.44 Magnum
.45 Colt
I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.
I almost got a 1911 instead of the 625. I wonder if this thread would be "Grizzy LAR vs. .460 Rowland conversation" if that had been the case. The .460 Roland has always struck me as an "almost" solution. As in, it's almost a .44Mag or hot .45 Colt, but the inability to go with heavier bullet weights makes it almost something I'm interested in. I briefly considered getting my 625 re-chambered for it, but a new gun seemed more logical.
Last edited by Baldanders; 01-19-2020 at 01:00 PM.
REPETITION CREATES BELIEF
REPETITION BUILDS THE SEPARATE WORLDS WE LIVE AND DIE IN
NO EXCEPTIONS
Here's a good reference for Tier II Loads: http://buffalobore.net/HandloaderDecJan2012.pdf Brian Pearce has written several other very good articles about handloading for the 45 Colt in various revolvers.
FWIW, I shot a cylinder full of this load https://www.grizzlycartridge.com/sho...p-265gr-wfngc/ through my New Model Blackhawk a few days ago. Based on the recoil, I'd say that the advertised velocity is spot on. Based on the smell, I'd say that the propellant is H110 or WW296. Based on the accuracy, I'd say that this load GTG if you need to shoot bear, hogs, or elk with a 45 Colt.
Okie John
“The reliability of the 30-06 on most of the world’s non-dangerous game is so well established as to be beyond intelligent dispute.” Finn Aagaard
"Don't fuck with it" seems to prevent the vast majority of reported issues." BehindBlueI's
I suppose it does. However, you can take deer sized game humanely with a good hardcast 45 caliber bullet moving along at 900-950 fps without being too much for a modern Colt or Colt or Colt clone. A hardcast bullet with a large meplat gives a lot of penetration and while the wound track is narrow, the wide meplat does a lot of tissue damage along the way.
Nothing wrong with a 41. It's only real down side is that it's the red-headed step child of magnum calibers. The 357 will do most of what the 41 will do and the 44 will do all that and a bit more.I did some some searching on current prices for .41s, and they really aren't bad, but I would say the ammo/bullet situation definitely puts it behind the .44 or .45 options for flexibility , although if I was just going for a pure deerslayer and nothing else, I might go that route.
Okie John sums up 45 colt performance quite well in his earlier post-
The Tier 2 loads will get a lot of work done with authority without without excessive recoil or tearing up a modern revolver.
Last edited by MistWolf; 01-19-2020 at 03:29 PM.
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The .41 is pretty much a reloader's cartridge. In which case, you can just load .44 a little lighter to throw the same bullet weight at the .41 speed, if that's what you want.
For maximum snowflakeness, it might be interesting to throat a .357 Blackhawk for .360 DW. My stupid brain is wired in such a way that ideas like that make me want to try it just to see how it works.
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Not another dime.
Yeah, I think the Tier 2 level would pretty much do anything I want to do. I would still lean towards a Ruger/Tier II gun because I want a gun that can use expanding heavyweight bullets reliably. Not that I wouldn't use a Smith in .45 Colt to harvest deer, but that doesn't quite scratch the .44 magnum-ish itch the way a Tier 2 platform would. (I'm not claiming it would actually allow me to do anything a Tier One couldn't, practically)
I'm not sure this thread has firmed up my decision that much, but it has certainly made the options and their various pluses and minuses pretty clear.
REPETITION CREATES BELIEF
REPETITION BUILDS THE SEPARATE WORLDS WE LIVE AND DIE IN
NO EXCEPTIONS
https://www.wideopenspaces.com/360-d...tridge-rifles/
I had no idea that existed. If I was going to get guns modified AND go for pain-in-the-ass brass, sounds great.
As I said before, if .357 Maximum was a common caliber, it would certaintly lead my options. Particularly if Dan Wesson still made a revolver with interchangeable barrels in that caliber. One of those with a 4" and a 8" would be very cool.
Gun Broker actually has a Contender and a Blackhawk in .357 Max up right now.
REPETITION CREATES BELIEF
REPETITION BUILDS THE SEPARATE WORLDS WE LIVE AND DIE IN
NO EXCEPTIONS
Starline makes .360 DW brass.
My understanding is that Ruger recalled and destroyed all the .357 Max Blackhawks. Apparently, people were loading them with light bullets and double-base powder that cut top straps to the point of danger. At least that's what I read on the internet.
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Not another dime.
I had a 7 1/2" Ruger .357 Max on lay a way when they first came out. About the time they started talking about bullets jumping out of their jackets and flame cutting top straps, my tool truck was selling his brothers almost new 70 Series .45 acp. So I pulled my money out of the Max and bought the Colt. At the time the .357 Max had me all fired up about like you folks here in these discussions. It's all fun until your ears and wrists go.
For deer and only shooting through the lungs so as not to ruin any shoulder meat, I found my .44 Ruger Hunter most efficient with hot handloads of the Hornady xtp 180gr. If I dropped the power level down to mild magnum with 240 gr SPs the deer ran much further and were sometimes lost. I never did use cast loads on deer.
I sold off the Ruger Hunter and paid for my ccw classes and the rest went towards some much smaller handguns. I kept the Ruger .45 Colt 4 5/8 and bought an old 3" .44sp Bulldog for giggles and grins. CA finally rebarreled it in order to get it to shoot to poa and then polished it up nicely and reblued it. I voted for the .44 based on how it brought deer down for me. I think I still have some of those old Speer 200 gr flying ash trays in .45 Colt loaded hot with some Blue Dot left over for the short Ruger. I finished off a deer with them once but never used it as my primary.
Last edited by Grizzly; 01-19-2020 at 07:37 PM.