44 Magnum and 44 Special

[MrDig]

Today I shot some 44 special out of my Taurus Tracker 44 Magnum Revolver. What an astounding difference, the gun is actually pleasant to shoot when using 200gr HP 44 special as opposed to 240gr HP 44 Magnum. So other than having to clean it differently (the Scoring in the Cylinder) what is the difference in regard to external ballistics for the two calibers?
Would you hunt Deer with a 44 special?

 

[Texan Scott]

In a revolver? maybe with a hardcast flatnose bullet, close range- maybe (but I don't handgun hunt). In a carbine out to 50-75 yds, same as I might with a .45 Colt, more or less... understanding that this is my personal bare minimum.

ETA: This is assuming moderate handloads or run of the mill off the shelf stuff. No need to tell me Buffalo Bore makes one hits above its weight class... they always do.

 

[Hondo 60]

I wouldn't hunt with a 44 Spl.
Just like I wouldn't hunt with a 45 Colt.

Both calibers, are too slow for me.
Standard 44 Spl ammo is gonna run about 800-850 fps.
I'd be concerned with a less than lethal hit, or the animal running away & taking hours to days to die.

Standard 44 Magnum ammo is gonna be well over 1100 fps.
Some of it will be over 1300 fps.
This'll give a much harder punch.
And I'd feel much more confident in a lethal/humane kill.

 

[CraigC]

what is the difference in regard to external ballistics for the two calibers?

Depending on the load, as much as 600fps.

I'd be concerned with a less than lethal hit, or the animal running away & taking hours to days to die.

A good 240-250gr SWC at 900fps will fully penetrate just about any deer that lives and kill it graveyard dead.

 

[Alaska444]

I have my .44 magnum for my Idaho woods gun. I could shoot the .44 spc., but I feel I need to be able to handle the full bore loads so that is what I practice with. Not fun, but it does help me learn how to handle a gun I may need one day to save my life.

I can shoot my GP100 all day long if I want lower recoil.

 

[sniperlongshot]

i have a really good friend, who used to only pistol hunt with .45 longcolts, and 44 mag superblackhawks, the only bullets he shot was 3/4 jkt flat points, he loaded 10 grns of unique in his longcolt, and 10.5 grns of unique in 44 spc cases, both are pleasant, accurat and devastating rounds,........my friend took the shoulder off a 350lb hog @ close range with the 44 spc, and i lifted a 175 lb deer off its feet with the longcolt load,
either one will do you justice for everything up to large pigs and black bear/elk etc.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

A good 240-250gr SWC at 900fps will fully penetrate just about any deer that lives and kill it graveyard dead.

I agree and I also feel the .45 Colt with similar numbers will do just as well.

 

[Sam1911]

One thing to remember about revolver loads is there's a LOT of variation between "Mild" and "Wild." Without needing to make the action work like an auto, the manufacturers can make vastly different offerings that are all within specs for the cartridge.

If you pick up some Winchester Silver Tip .44 Specials, you're shooting an anemic load that makes a .45ACP seem like a powerhouse. If you're shooting some of the Buffalo Bore loads (http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=89), you're putting out: "255 gr.S.W.C.(Keith-type)G.C.(1,000fps/M.E.566 ft.lbs.)"

That's PLEANTY to plant a deer, "bang-flop," if you hit it in the vitals.

 

[CraigC]

...and 10.5 grns of unique in 44 spc cases

That much Unique should NEVER be loaded in .44Spl cases.

 

[BlackSky]

For me .44 Special for self defense carry ammo (200 grain Corbon DPX) out of a 3" barrel and .44 Magnum for deer hunting (240 grain Buffalo Bore LHPGC) out of an 8 3/8" barrel.

 

[Pointshoot]

You guys talking about using 255gr Keith bullets in standard pressure loads going around 900-1000 fps in 44 Spl or 45 Colt on deer are plumb crazy ! The whitetails and mulies in my neck of the woods wear armor plate flak jackets and kevlar helmets. A load like that would just bounce off these deer, causing those jokers to just laugh at you. - - - Of course we bowhunt from even shorter ranges and that seems to work just fine, but never mind.

 

[tipoc]

The .44 Spl. developed an excellent reputation as both a self defense round and a hunting round on appropriate game some decades before any of us here were born.

Here is a bit from Elmer Keith on the Special...
http://www.darkcanyon.net/The 44 Special by Elmer Keith.htm

And a bit from Skeeter Skelton...
http://www.darkcanyon.net/The_44Special_A_Reappraisal.htm

When the 44 Magnum was developed the advances in ammo selection for the 44 Spl. slowed down quite a bit. Folks rushed over to the Magnum. They soon found what Keith knew which is that the Magnum is a very good hunting round but a bit too much for most shooters for self defense.

The special is a good hunting round, with the right bullet and load, on deer and hogs out to about 50 to 75 yards with a handgun and more with a levergun. It is a good round for self defense and on a par with the 45acp.

In the last decade a good many decent loads for the special have become available. You can see some of these here...

http://www.midwayusa.com/find?sortby=1&itemsperpage=20&newcategorydimensionid=15573&

tipoc

 

[CajunBass]

Since I don't hunt with a handgun, how hard they hit really doesn't matter to me, I'm just knocking a hole in a piece of paper, or rolling an empty milk jug just across the ground.

About all I ever shoot in my magnum guns (44 and 357) are special loads. Why bother? Just to feel the noise and the kick? No thanks. I'll leave that to the younger fellows.

But, I have no doubt that properly loaded 44 Special would drop a deer DRT. A deer is not especially hard to kill. I've seen more than one dropped with a .410 shotgun. Elmer and Skeeter and a bunch of other people certainly did it.

 

[Zeke/PA]

I like to shoot .44 Specials in my Super Blackhawk but I stick to 240 Grain Speers in the .44 Magnum when hunting.

 

[ClemY]

I only shoot. 44 mag cases in my. 44s, loaded from mild to wild, as appropriate. My DW744 is my most accurate . 44.

 

[lobo9er]

Just like I wouldn't hunt with a 45 Colt.

I always thought 45 was a good deer caliber. Isn't the argument 45 or 44mag, not 45 or 44spl.? Out of a ruger super blackhawk cant you load up a 45 just as hot as a 44 mag?

 

[StrawHat]

The point is you don't need super loads to anchor a white tailed deer. The long Colt with a 260 grain lead bullet at 900 fps will penetrate a deer from stem to stern. How much more do you need?

 

[lobo9er]

I agree, I was just surprised to hear people would never hunt with a 45 is all. Implying it lacks the power.

 

[Walkalong]

...and 10.5 grns of unique in 44 spc cases

That much Unique should NEVER be loaded in .44Spl cases.

Agreed. It is way over Spl data. You need to post a disclaimer if you post overload data.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I wouldn't hunt with a 44 Spl.
Just like I wouldn't hunt with a 45 Colt.

I do hunt deer with a .45 Colt, either a Ruger Blackhawk or a Colt New Service. A standard load driving a 255 grain Wide Flat Nose at 850 fps will shoot through a white tail from corner to corner at any reasonable handgun range (75 yards or less.)

 

[murf]

i'm going to take my rbh in 44 spl elk hunting this year, as my bhug!

backing up a rbh in 45 long colt!

to each his own, i guess.

murf

 

[Jaymo]

I'm taking my .44 spl Blackhawk hunting this year, too. I'll load it with Buffalo Bore or the Skeeter Skelton load. At the ranges I'll be shooting, I don't really need the extra weight of my Redhawk.

 

[murf]

that is my big concern hunting the wilderness areas. gotta go as light as you can.

murf

p.s. i reload a 300 grain lbt hardcast bullet at 1000fps muzzle velocity. the gun handles it well. accurate, too.

 

[Jaymo]

My chosen rifle will be my Marlin 1894P. .44 mag/spl with a 16.5" Bbl. 5.75 Lbs. Light and handy. Plenty of power for the <50 yd shots I'll be making.
Since I don't have an ATV, I'll be hoofing it in and out. Gotta keep it light, while maintaining enough power to do the job.
Even my 444P weighs less than my .30-06 and has plenty of power.

Murf, would you be so kind as to share your load data with me? I want to load a 300 grain flat nosed bullet in my .44 spl ammo for hunting, but am unsure about how to arrive at that velocity, and with which powder.

 

[Pointshoot]

Quote:
"I wouldn't hunt with a 44 Spl.
Just like I wouldn't hunt with a 45 Colt.

Vern Humphrey - - I do hunt deer with a .45 Colt, either a Ruger Blackhawk or a Colt New Service. A standard load driving a 255 grain Wide Flat Nose at 850 fps will shoot through a white tail from corner to corner at any reasonable handgun range (75 yards or less.) "

+1 on what Vern said

Once you shoot through a game animal, there's nothing more you can do - - except make more noise and burn more powder.

I like shooting the Big Boomers, too. But find that when it comes to a practical field gun, modest level 45 Colt and 44 Special will do most jobs. Theyll easily take deer.

P.S. - - one of the Big reasons I use the 45 Colt and 44 Special more in field/working guns now is their modest muzzle blast compared to other cartrridges. If youve done a lot of shooting & experienced a little high frequency hearing loss, this is something you appreciate. Sometimes there are situations that are a surprise and happen fast. You can't always get your hearing protection in beforehand - or may not get a perfect seal of your ears when wearing it. (I had a talk with a retired cop recently, and we talked about this very thing. He used to work narcotics and they did a lot of raids. . . He says 'Huh?' and asks you to repeat things quite abit now.)