How many hunt with .44 Specials?

Just curious. Currently have 5 of them and my son has 3. I have killed a pile of critters with .44 Specials and my son has a deer and hog to his credit with specials. How many more "special people" are there here? reflex264

I know Elmer Kieth did!!! :-)

I have been trying to come up with an excuse for buying one ;-)

Just claim temporary insanity and get ya one

I shoot Sp out of my 44 Mags all the time. In fact, my Sp load is the most accurate load out of my 4 5/8ths SBH

And I bet that with the proper weight and shape hard cast bullet that "it will work on elk in spades" also.

here is a pic of my custom 3 screw 44. I'm running 255gr WFNPB at about 1050 fps from a 3.5" barrel and she is a shooter as well as being ultra light weight.

The 44 special has seen quite a renewal of interest the last few years because of the Ruger midframe guns brought out by Lipsey's, they are built right, give wonderful accuracy & great packing sixguns.
I've taken several deer with my 4 5/8's, my 5 1/2" & my 7 1/2" specials. They can run 250 gr slugs up to a top end of 1200 fps with correct loads & are easy on the shooter. They are a natural for deer & will work on elk although they are marginal....just like the 41 maggie.
Brian Pearce double tapped a "mature" bull a few years ago with this exact combo (250 gr Keith at 1200 fps) dead bull. I think any real sixgunner has to have at least one 44 special, they really are special.
The old Keith load of a 250 gr Keith slug & 17.5 grs of 2400 will give an honest 1200 fps in most guns but with todays new Alliant 2400 should be reduced to 16.5-17.0 grs because its just a touch faster burning than the old Hercules 2400. An additional 50 fps isn't worth straining a good sixgun over. Another time proven load in Ruger specials is 7.5 grs of Unique, its my most used load for white tails & muleys, 6 shots, 6 deer, never recovered a bullet. Figure on 950-1025 fps, depending on barrel.
The biggest problem with medium calibers is, the shooter sometimes tries to stretch the distance, usually the shooter runs out of ability before the caliber does.
Always remember, if you are great at 1100 fps, good at 1200 fps & average at 1300 fps, whats most important...hint, the answer starts with an "A".

Dick

Is that double tap considered one .88 caliber shot or two .44's?

I've taken several deer, coyotes, and gophers with my specials, Rugers, Charters, and S&Ws. Love the round. does the job, doesn't beat you or the gun up. I've also gotten alot of use from my 38 Spls.; however, only one deer at 30 yards, bunches of gophers, pdogs, squirrels, and rocks. The 38 is quite special also.

Doc

reflex,

I know you've just joined here, but you'll soon realize we have a lot of "special" people here

Ya, I have a 357mag BH I've have been toying around with sending to my addiction supplier to have made into a 44 spcl. What do you think? Should I send it and make it into a 5.5" 44 special?

My son bought a conversion on a 3 screw .357 done by Alan Harton. It is a masterpiece. It just feels right in the hand. reflex264

And you would be right.

The #1 bread & butter conversion for the custom sixgun smiths has been the 3 screw Rugers to 44 special. The old 3 screws were built on the "mid" frame, unlike the larger 30 Carbines, 41, 44 & 45 caliber guns. Now that Ruger has seen the light & started producing midframe 44 specials, along with tightened tolerances & a flat top frame I'm sure the custom smiths have taken somewhat of a hit.
In the past all of us used 44 specials in our maggies & the loads shot very well. It was necessary to keep the cylinder clean because of powder fouling from the shorter case but that was a minor problem. Its actually easier to build 44 special loads using magnum brass. In stead of 7.5 grs of Unique in 44 special brass I use 8.5 grs in 44 magnum brass. Nice, easy shooting load. In my original 7 1/2" barrel 44 flattop & 8.5 grs of Unique I whacked a Montana whitetail last fall, shot was about 85-90 yds broadside, one shot, she jumped straight in the air & kicked then leaned over & turned the lights out!
Gregg, you really need to pick up a mid frame 44 special, then you can just send that old 454 over here to Ideehoo!

Dick

Im kicking around the idea of sending off one of my 3 screws (I now have two) to Rod to have a 44 spl conversion done. I cant really justify it though. I have a great packin pistol and I have two great Bisleys.

Some are so funny! What is a .44 special? It was a gun that shot at 600+ fps to about 1000 fps with proper boolits. So you get a Ruger so you can shoot low end .44 mag velocities and brag about it.
Elmer was not happy and wanted more until the .44 mag was made but today, you can almost reach the mag with a special at the cost of higher pressures.
Will a special kill good? Sure when loaded up but is it better then the .44 mag?
It is the same as +P loads in a .38 compared to the .357.
Two sides of the coin. Some think a .500 JRH is too small so they go the .500 S&W or .500 Max. Others go down to a .38 for deer. A few nuts say a .25 auto is good.
The .44 special has a place but when you go to a .44 mag with loads, why not just get a mag?
I see Colt has a new beautiful .44 special at +$1500---WHY? They seem unable to make a .44 mag in the gun.
I will never own another .357 and sure would not pay over $1500 for a .44 special when I hunt. I don't see anyone using a 25-20 for deer but some need a .300 WSM yet revolver shooters think a small gun will do the job.
Most rifle hunters today hate the 30-30 as being short range and weak but use a small revolver. A .380 or Nine must be better then a 30-30!

The beauty of the special is a much better package size to carry with enough power for 90% of handgun chores. I love most all handguns and I recognise that each has its place in life. reflex264

I dont think its about bragging about shooting low end 44 mags. More is not always better. Just like better is sometimes the enemy of good enough. I agree that the 44spl isnt as powerful as the 44mag and wont do as many things. And I will also agree that Elmer Keith wanted more than the 44spl could deliver. But the 44spl is still a classic handgun hunting caliber. Having my Ruger rechambered (if I do) is not a bad thing just because the 44mag exists. I would do it for the nastalgic value and because I like the bullet and its abilities. Sure I own a 44mag. I hunt with it as one of my primary guns. But its one of those rare guns that shoots 44mag better than it does 44spl. I have two three screw Ruger 357s. One of them is a sweetheart and the other has a very high round count and not as accurate as it used to be. If I have Rod rechamber one it will be to IMPROVE the one that has diminishing accuracy. I would also say that Elmer Keiths #5 SAA is one of the most beautiful and iconic handguns ever built.

Would I take a .44 special over a .357? Sure, every day of the week but there is the .44 mag. Just so much better.
Notice everyone wants to load to near the .44 mag! I wonder why anyone buys a special and wants +P loads????? That is as bad as a .44 mag owner wanting 700 fps loads.

That's the wonderful thing about America!!!
The only one I need to justify my gun purchases to is my bride!

Exactly!

430man

Whats wrong with me wanting 700fps loads? If its what shoots best in my gun and it kills what I aim it at then it doesnt matter how fast it comes out of the barrel. Actually my 44mag loads are somewhere around 1150fps. Thats very mild for a 44mag. Im not trying to push my 44s to the limit. I also dont shoot 44spl in my Bisley as it doesnt like them. As I said more is not always better. For me a 1100fps 44spl hard cast load is perfect for what and where I hunt.

Your 44 mag loads are at 44 Splc levels and it does the job. I see no problem with that at all.

There are is a ton of info available on the 44 Spl. from the .44 Associates ( Keith, Bowser, Thompson, etc. )at this site: http://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/44_Special_Articles/

Take a look, good read.

Doc

It is because you can do it with a .44 mag. Go either way but if you want to turn the special into a mag, forget it.
You will never turn a .480 into a .475. You can not turn a .38 into a .357. You can not turn a 30-06 into a Weatherby.
I would love a .44 special for fun but it has limits if I want a deer gun. The best for deer is 1300 to 1400 fps with a heavier boolit. That puts the special well below a .45 Colt. Even a .45 Colt at 1100 to 1200 fps makes a special a little child.
Colt just came back with a real nice gun. Case hardened to perfection and a super blue. .44 special at over $1500. Get real, I will never buy one because I hunt first and have no need for a toy.

Im on board with the fact that you dont like the 44spl as a hunting round and you wont pay $1500 for a Colt in that caliber. Ok. I understand that 44spl has limits. And that its not ever gonna be what a 44mag can be. Again...ok and your right on both accounts. But I dont hunt out west where I need to take long shots so I honestly dont need the velocity. I dont hunt in Alaska or were I may be eatten but something so I dont need that much power. My longest shot with a handgun in my life on a deer was 75 yards with my 357mag. She ran something like 60 yards and fell. Since going to the 44mag a few years ago I have never had to take a shot past 60 yards. I have been using my 44mag loads at 1150fps the whole time. They shoot well and they kill well. I have never had a hit animal go further than 40 yards. Most of the time they dont last 20. Thats the load I use and its all I need. It has handled several deer, more than a few of our local feral hogs and a black bear. Im not trying to turn the 44spl into a 44mag. It cant be done. I actually did the reverse and it works for me.

I don't know about not being eaten. My best friend when I was going to school in Tulsa was a guy from Fort Smith and he worried me sometimes when we would be cat fishing the Arkansas river until all hours of the morning. He was the size of a grizzly and I always got nervous when he'd start getting hungry

Well said t77. It is like the 480 vs 475 thing. Why should one put up with 475 recoil when all I need is 480 performace. Same for 45/454 and so on. I think the 44 Special would be excellent within typical bow range and a bit further. I have had my eye on one of those new Ruger Bisley 44 Specials. Just need a push.........

A couple years ago I chrono'ed many different brands of factory loaded 240 grain jacketed flat point in the 44 mag and many did not exceed 1180 FPS. The 44 Splc can duplicate this velocity without a problem. Nobody claims that 1180 FPS isn't enough when the case head stamp includes the words "MAG"

Yep that's the reason I got my 480. I don't even load it to the max. I figure the 400gr bullet at around 1100fps will probably take care of anything I'll run into here in Alaska (Including brown bear). If I really feel the need I can take it up another 100fps & still be in factory range.
As I understand it most of the loads the Linegaugh family uses for hunting with their 475s are mid 480 level.

I'm curious. How was the 44 Special intended to be loaded originally? The 357, for instance, was originally loaded hotter than what we see today if I have my facts correct.

Mark the 44spl was orignally a very mild load. Usually factory loaded if I have my facts right in the 700-800fps range with 240gr payloads. The great Mr. Elmer Keith showed us the way by pushing that round to as much as 1200fps. He wanted more from his handgun and he was very happy to tell everyone that would listen. Because of him Remington and Smith & Wesson came together and designed the round we know as the 44mag and the handgun we know today as the model 29.

I just did some quick reading. Besides being a military cartridge it was apparently used for hunting as well. With a 246 gr bullet going 755 fps, if it would kill a man would it also kill a deer? How effective would it be with a 300 grain bullet at the original velocity? The energy in foot-lbs probably wouldn't be great but don't heavy bullets tend to penetrate well?

Yes heavier projectiles do tend to penetrate better. However I have never seen load data for a 300gr 44spl. Anybody have anything on this? Im curious myself.

I like the .44 Mag as well. Just not as much as the special. After taking numerous deer and hogs with specials in a much handier package the Magnums stay at home most of the time. Doesn't mean I don't like them, just that they aren't needed that much on deer and hogs. Good shot placement with a 240-250gr cast bullet at 1000fps worked wonders. If you can rattle off a cylinder of 240SWCs from my Ruger Bisley .44 Special and not smile you are an exceptional person. reflex264

Lipseys had approached Ruger in the past about building a 44 special, Ruger didn't think they would sell. After a while Ruger gave in and said if Lipseys would buy 250 of each, both the 4 5/8"s & the 5 1/2" guns they would build them on the midframe, flattop & all.
The thinking was.....and always had been that people would rather just have the 44 maggie, bigger, stronger, etc, etc. As soon as those first 500 guns hit the market they were gone. Ruger built another 500, they were gone. Hey, whats going on here, nobody wanted a 44 "special" when they already had the 44 maggie.
Since then Ruger has made them a regular catalog item. Seems people are smarter than you think, they knew a midframe gun would take care of 90% of their handgun needs. Most people have never even seen an elk, much less shot one with a sixgun. The most hunted game animal is the whitetail & the muley, probably the most common distance is 50 yds or less.
Will the 44 special work under these parameters....in spades!
Very few actually try to full throttle the 44 special, although it can do an honest 1200 fps with the Keith 250 in most barrels.
The 44 special is a pleasure gun, Ruger made them with close tolerances, cylinder gap, throats, etc. they are wonderful sixguns. There's no need to hot rod them, the 44 maggie is much better if you need more horsepower, enjoy the special for what it is, a lighter, easier packing work of art that rides nice on the hip all day, rolls tin cans, punches spectacular holes in water jugs, will stay on a playing card all day at 50 yds, is easy to load for & makes the wives & kids smile when they find out it won't put a dimple between their eyes when they pull the trigger.
If you don't have one you're missing out on a truly fun sixgun.

Dick

amen sixshot!!!....i'd LOVE to have one. already have a couple mags if i need em.

The more I think about it the more I want to send in a 3 screw and have it converted to 44spl. Maybe with a barrel band on a 6 inch barrel. I think that would be just about as good as it gets.

To the OP, yes I have and do hunt with a 44 special. I have taken two deer and pot full of pests around my farm with them. I too currently have 5 guns chambered for the special. Carrying a FA model 97 or Colt SAA 44 on my hip just feels right.

Seems like every forum at some time or other has a thread that turns into a "why 44 Special when you can have a MAG?" Those that like the special waste words trying to defend why they like shooting and carrying one. Why bother? If you think the 44 special is not needed by all means don't get one!

Dan

Didn't mean to stir up controversy. There is a a reason it is called special. ;-}

That's right

I could see the criticism if it was called the .44 Sub-Par, but it's not, it's the .44 SPECIAL!

I have found that a 240SWC at 850fps from my charters, 255CPB at 1000fps from my Taurus 441T or a 240XTP at 1150fps from my Lipseys Bisley will kill anything I need to kill most of the time. I have bigger boomers that are reserved for bigger critters but jsut don't need them for the majority of my handgun hunting. That being said we are kicking around the ideal of a water buffalo by handgun but I will obviously use one of the bigger toys for that job. As a matter of fact I will jump right over the .44 Mags........ lets keep it fun boyz. reflex264

if you think about it the numbers we are talking about are not much different than the original 45LC or even 44-40 loads and both killed alot of men and game early on. I prefer bigger guns but I also hunt mostly Elk and Mule deer where shots are longer and even the blacktail hunting I do the potential for shooting across a canyon is always there. I wouldn't use the spcl for elk and especially not Roosevelts where they can go over 1200lbs but in brush for blacktails I'd give it a try.