.44 Mag or .45 Colt. accuracy and reach ONLY

[Backpacker33]

44 Mag or 45 Colt

I had my own prejudices about these rounds, and most of them turned out to be wrong. Here is one article by John Taffin I think is worth reading.
http://www.sixguns.com/tests/tt45lc.htm

This one by John Linebaugh should irritate some who adhere to their favorite myths: http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/dissolving_the_myth.htm

For those who like to trash the S&W 25-5, here is one you won't want to read:
http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=12

I have two 25-5s purchased in the early '70s. A .452 bullet drops right through the chambers without slowing down. However, I'll match either one side by side with any .44 Mag you want, fired off-hand at targets 50 feet away. You won't be able to tell one group from the other. Maybe a bullseye shooter could find a meaningful difference, but I don't do that. "Minute of Critter," at appropriate distances is what I go for. I've carried various guns in .44 Magnum while backpacking for years. Then I saw a blue S&W Mountain Gun in .45 Colt and couldn't resist. I bought it figuring it would be a safe queen, brought out occasionally for the 'OH! Wow!" factor. Then I found the websites noted above, and did some more research, and made loads that equal anything hurled out of a Ruger, S&W or Colt Anaconda. I actually still love and prefer my Anacondas in either .45 Colt or .44 Mag, but I'm getting into geezer years and like lighter stuff that doesn't break the bones in my hands. .45 Colt in smaller iron guns do just fine.
-Backpacker

 

[CraigC]

This one by John Linebaugh should irritate some who adhere to their favorite myths:

That article was written 30yrs ago and some of it is now also myth. The "more power, less pressure" has turned out to be a lot of marketing hype. In the real world, there is very little practical difference between the two cartridges. The .44 maintains a distinct velocity and sectional density advantage, while the .45 is slightly larger in diameter. A wash at best. Certainly not the picture the article paints.

 

[Backpacker33]

I completely agree.

 

[Sport45]

ANY handgun chambered in .44mag will outperform MANY handguns chambered in .45 Colt.

That said, I don't currently own a .44mag and won't be trading away my Redhawk .45 Colt. It's good for upwards of 50,000psi, but the load I like the best and shoot the most is a 260gr SWC over a load of Unique that wouldn't blow up any modern handgun.

 

[.44 Associate]

Within the past two years I bought three Ruger .45 Colts. All have throats right at .452. All shoot about as accurately as my Ruger .44s - which is to say, all of them are about as accurate as I am capable of proving, at least after firelapping.