.45 Colt versus .44mag

[CraigC]

"Both" is never the wrong answer!

 

[Skalkaho Slim]

Especially when they're three screw flattops........

Look at that!

 

[29 Wheelgunner]

I like them both. Reloading for both opens up so many opportunities.
If it ever came down to only one, right now it would be the .44 mag.
This is only due to the number of firearms I have available for the round.

 

[Buckeye!]

I love these debates ..I've owned BH chambered both over the years , but neither now.. stuck with the 357 Mag.

45 Colt in a Ruger Black Hawk or Red Hawk has the potential to out perform the 44 Mag. while chambered in these two superior quality handguns...

But in all reality what would notice the difference after getting hit with either round ???

 

[WESHOOT2]

Having some experience with custom 5-shot 45 Colts and the ammo they fire, I can suggest Federal cases, filled to their top with W295, scraped flush with the mouth, and then the 335g WFNGC placed over the charge to compress it, last well.

Really.



This is coming from someone who has obliterated the headstamp of a new 44 Magnum case in one firing.......

That is a LOT of compression you are talking about. What does the nose of the bullet look like when you get it seated? 8)

And oh yeah, are you sure that it is not 296 instead of 295?

Proper tooling allows compression in steps, without bullet deformation.

And no, I specifically meant W295.

 

[7p's]

If you've got a can or two of WW295 or 295HP it should be a collectors item by now. I've gotten away with some really hot compressed loads in a 5-shot 45 Colt without doing any damage to the revolver and managed to guide the barrel just past my left ear without touching it!!!

That load of W295 or W295HP (same characterics as H110 or WW296, if my memory serves me correctly) with a 335 grain HC is at least a couple steps past where I've ever dared to venture. You were probably over 40 grains and that makes you a very luck person IMO and that revolver's cylinder was "proof tested". Was velocity in the high 1,600fps? or are you just messin' with this thread?

 

[Benson]

Interesting debate. I have owned .44 mags for 40 or so years, reloading, casting & swaging since 1960. Several years ago I bought my first .45 Colt a Ruger BH 4.62", next came a Redhawk 4.2" .45 Colt. I shoot both 3 or 4 times a month. Most fun I have had in years. The last time I shot the .44 mag was I think, 1998. Almost all the bullets I shoot are reformed via Corbin, are cast .357's, .41's and .430's. 180 to 300grain. Reformed to .452 button nose, RN, truncated cone (TC) and HP's. Both .45's have had cylinders reamed to .452 and forcing cone to 11
degrees.
Especially like the Redhawk, handles heavy recoil the best. Love to experiment like shooting in the .45 Colts AA5744 and H4198 powders and many others.

 

[WESHOOT2]

If you've got a can or two of WW295 or 295HP it should be a collectors item by now. I've gotten away with some really hot compressed loads in a 5-shot 45 Colt without doing any damage to the revolver and managed to guide the barrel just past my left ear without touching it!!!

That load of W295 or W295HP (same characterics as H110 or WW296, if my memory serves me correctly) with a 335 grain HC is at least a couple steps past where I've ever dared to venture. You were probably over 40 grains and that makes you a very luck person IMO and that revolver's cylinder was "proof tested". Was velocity in the high 1,600fps? or are you just messin' with this thread?

I used to manufacture custom handgun ammo.
A customer had a custom 5-shot 45 Colt, and I contacted its maker to get some load input.
W295 is/was a wee bit 'slower' than H110, and offered a wee bit more uniformity and stability (particularly in tropical environments).
I did NOT have the gun in hand, but the customer reported back the performance profile was as desired. No chrono data.

I never tested my 45 Redhawk with 5-shot loads......