Best .44 Magnum Defense Load?

[Panzerschwein]

Hello all! I see that there are some personal defense loads out there in .44 magnum. Loads like the following:

Federal Hyrda-Shok 240 grain Personal Defense



Buffalo Bore "Anti-Personnel" 180 grain lead hollow point



This is just to name a couple. It seems the trend is for "moderate magnum" loads for this purpose, hotter than .44 special of any variety but less than a full-power hunting load. This makes sense, as too much power can be a liability in self defense.

I am wondering what you guys think is the best dedicated defense load against human attackers in this caliber. If you have a .44 magnum and use it for carry or home defense, I'd like to hear what you are using in it.

Thanks all!

 

[ChefJeff1]

240 grain speer gold dot

or 300 grain flat nose gas check, I think from federal, if I'm going where a moose might be

 

[double bogey]

I would just use the Lee 310gr. rnfp gc load that I have lots of on hand. I have considered loading the Hornady xpt hollow point also.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

My urban load for my S&W 629 was the Blazer .44 special with a 200 grain Gold Dot hollow point. That's the largest hollow point I have ever seen! They were also mild in recoil.

 

[LeonCarr]

That Buffalo Bore load looks like a good one.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[stoky]

I sometimes carry a .44 Mountain Gun on outdoor activities, so I'm having questions about this as well. I have been carrying it with hand loads, stout 300 grainers in grizzly country.
Experienced defense attorneys say that hand loads are a liability in self defense shootings.
That, and the .44 Mag is probably more of a hunting or fun gun than a defensive pack around piece, and I'd think a .44 Special or light load 180gr would be plenty. IIRC the lightest loads in reloading manuals for 180gr bullets are about 1100 fps.

 

[340PD]

I would think anything you shoot out of a 44 mag would qualify rather nicely.

 

[HankB]

I've found that while I can make fast shots and hit what I'm aiming at with a .357, moving up to a full power .44 Mag and getting multiple hits fast is much more difficult.

Plus, the muzzle blast of a full .44 Mag is rather loud. Especially indoors. And many types of ammo will penetrate much more than necessary, expending a good part of their energy beyond your assailant.

So were I to choose a .44 Mag revolver for defense, I'd use .44 Special ammo; Buffalo Bore makes a "heavy .44 Special" which uses a 190 grain hollowpoint semiwadcutter gascheck bullet at 1098 ft/sec out of a 4" barrel producing ~482 ft. lbs of ME. The bullet is soft (6 BHN) so it ought to expand readily, making this a very effective stopper, with fairly light recoil.

 

[stoky]

And many types of ammo will penetrate much more than necessary, expending a good part of their energy beyond your assailant.

With a .44 Mag, something to be cognizant of, particularly in an urban or indoor environment, IMO.

 

[dickydalton]

In my Mountain Revolver I usually have either 180 grain Remington hollow points loaded to 1400FPS or 44 Special 240 Core Loct hollow points at 900FPS. I am experimenting with some 270 grain hollow points and want to have them at 1000FPS in the magnum cases but my first try came out at 800FPS with 7 grains of Unique.

 

[MICHAEL T]

I use 44 spl 200 gr HP that blazer has. Out of my 6" 29 very easy to control I also use in my old CA 44 spl.

 

[DaisyCutter]

I have a Super Blackhawk, and it's NOT my go-to defense gun. I handload for it. Most of my cartridges are loaded for penetration on animals.

For defense, I use a 240 semi-wadcutter with a big flat nose and a sharp shoulder. From a 7.5" barrel they are probably about 900 FPS. They are loaded barely a step above my sissy plinking round nose loads.

Still a .429 flat nose 240 grain slug moving at 900 FPS will ruin a bad guy's day, good stats in defensive pistol land, despite being pathetic in Magnum land.

Like I said, it's not my go-to first choice... But it is more controllable than a 210 JHP on top of 24.5 grains of 2400, moving at nearly 1600 FPS, like shown.

 

[gwpercle]

Humans aren't that tough...
Use whatever load you can shoot accuratly with a fast follow up....if one is needed.
Just remember...only hits count and the first shot is the most important.

 

[joem1945]

Seems to me that a .44 mag is a bit over powered for that objective.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Seems that way to me. If I were carrying a .44 Mag for self-defense, I would load it to .44 Special velocities. Because you know, the first round isn't always a hit, and you might need a quick second and third rounds.

 

[dickydalton]

That's why I want 900 to 1000 FPS out of that 270 HP.

 

[C0untZer0]

A shorter list would be:

.44 Magnum Self-Defense rounds that don't work so well at stopping an assailant.

 

[zeke]

from 4 inch

180 jhp @ 1250 fps
200 gd @ 1050 fps
210 Rem sjhp @ 1100 fps

Custom loaded by zeke inc

 

[edmo01]

I also would think ANY 44 Magnum loading would be more than adequate, if not bordering on the excessive, for defense against two-legged threats (Sasquatch withstanding).

When carrying my S&W 629 Mountain Gun in the woods I generally carry 240 grain reloads taylored for hunting whitetails. For times when I might carry it for self defense against two-legged threats I carry the CCI Blazer 44 Special 200 grain Gold Dots just like Taurus 617 CCW above.

Edmo

 

[Rick R]

I don't always carry my Mountain Gun. But when I do I carry it with Winchesters 250gr Platinum Point load.

Winchester Catalog listing



I've seen what it can do to 20% ballistic gel and it's not pretty. Huge cavity but a bit of over penetration. Think of it as a Platinum Talon for really big bad guys and their armored vehicle.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I also would think ANY 44 Magnum loading would be more than adequate, if not bordering on the excessive, for defense against two-legged threats (Sasquatch withstanding).

When carrying my S&W 629 Mountain Gun in the woods I generally carry 240 grain reloads taylored for hunting whitetails. For times when I might carry it for self defense against two-legged threats I carry the CCI Blazer 44 Special 200 grain Gold Dots just like Taurus 617 CCW above.

Edmo

I have the same knife, same color!! So cool!!

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I use a 240 gr cast lead SWC loaded to about 1100fps. I have to qualify with anything I carry off-duty. I can shoot a qualification course with that load out of a 4" revolver as well as I can my duty weapon.

 

[Water-Man]

I always liked the Winchester Silvertip 210gr. STHP.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

I also would think ANY 44 Magnum loading would be more than adequate, if not bordering on the excessive, for defense against two-legged threats (Sasquatch withstanding).

When carrying my S&W 629 Mountain Gun in the woods I generally carry 240 grain reloads taylored for hunting whitetails. For times when I might carry it for self defense against two-legged threats I carry the CCI Blazer 44 Special 200 grain Gold Dots just like Taurus 617 CCW above.

Edmo

Edmo.... That's a fine looking combo. The Spyderco adds to the package.

 

[edmo01]

Edmo.... That's a fine looking combo. The Spyderco adds to the package.

Thanks...

The Spyderco Endura is a good lightweight folder for in the woods. It offsets the extra weight of a big N frame S&W revolver.

Edmo