.44 Magnum Recoil

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The last 150 fps is what makes all the difference. With a 240 grain bullet, 1150 fps is easily attainable with medium burn rate powders which run about 10-12 grains. Going up to 1300 fps requires slow burning powders in the 20-23 grain range, and provide about twice the recoil and muzzle blast. The only benefit of the heavier load is on very heavy big game, and then only with premium bullets which don't lose shape and drive deep. Just about any 240 grain cast semi-wadcutter or WFN, or any 240 grain jacketed bullet at 1050-1150 will kill deer sized soft skinned game all day long with good shot placement.
 
TinNePa said:
I have an original model blackhawk in .44mag that I've never warmed up to. That thing jams the back of the trigger guard into my second finger knuckle something terrible. I can barely get through one cylinder full. .44 special isn't much better either. Something about my huge hands and the frame size of that gun don't go well together.
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Does it have the Dragoon grip like this one (top) or the smaller Blackhawk grip like the .357 Magnum below it? If you have really big hands, the Dragoon grip might be more comfortable, even with Pachmeyers or Hogues.
CoupleofRugers.png
 
black mamba said:
The last 150 fps is what makes all the difference. With a 240 grain bullet, 1150 fps is easily attainable with medium burn rate powders which run about 10-12 grains. Going up to 1300 fps requires slow burning powders in the 20-23 grain range, and provide about twice the recoil and muzzle blast. The only benefit of the heavier load is on very heavy big game, and then only with premium bullets which don't lose shape and drive deep. Just about any 240 grain cast semi-wadcutter or WFN, or any 240 grain jacketed bullet at 1050-1150 will kill deer sized soft skinned game all day long with good shot placement.
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In my 460, I'm pushing those 240g projectiles to a hair under 2000 fps...and the recoil from those is fierce, even with the weight of the gun.
 
Typetwelve said:
In my 460, I'm pushing those 240g projectiles to a hair under 2000 fps...and the recoil from those is fierce, even with the weight of the gun.
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Suit yourself.

What did John Taffin shoot that crippled his hands?
 
I've never had any issues with my wrists, aside from breaking the right one at age 10 but the tendinitis in my elbows sure as hell doesn't care for snappy recoil. We may talk a lot about heavy loads but it ain't what we're shooting every day.
 
340SC, 11oz .357, perfect (redacted) to shoot. My plan was as a hiking gun; first two chambers with snakeshot, the last 3 with magnums as a GTFOM for black bears. Frankly, letting the bear knaw on you might hurt less than shooting the little J. The Centennial is better than the exposed hammer version; sits lower in the hand.
As PPs have noted, a bike glove really makes a difference for range use.
Yeah, .44 mags bark; we hunted doe with handguns at my old camp, and after the first year, everybody bought electronic muffs.
Plowshare grips and I don't get along with big recoil; always feels like the gun might squirt out of my hand. Cowboy level loads are fun in a SAA clone; can't imagine them loaded heavy.
Only use the .44 Mag for hunting, either in a carbine (1600 fps) or a 6" 629 (1400fps) with a 240 and a coal scoop of H110. Every deer was DRT. My current 629 has the lugged barrel, which does tame it some; never found the '94 Marlin unpleasant to shoot.
Moon
 
Following MAX PRASAC's instruction in proper hold of a large bore revolver cured all my issues with "recoil". Try it.
 
it depends. jerry miculek is still shooting after 3 million rounds (his estimate). if recoil starts hurting, make it stop hurting.

murf
 
I'll be honest, I'm 75% sure I was hurting my strong hand shooting that 460. I bought it in Aug and immediately began taking it to the range with full hot loads. 10 range sessions between Aug 26 and Oct 31st with hot loads and I developed a pretty pronounced pain in the inner thumb joint on my strong hand.

I haven't shot it since and my thumb has pretty much healed...but I need to rethink the frequency of how often I shoot those super hot loads.
 
murf said:
it depends. jerry miculek is still shooting after 3 million rounds (his estimate).
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The subject of the thread is heavy recoil.

murf said:
if recoil starts hurting, make it stop hurting.
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Good idea if you can do it, but repetitive stress injuries are not always conducive to that. My left knee didn't start hurting from running until it was too late.
 
TinNePa
I have an original model blackhawk in .44mag that I've never warmed up to. That thing jams the back of the trigger guard into my second finger knuckle something terrible. I can barely get through one cylinder full. .44 special isn't much better either.
Click to expand...

Now I have very small hands (as in I can wear kid size gloves), and I had too much room with the Ruger Super Blackhawk grip. Recoil was literally a handful as was muzzle flip. I thought about getting some Pachmayrs for it but I really didn't want that kind of excessive grippiness on a single action .44 magnum. Then one day I was out shooting on a friend's farm and he showed me his Super Blackhawk which had some oversized grips on it. Those grips fit my hand perfectly and completely changed the recoil dynamics of the gun., making it a pleasant experience to touch off full house loads even!

I think the grips were made by Ajax Grips, who went out of business years ago but I believe if you look around at the various grip maker's websites you could probably find one very close in design to the one I have a photo of.
ZBC57PR.jpg
 
Kleanbore said:
The subject of the thread is heavy recoil.
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no, it is not "heavy recoil". anything out of a ten inch super redhawk is not heavy recoil (subjective this?). the subject is 44 magnum recoil. jerry was into 44 magnum before he started with smith and wesson. and with all that cumulative recoil, he still shoots the heavy rounds out of big handguns.

some can take it, some cannot which makes recoil tolerance subject to one's physical (and mental) capabilities. some get used to it, some never do.

get better fitting grips, get a shooting glove, change your follow through style. there are ways to overcome recoil. i can still shoot the big stuff and will continue until age and arthritis tell me to stop.

luck,

murf
 
Technique will also have a significant bearing on it. Not only how one perceives recoil but how one physically withstands it. If you shoot a .500 with locked elbows, like Ayoob shooting a Glock, you're going to strain things you shouldn't be straining and it'll cause pain and potentially injury at some point. Proper technique, allowing the wrist, elbows and shoulders to absorb the recoil will not only be more comfortable short term but less likely to induce injury long term.
 
CraigC said:
Technique will also have a significant bearing on it. Not only how one perceives recoil but how one physically withstands it. If you shoot a .500 with locked elbows, like Ayoob shooting a Glock, you're going to strain things you shouldn't be straining and it'll cause pain and potentially injury at some point. Proper technique, allowing the wrist, elbows and shoulders to absorb the recoil will not only be more comfortable short term but less likely to induce injury long term.
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That bears repeating.
 
CraigC said:
Technique will also have a significant bearing on it. Not only how one perceives recoil but how one physically withstands it. If you shoot a .500 with locked elbows, like Ayoob shooting a Glock, you're going to strain things you shouldn't be straining and it'll cause pain and potentially injury at some point. Proper technique, allowing the wrist, elbows and shoulders to absorb the recoil will not only be more comfortable short term but less likely to induce injury long term.
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I shoot my 460 from a bench rest...I think this is part of my problem.
 
I remember reading Ross Seyfried mention when he's shooting full power .475 and .500 Linebaugh out of the Bisley frames, he only shoots a few rounds at an outing, just enough to make sure the bullets are going where he wants them to. Numbers like the .454 Casull out of a DA Super Redhawk frame are downright unpleasant to shoot with full power ammunition, particularly from a bench. I usually don't go more than 18 or 24 shots at a time with that stuff.
 
LaneP said:
I remember reading Ross Seyfried mention when he's shooting full power .475 and .500 Linebaugh out of the Bisley frames, he only shoots a few rounds at an outing, just enough to make sure the bullets are going where he wants them to. Numbers like the .454 Casull out of a DA Super Redhawk frame are downright unpleasant to shoot with full power ammunition, particularly from a bench. I usually don't go more than 18 or 24 shots at a time with that stuff.
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I was offered a .45-70 Super 14 barrel for my Contender at what I thought was real cheap. I didn't buy it because I was short of cash and it occurred to me there wasn't a lot a 14" .45-70Gov't would do a .44Magnum RBH couldn't - except give me a sore wrist. I like the Contender for pistol calibers in pistol-length barrels and I like the .22 Hornet, .223Rem and .30-30WCF rifle rounds just fine in pistol-length barrels - but not with rifle loads.
 
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