Ballistics questions --- .44 vs .45 LC

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Rugerhunter

Bearcat
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Oct 12, 2009
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El Segundo, CA
Just curious about hunting.

Where is the best place to compare ballistics among cartridges?

I have shot pigs with .357 before and recently got a .44 SBH for hunting.

I am just not that familiar with the 45LC. Where is the handiest, best organized comparison chart of ballistics?


I am taking the 44SBH hunting in November when I am whitetail hunting. would love to get a close shot and test it out.
 

jerry b

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 30, 2008
Messages
19
Although everyone has a favorite firearm guru or website, I think the best place to compare cartridges is in good reloading manuals. Publishers of manuals have tested extensively with proper equipment and method. For factory loads, see the literature of the company involved and keep your salt shaker handy. Someone may have an actual chart for you to reference, but I don't know of any. Besides, the variablility of identical loads in different individual revolvers can be quite pronounced.

The Speer manual has good (hard) cast loads for the .44 magnum. Reference the manual of your chosen bullet for jacketed loads.

If you have a SBH and like the .44 magnum cartidge, why look further? I moved from .44 magnum to .45 Colt for reasons other than ballistics and performance. I actually like the magnum cartridge (and probably the revolvers) a bit better. Either cartridge in the right revolver will do what I need a revolver to do.
 

Bucks Owin

Hunter
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You beat me to it with the link Flatgate......In my book, John Linebaugh is to the .45 Colt what Elmer Keith was to the .44 Spl...(Except John picked the right cartridge! heh heh :twisted: ) Dennis :lol:
 

Pal Val

Buckeye
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To me, someone asking to compare ballistics between the .44mag and .45Colt in Ruger single-actions is like my wife asking "Do I look fat in this dress?" There are many factors, ane nobody has a solid rule containing all of them.

To me, it's best to buy both and have some fun comparing them.
 

Redhawk4

Single-Sixer
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UT
Pal Val":3bka87iu said:
To me, someone asking to compare ballistics between the .44mag and .45Colt in Ruger single-actions is like my wife asking "Do I look fat in this dress?"

And as likely to start an argument if you give the wrong answer, LOL
 

CraigC

Hawkeye
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Hodgdon's data is really interesting because even though their .45Colt data is up to Linebaugh's recommended levels, the .44Mag still beats it with comparable heavy bullets by 100fps on average.
 

REP1954

Blackhawk
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Jul 21, 2008
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Unless your willing to spend the money on an costly 5 shot custom or a Freedom Arms revolver the only difference is which history or cartridge name you like best. Both cartridges will deliver about the same performance in a $500.00 stock single action revolver. The cartridges are not the limiting factor here but the revolvers in which they are loaded into that makes the difference. In smaller lighter packing revolvers the 44 Magnum has the edge and in larger oversized cylinders designed as the main hunting weapon the 45 Colt gets the edge, in my way of thinking anyway. Once cylinder strength is no longer a factor case capacity is the deciding factor and the 45 Colt wins that hands down.
 

Sonnytoo

Blackhawk
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florida
I certainly agree with the folks who like John Linebaugh. He's a personal friend besides all the rest of the stuff: gunmaker, his multiple-annual seminars, penetration tests of many calibers, and the list goes on.
However, for my ballistics, I go to Beartooth. Link follows:
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/rescources/index.htm
There is a Ballistician's Corner, if that does it for ya. I certainly do use it a lot. And Beartooth is owned by J. Marshall Stanton, who sells a technical manual that is hard to beat. Covers velocity vs penetration, meplat importance, handguns and rifles. For $15, a real steal.
And Marshall knows what he's talking about. His home backs up to National Forest, and "the girls" told me last week that he's on his way back home from his annual hunt...with his handgun-elk. His previous elk was with his .45 Colt Blackhawk; probably this one too.
Sonnytoo
 

the fatman

Single-Sixer
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Deltona Florida
This might not be quite appropriate but I get the impression on this fourm that while the 45 colt is a great round. The Rugers that chamber this round need gunsmith work to equal other Rugers in other calibers.
 

Rugerhunter

Bearcat
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Oct 12, 2009
Messages
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El Segundo, CA
This is all good information. I really don't know much about the 45 LC, I do intend on taking a deer with my 44SBH.

Keep the notes and info flowing though. Good stuff. Clearly I shouldn't need another handgun, but what would be the fun in only having 1?

the only downside to getting another gun is spending the money. Whereas I could spend that money on a hunt somewhere.
 

Bucks Owin

Hunter
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Love 'em both and enjoy the dead horse beatin' once in awhile. But I don't see how the ".43 mag" can top a 325 gr .45 bullet at "Linebaugh speed" in a .45 BH without running excessive pressures. Linebaugh's custom .45 Colt "fiveguns" are nearly in .454 Casull territory. Come to think of it, didn't Dick Casull start with some "imaginative" triplex loads in one of those "weak" .45 Colt cases? hee hee...Dennis (Just "hackin' on ya")
 

Rugerhunter

Bearcat
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El Segundo, CA
I have to learn about Linebaugh, because I am just not familiar.

So I will try and read up on all that.

It just seemed to me like the 45LC was just less than half the energy of the 44 when I look at the tables I find on the internet. So that's what I need to study up on.
 

Bucks Owin

Hunter
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the fatman":396fxded said:
This might not be quite appropriate but I get the impression on this fourm that while the 45 colt is a great round. The Rugers that chamber this round need gunsmith work to equal other Rugers in other calibers.
That depends how hard you want to "push it". Linebaugh's custom .45 Colt sixguns exceed, and his "fiveguns" FAR exceed the .44 mag. But any stock .45 Ruger BH/RH can run neck and neck with the .44 mag. See the Linebaugh link flatgate provided....Dennis
 

the fatman

Single-Sixer
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Owin I'm refering to having to fix the cylinder. Not so much strength. But I keep reading that you need to have the cylinder reamed? In order to fire all bullets and have accuracy? I believe cast bullets in particular.
 

Ruber

Single-Sixer
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Bucks Owin":1fdn02qe said:
But I don't see how the ".43 mag" can top a 325 gr .45 bullet at "Linebaugh speed" in a .45 BH without running excessive pressures.
That's the mystery of ballistics tables.... The Hodgdon tables are great references, but they do not list firearm used in tests, just barrel length (might even be that they are test barrels). The .44RM tests are from longer barrels than the .45C. Also, those big heavy 44RM loads are what I used to see referenced as "Ruger Only" loads and some are nearly 10% longer than Max Cartridge Length to get more powder and lower pressures. But just looking at the Hodgdon table and a Speer manual which uses a 7.5" Redhawk, Speer actually uses more powder in some cases with much slower velocities.
Soooo.... who knows what it actually will do in your revolver...
 
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