For Competition or for Carry?
brian45auto said:
munson1 said:
I think Dirty Harry told one of the Patrol Cops in Magnum Force he used loads in his 29 that were equal to a 44 Special.
lite special.....and if you watch the commentary on the movie, it wasn't intended to be written that way.
"light .44 Special loads" were the words spoken to David Soul's character, and it was right after the "Hogan's Alley"-type shooting competition. That left me forever wondering if he was speaking of what he used in the competition or what he habitually used on the job. Of course, being a police-only competition with service weapons, the presumption would be the same ammunition as used on the street. However, San Francisco being San Francisco, I cannot imagine full-power 44 Magnum ammo being used. But then, Harry was a bit of a maverick. So, I am unsure.
In "The Enforcer", he, in response to Tyne Daly's character's asking why he carries such a big gun, simply replied it was because he could hit what he aimed at. The heavy gun with lighter loads simply recoils less and gives the shooter a better chance to get a well-placed bullet. She suggested it was "for the penetration", but then, that wasn't really what she was thinking about.
Why shoot ammunition with lesser-powered cartridges?
I have a friend who bought himself his first revolver and second gun last year. 500 Smith & Wesson.
(Actually that is a little misleading. He is an experienced shooter. He just lived and worked in a gun-restrictive country, as a policeman and security
specialist.)
We loaded up some 300 grain slugs that clock 800 feet per second and some 370 grain slugs that go agout 850 fps. These would be GREAT against a human target. More momentum than a 45 ACP or 45 Colt, but not so fast as to blow through the other person, three walls and a car body.
In a gun as heavy as the S&W 500, such loads recoil hardly at all. They make great practice and familiarization rounds.
Lost Sheep
