Does a .44 make sense?

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I consider all of this .357 mag hating to blasphemy, for the record! :cuss:

Of course the .44 mag has more output, but the .357 mag is nothing to ridicule; aint like it is a 9mm or .380 lol...
 
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intercooler said:
Got the itch for another revolver. Kind of wanted a 610 but they are expensive. Does a .44 make sense to target with if you don't hunt? Also thought of a 617 but I like some pop.
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In my opinion, if you don't reload and are buying ammo off of the shelf, the .45 Colt has more options for ammo. There are the sub sonic cowboy loads for plinking, the mid range SWC's and FMJ's, and a large selection of JHP's for self defense. I also understand that none of these will be cheap in a .44 or .45 Colt!;)

LD
 
For shooting economy you can't beat a 617 in .22LR, and a 686 in .357 is a great choice for an all-around revolver. However, if you have your heart set on a big 629 in .44 magunm, then there is no real reason not to buy one. Sure, they will be more expensive to shoot than either of the other choices, but the gun your really want will for sure see more trigger time than one you settle for.
 
44 mag makes no sense to me if not for hunting. What does make sense is a 44 spl with a 3 inch barrel. Now if I can just find one.:)
 
610 may cost you more. But using cheaper 40S&W will save shooting cost and 10mms for more serious situations. I have a 10mm and 44mag recoil of middle road mags recoil about same as my 10mm heavy loads it seems. Hand loading 44s make it a draw. To me unless you are hunting or big bear protection is needed the 44 all the way.
 
I see from your sig line list that you've already got a GP100. So you've seen what .357 and .38Spl are like.

If you don't reload already then I'd look at adding the cost of any sort of .44 or.45 press and die setup onto the cost of the gun. Otherwise shooting the big boys will eat you out of house and home.

If you don't want to get into reloading yet and MUST have a new gun NOW then buy another .38 or .357 for now. Perhaps get the flip side of the coin with a nice older blued S&W to bookend your Ruger. Or go with another Ruger but this time a SA Blackhawk.

If you are already into reloading and do not mind the idea of reloading for a whole new caliber then sure, jump into .44. As noted the bigger case gives you more range of recoil in the loads from serious arm shorteners to mild powder puff rounds. The .357's do this too but stop short on the "arm shortening" side due to the lack of case volume and limited bullet mass. Reloading your own will both keep the cost of shooting lower and provide far more versatility out of any gun. But with the big "4 somethings" it really makes them stand up and sing.

The only other downside is that bullets are pretty much sold by the weight. So shooting the big guns will cost more by a few cents a round. It isn't bad if you only shoot a couple of thousand rounds a year. But if you go through ammo at double or more of that rate than those few cents saved on lighter .357 diameter bullets adds up.

As a recent .44Mag owner I really enjoy them. But I'll still shoot the cheaper .38's for the lion's share of the time. For plinking and match shooting it just makes better sense. If I eventually decide to downsize the collection the .44Mag guns would be among the first to go while the .38/.357's would be the last.
 
I came across this thread while browsing the forum; it's interesting, because I was a good boy last year and my wife got me a .44 for Christmas (S&W "Classic Series" M29, blue, 6.5" bbl.) I've been to the range with it twice and put 200 rounds through it so far, and after my usual two-box range trip I can feel it the next day. And... the ammo is on the expensive side. :eek:

This leads me to conclude that I don't need a full-house magnum load to poke holes in paper. (.44spl isn't the answer either - it's apparently a low-demand item and it's even more expensive than the magnum loads! :eek: :eek:)

So this will be the gun that finally makes me take up reloading. I think what I want out of life is a load that will launch a 180-200-gr. bullet at 900-1000 fps., give or take a little. That sounds like something I could shoot all day. Any suggestions on a good bullet/powder combo? I expect I would reload magnum brass. And I can always keep a box of factory hollowpoints on hand just in case I need to devastate something. :D

On January 25, 2012, 08:34 PM (#11), gspn wrote:

I can reload 240 grain lead with 20.5 grains of Alliant 2400 for about $13 per 50 (assuming 7 uses out of the brass). If I use Unique it's even cheaper than that.
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I can live with $13/box! I've tended not to use lead bullets because I don't want to scrub for a half hour to get the lead out of the barrel. I've been told that firing five or six jacketed rounds at the end of a range session will scrape the lead out - true?
 
I once had a really nice S&W 686 (6" barrel) that I purchased new and worked up an extremely-accurate 158g Speer LSWC Flat Points w/ Unique powder load!

I got shot it so often and so much during each session, I really got to be proficient with it, using the original sights! A friend had a really bad red squirrel problem that were making their way into his house, so I helped him eliminate the problem where there were about fifty acres of woods behind his house.

After shooting it an hour or two, he came back and told me that he also became extremely accurate with shots out to about thirty yards or so, hitting red squirrels when they would finally stop long enough to "take a pill." We both were using trees and branches and whatever else in the area to rest the gun on or against in order to take these accurate shots!

The load was nowhere near a hot load, however it most assuredly was an accurate load! I remember sighting it in about about 25 yards off the bench and the bullets were essentially making one large, ragged hole. I remember I was using Unique powder.

So, to answer the OP question, yes, you can tame Magnums to whatever you want, just be careful you don't use a powder that cannot be reduced below minimum charge without possibly causing extreme spikes in pressure and any associated ka-booms!
 
JSmith said:
..So this will be the gun that finally makes me take up reloading. I think what I want out of life is a load that will launch a 180-200-gr. bullet at 900-1000 fps., give or take a little. That sounds like something I could shoot all day. Any suggestions on a good bullet/powder combo? I expect I would reload magnum brass. And I can always keep a box of factory hollowpoints on hand just in case I need to devastate something. :D

On January 25, 2012, 08:34 PM (#11), gspn wrote:

I can live with $13/box! I've tended not to use lead bullets because I don't want to scrub for a half hour to get the lead out of the barrel. I've been told that firing five or six jacketed rounds at the end of a range session will scrape the lead out - true?
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Lead was made for the .44 mag, epecally given those loads. You should get no leading. Something that should come close to 200/950 would be 7.5gr Unique out of a Magnum case.
Of course, check a manual always, the above is just from memory.
 
Several years ago, I knew a bullet caster who sold me 240gr LSWC hard cast bullets for $14.50 for 500. I bought a bunch and am still shooting them. Loaded to hot Spl/mild mag velocity, they are a hoot to shoot in my Model-29. I don't hunt but I really like killing melons,pumpkins,squash, and other dangerous vegetables.
 
Altho I hunt with my .44s, I send one or two rounds a year down the barrels doing so. I send thousands of rounds down the barrels at the range for fun. They make plenty of sense to me.
 
Lead was made for the .44 mag, especally given those loads.
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Unfortunately... that ain't gonna work. I checked with the range I belong to; they have a "no lead bullets" (FMJ & SJ OK.) Oh, well.

MidwayUSA has Hornady 200gr. JHPs for 21.49/100. I suppose if I can reload ammo for my .44 and come in anywhere under 20.00/box it's still a win.
 
I have quite a few pistols in various calibers, but the .44 Magnum is my all around handgun. I handload extensively, and can tailor my loads to whatever I want to do. The contender in the ring is the .45 Colt in Ruger revolvers. I hardly shoot my .357 Magnums any more. If I want .454 Casull performance, I shoot .44 Magnums with a cartridge OAL that will not work with any revolver other than my Redhawk/Super Redhawk, allowing enough powder volume to get the job done.:)
 
Buy the Model 610. The money spent will be saved in the cost of brass and factory rounds.
A moon clipped revolver is a fine thing.
I have several 625's in 45 ACP and a M-29. The M-29 is seldom used.
As its going to be a target gun, you can use it for USPSA, ICORE, Bullseye and such.
40 S&W brass is falling out of the sky. 44 REM MAG brass is worth $.
 
These days plated bullets (not jacketed, plated) are getting to be almost as cheap as bare lead...
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Thanks, Sam! I'll look seriously at those when I start gathering reloading stuff.

Oh, boy! More stuff! :D
 
Heh heh... sort of like the old truism, "If a .44 isn't the answer, you're asking the wrong question!" :D
 
I use Missouri Bullets hard cast lead with a BHN of 18 (Brinell Hardness Number). I usually shoot 50 to 200 rounds per weekend and leading isn't a problem. I pass a brush through the bore back and forth maybe 20 to 30 times and I have no more lead. It's nothing. If you don't want to do that you can always buy one of those lead remover kits that use the copper screens...I hear it's extremely efficient.

My light loads have a listed speed of 937 fps and use a 240 gr. bullet over 10 grains of Unique. This makes loading even cheaper because it uses around 10 grains less powder per round.

If you can't use lead then use a plated bullet from someone like Berry's .

You can get 1,000 plated 240 gr. bullets from Berry's for 154 bucks. Or go a little lighter with a 220 grain for 141 bucks.

If you use 10 grains of unique, 240 gr plated bullets, large pistol primers, and new brass with an estimated load life of 7 rounds you'll still be looking at a box of reloads for around 13 bucks. The higher price of the plated bullets is essentially offset by the lower charge weights and you end up coming out about the same price as my heavy lead loads.

My assumptions were 1 lb of Unique for $22, primers at 3.80 per 100, $154 for 1,000 plated bullets, and 19.94 for new brass at midway. Even if you incur taxes and shipping on top of these prices you're still shooting for dirt cheap.

I don't need full-house hunting loads when I'm plinking...reloading makes the 44 mag a ton of fun.
 
They make perfect sense. As far as targets, you can shoot a whole 550 rd wallybox in one afternoon. 50 .44's is usually enough and a little more costly. Joe
44magsone121910.gif
 
I always dreamed of learning to reload so I could shoot the 44 magnum, and I'm really happy I have made those daydreams come true. You can shoot 180 gr bullets with light bullseye charges, and the 240 gr Unique 10gr load is a great load which is still controllable.

Get your press running, then get the 629. You won't look back.
 
The 44 magnum: hunting, hiking, target, plinking, self defense, knock down, accuracy, reloading, energy, velocity, pistol whipping, wow factor, fireball, boat anchor, 6 shots or 5, make my day, and.......... just plain bad a**.:cool:
 
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