.44 Mag as a "Graduation Present" to self?

[captain awesome]

that smith pc 44 hunter is a sweet looking gun. I have been looking at them for a while, being tempted. As far as new smiths go, unless they make that change that every one has been hoping for, that and the pc 460 are the only ones I have interest in any more. they are higher priced, but what about a freedom arms 44, or a magnum research precision center bfr in 44? they are single action, but extremely high quality and not whole lot more than your other two options. and they are both rather unusual as well. Just throwing it out there.

 

[Eightball]

Get a S&W M29, bbl length your choice.

While I find your post beneficial, could you possibly narrow down the above quote? Both of the options listed in my OP are technically variants of the 29 (only in stainless or other finishes), in the barrel lengths I prefer.

 

[jr4521]

I carry a Smith & wesson 44 N frame 3 inch, I love it, I load it up sometimes with 44 special for carry, but even with the mag loads its fine.and if you dont hit what your shooting at the noise and fire will certainly do the trick!

 

[eldon519]

If you do decide to go with a Ruger, since you are a reloader, I'd also recommend looking into .45 Colt. With Ruger-only data, it pretty much duplicates the ballistics of .44 magnum with less pressure which makes for a gentler report. I've actually had people mistake some of my cast lead Ruger loads for blackpowder loads. Positives are you can take advantage of affordable .45 auto bullets (cast or jacketed) for plinking, and the report is pleasant as mentioned. There are also heavier bullets out there beyond the spectrum of the .44 like the 400 gr Cast Performance bullets. Downsides are that Ruger-only data is less common than .44 magnum data, and it uses more powder to achieve the same thing.

Just something to consider.

 

[BCRider]

I'd have to say that for any of the bigger caliber options you'll want to reload very soon if not immediately. Not only does this lower the ammo costs to a non frightful level but it allows you to tailor your loads to suit yourself and how you shoot. Playful plinking loads for regular shooting, gentle loads for gun shy friends to try, huge fireball loads for indoor and dusk shooting, hardcore hunting rounds and other options all become much more instantly available and financially feasable.

I like the idea of the cheaper bullets when shooting the .45Colt option but in looking at the Ruger/Freedom Arms/TC only special loads at the Hogdon reloading data site I'm seeing that they are calling for a max CUP of 28K to 30K while the .44Mag options are up in the 38K to 39K range. Seems like this gives the nod to the .44Mag for more load flexibility.

 

[eldon519]

Well that's what I was getting at. It produces about the same velocity with less pressure. Pressure is responsible for nasty blast, throat erosion, general wear and tear, etc. To achieve basically the same thing with less pressure is a virtue in my book.

The Hodgdon .44 data does beat most of the .45 Colt data with the heavier bullets by about 50-100 fps or so, but honestly I've never seen .44 bullets in most of the weights above 300 grains that they show for the .44. The famous 240-grain loads are pretty much neck and neck, probably about the exact same when you figure in the .44 loads use an 8 inch barrel vs the 7 inch for .45. Because of the .454 and .45 acp, there is a wide range of weights the .45 Colt can handle which are readily available. The added versatility to me is being able to shoot bullets from 155 grains up to 395.

Honestly there have more similarities than differences. Just two possibilities out there.

EDIT:
Oh yeah, it's also pretty cool to have a plethora of high-quality self defense hollowpoints to experiment with from the .45 ACP. Experiments such as "I like what the 230-grain Golden Saber does at 900 fps...I wonder what it'll do at 1500". Practical value? I don't know. But it's fun

 

[22/22mag]

Another Colt Anaconda .44 mag 8" barrel good shooter not a wrist killer so follow up shots are quick , carry nice an easy in a chest hostler .

 

[jbbaldwin]

I would recommend a Dan Wesson... that way you can change the barrel depending on your need. Below is a picture of a model 744.