What is your favorite Magnum?

I own a .44 Mag, .357 Mag, and .500 Mag. I like them all, but the .44 is the most practical all around, as it will down what magnums are supposed to down, and do everything else (you can also load it to .357 power if that trips your trigger). The .500 is a hoot to shoot, but is way overkill for anything but huge bears, lions, and elephants.

I responded .357. For my wife, it's a toss up between .22 Magnum and "P.I." ;-)

I think the lead that 357 has in the poll says volumes about its popularity, and with good reason since it is a very powerful cartridge, but is manageable in any full size gun. The other larger calibers can be downright painful with full power loads.

As a homeowner, and a range shooter a 357 is all I need. If I was out in the mountains hiking, I would probably opt for something bigger.

my first mag was a 357 but when i bought that 629-2 it was love at first shot.

now days my poor 44 is just a plinker with all the bigger boys out now days.
i have a 50ae and on the hunt for that 460. that 44 will always be my girl

I voted ".45 Magnum" but I'm not sure if what I had in mind counts: .45 Colt loaded hot with heavy bullets. (it's not in the same league as .454 Casull or .460S&W, but it beats .44 Magnum)

I reserve the right to change my mind when I get a .41 Magnum

The .500 is a hoot to shoot, but is way overkill for anything but huge bears, lions, and elephants.

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What about tigers? (oh my!)

Nickel plated Colt trooper MK III

How could you forget the .41 magnum?!

"How could you forget the .41 magnum"

DITTO!

"The .41 Remington Magnum. The 3rd time's the charm."

I voted .357 magnum, but not because I really like it. Where I currently live, that cartridge is the right choice for the full range of my handguns, from my CCW to my trail gun. I could go buy a lever-action and use it for deer hunting if I wanted to. To boot, I can even buy/reload completely non-toxic ammo, which makes my wife happy.

I prefer .44 magnum since I can also use it as a sidearm when hiking in my home state of Alaska. But, it's overkill for the place I currently live, and why pay for .44 ammo when .357 magnum will fit the bill? Also, its less-powerful variant (.44 spl) makes for a somewhat larger CCW than one in .38.

.45 colt never appealed to me. It's too big for concealed carry, and there aren't many revolvers that can shoot it safely at +p pressures, at least not compared to .44 chamberings.

If I didn't reload, then .357 Magnum.

But I do reload, so I use the "thinking man's magnum", you know, THE ONE MISSING FROM YOUR LIST! :banghead:

.41 Remington Magnum for the win!

don't feel bad i had a poll and left out some but had a OTHER like you but it didn't matter i still got slammed.

i like a 41 also even have some ammo for one but don't have one (YET)

The "more power with less pressure" argument is outdated.

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I didn't realize that the laws of physics have changed. YOU might not care about the argument, but it's not outdated for any reason I can think of.
The .45s really have been screwed over by chamber and throat sizes over the years though. It cost me $35 to have my too-small throats reamed out.

Carried a Model 19 in .357 during my LEO years--still have it.

CraigC said:

No offense meant but not everybody drinks the .45 Kool Aid.

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None taken.

CraigC said:

The downside is that the .45Colt has always been plagued with poor chamber/bore dimensions. Chambers are oversized and mouths can either be too large or too small.

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It's odd that this would still be a problem. It's not like these firearms are being built in a third world country. Why on earth would any company produce such a product? It doesn't make sense. Oh that's right ... there are a bunch of people making money from the "poor chamber/bore dimension" claim. Think about it, how hard is it to get the correct tooling made for the job? How is it any more difficult to cut a .44 Magnum cylinder and barrel compared to a .45 Colt clinder and barrel? Regardless, I guess I got lucky with my six revolvers and a rifle all chambered for the .45 Colt. Accuracy is excellent, case life is excellent ... I'll keep sipping on the Kool Aid thank you very much!

Before I forget, I did have one such individual try to persuade me to send my cylinder to him to be "fixed" since "they're all out of spec". I decided to measure the cylinder chambers and barrel myself and everything was well within spec. I've posted the results on this forum before so I won't take up the space here.

Now back to regular programming and the .41 Magnum which I know nothing about.

I didn't realize that the laws of physics have changed. YOU might not
care about the argument, but it's not outdated for any reason I can think of.

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The laws of physics have not changed but the reloading data for the .44Magnum has. Yes, the .45Colt "does its thang" with less pressure (because it has to) but it does not offer more performance. As I said before, the only advantage is the slight increase in diameter. You can gauge for yourself what difference that makes.

It's odd that this would still be a problem.

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It is, unless you buy a USFA or F/A. Colt's are still oversized (I know, got one), Rugers are still undersized (had mine fixed), most S&W's are oversized. The problem is not the manufacturing process, it's SAAMI's chamber specs on a 150yr old blackpowder cartridge. Ever hear of anybody having their .44 chambers reamed???

Yes, the .45Colt "does its thang" with less pressure (because it has to) but it does not offer more performance.

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I know there are a lot of people who say that the .45 Colt beats the .44 Magnum in its heavier loadings, which isn't true unless you're loading it past the Ruger Only levels in a custom 5 shot (Or they're comparing it to the Remchesteral .44 Mag loads). Obviously at the very tip-top of capability the .44 Magnum has an advantage. That doesn't change the fact that the .45 Colt does the same thing as the .44 Mag but with roughly 30% less pressure. Which means for a given equal bullet/powder combination, you can in fact get "more power with less pressure" from the .45 Colt. That doesn't mean the same thing as saying the .45 Colt has a higher top end.

That doesn't change the fact that the .45 Colt does the same thing as the .44 Mag but with roughly 30% less pressure.

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Actually it's 20%. Which yields us what, exactly? Folks parrot that statement over and over again as if less pressure equals a known, practical benefit. It does not. In the long term, with tens of thousands of rounds spent, there 'may' be a slight decrease in wear and tear but as of yet it has not been quantified. It certainly does not make a discerable difference in recoil or muzzle blast. A 250gr at 1400fps feels the same regardless of whether it's a .44 or a .45.

Which means for a given equal bullet/powder combination, you can in fact get "more power with less pressure" from the .45 Colt.

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No, that means you get "similar" power with less pressure. The .44Mag still retains a 50-100fps advantage across the board with nearly all bullet weights. So in reality, it's less power at less pressure. Not exactly as cut and dried as .45Colt fans would have you believe.

Is the 480 Ruger a magnum? Sure feels like it. Thought I would throw it into the mix, but I really prefer the 41 magnum if I want to shoot magnums.

CraigC said:

It is, unless you buy a USFA or F/A.

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I have a pair of USFA Rodeos and they're truly amazing revolvers.

CraigC said:

Rugers are still undersized (had mine fixed

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My Redhawk (new model) is just fine as you can see from the measurements HERE. I wasn't having accuracy problems with it, just leading due to the wrong choice of powder. However, I was told that the chambers were undersized and that this was causing leading. I measured the chambers and the barrel and they're fine. I changed powder and no more leading, even with HOT H110 loads. My Blackhawks and Super Redhawk don't have any leading and exceed my accuracy expectations so I'm not going to waste any time measuring those chambers.

It's kind of amusing that .44 Mag and .45 Colt fans always get wrapped up in these discussions while the rest of the world just gets on with it ... with their .357 Mags and .41 Mags ... based on this thread anyway!

So where does that logic end? You can only load up the .44 Mag "so far" as well, so why not the .454 Casull or .500 S&W?

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The logic ends with a few basic elements:

1) Size of the gun. The .460 it pretty damn big, regardless of barrel length. The .454 needs a large frame, like a Super Redhawk, to even begin to take its recoil. I have a 4" 629 Mtn Gun that is, dare I say it, svelte, even for a .44 magnum. While not especially pleasant to shoot with magnum loads, it's not impossible and doesn't cause physical injury.

2) Expected power need. As it applies to ME, I don't expect to need more power than a full house .44 magnum provides. I suspect this applies to 98% of everyone else, too.

3) Availability/Cost: .44 magnum ammo can be easily found, even at the bait shop by the lake. Try finding .45 Colt or .454, much less .460 at even a well-stocked Walmart.

I'd have to go with the .45 Colt. It can be a plinker when that's what I want, and it can be a magnum in my Ruger if the inclination hits me.

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I have to agree with that. Although I have carried a .357 in combat, in the woods these days I mostly carry a .45 Colt -- either my Colt New Service or my Ruger Blackhawk.

I chose the .22 magnum,..as it is by far the one I shoot most,... in both handgun and rifle.

I have a .32 H&R Magnum, .357's,..and a .44 Mag Ruger SBH that is matched up to a Winchester 94 in .44 Mag.combo,...and they all have specific purposes.

The one I actually CARRY the most is probably the Ruger SBH in .44 magnum, as it is my hands down favorite woods carry. But,..the one I shoot the most,..as I said,..is the .22 magnum.

I love my 300WSM. And, I also love all the magnums you listed. Asking which I like better, is like asking what flavor of ice cream I like best - I LIKE ALL OF THEM.