.45 vs .44

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Would prefer a longer barrel but dont want anything to bulky

If you can find one, a 629 mountain gun would probably be ideal. Not currently produced, though.

That said, the 629 in a given barrel length is a couple ounces lighter than the Redhawk, and much smoother. I have a 3" pre-lock 629, and wouldn't trade it for two Alaskans. I do have a SRH .454, and while a nice gun in it's own right, it is quite crude by comparison.
 
I don't load .45 Colt to the ragged edge...
I don't load the .44Mag to the ragged edge either. I have and I can but for normal use, it's just not necessary.


The main problem is most people don't move .45 hardball fast enough.
Well, if you move them fast enough that they instantly deform and fragment on impact that's a little different but not really relevant to this discussion.
 
O no a shtf and bear thread rolled into one. Everyone knows you can't kill a bear with a 45 or a 44 you have to have a Howitzer. Seriously I would buy a SBH convertible 45 LC and 45 acp. The best of both worlds.
 
If black bears are what you're worried about, then carry bear spray and whatever gun you want. If mountain lions are your concern, then I'd refer to the "best pistol for pistol whipping" thread just in case you forgot your bear spray.
 
44 mag., no question about it. I have spent most of my life in the mountains Co. included and have encountered nasty critters on more than one occasion.

I've been face to face with bears countless times, and they were not running away from me either! When turkey hunting a years back I was sitting against a tree waiting for it to get light enough to start calling when a bear fell out of a tree, nearly landing on me. It stood there and looked at me face to face for a good 15 or 20 seconds before walking off. And Mt. Lions are a pretty good threat too!
 
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The main problem is most people don't move .45 hardball fast enough.
Well, if you move them fast enough that they instantly deform and fragment on impact that's a little different but not really relevant to this discussion."

I think it is. The problem with the .44 magnum is finding ammunition, components etc. Not that it's really hard, but the .45 ACP/Long Colt combination does give you an awful lot of options and the benefits, or better, then the .44 magnum.

With a strong revolver the .45 Colt can be loaded to the same levels as the .44 magnum, and with slightly heavier bullets. With a .45 ACP cylinder you can use .45ACP/.45 Super and .460 Rowland?

I came to this conclusion in 1980. Made reloading life a lot easier and cheaper.

Gamestalker: How big was the bear, and what type? What was it doing in the tree? Keeping your blind warm;-)?
 
With a strong revolver the .45 Colt can be loaded to the same levels as the .44 magnum, and with slightly heavier bullets......I came to this conclusion in 1980.
Sorry but this ain't 1980 and it's no longer true. Actually, the .44Mag retains a 100fps advantage over the .45Colt through all bullet weights. With bullets of equal sectional density. At the upper end, where the .44 runs a 355gr and the .45 runs a 360gr, the .44 has a sectional density advantage. So no, the .45 does not run at equal levels or with heavier bullets. Unless we're talking about FA's or custom five-shots.

Since when is there a problem finding .44 ammo or components???????
 
In the CO rockies, you are many, MANY times more likely to die as the result of an accident or the wrath of mother nature than a wild animal attack.

+1 I really never worried about the wildlife in the areas i've hunted or hiked, mostly west Texas and New Mexico for hiking and some hunting out there. I've heard the squall of lions in the evening, sends a chill up your back, but attacks are REALLY rare and hardly ever on an adult male. There was a lion attack recently in the basin area of Big Bend NP, on a 6 year old. The daddy stabbed it and it limped off. I haven't heard if they ever caught up with it. It was a couple months ago and Art Eatman in the hunting forum had posted it from an Alpine, Texas newspaper site. When attacks DO happen, EVERYONE hears about it because it's so rare.

Down in the Bend, I worry more about armed coyotes and mules than the bears and the lions. There's legitimate concern along the border and I carry a flat shooting and accurate .357 magnum revolver in my fanny pack down there that I can reach out with since it has to be concealed and I can't carry a rifle in the park. Haven't been out there in a year. Never get tired of going back in the spring. I've quit bothering in mid summer. I'm too old to risk heat exhaustion. :D
 
I was talking about a Ruger setup for 5 shot.

Do you really NEED anything more then a 5 shot .45 Colt?

I've said this before: I would feel just fine carrying a .44 magnum. I still like the utility of being able to use one size bullet for both the .45 ACP and the .45 Colt.
 
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