Todays hunter and the 44 Mag

With todays options for handgun hunting being so inflated, bigger is better mentality. How does the 44 mag rate with todays Handgun Hunter?

In the past we all used it as we didn't have alot of choices above the 44mag, few options and they where very expensive. Now today we have HUGE options and for not much more $$. I think the 44mag is still a very good round out to 100+yds (personal limit) but would tempt farther with the right conditions. With a few years of the 454 and now the 460 and 500's out there we are seeing ALOT more revolvers out there doing BIG things, and all the fan fare to follow.

Would anyone in todays market even reccomend the 44mag as a front gun for handgun hunting?

I ask because I'm about to build 2 44mags as a hunting duet scoped front and stubby backup. Both on the Bisley frame, and I can't think of a bad reason not to go this route... or does that make me an old fuddy duddy :p Not wanting to modernise... of which I have been accused before :p Heck I took up straight razor shaving and was more nervous of the modern razor than a straight :p

So all you hunting with the 44 mag, let us all hear your thoughts on why you still use it

The .429 mag used to be the only game in town. I have used them fairly extensively, and while they are capable of pretty much everything you may ask of them, I find them to be a little underwelming especially after having played with and hunted with some of the bigger revolver cartridges available now. That said, there is a plethora of bullets available for the .44, and it can be loaded for any occasion. More types of factory ammo don't exist for any other caliber save for the .30-06, and it is a threshold caliber with regards to its recoil. Most "normal" folks will find the recoil to be too much for them (but not this group here !). So, you can't really go wrong with the .44. It's a logical place to start IMHO.

The 44M is probably the best cartridge out there, particularly if you roll your own. There are so many loads & bullets. I have a Ruger Biesley Hunter. My ambition is to consistantly hit a 6" steel @ 100yrds. If you need to get out further than that, you probably should be using a rifle. The bigger is better mentality is for those attempting to overcome there shooting inabilities.

having played with many of the big boomers, i have to say that for me they are not fun to shoot. ive stated before, if i cant do it with my 44 then maybe i should be using a rifle. a big rifle.

Another perspective would be if your stuck on the 44(which there is nothing wrong with) is to forgo building 2 guns and just take that money and buy a FA model 83 and have Magnaport do a Stalker conversion on it. You can load it to levels that would take apart the Rugers(Ruger Lovers don't jump on me)and it would suffice at shorter ranges as well. Remember; great long range guns make GOOD short range guns, but GREAT short range guns don't necessarily make good long range guns. Personally this is what I would do,you can load it up or load it down. Also I would wager that even after the custom work on the Ruger the FA would be more accurate. Just my opinion. Hope this helps.

For years now a "new to handgun hunting" thread will come up, and the question asked is what caliber should I start out with.

Most of the time the collective wisdom of the board is get a good 44 mag platform that fits your hand and go practice a ton and then hunt with confidance.

In my opnion if you can't take a good 44 mag and hunt all but the biggest dangerous game then maybe you should not be handgun hunting. In short the 44 is a good choice.

I killed my first handgunned deer with a 44 Magnum and 30 years later (two weeks ago) I shot a cow elk with a 44 Magnum. After shooting most of the big-bore guns over the years I have come to prefer the 454 Casull because it can be loaded to 44 Mag velocities if you choose, but if you "need" more, then more is available. When it comes right down to it, there isn't much that can't be done with a 44 Magnum, the right bullet for the job, and good shot placement.

Nothing wrong with the 44 Mag.
My personal preference, like Gary is the 454 Casull.

I have had the 454 - the 480 as well as others and always come back to two guns the 44Mag and the 45 Colt for me these two are in the sweet spot. These have tha ability and the bullet selection to do just about anything a handgun hunter needs. The main advantage of the 44mag is that there is a huge selection of factory ammo avalable for those that do not handload. The 44Mag is a great choice. By the way you will need more than one or three or five 44 mags.

You will need a 4" for the hip, a 8 3/8 with the click front sight, a 7.5 " bisley with a Leupold scope and a 6" for all the other times that you are having trouble choosing.

Wow...I can't believe it. Twice in the same thread you guys got away with saying that iffin you can't do it with a .44 Mag then you need a rifle...and no one called you on it.

Have you never heard of a single shot pistol??

bluecow...I'm also a .44 Mag fan...that and my .45LC are about the biggest revolvers I care to shoot. I need to add that they are loaded with 320gr and 340gr cast bullets.

Revolver Man...is that 6" goal with irons or optics?? Kudos for setting a goal...but I hope that is with irons from a field position.

The 44 has done it all.I believe Kelly even took an elephant with one.That being said I think there are many being hunted with that aren't seeing much powder burnt through them.Practicing with any caliber a person chooses shows more results,imo,than the caliber itself.I have shot loads out of my 44s that are from pleasent to unruly.I have shot bigger calibers that offer the same.I think the 44 and 45colt are the "30-06" of the pistol world,and will be forever more what all other calibers are judged by.For most animals that are hunted a 44/45colt will do it all,but the bigger calibers,do the same job easier.Again JMO

Rifle?
What are those?
Whatever they are, who needs them anyway

I'm always considering bigger calibers, but I've always carried my 44mag (An 8&3/8" mod 29) with confidence that it could do what I ask of it. I've carried it for moose & black bear hunting but have yet to kill anything with it. I load it with either 300 or 320 hardcast at 1320-1350fps.
The only time I've felt "undergunned" with it was when I spent a minute or two chatting with a good size (figured 9'ish) brown bear that had claimed my black bear bait station which was in fairly thick brush. Brown bear are by permit drawing only in my area & I wasn't a permit winner. Our confrontation varied in range from a bit less than 15yds to 30 yds. The 44 felt like a toy at that point, but I honestly think my Marlin Guide Gun in 450 would have felt small at that point!
If I lived in the lower 48 & didn't hunt Alaska I would never consider anything beyond the 44mag or 45 Colt.
Living in Alaska with moose as my main target & brown bear being fairly common I sometimes consider a 454 or 480. Guess I lean toward the 480.

Short version, I think the 44 mag (or hot 45 Colt) in the right format & with the right bullet choice is the best revolver choice for 90%+ of all guys that will be revolver hunting.

Vance it was so great to see you posting. I was afraid that one of them there big bears had eaten you!

Recoil

Unless you're hunting brown bears or elephants, the .44 will do.

Dan they make single shot 44's too.

I've used the 44mag from almost the start of my shooting days, burnt out a S&W 29 in just 3 years lol... Shot it alot as it was my only revolver at the time. When I got the Bisley I was vry happy in how it feels in hand and while shooting. When the Stalker/Preditor set first popped up I was hooked on them. And yet never got them... Blackhawks hit my knuckles wrong... So now I'm attempting to do the same thing but with Bisley's as a base,

At the moment I have AK covered when I get back there, 375JDJ contender and 338-06 Encore, but nothing as a "backup" gun. That fueled the desire for cutting down a Bisley in the first place, than seeing alot of Preditor articules lately.... That pretty much set it in that I've got to get it done. Just wish MagNaPort would write back about my ideas and see what they have to say...

I enjoy the 44mag, and fully agree about it being a threshold caliber. I used to think it kicked alot, till I got used to it. Than after a while I thought the 375JDJ kicked alot, and I got used to it... Shot a friends 44mag and was amazed at how little it kicked HAHA As I learned to deal with recoil the less it botherd me, thus the more accurate I got (scary how that works

New guy here but this sorta stuck in my crawl.

Me and my shooting inabilities have achieved your ambition with with our scoped Casull....I'm just sayin'.

Cedarswamp......I like you already!!

And I've enjoyed your posts Dan.....all 216 pages of em'.LOL

I'm fine, just beeen "distracted".
It's good to be back. I've really missed you guys!

There is absolutly nothing wrong with the 44mag but since hunting with the 454 and putting the shots in the right place, I can see the difference in the power level of the larger cartridge
Another plus for the 454 is that it can be had in a handgun that is a standard size. The bottom line, whether you shoot a 44 or 500 is shot placement.Put a .429" bullet in the right place and the animal is yours. Good luck, JFS

Vance I've always enjoyed your posts and valued your inputs. You've been missed!

Recoil

I do alright @ 50 Yrds w/iron sites. At 100 yrds I do use a scope. Once sited in, I shoot off hand. Revolver Man

I disagree with you on this point. The big ones take time, patience and lots of practice to master. But to suggest that those who like to make a bigger hole in their game than .429 are attempting to overcome some shortcoming in their shooting ability is just absurd.

I have big rifles and big revolvers and I don't feel I am giving anything up with my revolvers save for range.

your right but fun to hunt with deffrint guns i like revolvers

been using 44 black hawk for years. but alout of good new cal out there to try.

I have had encore in 30/06 223 30/30 and now 500BFR i love to shoot. its all in what you like. i like wheelguns best.

Haha after hunting and shooting single shots for so long, Having a wheel gun up front seems weird. I really can't wait for this to get off the ground

Not a thing wrong with your choice. i like the wheelgun for its nostalgic over the TC. but the TC VERY accurate.

I have a 10" Contender and a 7 1/2" SS SBH both in 44 Mag. Like Gary my first big game kill was a doe with the SBH. There are a bunch of pigs that have gone to the big mud hole in the sky because of these two guns.

I have four .44 Mags...a 10" and 14" Contender, 7.5" Super Blackhawk and Super BH Hunter. Love them all.

Took my first handgun deer with the 14" Contender w/ 4X Tasco Pro Class and 180gr Sierra JHC. Range was 105yds!

I have a 7.5 redhawk in 44mag topped with a 4 power thompson center scope. I only got into this handgun sport recently, but with a good rest I would be very confident taking a whitetail at 150 yrds. By next year I hope to extend that range to 200. I was shocked that 44 would group inside 4 inches at 150.
Where I hunt rifles are not allowed, slug guns only. It is very cool that a revolver has better range than the long guns I am used to using.
I just got a vaquero 5.5 in 44 mag also, and am already thinking of trading my redhawk for a savage striker in 308. The vaquero on the hip for anything inside 50 yrds, and the savage on a sling to reach out would be just about perfect!
I don't know that I'll ever buy a long gun again.

Know what you mean about buying long guns... I'm putting together my Encore as a rifle now, just so I have one, all the others are gone, short of muzzle loaders. Figure if I get the chance to hunt bear in canada I'll be able to do it with the Encore 338-06... Othr wise it's the 44 mag or the 375JDJ, when things are better I'll add a 6.5 to the contender line up...

My wife wants to use one of my hand guns on me. I started with a 44 mag Red Hawk. Now have BFR 45-70, Lone Eagle 30-06, 454 in SRH and Contender in 375 JDJ. Get big guns wifes scared to shoot them. Safe for now.

Now that is sound advice

No disrespect to anybody with a hefty wife that shoots! LOL

Dwarven,

To get back to your original query;

After nearly 25 years of hunting big northeastern whitetails with the .44 Magnum I still use it because it has thumped some very nice New Hampshire bucks for me, and no doubt will continue to do so.
My present one is an Anniversary New Model Blackhawk with 6 1/2" barrel, iron sights. In the past I was partial to the Federal 300 gr Castcore, but this particular Blackhawk seems partial to the Speer Gold Dot 270 gr softpoint.

Just came in for lunch and checked the forum. I missed this thread back on the 10th because I've been deer hunting every day since 10/31. It was blackpowder for the 1st 11 days and I carried my old faithful 54 cal Renegade. Our regular rifle season began Wednesday the 11th. Guess what I've been carrying since then. Headed back out right after I finish my coffee and "sammich" with nothing but my green woolies and about 3 pounds of iron. That should cover it.

Slingshot and a handful of ball bearings?? That would be about three pounds...and you said it guess!!

I should know better than to leave any open questions with Dan Dangerfield lurking around...

Dan Dangerfield!!!! I almost spit my drink all over the computer screen laughing. LOL<LOL<LOL

One advantage to the 44 that's often overlooked is the fact that bullets can be found considerably cheaper than for the 45's.

With ammo availablity, component diversity, and years of info readaly available, I'm glad I still like the round.

The 44 Magnum is good enough for me, I had a 460 for a while and it was a powerhouse and had awesome capabilities, however I returned to the 44 Magnum. The price difference is almost half of the 460 when reloading. Everyone is different and we all hunt different terrain. I know the chances of me hunting anything bigger then a whitetail within the next 8 years or slim to none. And I am fine with that as well. If the 44 will meet your needs and you are happy with it. Just be glad you still live in a free country.

killed 8 deer with my 44.no reason to upgrade.accuracy with reloads is 1.25"@80 yards.

Aye..uuhh...no repect I tell ya....no respect at all....

I got into big game hunting with revolvers 2 years ago. I got a RH 44 with a 7.5 barrel. It was not until I started to reload that I learned howe accurate and verstile this gun could be. This year would be the first year I will be taking the RH into the woods with a red dot scope on it. I have full confendence in leaving the shotgun at home and only taking the RH. I hope to buy a Blackhawk in 44mag this next year.

44's Are probably the best all around for hunting and plunking. But we live in the USA 44 good 45-70 better right? Just kidding I like 44's just got board wanted to hit deers harder with something new.

I put down a battle scared 10 point whitetail this passed Saturday. It was my 30th whitetail with a Ruger Super Blackhawk and a 2x Leupy. Caliber? None other than the good old .44 Mag. Been handgunning it for a lot of years with alot of different calibers, but this gun is just the one that always draws blood for some reason. I guess its just the mind set I have when I'm carrying it. Works for me. Sometimes bigger isn't always better.

Whoot, congrats on 30

I never post I just like to absorb the knowledge that yall all write but I have changed my mind after reading all the post on this thread from a 454 to the 44 hope to have soon Super Ruger Blackhawk Bisley hunter!!!

"How does the 44 mag rate today", I'd say its held up very well in the game fields, you can certainly go bigger now, much bigger & they have lots more power......power is recoil & recoil for many can mean reduced accuracy. For those that can handle the big boomers its a definite advantage, for those that can't its a huge disadvantage. Trying to keep up with someone else in the horsepower race can cause more problems than it solves, again, for those than can honestly handle 300+ gr bullets at 1300-1400 fps are ahead of the game.
I'm talking strictly revolvers here, not single shots, the single shots are totally different, much longer range capabilities, fine accuracy & rifle knockdown power, if you need rifle type results, then the single shots are the way to go, hands down.
I think the biggest problem with revolver shooters is, then tend to "over gun" that is they get out of their comfort zone as far as recoil is concerned, accuracy suffers & game gets wounded or missed as a result. If 250 gr slugs at 1100 fps are giving you complete penetration what good is a 300 grainer at 1400 fps, yes it will gain you some distance & shoot flatter but I'm talking iron sighted sixguns here so its a short range game we play.
I recently read somewhere about a certain load that was generating 1350 fps & having 29,800 psi, the author said that by dropping the load down to 24,800 psi only cost 100 fps in velocity, thats 5,000 psi difference for only 100 fps, thats a lot of recoil difference!
In my single shots days I used many calibers but the go to guns were a Bullberry 6TCU, a Bullberry 6.5/284 & a magnificent Bullberry 338/284, nothing was safe!
Nowdays its either a 41 Bisley, a 44 Bisley or a 45 Bisley with a 357 Maximum thrown in when I'm expecting 200 yd shots.
If I had to pick a favorite it would be the 44 magnum, a 250 gr Keith & 21 grs of 2400........I think!!





Dick

One thing I noticed when I went from the RSBH to the Bisley, for me, the felt recoil reduction from just 1/2" more grip was amazing. I was never happy with SBH grip platform and always ended up selling them off. Ever sence I got the Bisley, even sharp 180's pushed fast didn't bother me.

I bring this up as I see alot of mention about managing recoil as a pre curser to accuracy.

I'm also very pleased at how this thread has progressed

I did use Contendors back in the 80's with excellent results and have no complaints, even had one in a .44 and killed a ton of critters with it. Nowadays I use revolvers and the .44 mag. exclusively. I have always had total confidence in it no matter what I was hunting. For me it just works!

Ditto.
Steve

Whitworth is spot on. A larger caliber will not make up for poor shot placement. The larger than .429 bore penetrate deeper and provide larger wound channels, there is no dening that.

That would explain the 480 Ruger I have on the way!

Funny thing is that I shoot my .475 with full-tilt loads better than I do any of my .44 magnums!

I still grab my 44 sbh going to hunt with this year. and have lots of hand guns but like u had it sins i was 16 dad got it for me and killed with it ever sins. but i like the big ons to

That's because your 475 is more accurate than any of your 44 mags.. I know who built your 475