" range and defensive .44spl loadings, "regular" .44mag and the barnburning .44mag hunting rounds. But yes, for the full range of versatility you may need to start reloading (with a Lee hand press and other necessary equipment you can get started with little initial outlay and with little work/storage space).

There are fewer .41mag choices. There aren't so many .41mags out there and it really is an enthusiasts gun so there aren't as many loads. Most are hunting loadings, though there are defensive loads available. To get the most out of it you really do need to start reloading, but even if you don't (I don't yet have dies for my .41mag) it is an incredibly fun caliber to shoot. I used to be a .357mag guy all the way. Then I bought my S&W 57 and now I have a new favorite caliber. Is it as versatile as .357mag, of course not. If you don't have a revolver yet, or will only have one, I would still suggest a medium frame .357mag. However, if you already have a .357mag I would highly suggest trying the .41 mag. It is an incredible caliber- powerful, a blast to shoot, less recoil than .44mag, and though a heavier recoil I find the way it recoils to be more pleasant than the hotter .357mag loadings (heavier, but less sharp v. the hot .357mag recoil).

 

[unspellable]

44 Special +P loads

I shoot 44 Special +P loads. But this is back in "roll your own" territory again.

For reasons known only to the little tin gods, the factories have never loaded the 44 Special to anything like it's full potential. And it can't be because they are afraid (Maybe "shouldn't be?) of old guns because the old timers will take heavier than factory loads. That's how we got the 44 Magnum. Ever since day one shooters have complained the factories were being stingy with the powder in the 44 Special.

 

[Majic]

For reasons known only to the little tin gods, the factories have never loaded the 44 Special to anything like it's full potential.

Well there are some models like the Bulldog that I wouldn't want to run hot loads thru.

 

[rockstar.esq]

I reload .44 mag with 180 grain hard cast lead bullets over 17 grains of Blue Dot, and I'd be very surprised if anyone could tell a .44spcl from one of my hand loads. This was the starting load from the Lyman book (I think it was Lyman anyway) and it was so soft shooting and accurate in my gun that I haven't tried much else! As for your comment about their not being much of a variety, I guess I'm a little stumped. The average twist rate of a given caliber lends itself to a fairly specific range of bullet weights and profiles. You can get weights from 180 to 310 grains for the .44 and as for profiles. I would refer you to the Lyman lead molds, if not them, nosler, sierra, remington, winchester, buffalo bore... Frankly, I think you are in a bit of a "retail black hole" if your local stores don't have at least three of these options! The thing about the .44 is that you won't likely find four different weights from one manufacturer, however what one doesn't make, often another does. If you don't want to handload, I think you'll find that even with stock ammo, this is an inherintly accurate cartridge that will surprise you with how shootable it can be.

 

[unspellable]

<< Well there are some models like the Bulldog that I wouldn't want to run hot loads thru. >>

I wouldn't argue with that, but on the other hand there are some 38 Special revolvers I wouldn't want to run +P loads in either.

If they had loaded the 44 Special to a decent level from day one there never would have been wimpy revolvers that were not up to it. I think the noise started because the 44 Specal derives from the 44 Russian. It has a longer case, which ought to allow a little more powder and velocity, but the orginal factory ballistics were identical to the 44 Russian. There still isn't much difference between them even today, although I'll admit there arn't very many factory loads to choose from in the 44 Russian today.

 

[happy old sailor]

all the foregoing is right on. i can only offer you the same advice i offer others. RELOAD!. as to .44 or .41 - i love my .44s, but really love my .41s.

 

[45crittergitter]

In the .41 Mag., Winchester Silvertips are factory loaded pretty light.

 

[mbartel]

Actually the .44 mag is quite versatile. Buffalo Bore and Cor-Bon offer high performance .44 special ammo, suitable for hunting or self-defense. Black Hills ammo offers cowboy action loads for the .44 special as well as the .44 russian. Yes you can shoot the russian in the .44 mag. If you do a google search, you will find a lot of ammo makers loading the .44 special. It's very mild shooting in a magnum frame revolver. Lots of cowboy action loads out there as well as some "milder" .44 mag loads. Even Federal loads a Target .44 special with a semi-wadcutter HP...cuts nice big round holes in paper, or you could hunt small game with it. The more you look around, the more you will see the large diversity of ammo options the .44 mag can handle....very important for a non-handloader....good luck in your search.

 

[Pappy John]

The .44 special Blazers from CCI use the excellent 200 gr Gold Dot hollow point bullet, designed to expand at 800 fps. The Blazers clock 830 fps out of my 3" 696.

I agree there's slim pickin's for ammo, but this is a good one.