All,

I currently have a Glock G40 that I use for medium game (coyote, small deer, etc.), and I am looking to purchase a revolver for bigger game (bear and elk). What velocity can I expect from a 5" BFR .44 with a 300+ grain WFN?

Thank you!

I'd expect somewhere between 900 and 1,200 +/- depending on what you are pushing it with and the B/C gap of the gun.

BFRs are put together rather well, meaning that you won't see excessive gaps or clearances. I would expect that you should easily be able to attain 1,300 fps plus from a 5-inch .44 Mag.

A 300gr at 1300-1400fps, depending on the load/bullet. A 330gr at 1250-1300fps and a 355gr at 1150-1200fps.

Hodgdon's shows a max of 1325 with an 8.275" test barrel, but then all guns, as well as handloaders, are a rule unto themselves ;-)

That's for sure!

That's the XTP. Traditional jacketed bullets are seated too deep in the case and that affects powder capacity. The max is only 19.0gr and that's just 0.2gr less than the 355gr load. I'm getting roughly the same velocity (1130-1150fps) from those two loads out of a 4 5/8" Ruger. I got over 1300fps from the Oregon Trail 310gr WFN out of the same gun and it's pushing 1400fps out of a 7 1/2". The factory Grizzly 300gr Punch is well over 1400fps. I'm getting 1280fps out of the CPBC 320gr WFN.

Seating depth makes a huge difference. In my 357 contender barrel the factory chamber has a long forcing cone which it doesn't need in a single shot. However I can seat my bullets out .310 farther than factory and with stout loads (still under 55,000 psi which is max for the frame with approx 223 head diameter) I can get 1800 fps out of a 180 with no primer cratering and the cases fall right out

Although I've chronied loads in my 7.5" SBH I never ran them through a chrony when shooting them in my 5" BFR. I don't think there's enough of a velocity loss that any animal would ever notice the difference. I would highly recommend the BFR though. Mine is very accurate. The 5 shot cylinder is almost overbuilt for this round. Its a quality gun with very good tolerances. The free wheeling cylinder is one of my favorite features of these guns and part of why I prefer them over Rugers and Freedom Arms.