Going thought the ammo stash over the weekend and came across a full box of
Winchester 210 gr Silvertip .44 Magnum rounds. I don't remember buying them, must have been a long time ago. If I remember correctly the Silvertip are somewhat soft?? What application would the .44 Magnum 210 gr Silvertip be used for?? Isn't it designed as more of a defensive round?
Found another box of 200 gr in the same thing in .44 Special.

It's for the punks who want to have their heads blown clean off, who are feeling lucky. Sorry, for those who do not get the American Rifleman, another Dirty Harry article in last months issue ;^)

My guess would be for SD as you noted, to not create massive penetration into too many things past/though the target. About the only Silvertips I shoot anymore are in my older Seecamp in .32, as this gun was designed around the bullet and pressure.

Craig

Personal defense. I carried that same load for a long time.

Any hunting uses for deer or black bear or is it just too soft/frangible? I have a box of 50, seems kinda expensive to use only as a paper punch.

It'll work for deer, bears, cats, coyotes, elk, pretty much anything we have here if you use your head when chasing such game.

Perfect whitetail load! My experience is that a double lung shot will equal a lightening strike effect, four feet in the air and dead right there. A slight exageration enhanced by the years since that second deer with a handgun. First was a .41 Magnum with 175 grain Silvertip at the same 1250 fps. Penetration was over 18 inches center chest to intestines. The .44 Magnum wasn't recovered but left a dime sized exit hole. Skin stretches so the actual temporary wound canal was larger. Lungs were pulp during post mortum. A little pricy so I reload Remington 210 grain SJHP, which give great practice at lesser cost during that final tune up before the season. The same Silvertip bullets work great on small game. One recovered bullet recovered from a sand bank had flesh under the petals after going through a guinea fowl. The .44 Special 200 grain is a weak sister not suitable for anything but small game. Reloaded with 210 grain Silvertip at near 1000 fps the .44 Special comes into its own.

I sometimes think folks over think stuff. Flip your question around. What wouldn't a 210gr. Silvertip work on? The worst I see is that it might give a different aim point from your other stock. You might want to keep it for someone who is learning big guns. The money you put into it is gone. They only really cost to you is replacement cost. And you will replace (reload) them with what you want. So shoot them. Use them for S.D. if you want. Do you have a snub nose .44? They are fun, and the light rounds are better with the short pipe.
I remember when I was first getting into shooting (only 7 years back or so) and a place was going out of bizz. I lamented to a buddy that the only ammo they had left was a bunch of S.D. .44mag rounds. I told him I just wasn't upset with that many people to justify buying that much s.d. rounds. He told me I just needed to get out and meet more people. :-(
So, shoot those rounds and re-load that brass. Or pull the bullets, reload, and try to find a home for the others.
Dogsbreath

When the zombies come you will wish you had bought them all!!!!!!!!!!!