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  #11  
Old 09-16-2018, 12:20 AM
Bill K Bill K is offline
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Default OT 44 Mag opinion

Quote:
Originally Posted by 260Ackley View Post
Thanks for the recommendations. I have a Tc contender in 45 colt that I've loaded pretty warm. It has the 410 barrel set up and has never proven accurate enough for my taste and experimenting with a dozen powder and bullets.
I currently have an early colt trooper in 357 mag with 6 in barrel. Haven't taken it out, I've heard mixed reports that they are marginal on deer. Not sure that I believe that. But have no evidence either way. Is a 180 gr bullet the ticket in 357?
Now since you have and are into TC's, get a 44 or 45 barrel for it. Or just put that 357 Mag into use. the hard cast 180 - 200 bullet, into the lungs or a head shot, if you are around fifty yards or so, will be more than enough for deer. Bill K
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  #12  
Old 09-16-2018, 04:11 AM
georgeld georgeld is offline
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For 40 years I carried a Blackhawk in .30 carbine. Amazing gun. 19 gr H110 was too much for me, settled on 12.5gr and did swell other than when I shot a bunch of 'em in a session my wrist hurt. Snooping the junk box at a leather shop here and found a half dozen Hogue rubber grips for it priced at $5 each. I bought 'em all. That's the best thing I've found to tame a handgun. I have 6 or 7 Blackhawks, all of 'em have these ugly rubber grips. They fit my big hands just right and I can get ahold of the big stuff. Bill Ruger must have had tiny hands to produce such small grips. I don't like the "crippled" looks of the Bisley.

With practice a "shooter" can learn to point and shoot real well and get off six shots quite accurately and amazingly fast even with the single action. It does take practice. that's why I shoot self cast bullets. Ten years ago out in the hills camping there was a live 10" pine painted to be taken out. The top had been busted by lightning it looked like. Wanting to test the .45 Colt loads I fired 12 rnds from about 20 feet with the 250's. Everyone went clear thru the tree.

Maybe 20yrs ago I connected with an old retired sheriff that told me I should try a .45 Colt. "in a Blackhawk if you can't do it with a .45 Colt you'd better get a rifle".
Again, my wrist just won't stand the max charges. More so with 330gr slugs. Linebaugh site shows up to 28 gr. I've tried 25gr and that's just too much for me. Twists a lot is the problem. I settled on 20gr H110 with both 250 and 330's. Amazing, over the chrono they're both within 10 fps. 250=1173, 330gr=1165fps with 20gr H110. I shoot one handed, never got into both hands on a pistol. I also am NOT a semi auto guy in a handgun. Just don't like 'em. Had a few and shot a bunch of others.
I wanted pistol enough for elk when those times happen when the rifle is out of reach. I wear the belt gun, knife, drywall saw, 24 shells on the belt ALL the time when hunting and even around camp most of the time.

Bill: I never knew a .44mag would handle 300gr slugs. All I've read has said 250gr is the heaviest.

One thing about Taurus, they're imported, I don't buy imports if i can help it. Charlie, good to know that about them.
No other make of gun will handle the loads a Blackhawk will, that's a fact. These big bores are just too nasty with a short barrel. IF you're going big stuff, why reduce it and increase recoil and blast by many times with a short tube?

OF course you guys know I'm about the most opinionated sob on the board. So just take it that way.
Cheers!
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Last edited by georgeld; 09-17-2018 at 04:53 AM.
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  #13  
Old 09-16-2018, 08:08 AM
pocketshaver pocketshaver is offline
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Default its the funniest thing....

Elmer and Skeeter had rather hot 44 special loads that kicked ass and talked about it for a week after words. They were surprised that the final thing called 44 magnum was actualy more then they had asked for.

What does it mean? A 44 magnum doesn't need to be this hyper velocity crap at all.

240 grain swc is just as effective as when Keith first rolled some through his reloading press.

A lot of people WILL lambast the Smith for not being "strong", but the thing is, the smith was built for actual 44 magnum ammunition, not something loaded to 454 casull

A 44 special with a 240 grain swc pushed to 800 fps can push through a deer length wise. That bullet pushed to 1000 in a 44 magnum can do that to a black bear
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  #14  
Old 09-16-2018, 02:51 PM
moorepower moorepower is offline
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I had a scoped Ruger Super RH with I believe 7 1/2" barrel, and I could blast bluerock at 100 yds. with it. I was just too bulky to carry, for "me". I sold it and got a S&W 629 with a 4" barrel and LOVE the ergonomics of it. I also have a Ruger BH in .357 with a 7 1/2"? barrel, if memory serves. It also shoots very well and is much easier to carry. IF you have no plan for a defense gun I would get a Ruger SBH. Get a .44M and if you want to shoot light loads, load it down. I would use the 240 or 300 grain XTP, for deer. I have 240,300 and 320 grain cast bullets, but I think for white tail deer the XTP is a better choice. My advice is go with the Ruger SBH in .44 or the Bisley. Go with the longest barrel you can comfortably carry for sight radius. I chose a 4" because I carry it under my shoulder.
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  #15  
Old 09-16-2018, 06:35 PM
GLWenzl GLWenzl is offline
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I have taken a lot of deer with a GP100 357 mag and 158 gr XTP bullets. It’s the SS model and I purchased factory v/bb rear/front sights and the accuracy was amazing. Years later I purchased parts to lighten trigger pull. I also have a S&W 357 mag but have never taken a deer with it yet.

I had a super Redhawk 44 mag (scoped) with the long barrel and I shot both deer and buffalo with it using 240 gr XTPs with good results. It was good but not as accurate as the 357 gp100 and too big and bulky to carry (should holster). Traded it straight across for a new Ruger single-6 44 mag. Still heavier than I cared for and traded it for a SS hunter 22/22mag.

Currently I only have a couple contender 44 mag barrels both with vent rib (I’d sell one of those) and also a NEF rifle which is pretty darn accurate (one of my kids puled up both of his deer at 104 yards with open sights when he was 13 yo).

For me I’d go with a gp100 357 but understand the desire for the 44.
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  #16  
Old 09-16-2018, 11:20 PM
pocketshaver pocketshaver is offline
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One can always split the difference and get something in 30 wcf
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  #17  
Old 09-17-2018, 04:57 AM
georgeld georgeld is offline
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800fps is popgun loads!!
Shucks I get over 900fps in my 6" K-38 with 3.5gr Red Dot and those are
just plinkers.

Very easy to get 1100-1200fps, and with most Rugers lots more is there
if n when you want it.
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Last edited by georgeld; 09-17-2018 at 05:01 AM. Reason: stiring the pot!
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  #18  
Old 09-19-2018, 05:55 AM
pocketshaver pocketshaver is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by georgeld View Post
800fps is popgun loads!!
Shucks I get over 900fps in my 6" K-38 with 3.5gr Red Dot and those are
just plinkers.

Very easy to get 1100-1200fps, and with most Rugers lots more is there
if n when you want it.
IF you have a 44magnum magnum revolver made by RUGER, you can use chamber pressures and a 5" barrel, that push 240-280 grain bullets to the same original velocity that Smith and Wesson got with 8 inch barrels.

250 grain bullet form a 45 cotl at 900fps has been proven to do a through and through on black bear and deer.... its not about pure velocity here.
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  #19  
Old 09-19-2018, 06:14 AM
georgeld georgeld is offline
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I went with a .45 Colt because I'm an elk hunter.
Killing deer has never been a problem for me when I wanted to.

You keep drumming up 800fps, shucks I get 850 with plinkers out of my
Snubby Smith. Like I said: That's popgun loads. Regardless of what it'll do to a whitetail.

How are you going to hold for shooting such a slow load at 100yards? I've done a LOT of that kind of shooting with the 45 Colt at 1160-1200fps. Not much holdover needed there.

I want to know where they'll hit at 100yds for those occasions when the rifle is out of reach and an elk shows up. BTDT several times, usually while doing chores around camp, or tending horses etc. Be prepared and KNOW what you can do with it.
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Last edited by georgeld; 09-24-2018 at 02:26 AM.
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  #20  
Old 09-19-2018, 03:59 PM
moorepower moorepower is offline
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OP is wants a round for under 50yds. The .45 LC and .44M are nearly twins when loaded to max psi in a Ruger cylinder. I am just guessing that his reference to 900 fps is using a plain base cast bullet. With equal barrel lengths you MIGHT gain 25 fps with equal weight bullets with the .45 over the .44.
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