44 Mag and Short Barrels

[Richard.Howe]

I've recently gotten my hands on one of those hard-to-get Ruger Alaskans chambered for 44mag. There seems to be precious little short-barrel ballistic information available out there -- if you know the answer to either of the following, can you share?

• Normal exit velocities for standard ammo
• Exit velocities for heavy loads, e.g. Garrett, Buffalo Bore, Grizzly, etc.

 

[jem375]

I think you should go to their websites and ask them over the phone or internet what the velocity would be for short barrels. I bought some Garrett 310gr. hammerheads at 1325 fps but am shooting it out of a 7 1/2" Ruger Super Blackhawk. I would guess that the velocity would at least be 1175-1200 fps but that is just my guess with that ammo.
Stephen Camp would probably be a person to ask on this question, I am sure he has had a few experiences with that question.

 

[rbmcmjr]

Your biggest worry is going to be muzzle blast, both visual and aural. I like the big snubbies, but they will abuse your senses. The last time I did any comparison testing, the best choice for minimal effect was the Winchester Silvertip loading. The fireball was the smallest, but it was a bright white. Others had a less bright orange flash, but were three to four times bigger across. Buy some loads and see what you find.

 

[Ilovemyglock]

I was fortinuate enough to fire a S&W 500 sold in the survival kits......but after 5 rounds my hand needed ICE !!! That was the stiffist recoil i have ever felt out of a pistol. The 44. snubbie would be a blast!! litteraly!!

 

[Antihero]

Here is some data on my 2.5 barreled taurus 44c. The cylinder is too short for the CorBon 320 i had on hand but there is data for a couple of 300 gr loads.

Its the last post.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=236932&highlight=44c

 

[Antihero]

Also in response to this

Your biggest worry is going to be muzzle blast, both visual and aural. I like the big snubbies, but they will abuse your senses. The last time I did any comparison testing, the best choice for minimal effect was the Winchester Silvertip loading. The fireball was the smallest, but it was a bright white. Others had a less bright orange flash, but were three to four times bigger across. Buy some loads and see what you find.

I didnt think the blast was that bad with anything but MagSafes

 

[Standing Wolf]

I have a pre-agreement Smith & Wesson model 629 .44 magnum with a three-inch barrel.

Muzzle blast and flash are decidedly noticeable; conversely, if I ever need to stop a crime with the gun, I have a hunch I'm not going to have to empty the cylinder.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Speer produces short barrel rounds in their Gold Dot series. They do have a short barrel .44 Mag round in their inventory. They are reporting 1075 fps with 513 ft/lbs of energy out of a 200 gr short barrel .44 Mag round. http://www.speer-ammo.com/ballistics/ammo.aspx

 

[Glamdring]

Are you just curious about the MV? It won't make much practical difference IMO.

Also heavy bullets as a general rule lose less velocity from short barrels. In other words you would expect a 180 or 200 grain load to lose more fps going from 6" to 2.5" than you would a 300+ grain load.

 

[Richard.Howe]

The real reason I asked...was to make sure I haven't nuked the 44mag's ballistics by carrying it in a snub. This is my CO carry load (a 320-grain hardcast rated for 1300fps out of a 6.5" bbl):

http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_35&products_id=118

Mainly, just wondering if +P heavy loads are a waste of time from a 2.5" tube.

My thinking is that they are not, though the ballistics are clearly not going to be as nice as when launched from my 9-1/2" Super Redhawk...