.44 mag or .45 LC

[SDGlock23]

If you loaded both to the same PSI using the same powder, shot the same weight bullet (say 300gr hardcast) and used the same length barrel, the .45 Colt would be faster. The .44 Mag would be a little more efficient as it would use less powder since it has a smaller case capacity but the .44 bullet would protrude deeper into the .44's case since it would be longer than the .452" bullet, further reducing powder capacity. The .45 Colt would burn more powder but could match the .44's velocity at a lower PSI (and exceed it at the same PSI) plus the bullet would be shorter and allow even more room for powder.


Both work very well, but which ever option you choose doesn't really matter, between them there is tons of what I call performance overlap. It's doubtful that any game animal would know the difference between the two, but it's never a bad idea to side with the bigger caliber bullet.

 

[Jlr2267]

I have loaded to 1400+ fps with a 260gr 45 Colt bullet thru a 4.2" Redhawk. That load is a real pig thumper. Imagine it would easily dispatch even the nastiest of black bear too.

 

[BigG]

I'm also not a Ruger fan, Bill Ruger lobbied for Americans to be limited to having less than ten rounds in their handguns to thwart his competitors. My view is he also hated the RKBA but his apologists will say no.

 

[back40]

what does it matter what bill ruger lobbied for at this point? the company certainly is run much differently now.

 

[Catpop]

LT.Diver,
If you like deer to eat, then maybe you just haven't found the right recipe for bear. I personally love it, especially in a pot roast, with onions, taters, and carrots! Yum, Yum I'm salivating like Pavole's Dog!!!!! Gotta drag a hunk of bear steak out of the freezer real soon!

 

[CraigC]

If you loaded both to the same PSI using the same powder, shot the same weight bullet (say 300gr hardcast) and used the same length barrel, the .45 Colt would be faster. The .44 Mag would be a little more efficient as it would use less powder since it has a smaller case capacity but the .44 bullet would protrude deeper into the .44's case since it would be longer than the .452" bullet, further reducing powder capacity. The .45 Colt would burn more powder but could match the .44's velocity at a lower PSI (and exceed it at the same PSI) plus the bullet would be shorter and allow even more room for powder.

That's irrelevant because they don't run at identical pressures.

Real and practical fact is that the .44 will push a bullet of the same weight class 100fps faster. It will push a bullet of comparable sectional density 200fps faster. What the .45 does and at what pressure really isn't relevant if both are operating at a 100% safety margin (40,000psi .44 versus 32,000psi .45).

 

[silicosys4]

Just to add, I came into a half box of .45 colt loads thrown in on a trade last week, after my previous posts. Most were factory loads, but a few were identifiable as handloads by the cast line down the center of the bullets vs. the factory swaged bullets, and the starline cases. The cast line was barely visible though, so if I wasn't specifically looking for a cast line, and knew that manufacturers swage their lead bullets, those cast ones would have easily slipped in with the factory bullets, nearly identical bullet profiles and OAL's. I pulled a few of the cast reloads and they were about 10.0 grains of some flake powder that looked to me like Unique, but might not have been...that's 1.5 grains over what Lyman lists for Unique under the standard .45 Colt loading section.

But....there were two rounds that stood out a bit because they were a slightly longer OAL so they stood up a hair taller in the box, and they were jacketed.
One looks like a Hornady xtp, and one is a lead nose jacketed solid.
Get this though. The Hornady xtp was 300 grains loaded with 22.5 grains of what looked like 2400.
The jacketed lead nose solid was 300 grains loaded over 22.0 grains of some ball powder that was deteriorated to the point that it was the color of sand.
Glad I'm not somebody with a SAA or clone that doesn't know better. All of those loads except the factory loads are at or slightly over the upper end of the T/C Contender and Encore Only section of Lymans 49'th....if I'm I.D'ing the powder right.
which is why I would rather have a .44 magnum than try to make a .44 magnum out of a .45 Colt.

The heavy loads were mixed randomly in with others including some factory and some cast reloads in a leather cartridge belt when I got it, and the last thing in the holster on the cartridge belt WAS a genuine vintage .45 Colt SAA. Didn't get that though, unfortunately.

Oh, and I have to amend myself in a previous post...I said that the extra diameter that a .45 colt has over a .44 magnum doesn't amount to anything in the real world...it amounts to .44 magnum cartridges falling out of cartridge loops stretched for .45 Colt, lol. So there you have it. The .45 Colt trumps the .44 magnum at loop stretching.

 

[CraigC]

The safety concerns over loading the .45Colt over SAAMI standards are old, tired and unfounded. I have certainly heard the argument countless times but never heard of one gun getting blown up with "Ruger only" loads.

...a few were identifiable as handloads by the cast line down the center of the bullets vs. the factory swaged bullets, and the starline cases.

You mean just like factory Black Hills cowboy ammo?

 

[silicosys4]

The safety concerns over loading the .45Colt over SAAMI standards are old, tired and unfounded. I have certainly heard the argument countless times but never heard of one gun getting blown up with "Ruger only" loads.



You mean just like factory Black Hills cowboy ammo?

"tired, old, and unfounded"....
If you say so. I'll go with information that correlates across material published by all established authorities, over baseless statements regurgitated by random internet forum gurus any day.
Why don't you call up every single major publisher of a reloading manual and tell them that?
"Blowing up" a gun is not the only thing that can ruin a gun from using loads hotter than the gun was designed for. That's a pretty ridiculous statement actually, since the likelihood of a gun being shot terminally loose from a diet of hot rounds is much greater than a gun ever "blowing up" or suddenly and without warning, catastrophically failing. But since you feel you are an authority enough on the subject to directly contradict information published by manufactures who use.....scientific equipment....to come to their conclusions....because you've "never heard of it", you must know enough to make cut and dry statements like "tired, old and unfounded" so who am I to argue, lol

Just out of curiosity...how many .44 magnum level .45 Colt loads do you shoot out of your SAA's, Craig? Don't tell me those "old, tired, and unfounded" fears keep you from loading that Colt .45 up with some buffalo bore...
Oh. Yea.. Buffalo bore warns specifically about using their hot .45 Colt in SAA's....something about some tired, unfounded old fears about shooting guns loose.



As for Black Hills...If Black Hills was making ammo 15-20 years ago with brass from different manufacturers than I suppose I could have gotten some in the random belt of cartridges I received...but the odds of that are pretty low aren't they.
Yes, you can still use a cast line as a good reference of reloaded vs. manufactured. Black Hills cowboy ammo is a niche brand, not likely encountered, with low production...low enough that they can use cast bullets instead of mass swaging them.

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[CraigC]

I'll go with information that correlates across material published by all established authorities

You mean like Speer, Hodgdon, Lyman, Accurate/Ramshot, Oregon Trail, Barnes, Lee Precision or the other dozen or so sources for "Ruger only" data??? Fact is, Ruger only .45 data is as ubiquitous as data for any other cartridge. It doesn't come from "internet gurus", it comes from the same sources as all other data.

...because you've "never heard of it"

Funny, I was thinking the same thing.

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Far as I'm concerned Black Hills is a major ammunition manufacturer and its ammo is available everywhere. Like I said, cast bullets, Starline brass, period.

 

[Ed Ames]

Personally...

I think they are both just as snazzy as can be. I wouldn't hesitate to use either for black bear defense.

I would say a slight nod goes to the .45 due to the range of ammo available. This is something that has seriously flipped since I first became interested in the .45. 10 years ago it was rare to see anything but cowboy .45 colt ammo. Nowadays everyone and their cousin makes self defense ammo in .45 colt, hunting ammo in .45 colt, etc. At the same time it is hard to find anything except hunting ammo for .44 magnum. I blame Brazil. Taurus has sold a huge number of .45c revolvers as self defense guns over the past few years, and nobody has beens selling .44 mag that way. Braztech has sold a lot of .45c as hunting guns (including carbines) too, which overlaps with .44 mag.

If you handload just choose whichever makes you feel good....

 

[MCgunner]

My vote for the Colt, but then, I handload. My Blackhawk with hot loads can do anything a .44 mag can do.

If you have a 357mag and want something with more power the 44mag is it. the 45 is a step backwards with about half the power of a 357mag.

ROFL, wow, that's funny! Even a light 255 grain flat point over 8.3 grains of Unique can rival many .357s. You're correct that they're really about 2/3s of the .357 magnum's potential, but the hot Ruger/TC loads stomp on the .357 easily reaching 1000 ft lbs or beyond with a 300 grain .45 caliber bullet.

The rounds are pretty equal in their potential, but if you don't handload, you might be better off with the .44 magnum, though there are loads available in .45 colt as has been posted. I hear Buffalo Bore is behind big time in some calibers, not sure if .45 Colt is one of 'em. I don't buy store bought ammo.

 

[ghitch75]

If you have a 357mag and want something with more power the 44mag is it. the 45 is a step backwards with about half the power of a 357mag.

you have never tripped the trigger on a "Ruger Only" 45C?.....if you had you would have never said this......

 

[Walkalong]

Let's see. This started out about .44 Mag and .45 Colt, right?