Why do a lot of people like the .44mag over the .454 ?

[Capt Rick Hiott]

Back before I bought my .454 I did a LOT of research on different hunting calibers.
I noticed that the .454 was almost twice as powerful as the .44mag.
This was a surprise to me, but still cant figure out why some people prefer the .44mag over the .454 when it comes to hunting......Is it a recoil thing?

Whats up??????

 

[iraiam]

I never saw a 454 Casull until the late 90's, by then I was already invested in firearms and reloading equipment for the 44 Mag, which has met all my needs thus far.

 

[jmr40]

My S&W 629 weighs 41 oz. A 454 would weigh 53-72 oz depending on the exact model. If I'm going to carry around a 72 oz handgun I'd literally rather have a lightweight short barreled rifle.

Energy doesn't kill stuff, especially from a handgun. A bullet that penetrates deep is what kills stuff. I doubt there is much difference in penetration from the best loads in either with heavy hardcast bullets.

The 454 is more powerful, but not nearly double the energy with best loads.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=48

They do make hotter 44 mag ammo that will all but match 454, although it isn't recommended for my S&W. But could be used in a Ruger Blackhawk or Redhawk with a more reasonable weight of 48-49 oz.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=54

 

[brasscollector]

Likely has a lot to do with the fact that the 454 was a wildcat until the later 1990s. Ruger first chambered for the round in 1997. S&W first chambered for the 44 magnum in 1955 so it had a little bit of a head start .

 

[Hawg]

The .44 mag works and is lighter. I can't hunt with handguns here anyway. I don't even have a .44 mag anymore but I would get a .44 mag before I got a .454.

 

[ligonierbill]

While you can get a bit bigger bullet in .452 than .429, the big advantage of Dick Casull's cannon is velocity. More velocity, more range, if you can shoot that well. Most handgunners don't shoot far enough for it to matter, and deer and hogs are no match for a well placed .44 Mag. I don't know that folks like it better, so much as the .44 works fine, and they don't feel they need more. Recoil certainly is a factor, both real and (often) imagined. When I asked recently for thoughts on "beyond 44" rounds, I got a pretty good number of replies along the line of, "If you want to hurt yourself, go for it."

 

[Slamfire]

I noticed that the .454 was almost twice as powerful as the .44mag.

If either will make a through hole, then which one is better?

Are .454 owners hunting trees? Big, nasty, barky trees? I would think in that situation them twice as powerful would mean something, against killer trees. They will creep up on you, and then, BLAM!, you are squashed!

After fifty rounds of full power 44 Magnum rounds, my hands are trembling and I have a bad flinch. I don't own a 454 but, I will bet that will less than 20 rounds my hands will be trembling and I will have a bad flinch. Is that progress?

I am of the opinion that at some point in handgun power, you are better off shooting that cartridge in a rifle.

 

[B.L.E.]

Because:

1. In 1972 when I bought a .44 Mag, there was no such thing as a .454

2. The .44 Mag is quite enough

 

[B.L.E.]

I am of the opinion that at some point in handgun power, you are better off shooting that cartridge in a rifle.

I'll go one step farther, at some point in handgun power, it starts to miss the whole point of a pistol, you know, something you can keep in your pocket of holster in case you need to shoot something.
These long barreled scoped horse-pistols are so heavy and bulky that you might just as well carry a short barreled carbine with a sling.

There's a reason why .454's and even .44 magnums never became military or police sidearms.

 

[44 AMP]

something you can keep in your pocket of holster in case you need to shoot something.

That is certainly ONE of the uses for a pistol, and a very important one. Which is probably why the majority of pistols are made to fit somewhere within that role.

As to "might as well carry a carbine with a sling" of course you can, its your choice. But the big "horse pistols" are still a bit handier than a carbine. And that's the real point.

Whether its a .454, .44 Mag, or a T/C Contender in .45-70, even the biggest of handguns still is a bit more compact to carry than carbines, and a holstered horse pistol is a bit more manageable than a slung rifle or carbine. Perhaps not by a lot, but by some, and that's enough for some folks.

When I got to .44 Mag power levels in handguns (and hot .45 Colt), I found adequate, and more than adequate power for everything I've ever used or needed a handgun for. I understand people wanting to go further, to see what it's like, and because they can. Some folks can even use the extra, but not all of us can.

 

[TruthTellers]

Lot of good reasons listed here and I think they all combine to give the answer.

1. .454 chambered revolvers are much bigger than .44 Mag.

2. .454 has more recoil, not as fun to shoot.

3. .44 Magnum revolvers have been more common, have been available for longer than .454's have.

4. "You ever see what a .44 Magnum pistol could do to a women's face? Just blow it right apart."

5. ".44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world... will blow your head CLEAN off."

The biggest one I think is what is it you're shooting at that a .44 Magnum won't kill? Few creatures will fail to go down by a properly placed shot with a .44 Magnum.

I think .454's role is it fits a role for a person who wants a clear magnum revolver and one that can shoot .45 Colt. I'm one of those people who don't reload .44 Mag, but I do .45 Colt, so it makes more sense for me to buy .454 over a .44 if I really want a revolver that can handle true magnum power safely.

But, like others, I find the hot .45 Colt to be all the power that I need.

 

[JohnKSa]

I noticed that the .454 was almost twice as powerful as the .44mag.
This was a surprise to me, but still cant figure out why some people prefer the .44mag over the .454 when it comes to hunting...

The .338 Lapua is almost twice as powerful a .308 and yet most people still prefer the .308 over the .338 Lapua when it comes to hunting.

In fact, a lot of people hunt with rifle calibers much less powerful than the .308. Just as many people hunt with pistol calibers (e.g. 10mm, .357Mag, .41Mag, .45Colt) that aren't even as powerful as the .44Mag.

 

[B.L.E.]

The .338 Lapua is almost twice as powerful a .308 and yet most people still prefer the .308 over the .338 Lapua when it comes to hunting.

In fact, a lot of people hunt with rifle calibers much less powerful than the .308. Just as many people hunt with pistol calibers (e.g. 10mm, .357Mag, .41Mag, .45Colt) that aren't even as powerful as the .44Mag.

I worked with a man who came over to America from South Africa and when I showed him my .22 Hornet rifle, he said "Believe it or not, but the .22 Hornet is one of Africa's most popular calibers."
Americans think of African game as nothing but elephants, lions, cape buffalo, etc. but there is also a lot of small game there including an antelope species that's about the size of a jack rabbit, and small game is what most of the natives go hunting for, they can't afford the permits for big game.

 

[buck460XVR]

After fifty rounds of full power 44 Magnum rounds, my hands are trembling and I have a bad flinch. I don't own a 454 but, I will bet that will less than 20 rounds my hands will be trembling and I will have a bad flinch. Is that progress?

I am of the opinion that at some point in handgun power, you are better off shooting that cartridge in a rifle.

I'll go one step farther, at some point in handgun power, it starts to miss the whole point of a pistol, you know, something you can keep in your pocket of holster in case you need to shoot something.
These long barreled scoped horse-pistols are so heavy and bulky that you might just as well carry a short barreled carbine with a sling.

There's a reason why .454's and even .44 magnums never became military or police sidearms.

I have gotten to the point whenever I see posts like the above, I realize, some folks just don't get it.

44AMP gets it a little.........

As to "might as well carry a carbine with a sling" of course you can, its your choice. But the big "horse pistols" are still a bit handier than a carbine. And that's the real point.

Whether its a .454, .44 Mag, or a T/C Contender in .45-70, even the biggest of handguns still is a bit more compact to carry than carbines, and a holstered horse pistol is a bit more manageable than a slung rifle or carbine. Perhaps not by a lot, but by some, and that's enough for some folks.

Sure to some folks you're better of with a rifle......but then you're not handgun hunting. That's the point. Look at bowhunters? why do they even bother when it's so much easier(and handier) to hunt deer with a rifle? It's because of the challenge and the thrill that hunting with a string and a stick gives to folks. Sometimes folks hunt areas where true trophies just don't exist. Why not make the platform used the challenge then instead of the size of the horn? Some folks never need more than a 4" .44 mag because they only have it as a backup to their scoped ought-six. They bother to carry both because"one may as well carry a rifle!". Despite the caliber, hunting with a handgun is much more of a challenge than any rifle. Past 40 yards, no responsible handgun hunter would take a shot at big game without some sort of rest anyway. We don't quick draw and shoot one handed. Like most rifle hunters we want a quick and humane kill. Using a rest helps with that. Same reason long range rifle shooters use bipods or a rest of some sort. Accuracy over being macho.

As for power with a handgun, yes, the biggest advantage to the bigger calibers is the extended range and less rainbow trajectory. Still bigger calibers do more damage than smaller ones regardless of what folks say. I have shot and butchered deer shot with everything from .357 to .460. The .460 leaves a bigger hole and more destroyed tissue than my .44s. Same is true for the .44s over the .357s. Still the reason I use the .460 is the extra 80 yards or more it gives me over the .357, not the destructive capacity.

Folks screamed when compound bows came out cause, "I don't need no mechanical archery equipment!"....still for most compounds are the norm. Same was true when inline primed smokepoles using sabots and scopes came out. Once scorned as "not real primitive weapons" folk now don't batt an eye.

The answer to the question the OP asked is much harsher recoil in the first and most readily available platforms, cost and desire. Those with the desire to really hunt with handguns have no problem using bigger calibers in heavier platforms that are more accurate and more pleasant to shoot than running "Ruger only" loads thru their .44 mags and .45 Colts. It's about hunting with a handgun. No where did the OP ask about the legitimacy of a .454 for hunting big game, he didn't have to.........he's a handgun hunter.

 

[deserted]

I fired one round of .454., just so I could say I have.
One was enough.

 

[FrankenMauser]

Why .44 Mag over .454?
When I bought my first .44, the Casull was around, but revolvers chambered as such were stupid expensive and all I had ever heard about was punishing recoil and intense muzzle blast. Plus: Big, bulky, heavy, generally ported or with a muzzle break.
I didn't need bragging rights or a show piece. I just needed a good sidearm for hunting/hiking/camping in bear and moose territory.

Why choose .44 Mag the second time?
Because I missed it. I missed having a genuine 'magnum' handgun cartridge that wasn't punishing to shoot.
Ended up getting the same revolver back, too.


And, as much as some people may say I'm missing the point, I agree with the guys that say if you're going to be carrying a sixty ounce revolver, you may as well just have a rifle.
For my purposes, uses, and applications, a five pound rifle in hand is better than a nearly-four-pound revolver strapped to my waste. (Shoulder holsters are not an option under most circumstances.)
I prefer rifles, anyway. I am not a handgunner.


Where that argument breaks down, is when people find out that I have a Blackhawk in .327 Federal, and a Super Redhawk in .480 Ruger. ...Because the 'little' 5.5" Blackhawk is heavier than the 7.5" .480; and I did, still, end up going bigger than .44 Mag.

 

[Capt Rick Hiott]

Thanks for your reply's.

I have hunted with my .454 for about 5 years and love it.
To me, the recoil is not that bad at all. I can shoot the gun with one hand with no problem.
I would post a video, but photo bucket has that screwed up now......

 

[ammo.crafter]

454 vs 44

I guess it comes down to how much gun do you need.

I've hunted with a S&W #57 41 mag for years without any problem. I saw little difference in terminal performance when using my Ruger 44 mag as far as downing game.

When I want a more powerful round I rely on my 357 Maximum.

Remember, handgun hunting does have effective ranges and abilities to make a clean kill.

 

[rc]

Law of Diminishing Returns!

There are a lot of reasons the 44 magnum is "better" than the 454 as a general handgun caliber. The first is availability and price of ammo. Good 44 mag ammo is pretty common but the 454 is harder to find on the shelf and always more expensive. Good 44 mag handguns are common, but 454 guns are more rare. 44 mag guns are more handy for self defense due to size and recoil. 454 factory loads are BRUTAL! I had a Ruger Redhawk 44 mag. I didn't like it so I bought a 629 half lug and sold the Ruger. I know it's not as strong but it's more reliable and smoother shooting. My buddy found a limited run of Ruger 5 shot Blackhawk 454 revolvers. After shooting his gun I bought one also just to have. It's neet, can shoot 45 LC and any 454 load I can stand and would serve as a dedicated bear country gun. I load it to about 1350-1400fps. It will shoot any load I want to stand behind and anything I can get from the factory. So which would I sell first? The 454 all day long. The 44 mag is just a better caliber overall and in a pinch would kill an animal just as dead as the 454 will. rc

 

[ShootistPRS]

I have fired a 454 and was surprised that the felt recoil was less than my 357. Now, I shoot some hot loads, by todays standards, in my 357 but they shouldn't compare to a "full house" load with a 260 grain bullet in 454. I actually found the Casull easier shooting than my 357. It took a bit longer to get it back on target but it was quite comfortable to shoot.