A .44 Magnum Conclusion

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  • Ilexopaca

    Member
    Mar 4, 2012
    69
    Recoil is each to their own

    I don't think anyone should feel weird about the ammunition they choose to shoot. There are so many good choices. 357 in a 5" S&W 686 is my max - being recoil sensitive with handguns. I can shoot it repeatedly, accurately, enjoyably. Shooting 357 out of my lever gun is hoot to boot. 357 is certainly not a lazy round and imparts more energy than it's due. I've tried 44mag, 40, 357 sig, 45 and just wasn't smitten. Whatever works!
     

    Art3

    Eqinsu Ocha
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2015
    13,267
    Harford County
    I'm also a fan of the Taurus 44. Mine has a long compensated barrel (6.5, maybe?), and is a heavy gun to begin with, so it is doing its best not to be a wrist twister. It has the stock grips, which I think look stupid on it. To me, they just don't do the mass of the gun justice and just seem kinda...pathetic looking. They don't seem to be wide enough either. The finger grooves are just a hair too small and I have a hard time figuring out exactly where to put the meat for a two handed grip...but...somehow, they just work. :shrug: I have a tendency to anticipate recoil in general, but somehow, someway, I am able to hold on to this gun and enjoy the ride. I shoot it better than any of my 9mm's and most of my other revolvers. :o
     

    Hotrodbill

    Member
    Mar 5, 2018
    1
    I have a taurus model 44 with an 8.38 in barrel and absolutely love it. I keep a tighter grouping with it than I do my smith and wesson model 69. My only complaint is $35.00 a box for ammo
     

    Tracker

    Active Member
    Aug 21, 2011
    587
    Anne Arundel County
    I have a taurus model 44 with an 8.38 in barrel and absolutely love it. I keep a tighter grouping with it than I do my smith and wesson model 69. My only complaint is $35.00 a box for ammo

    For me reloading 44 mag/special , 45lc and 45-70 is mandatory. It's the only way I can afford to shoot them.
     

    j8064

    Garrett Co Hooligan #1
    Feb 23, 2008
    11,635
    Deep Creek
    I have a taurus model 44 with an 8.38 in barrel and absolutely love it. I keep a tighter grouping with it than I do my smith and wesson model 69. My only complaint is $35.00 a box for ammo

    For me reloading 44 mag/special , 45lc and 45-70 is mandatory. It's the only way I can afford to shoot them.

    ^^^ + 100.


    Come to think of it, I don't recall that I've ever actually bought any factory 44 mag ammo. Shooting my hand loads is a ton more fun and a helluva lot cheaper...

    :)
     

    IronEye

    Active Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 10, 2018
    790
    Howard County
    Let's see... Brass is sort of free. Hard Cast Keith bullet with Hi-Tek lube coating 14 cents including the shipping. Primers at about 4 cents. Powder is $30 a pound and is good for at least 800 rounds - so about 4 cents.

    I figure my reloads are less than 25 cents each plus my time.

    Of course brass isn't really free. And reloading equipment costs money. And if you're sloppy and careless you'll blow something up. Wrong powder, double charge, dump the unused powder back in the wrong bottle - eek!

    If you're shooting 9mm that's not any savings at all. When you're talking about 44 Magnum or even worse 44 Special that's a big savings. Or in other words - you get to shoot twice the amount of ammo for the same $$$

    Revolvers are a much more advanced system than semiautos - they don't fling your precious brass away. :)
     

    davsco

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 21, 2010
    8,607
    Loudoun, VA
    i got my s&w 629 way back in high school, maybe college. i absolutely hated it at first. switched over from wood to the hogue grips and that helped. but what also helped is just embracing the power. while it kicked and jumped, i really wasn't getting hurt or anything. not like a 340wby or 375h&h to the shoulder. so i just embraced it and after that loved it. what it did to full milk jugs was just awesome. a couple years ago though i sold everything i didn't use in my various competitions, so off it went.
     

    sxs

    Senior Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 20, 2009
    3,377
    Anne Arundel County, MD
    There's another conclusion one can come to when it comes to the .44 Magnum:

    Reload.

    As others have mentioned, a .44 Mag loaded down can be quite mild and enjoyable to shoot, not to mention being considerably cheaper to shoot than trying to buy .44 mag ammo.

    Here's a target I shot with my reloads - six shots at 25 feet with 9.0 grains of Unique under a 240 grain lead bullet.

    And it seems to me that full power liads are not always the most accurate. Ishhot 2 loads one milder load usi g hard cast bullets, one middle of the road using 240 gr jacket hp loaded medium
     

    Czechnologist

    Concerned Citizen
    Mar 9, 2016
    6,522
    xMz6EnL.jpg
    T6gjDax.jpg

    15 yards, standing offhand, Federal 240gr. JHP, 20 rounds

    Took my 6.5" Model 29-2 to TMGN yesterday and practically had the whole range to myself. I hate being 'that guy' on an indoor range shooting .44 Mag when it's crowded.

    The first couple of three-shot groups were impacting low and to the left. I raised the rear sight 3 clicks up and 5 clicks to the right and was pretty satisfied with the results. I know they're fugly as heck but, the Pachmayr grips made it a totally enjoyable experience.

    JWPeNI7.jpg

    15 yards, Fiocchi 200gr. JHP .44 Special

    Only had nine rounds of Fiocchi .44 Special (150 more due to arrive tomorrow) but, just wanted to see how they would perform by comparison. This load has always been a good performer in my other .44's and today was no exception: seven out of nine in the X ring.

    I don't consider myself an exceptionally gifted shooter. I used to get my ass handed to me on a regular basis in IHMSA and IPSC matches during the 80's and 90's. What I have learned over the years, though, is that .44 Magnum can be a painless, satisfying experience with the right gun, grips and state of mind to make it work. It's still my favorite handgun caliber.
     

    Alea Jacta Est

    Extinguished member
    MDS Supporter
    xMz6EnL.jpg
    T6gjDax.jpg

    15 yards, standing offhand, Federal 240gr. JHP, 20 rounds

    Took my 6.5" Model 29-2 to TMGN yesterday and practically had the whole range to myself. I hate being 'that guy' on an indoor range shooting .44 Mag when it's crowded.

    The first couple of three-shot groups were impacting low and to the left. I raised the rear sight 3 clicks up and 5 clicks to the right and was pretty satisfied with the results. I know they're fugly as heck but, the Pachmayr grips made it a totally enjoyable experience.

    JWPeNI7.jpg

    15 yards, Fiocchi 200gr. JHP .44 Special

    Only had nine rounds of Fiocchi .44 Special (150 more due to arrive tomorrow) but, just wanted to see how they would perform by comparison. This load has always been a good performer in my other .44's and today was no exception: seven out of nine in the X ring.

    I don't consider myself an exceptionally gifted shooter. I used to get my ass handed to me on a regular basis in IHMSA and IPSC matches during the 80's and 90's. What I have learned over the years, though, is that .44 Magnum can be a painless, satisfying experience with the right gun, grips and state of mind to make it work. It's still my favorite handgun caliber.
    Note to self. Avoid going to Zzzman’s house after dark without calling first.
     

    Czechnologist

    Concerned Citizen
    Mar 9, 2016
    6,522
    Note to self. Avoid going to Zzzman’s house after dark without calling first.

    :D Those Fiocchi .44 Special loads are outstanding. They're not labelled as 'target' but they might as well be. Recoil is comparable to shooting .38 Special in a .357 revolver.
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,734
    Socialist State of Maryland
    Shooting 200gn .44 Specials makes practice enjoyable in .44 Mag revolvers. I use Lyman 429215 bullets with 6.5 gns of Unique for a good .44 Special practice load. When I load up Special cases with 250 gn bullets and 6 gns of Unique, you can really feel a difference and that is not even at the lower end of Magnum power.
     

    Czechnologist

    Concerned Citizen
    Mar 9, 2016
    6,522
    Shooting 200gn .44 Specials makes practice enjoyable in .44 Mag revolvers. I use Lyman 429215 bullets with 6.5 gns of Unique for a good .44 Special practice load. When I load up Special cases with 250 gn bullets and 6 gns of Unique, you can really feel a difference and that is not even at the lower end of Magnum power.

    Thanks, John. There are 2 loads that I really like using a 250gr Keith-style bullet. The first is 7.5 gr of Unique that does about 950 fps and the second is 15.0 gr of 2400 at 1050 fps. Both are very easy to shoot well.
     

    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,598
    Glen Burnie
    And it seems to me that full power liads are not always the most accurate. Ishhot 2 loads one milder load usi g hard cast bullets, one middle of the road using 240 gr jacket hp loaded medium
    I don't have a lot of experience with mine shooting full-house loads. It's an old gun, and I'm just not going to push it, but those milder reloads have been very accurate for me. If I do my part, that old revolver pretty much puts them right on the money, and it has the best trigger (on single action) of anything I own.
     

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