.44 Magnum recoil vs. .357?

It is somewhat important to understand the difference in recoil between single action and double action guns. Single actions (to me) kick much more violently for some reason which I surmise to be in the grip angle and the stance used while shooting. I had a SB 7.5" 44 once and though accurate, it was very unpleasant.

+1 to the idea of shooting the exact gun before you buy. The .44 has a LOT more oomph than the .357. Even as a scrawny teen, I enjoyed shooting my Dad's 6" L-frame .357. The first time I tried a .44 SBH around age 20, 6 rounds were enough for me. It was OK except that the trigger was cutting into my finger on recoil. That was the first time I shot a single-action revo, so maybe my grip was wrong. I concluded that I didn't like .44 magnums.

Fast-forward over 25 years to last December. Pushing 50 but still scrawny, I shot my brother-in-law's 1980s vintage 7.5" Redhawk and loved it. Bought one just like it for myself last spring. The smooth wooden grips work well for me.

I also have a 4" half-lug GP100, so about the lightest configuration for that model. Despite the considerable extra weight, the Redhawk recoil is definitely more impressive. OTOH, I notice little difference in noise between hot .357 and hot .44: both call for earplug AND muffs. OTOOH, with a ported barrel, the .44 probably *will* be louder.

After one session with the .44, my thumb joint was sore, which I never experienced with a .357. I think I cured that by altering my grip a little to take the recoil more against the heel of my hand and by gripping harder (most of my handgun shooting was .22s until those became unobtainium, and I was in the habit of using a light grip).

For killing paper, the .44 Magnum is completely pointless and extremely entertaining. Last weekend I handed it off for 6 rounds to a buddy who has a Buckmark with a nice red-dot sight and a .357 LCR and a Walther 9 mm and a Single-Ten and he said "this is like Christmas for me!"

It's also an excellent reason to start reloading. I have just a Lee hand press, and that keeps me in ammo fine. For $300 to $400 in gear and consumables (equal to 6 to 8 boxes of .44, last I checked) you can be making .44 mag for 20 to 30 cents a round, vs. a dollar for store-bought. I use 6.5 grains of Red Dot and an Xtreme plated 240 for a plinking round that has almost no flash and reduced recoil so I can shoot it comfortably with a one-handed Bullseye stance (note I said "shoot," not "hit anything," because I stink at that), or switch to 20 grains of 2400 for maximum muzzle flash and enough boom to scare people three lanes away, if that's how you roll.

A 6" full lug GP100 really doesn't prepare you for much. That is my mom's favorite gun, and part of that is because it has hardly any recoil. It isn't much different than a 9mm Glock.

I'd suggest renting a .44 mag first. The Bisley is the most comfortable platform I have found for big bores, but it is also manageable in a DA. I think getting grips that fit your hand well is the key to DA comfort.

It is somewhat important to understand the difference in recoil between single action and double action guns. Single actions (to me) kick much more violently for some reason which I surmise to be in the grip angle and the stance used while shooting.

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The big difference between the two is that DA's tend to transmit recoil more straight back into the palm. The SA's transmit more up in the form of muzzle rise. For me, this makes SA's much more comfortable under heavy recoil.

Well, shooting full power .357Mag from an N frame S&W is easy. I could do that all day long with my Model 28. Shooting full power .44Mag from a Model 29, same gun just a bigger bore, leaves my hands sore after about two cylinders worth and I'm done for the day. Mind you the N frame Smith is a good 6 to 8oz lighter than the Taurus you're considering. And it didn't have the muzzle brake.

This didn't stop me from getting two .44Mag guns which I love to shoot. One is a 7.5 inch Super Blackhawk and the other is a bobbed barrel Super Redhawk. And while I do shoot some full power loads for giggles now and then I prefer to download them by around 10 to 15% less velocity for a stout and firm plinking/target load that gives me roughly 1050 to 1100 fps for a 240gn LRNFP.

Fishman777 said:

If you decide to get a .44 magnum, just get a used revolver. There are a lot of stupid people like me that buy the things and sell them after shooting a few rounds. If you are like me, you won't shoot the gun very often and it will end up being a safe queen.

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Good advice, if the model you want is common enough to trade often and cheaply on the used market, which does appear to be the case for the Taurus. Fer example:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=395407657

I got my Redhawk via Gunbroker for $625 including tax, shipping and FFL. In the 9 months since, I've fired at least 300 rounds. At this rate, by mid-2015 when I load and shoot up all the bullets I already have in my basement, the amortized cost of the gun and ammo combined will be $1 per round. And barring some incredible change in the transfer laws, I could still easily sell the gun for what I paid.

BCRider, your "plinking" load should still shoot clean through the broad side of a horse!

it's easy to figure out...guess which

One way to decide which one has the most recoil is to shoot comparable guns chambered for .357 and .44 magnums.

As an example....

S&W N-frame .357 magnum 2 5/8" barrel, 158 grain ammo and boot grips





compared to S&W N-frame .44 magnum 2 1/2" barrel, 240 grain ammo and boot grips



Take a guess

In 357 I have a 2 1/4 inch SP101, a 3 inch Wiley Clapp GP 100 and a 2.5 inch 686P.

In 44 magnum I have a 6.5 inch 29-3.

Everyone loves to shoot my 357s, which are all basically snub nosed. Quite a bit of flame but doesn't really smack your hand.

In order to get people to shoot my 44 magnum I only load one or two rounds in it and even then most people quit after the first round. Also take into account I mainly shoot the "light" stuff like Winchester White Box JSP and Remington Express JHPs. I've seen straight fear in more than one non-shooter friends' eyes when the 44 goes off and I won't bring it out if I have an in-experienced shooters with me.

They are worlds apart. My SP101 with hot ammo is nothing compared to a monster 29 with mediocre ammo.

I have a Taurus Tracker in 44 and love it. It's a versatile cartridge, and handloading really brings out its' best. You can load anything from ultra light recoiling cast bullets up to earth shattering, flame belching full power magnum loads.

Want to have even better versatility? Buy your pistol, then go for a levergun in the same caliber.

I will say to fully appreciate a 44's recoil you need to shoulder a rifle in that caliber. My Rossi 92 kicks worse than any other rifle I own with its narrow, metal buttplate and light weight.

I love shooting .357s, the hotter the better. I don't like .44 mags. Nasty. I found myself shooting .44 Spls. instead.

I haven't tried a ported .44 so don't know whether that will change things much.

44 mag loads are all over the place. I basically gave up on 357 and sold all of mine years ago and went with 44's instead. Just because you have a car that will run 150 mph doesn't mean you have to always drive it 150 mph. Same with 44's. Many of the milder 44 magnum loads or hot 44 Special loads will outperform 357 magnum, and with less recoil and blast than you get from hot 357 loads. Nothing is louder than hot 357 loads from 4" or shorter barrels. And if needed I can push the 44 to levels I cannot take 357. And yes, recoil with those loads is in a different league, as is performance. But I only use those loads when really needed, which isn't often.

If you compare full size guns the 44's just aren't that much bigger. My 4" 629 is 1/8" thicker through the cylinder and 1 oz heavier than the 4" 686 that I used to own. They fit many of the same holsters.

I can buy ammo from www.georgia-arms.com for exactly the same price. And since they give a credit for returned brass, and since 44 brass is worth a lot more than 357 I can actually end up shooting 44's for less than 357.

First gun I ever shot was a .44 magnu, and I was hooked for life. But I still don't own one!

I need a higher paying job

jmr40 said:

J44 mag loads are all over the place. I basically gave up on 357 and sold all of mine years ago and went with 44's instead. Just because you have a car that will run 150 mph doesn't mean you have to always drive it 150 mph. Same with 44's. Many of the milder 44 magnum loads or hot 44 Special loads will outperform 357 magnum, and with less recoil and blast than you get from hot 357 loads. Nothing is louder than hot 357 loads from 4" or shorter barrels. And if needed I can push the 44 to levels I cannot take 357. And yes, recoil with those loads is in a different league, as is performance. But I only use those loads when really needed, which isn't often.

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You basically said what I was going to... almost word for word.

Real men thrive on recoil. It kind of gets the ole testosterone flowing.

Buck13 said:

......BCRider, your "plinking" load should still shoot clean through the broad side of a horse!

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What can I say? I take my "plinking" seriously! ! !

I still wanted to feel like I was shooting the big Magnum. Just without the hand smack pain at the end of the day. That sort of velocity, with the right powder, gives me this. It hits with a bigger thump than the .357Mag full power rounds but moderated to feel all the big bore joy and love without the sore hand at the end of the day.

JMR40 laid out the magic in his post above. The CAP is higher for the .44Mag than for the .357. But as he correctly points out we don't need to push it to the max all the time. And it's nice to know that I could perforate a horse if needed without hand strain....

i find the recoil between single and double actions much the way craigc does. that is, double actions aren't as enjoyable to me. a friend has a m629, and shooting that side by side with my super blackhawk (barrel lengths are 4" and 3.75" respectively), mine is much easier to shoot for extended range trips, where as his makes my hand sore after a few cylinders.

i also second what jmr40 had to say.

I love shooting 44mag and I do reload for it and shoot mid-strength loads. I have a S&W 629 and absolutely love it but if you want the Taurus go for it.

I have several .357 mag, .44 spl and .44 mag revolvers. To me the .357 is pleasant to shoot with very little practice.

Of all the .44 revolvers I own I have never fired a mag round in any of them. I much prefer the .44 with a 250 gr bullet at about 1050 fps.

Not compensating for anything, but have always loved .44 magnum. My current .44Mag guns are an 1894 Marlin levergun and a 7.5" SBH. As has been stated here, hold it right, and it'll roll upward with recoil. The idea is that you can thumb the hammer back during this cycle and be able to get another shot off quickly as soon as it comes back in line with your target. Folks don't tend to consider these combat arms anymore, so rapid fire of full house loads isn't so relevant most of the time.

On the other hand, if you just like the big bore gun and want to have power available if/when you need it, practice with .44 Specials... have a blast, it's fun as heck.
This caliber will have me reloading sooner rather than later, though.

I don't think I'd trade down from a Ruger to a Taurus though... just sayin'.

It all depends on what looking for!

I own and shoot both the 44 rem mag and the .357 S&W on a regular basis, through a variety of guns. You'll find the 44 to be more versatile, but full house loads are intimidating. If you reload, this could all be moot, and lighter loads can be a pleasure. The reason I say the 44 is more versatile, has mostly to do with hunting. There are rifles chambered for both calibers, but the 44 is capable of taking truly big game. I'd follow the advice of several others here and try a 44 before I bought one.

Unless you have a wrist injury or something like that, a .44 Magnum of the size you describe with good grips shouldn't be too punishing. It has a reputation of being a rough round and first time I shot one, I was a little worried. The grips didn't fit my hand too well but I'd been shooting 9mm and .357 a lot and managed to outshoot the owner with is own gun (a S&W 6.5" M29).

The second one I shot was an old 7.5 Super Blackhawk. It also wasn't too bad even though it had regular wood grips on it. They are loud and they do jump, but I think most shooters could use a .44 magnum well enough.

FWIW, I usually find DA's to be more comfortable during recoil. SA revolvers can roll in your hand and when they do, they bang the hell out of my second knuckle on my middle finger. I owned a Blackhawk once that was so uncomfortable to shoot that I sold it with less than 100 rounds through it. But since DA revolvers tend to stay put in the hand, a DA with good grips that absorb some recoil are a lot more comfortable for me.

I didn't say all .44 magnum people are compensating for "something", but some folks clearly are. Some gun forum regulars seem to thrive on sounding tough. They boast up and down about how recoil tolerant and bad ass tactical they are. Granted, this forum is a lot different than most gun forums, but there are still some "tough guy" knuckleheads even on this forum as well. I didn't mean to insult anyone, but I stand by what I said. If you shoot a .44 magnum or a big bore revolver, and like it, I think you're a little nuts. Not that being a little nuts is a bad thing. Unless I have a legitimate need to put my body through that level of concussive abuse, I'll pass. If I ever have the need, I'd invest in reloading equipment and push through my recoil issues. I just don't see the point. Living in the central plains region, I have no need for anything more than .45 acp.

How the gun fits out hands has a LOT to do with the perception of the recoil.

Goon, like you I was getting my middle finger beat up badly by the stock grips on my Super Blackhawk. I made up a set of "fat" grip scales that fit my fairly large mitts far better and the beating of my middle finger went away even with full house loads.

Looking at the claims of DA's hitting harder than SA's I found the same issue. Pachameyer grips are far too narrow side to side to fit me well. And they hit my hands hard and hurt even after one or two rounds of .44Mag. Hoques are better but they still have an oval shape that makes the backstrap vertical line rather sharp. My goal is to make up some new wood grips that mimic the fatter back strap line that I got with my Super Blackhawk grips and hopefully this will make the gun hit the hand less hard.

Another recent purchase that supports this theory is a 9mm revolver I just got. The grip shape left a spot of low pressure along the back strap just up around the web area of my hand. The gun felt overly snappy and smacked my hand. I filled in that low pressure hollow with some foam tape and tried it again and the gun's recoil felt a lot softer.

I liken this issue of poor fit and narrow pressure lines to the same idea as shooting a high powered rifle or shotgun with the butt pad seated badly to the shoulder or even held away lightly. It lets the gun move in the shooter's grip and get up some rearward or rotational speed during the recoil so that it hits the hand harder and hurts more.

The recoil of full house 44 Mag loads is tamed down quite nicely shooting this.

That's good 'cause if it didn't tame the recoil down that front sight could put your eye out!