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Thread: .44 Magnum General Purpose Loads

  1. #1
    Site Supporter DocGKR's Avatar
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    .44 Magnum General Purpose Loads

    8/30/11

    In 2003, we tested a variety of .44 Magnum loads to determine the best general purpose load to be used in both revolvers and carbines for self-defense, field use, and hunting.

    The following loads were fired out of a 5” barrel S&W 629 revolver and 16” barrel Marlin 1894P carbine:

    Federal 180 gr JHP (C44B)
    Federal 240 gr JHP (C44A)
    Federal 240 gr JHP Hydrashok (P44HS1)
    Federal 300 gr LWC Cast Core (P44E)
    Hornady 180 gr JHP XTP (9081)
    Hornady 240 gr JHP XTP (9085)
    Hornady 300 gr JHP XTP (9088)
    Remington 180 gr JHP (R44MG5)
    Remington 275 gr JHP Core-Lokt (RH44MGA)
    Speer 270 gr JSP Gold Dot (23968)
    Winchester 210 gr JHP Silver Tip (X44MS)
    Winchrester 250 gr JHP Partition Gold (S44MP)

    Recovered bullets from shots made into bare gelatin out of a 5” 629:



    The load with the clearly superior performance in BOTH the handgun and carbine was the Hornady 300 gr XTP, with 20+ inches of penetration, consistent expansion in excess of 0.70” and superb weight retention. Here are a few random comments--the Hornady 240 gr and 180 gr loadings also performed well and would be good alternate choices, the Remington 275 gr Core-Lokt was also a good overall performer, the Remington 180 gr and Winchester 210 gr Silvertip loads had excessive muzzle flash, the Hydrashok fragmented badly, the Silvertip did well in the revolver and not the carbine, conversely the Gold Dot did well in the carbine and not the revolver, the Cast Core has VERY deep penetration, but no expansion,

    Bottom line—BEST overall general purpose .44 Magnum load was the Hornady 300 gr XTP:

    .44 Mag Hornady 300 gr JHP XTP #9088 bare gelatin:
    5" 629: vel=1120 f/s, pen=20+", RD=0.71", RL=0.67", RW=299.5 gr
    16" 1894P: vel=1338 f/s, pen=20+", RD=0.71", RL=0.59", RW=291.5 gr
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  2. #2
    Site Supporter DocGKR's Avatar
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    We recently shot the .44 Mag Barnes 225 gr XPB all copper bullet loaded by Corbon--note that this is labeled as a handgun only load.

    Corbon 225 gr XPB (DPX44M 225/20 1350 fps) fired from 5" S&W 629 at ave vel of 1308 f/s; single shots:
    BG: Pen = 19.3", Ave RD = 0.70", Ave RL = 0.63", Ave RW = 225.2 gr
    4LD: Pen = 18.9", Ave RD = 0.70", Ave RL = 0.64", Ave RW = 225.5 gr
    AG: Pen = 19.3", Ave RD = 0.47", Ave RL = 0.77", Ave RW = 225.6 gr



    This is a relatively easy shooting .44 Mag handgun load with superb terminal performance on par with the outstanding .44 Mag 300 gr Hornady XTP load we previously evaluated.
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