The Dying 44?
- Thread starter peachhead
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330gr and Lil Gun
If I do another Mad Science project it'll be to push lightweight Lehigh's towards 3,000fps. But then anything I can do with a 44 even Super Mag is easily eclipsed by a 460 S&W!
IKE
Single-Sixer
The Dying 44 ?......not at my house.
I'll have to admit that my 45ACP 1911's go to the range a lot more often but my 1989 mfg. Redhawk makes several trips yearly also.
It now wears Pachmayr Presentation grips.
I'll have to admit that my 45ACP 1911's go to the range a lot more often but my 1989 mfg. Redhawk makes several trips yearly also.
It now wears Pachmayr Presentation grips.
How does "I have something more bigger burning more powder." change the equation between 44 mag and the "girls can shoot this too" calibers? Other than to RE-ENFORCE the facts of physics between smaller slower is NOT EQUAL to bigger faster?
vlavalle
Single-Sixer
While the topic in this thread is on the .44 Mag, I have to comment about using the 10mm for hunting, and specifically, the hunting of larger game. Those who sport the 10mm are basically semi-auto pistols users, and do not want or like revolvers, and probably have not really used one. Given that most revolvers are a lot more powerful than most pistols (and yes, a revolver is not a pistol), the propensity to suggest using the 10mm over even the .357 Mag, is just one of bias. The .357 Mag is considerably more powerful than the 10mm (over 20% more), and then there is the .41 Mag that is 24% more powerful than the .357 Mag, and then the .44 mag, which is 60% more powerful than the .357.
I own a .45 LC Blackhawk Convertible, so I can shoot both the .45 ACP (with a cylinder swap) and the .45 Colt (LC). When I shoot the high powered .45 LC ammo (from Buffalo Bore), it is like shooting the .44 Mag, with a very big recoil and loud sound. Of course, some recoil can be attenuated to, partially by the barrel length. My 3.57 Mag Black hawk has a 6 1/2" barrel, so the recoil on the max load is not that great. But barrel length on my .45 Ruger Blackhawk is only 5 1/2", so the kick is huge with the big loads! I suspect that it would probably be manageable on a 7 1.2 barrel, but I have never had the opportunity to try that. By the way, when I shot the hottest .45 ACP round (Atomic 616 ft. lbs.), the kick is more like shooting a 9mm pistol. Of course, my .45 Ruger Blackhawk is a much heavier and much more robust handgun than any pistol.
vlavalle
Single-Sixer
I lived thru the muscle car era, and even was able to drive a few (Plymouth 426), and none of today's stock 'muscle cars' come close in a full sized sedan. But the efficiency of engines has dramatically changed, so power has increased per engine size considerably. For example, I have a family car, a 2013 Chev Impala with a V6, and it delivers 300 HP! And it is only a 3.6L engine, which is on 220 cu! The original muscle car was the 1965 GTO, and it had a 389 CU engine, and with 3 dueces (carburators), that version delivered 360 HP. What a difference engines are today. Also, today, the Mustang is in the class of muscle car, but back in the day, the Mustang was not a muscle car at all.
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The 44 magnum has been relegated to the adequate for some uses category. Kinda like the 30-06. At this point it's only mediocre in the realm of handgun power. When I got my Dan Wesson 44+Magnum+ it was pretty cutting edge. I was pushing 454 Cassull power when it was just a Wildcat. The Modern equivalent would be the 460S&W or similar.
vlavalle
Single-Sixer
I see you mentioned 'pushing 454 Casull power', but that is probably not possible. You may have achieved a bit more power than what you thought was the max .44 Mag power, but not much. The .44 Mag max's out at a power level of 1,544 Ft. lbs., so if you are reloading, you may have never achieved that power level. But even if you did, the .454 Casull max's out at 2,200 ft. lbs., which is 45% more powerful. In other words, there is a hug difference.
The Dan Wesson and Super Redhawk have cylinders longer than normal and actions far stronger than anything S&W. They were made for the Mad Scientists shooting IHMSA at the time. Many envelopes were being pushed.
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vlavalle
Single-Sixer
It is also that they are full of themselves! I have heard several times that the .45 ACP was going away, and it is the 3rd most offered caliber i get from many retailers online. I get between 10-20 email everyday from ammo & gun retailers.
They are trying to sell magazines etc. There's not much NEW that you can write about the 44 magnum and 30-06. The data has pretty much been the data for 40-80 years. Sure there's a new bullet/powder combination every few years but that's it. Nobody is making anything noteworthy with either caliber either.
Whenever anything remotely different comes around it's going to get the attention. What does it do in X platform? How fast, how far what will it penetrate and how much energy does it transfer???
At this point 460/500S&W have even been wrung out for anything noteworthy. A 357 in a similar length might be interesting. More of a Goldilocks hunting handgun round. But then revolvers are kinda 19-20th Century. Can I honestly do anything with any handgun that I couldn't do with a light/compact carbine? 50 years ago the idea of hunting with a handgun was a genuine challenge much like one of the primitive methods. As we see now anything "Primitive" and "Challenging" has been corrupted with modern tech!!! So is a 357-44 Magnum any less capable than they were 60 years ago? No but then again nobody is interested in reading about anything older than a few years because most everything has been there done that a hundred ways from Sunday.
Now a semi auto with 454 Casull power and 300yd accuracy would be noteworthy!!! Trim a 450 Bushmaster and neck it down to 357 in a Deagle size package!!! Noteworthy!!!
Old Muleskinner
Bearcat
I highly value what Taffin has to say about the 44. Mike V, not so much.
Wish I had seen that earlier, I just bought a couple more last week. Didn't realize they were dead!
Cool story bro.
IF a 44 mag is "only mediocre", what does that make a 9mm? 380?
I am good with my mediocre .44
The real big boomers were never my thing.
I am happy in the 1050-1100 fps range.
Once in a while I will load a few Keith loads for the kids.
9mm and .380's are for babies.
KIDDING.
I own pistols in both calibers lol.
Shooting any caliber is fun.
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