.44 Magnum recoil vs. .357?

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I've been shooting the 44 mag for more than 25 years now. Make no bones about it, it can be a handful. But the range of ammo available (or loadable) for the revolver is what determines your experience. Hornady factory made 240gr XTP or Remington 240gr factory loads are probably the most brutal to fire in any weapon, with 44 special loads being completely on the other end of the spectrum.

Comparing it to a .357 mag, the .357 is snappy with a higher pitched retort. The 44 mag is more of a push and a lower pitched boom. Honestly, if either had to be fired indoors for home defense my money would be on my ears faring better with the 44. Hope I never have to find out. The 44 special is a better choice for that anyway. Keep in mind the sound of the bullet breaking the sound barrier contributes to more noise via a sonic boom. Keeping loads under 1100fps will take this out of the equation and ease the abuse on your ears.

As for the Taurus, one of my buddies has one. It handles muzzle flip pretty well and being ported makes it pretty loud. I'm a Ruger fan myself and prefer the old model Super Blackhawks, owning several. Comparing the fit and finish between the Taurus and the Ruger is night and day. The Taurus just doesn't seem to have a high level of attention to detail. Even the roll stamp on the frame is uneven. It always goes boom, though.

Personally, I'd consider a S&W model 29 or a Ruger if you're going to invest the money. The amount of money you spend on ammo will monumentally dwarf the initial investment in the hardware anyway. But shoot what makes you happy. With the 44 caliber your options are unlimited. Good luck in your choice!

-MW
 
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As has been said, there is a very large difference. I do love my S&W 629. Usually shoot reduced charges like many others. Buffalo Bore loads will make you hurt after one or two.
 
I bought my first .44 magnum (S&W Stealth Hunter) about six weeks ago. I was really intimidated until I lit off the first rounds (full power 240gr JHP) at the range. Although it definitely kicked and was loud (the Stealth Hunter is Magnaported and that makes it even louder), it didn't hurt (after I learned how to hold it).

Since then I have fired at least 1000 rounds through it and I actually really enjoy shooting the hot loads. Even to the point where I bought another stronger .44 (Ruger Bisley Hunter) so I can shoot some of the barnburner loads like the Buffalo Bore 340gr ones. Those rounds are not allowed in the Smith, but the Ruger should eat 'em up.

So far, the .44 magnum has been the most fun weapon I have ever had.
 
I shoot a .44 Taurus Tracker. It is a five shot basically built on a .357 size frame. It will talk to you with full house loads. I have shot and owned a .44 Red Hawk and I think the Taurus almost doubles the recoil. Frame weight is a huge factor in recoil. Have fun.
 
A lot depends on the gun you are shooting it in regarding recoil. I've owned and shot .357 mag in Ruger Blackhawk 5 7/8", S&W 686 4", Ruger GP-100 4", Rossi 2" and a number of others. Recoil wasn't even really noticeable over similar guns in .38 special with +P ammo. My Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 mag 6 1/2" shot "softly" and was very manageable. My S&W 29-2 with 4" barrel was very harsh, beating my elbow up shooting from a rest. My Taurus 44 Magnum in that caliber with 6" ported barrel was a pussycat by comparison. Shooting the exact same 240 grn. load as the others it was SLIGHTLY less accurate but much more pleasurable to shoot. It was also the LOUDEST of the three.
 
Cannot answer this question. You gotta try it. Different weight guns feel different on firing.

A little thinking changed the post to can you rent one at a range near you? Beats buying the wrong gun.
 
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I have .357 mag and .44 mag Ruger Blackhawks, also one in .45 colt, with a load like Buffalo Bore or Grizzly, the recoil on the .45 surpasses the .44 mag. the .357 is almost nil.
 
I love shooting .357, except that one time I shot the smith 360, wow that hurt.

I have shot 4 different 44mags

1. Ruger Blackhawk
2. Taurus (unknown model)
3. Smith 629
4. Smith 29.

All of them were fun to shoot with the exception of the 29. I know I know the 629 and 29 are the exact samething but for whatever reason the 29 that I shot busted the living crap out of my knuckles. It was so gnarly that me and 2 buddies tried to tame that beast and all of use wound up with bruised knuckles. I got rid of that thing the next week. The 629 I shot was a blast, don't ask me what the difference was because I have no clue.
 
I'd be cautious about buying a ported revolver. My muzzle braked S&W 460, with light ammo similar to a 44 mag (240gr at 1500fps) is a LOT louder than my 44 mag without porting (and the 44 has a shorter barrel). Often the shooters on both sides of me will move away, the blast is that annoying.

Other than the porting, I'd say go for it! Just make sure all your buddies are holding on tight with both hands when you let 'em shoot it.
 
I have a S&W 629 with a 4" barrel. That thing is fairly brutal to shoot using factory Winchester or similar 240gr loads. I swear that my Ruger SRH Alaskan is nicer to shoot even with top end .454 Casull loads. The Hogue monogrip on the Ruger works really well. The exposed steel backstrap on the 629 ... not so much!! I'd rather shoot top end .357 Mag loads out of my Ruger KLCRs than the equivalent .44 Mag loads out of the 629.
 
I love how loud and obnoxious my .44 mags are. Keeps those annoying 9mm guys on my left from spewing hot brass all over me. They always move away. .44 magnums create their own space. ;-)
 
I think you are laboring under a misconception if you think the porting reduces recoil. It doesn't. What it does is reduce muzzle flip, and enable you to get back on target more quickly.

The porting also makes the gun sound louder, and at least in the case of my S&W Stealth Hunter (similar design to the Taurus you are looking at) it also blows gases and particles onto your optic whether it be a red dot or a scope. The closer the front element is to the ports, the worse the problem.

Still, I think it's pretty cool the way I get these big V shaped gouts of flame and smoke coming out of the ports. ;-)

The S&W 629-6 Stealth Hunter (with Aimpoint Micro H1 red dot sight):

stealth-hunter-aimpoint-right-1024.jpg

My Ruger Bisley Hunter:

bisley-hogue-2-XL.jpg
 
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michaelnel said:
I think you are laboring under a misconception if you think the porting reduces recoil. It doesn't. What it does is reduce muzzle flip, and enable you to get back on target more quickly.

The porting also makes the gun sound louder, and at least in the case of my S&W Stealth Hunter (similar design to the Taurus you are looking at) it also blows gases and particles onto your optic whether it be a red dot or a scope. The closer the front element is to the ports, the worse the problem.

Still, I think it's pretty cool the way I get these big V shaped gouts of flame and smoke coming out of the ports. ;-)
QUOTE]

Dead on. I have on of the aforementioned Tracker as well. The gun gives you more of a firm push rearwards, much like a rifle, than flipping the muzzle upwards. You can regain your target a little quicker, but shooting full power loads will cause just as much fatigue as a non-ported pistol.

Shooting one at an indoor range with full house magnum loads is a real hoot. It draws a crowd, and usually makes the guys next to you back up. I'll usually let the folks next to me know I'm about to sound off with something big, most don't pay much attention until I touch off the first one. They back up and watch after that. Few take up my offer to let them shoot it, and the rangemaster is usually over in a hurry to make sure it's "just" a 44 since that's the max allowable on their range (I rarely go there).
Click to expand...
 
I'll admit that I didn't read every post in this thread, so this MAY have been said.... I have a 2.5" barreled S&W Model 66 (.357 Magnum). When I bought it new in 1987, I had it Magna-Ported, which I think was the "original" muzzle porting company.

Anyway... the porting does help, especially in this short barreled gun. 3 things that I found with porting:

1. Louder. (not a big deal)

2. If you shoot cast bullets, you will be scraping lead off your front sight continually. Jacketed bullets won't do this.

3. Porting will NOT help your night vision! I used my Model 66 when I was a federal agent many moons ago. When night shooting, you're gonna be blind after roughly one shot... maybe today's factory loads have a lot more flash suppressant in the powder, but when I shot this revolver regularly, the muzzle flash through the porting was pretty horrendous.

That's just what I found... but it was a long time ago.... though I do still have the gun. :)
 
Yes, a .44 Mag has fairly stout recoil, but I've found that perceived recoil can be more important. For example, shooting the ultra-tiny .380s or heavy .38 +P rounds from a S&W airweight can be much more unpleasant than shooting .44 mags out of a hefty S&W 29 or 629. That's been my experience anyway...
 
I agree, I think one of the most unpleasant guns for me was the NAA 380 Guardian. Fealt like your hand served as the breach face. My Super Alaskan Redhawk in .44 mag, it's much more pleasant. :evil:
 
I had the Ruger Super Red Hawk with 91/2" barrel and a leupold scope on it my son would get prone with elbows on the ground and shoot 50 yds at a steel gong and hit it every time, He never dropped the gun either. He was 9 yrs old, He loved shooting that gun, He is 27 now and shoots a 4" Highway Patrolman, also say's the Red Hawk was easier.
 
I have fired one .44 magnum, a 6" M29. I fired three rounds, unloaded the gun, and returned it to the owner. It didn't hurt, and I hit was I was shooting at - really tore it up, too :D - but I could tell that my wrist wasn't going to be happy if I kept going.

I have shot short and long barreled .357 Magnums, S&W and Ruger. They are more likely to slap my palm and make my *skin* unhappy than to make my *wrist* hurt. I have one .357. It gets a lot of .38 target loads, some warm .38 loads, and a few .357 loads for its regular diet. Most of the time, I just don't need to shoot magnums.
 
NO COMPARISON! SHOOT IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT!
Unless you plan you reload for it, in which case, you can tailor the recoil to your liking.
I have a 629 6" and it is brutal with factory 180 and 240 gr loads, but quite pleasant with my reloads,
Good luck, Catpop
 
Like you, I can shoot a 357 in a normal weight revolver with a fair degree of accuracy. I can't maintain quite the same level of accuracy in a 44 mag of similar weight, not because of a flinch, but because it takes a lot of effort to keep the gun under control while under recoil. I realize that with enough practice I could probably learn to control it, I'm just not sure it's worth the trouble.

I'm starting to think that if the situation calls for more gun than my 45 Colt with medium handloads, it's time for a rifle.
 
Don't fear the .44 mag!! I have a pair, a 7.5" Super Blackhawk and a 4.2" Redhawk. The Redhawk is okay, the Super Blackhawk is a sweet shooter... Easily my favorite handgun.

I reload for 44 Mag. It costs 9 cents a *pop*. In fact, I shoot 44 mag almost exclusively. The round, even when launching cream puff 240 LSWCs at 800-900 fps, is powerful and soo tame.

My girlfriend's son is 14, and was annhilating 16oz water bottles on his first range day, ever.

13747225825_7f1430597b_b.png

Now, when I start getting over 1500 FPS with 210 gr JHPs, sitting on a big charge of Alliant 2400... There is some recoil that comes out with the firey genie...

11855140536_64284aafdf_b.jpg

Obviously I don't turn a sweet kid loose with those T-Rex slayers, but the fact remains that the 44-mag is as tame or as nasty as YOU want it. Even at it's tamest, it still has a good smack factor. Handloading is a MUST!!
 
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