Alaskan 44 mag

[G2]

Well, I have to agree... after shooting full house 454's, firing a 44 mag was a cake walk.

You can shoot 44 Specials, and 44 mags in your 44 mag Alaskan.

But you can fire 45 Colt or 454's in your 454 Alaskan. It comes down to preference if you ask me. I like both but went with the 454 just because I'm so heavy in 45 Colt.

If you do get started reloading, you can custom tailor your ammo to suit your needs and preferences.

+ + 1 Well said Doug! 454 "Full House" Corbon, YES. Federal's quite enjoyable.
Preference . . . 45 Colt it's just has so much more Options!!

From Mild to Wild and it's just a tad Bigger! Older, and Wiser.

Leave the 44 mag guys in the horse trailer, there just not Bar Broke yet. oh now that comment should bring out the whipper snappers. :shock:

 

[Redhawk4]

If you are talking standard factory mag ammo then I don't think the 44 mag is too much of a handful. Strength and physical size can be a factor but one's reaction to recoil is also another. Getting one as a first handgun could lead to the development of a flinch, but I don't think you can generalize too much, I think it depends on the individual.

The Alaskan is one fine chunky looking revolver, I looked at them but bought the 4" Redhawk instead, because it seemed more compact, in one sense, and I got a longer barrel which I felt would make me more accurate and would give more muzzle velocity with any particular ammo. Either is a great choice, go with the one that floats your boat - Congratulations on your purchase Tank, and the best of luck.

Don't let the 44 mags "reputation" scare you, I'd never ever fired a 44 mag when I got mine, I didn't even know anyone who had one, I fired a few 44 specials and then went for the 44 mag. First shot, I don't know if I even aimed I just wanted to see what was going to happen. I was pleasantly surprised nothing close to what I imagined and I still have an almost full box of 44 specials to prove it . Pretty soon on later outings I was shooting fast in double action, not even thinking, about recoil. Now if we are talking the big bad loads some of the experienced guys here use, then that would be different, standard factory 240-300 gr ammo in a heavy revolver isn't any big deal IMO, but will still put a stop to pretty much anything you may encounter. You can always move up to the heavy loads when/if you want to.

P.S. I was 48 when I got mine and have large hands (size 14 wedding ring), so that's something else we have in common.

 

[dougader]

I've fired Redhawks, Super Redhawks and then the short barreled Alaskan and I have to say, that Hogue grip that comes on the Alaskan does dampen the recoil somewhat. I felt like recoil was more in my SRH with 7-1/2" barrel than in the snubby 454 Alaskan.

 

[Tommy Kelly]

I have a 454 alaskan and love it. I have never tried it with the 45 colts. But with the 454's made by winchester it's a great shooting pistol. In my opinion the short bbl's take out a lot of the recoil because the powder doesn't get as much burn time in the bbl's. For some reason I shoot better with shorter bbls. I have a good collection of short bbl pistols that i shoot all the time. I have a 3" model 29 a 4"500 S&Wand at least 1 of every cal. ruger sells in 4 5/8 bbl's in their blackhawk and super blackhawk line. I also bought some of the bullets made by ranger rick out of alaska and loaded them for my 500 they are 700 gr cast bullets with a gas check. They don't seem to recoil much more than the 350 gr bullets in the 500. I shoot pistols a good bit to say the least. But I think the 44 alaskan would be a great pistol but like said before when you get it buy a box of 44 specials and a box of 44 mag. Shoot the 44 specials first at the range then try the 44 mag's but most important buy a set of ear muffs and don't go to the range without them. Just to give you a comparison the 500 has 3times the energy at 100yds that the 44 mag has at the muzzle at least that's what the experts say. I like shooting both.

 

[Tankhead]

I have a 454 alaskan and love it. I have never tried it with the 45 colts. But with the 454's made by winchester it's a great shooting pistol.

Funny, I was lookin at the specs on 45Lc and 454''s in the MidwayUSA catalog and that Winchester 260gr Surpreme Partition in the 454 really stood out if thats the one your talkin about. Ya, I don't need a heavy bullet to do what I'm buying the gun for. There's plenty of material bout this subject just on this forum. Ran into one exhaustive thread that once I read the "ABC's" and Lyman's manual maybe I can go back and understand the rest. Most of my readings on the Reloaders is about getting started handloading. I'm too ignorant to either caliber to do em any justice. Maybe in a month when I'll be ready to pull the trigger I can make a decision. For now just keep doing serches, reading and asking questions. Thanks for the opportunity to get educated.

 

[M'BOGO]

No matter what happens, only hits count. If you're in the lower 48 the .44 mag or .45 colt in a heavy framed Ruger, with the right slug, will do all you need. Burning extra powder and digging a slug an extra six inches in the dirt on the far side of your target is just that.

 

[RMWHEELER]

+1 on the Simply Rugged holsters. Just another option is the Mernickle field carry holster - "Bear Paw" it is cross draw only.

 

[Knuckles]

+2 on the Simply Rugged holster.

I would suggest the 4 or 5.5" Redhawk for 44mag.

I would go with the .45LC / 454Casull for the SUPER.

And last but not in any way the least,... the Stainless Steel Super Blackhawk 4 5/8"... what a dream!

Good Luck!

 

[Tankhead]

Spent last nights internet time researching the 45 Colt and a little of the 454 Cassul. When I went back on YouTube and looked at the rest of the 8 1/2 minute video and closer of the part that scared me so much of guys shootin the 454, the guy was cradling the gun in his other hand in the part I had seen enough of instead of gripping it like the other guys shooting who had control. He only shot it once wanting to "save his hands" for that weeks competition. But I saw a handfull of other videos of guys that looked very much in control of the gun. With the guns intended use for self defense against dangerous game at less than 50 yards I really like the Alaskan. Not that others can't do the same job. Gonna do searches on the 44 special tonite. I'm not gonna know it all by even next month, but I'll be more informed about each caliber.

 

[batmann]

IMHO, the .44M in the Alaskan is plenty for what your intended purposes are. If you are looking for some 'heavy' special loads, loads that come very close to mags, go to the Buffalo Bore or Double Tap sites and look at their offerings. If you want some Black Bear protection, both have excellent loads for that in both .44Spl and .44M. DT has 250 gr SWC and BB has a reduced Mag load.
Good luck and good shooting.

 

[surveyor47]

The 44 Magnum double action revolver is not my idea of a fun gun. I agree with the suggestion of a 4 5/8 inch Blackhawk. The difference is that the short Alaskan barrel is going to have more blast to deal with than a longer barrel. Also, a single action grip is going to roll up in your hand, going vertical, rather than pushing straight back and flipping up. The ability to roll up makes the single action easier to shoot.

Dont start out by shooting 44 Magnums. Lots of new 44s get sold after their owners say hellow introduce themselves with the nastiest 44 Magnum load they can purchase.

What about the 41 Magnum. That is a much easier round to shoot than a 44, but nearly as powerful. Ruger makes a 4 5/8 inch Blackhawk in 41. Ammo is harder to comeby and it is a round that truly benefits from handloading.

 

[Tankhead]

As a self defense gun from dangerous game wouldn't I want a DA? And I wouldn't be always shooting a heavy load. The 44 mag is a great round. One of my only concerns about the 45 colt is the large case with today's smokeless powders. Less powder needed today than when it was designed. And the thin walled case I'm reading about. But I do like the versatility. Tame 45's for plinking, target and home defense, hot 45's for black bear other large/dangerous game and 454 Casull whenever I might need/want it. Which may be never.

 

[surveyor47]

The 44 Magnum is right on the upper limit of my ability to shoot with confidence and only with a single action and a longer barrel. The 44 really isnt for some people and Im one of them. Even with a longer barrel, I just dont like the caliber. I own one, a 5 1/2" Ruger Blackhawk, but only shoot it with 44 Special loadings. I much prefer the 41 Magnum, which is really a refinement on the 44. Hitting the target matters a lot and the 41 is much easier to shoot than most 44s and easier than many 357s. The big problem with the 41 is that you need to be a handloader to get the most out of it, because there arent too many "special" or "police" loadings on the market. Most loadings are full power magnum loadings. If you own a 41 and reload, you really dont need a 357 or a 44. The next step up would be a 454 Casull.

The 44 Redhawk is a great gun. I just dont think it is the right gun for someone who has never previously owned a handgun. In fact, it is a special purpose gun- up close and personal with dangerous game. I dont think you will ever go wrong with a good Blackhawk, be it 44 or 41.

 

[maxpress]

g2, i guess its where u live. i see .44 guns and ammo all over the place here but have a real hard time finding .45 ammo. seems that we are flipped

 

[M'BOGO]

Hey tankhead,
This explains the .45 Colt, http://www.customsixguns.com/writings/d ... e_myth.htm , in modern terms. This is not to say the .44 mag is not all that it is. There are plenty of accounts, of which I personally have none, of standard .45 Colt and .44 spc doing all that is necessary against bears in the lower 48. Bullet construction and placement always being the determining factors. Ross Seyfried took a five shot (I think a Seville revolver) .45 Colt to the ultimate level, and carefully picked his shot, to harvest a cape buff.

 

[Tankhead]

Ya, I think I scanned thru some of that piece doing my google searches this week. I definately remember readings from that site. I will go back and read all of it now that you recommended it. Thanks.

After reading. It's the gun then that makes the .45 realize its true versatiluty. He's always refering to SA. I'm assuming his conclusions hold true for SA/DA revolvers also? Isn't the SRH Alaskan strong being able to handle higher C.U.P.'s?

 

[Redhawk4]

A number of people are bringing up the 45 colt vs 44 mag discussion, which never gets resolved. IMO each has the capabilities to do just about anything required of a handgun, and it really comes down to a choice from the heart for most people - go with the one that you feel best about. All things being equal whatever your target is, it won't be able to tell the difference.

However, in Tank's case, where he is admitting to being a novice, I think his choice of 44 mag is the best one for him at this point in time, because of availability of a wide choice of ammo that can be bought in a store that will suit every situation he is likely to need. Yes he's looking at reloading, which I think is essential for the 45 Colt, but as a novice who doesn't necessarily have the same interest in handgun ownership as others here do, I think you're asking a lot of him to get him to buy a 45 Colt as his first revolver and then jump straight into serious handloading- that's a steep learning curve.

If his stated use is defense, there are many who argue you should not use handloads for self defense issues, only quality factory ammo. I don't necessarily agree, but as someone who is yet to get into reloading, I would not want to be facing down a human or animal attack with my first batch of reloads, I would want to have proven myself over time before doing so.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Tankhead]

Thanks! Very good points for going with the 44mag. I couldn't have made a better argument. I was gonna say in my previous post after reading the article. Gettin the .45/454 almost warrants that I handload. And is much to ask just starting out.

 

[Stoots]

As a self defense gun from dangerous game wouldn't I want a DA? And I wouldn't be always shooting a heavy load. The 44 mag is a great round. One of my only concerns about the 45 colt is the large case with today's smokeless powders. Less powder needed today than when it was designed. And the thin walled case I'm reading about. But I do like the versatility. Tame 45's for plinking, target and home defense, hot 45's for black bear other large/dangerous game and 454 Casull whenever I might need/want it. Which may be never.

Hey Tank!

I've been compelled to imput my $0.02 here.

surveyor47 has posted some great info re single actions in .44, as have the rest of the responses been informative.

Regarding bear. You mention defensive use. A charging bear (black or brown) will cover alot of distance quick. I love it when 'keyboard cowboys' opine about 'what they're gonna do' if/when that happens. Truth is, you're not going to have alot of reaction time.

Keep bears in mind if you're in bear territory and use common sense; clean campsite with food located away from sleeping areas, make your presence known; try not to startle bears, use UDAP's Bear Spray first. It has a statistically higher stoppage rate vs. gun (arguable, because we don't know the testing criteria), but bears HATE it and generally head the other way when presented with a faceful of it. And, this buys you time to deploy a weapon. Plus it can be shot from the hip.

As for the caliber, *I* like .44 for the same reasons you mention above. But you can't go wrong with .41 or .45 LC either. That choice is yours.

 

[Tommy Kelly]

Another argument for the 454 alaskan would be that it would be more versatile because of the varying loads available to go from mild to wild with factory ammo. The 45 colt ammo for cowboy action thru the full power 45 colts to mild 454 through hot loaded 454's.